Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2015 August 18

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August 18

Background sound and music too loud on some channels

I get TV from a cable company. On some channels and programs, the sound effects and music are so loud that it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to hear the dialog. Two examples are When We Left Earth on the Science Channel and Nova on PBS. I'm wondering if there could be some sort of technical goof-up causing this. For instance, perhaps the sound is in 5.1, the dialog is in the center channel, and it is left out of the mix. Or they are taking the back two channels only, or something. Could that be the case? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 18:19, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

Possible, but not likely, since other customers would probably have complained as well. How do you listen to your audio? Does 5.1 audio sound okay on other channels? Does it sound okay on the two cable channels you mentioned, but just not on these specific programs? It could be a bad setting on your receiver, decoder or another piece of audio gear.--Thomprod (talk) 21:57, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

I use an HDMI cable from the DVR to the TV, which has built-in stereo speakers. Sometimes we use them and sometimes a stereo soundbar (RCA cables from the TV sound output to the soundbar input). Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:47, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

Since the programs you mentioned are distributed by a cable provider, recorded onto your DVR and then played back on your receiver's internal speakers, I suspect it may have been a one-time error in settings somewhere along that path. Have you successfully decoded 5.1 audio (with good dialog balance) on other programs? --Thomprod (talk) 12:38, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

It isn't a one-time error - they are consistently that way. I have given up on watching some shows because the sound effects are so loud in comparison to the dialog that it is too much of a strain to hear it. I don't do anything with 5.1 sound, just two-channel stereo. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 14:07, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

I've noticed similar problems, sometimes the dialog channel seems completely turned off, with only the background noises and/or music playing. I have two conclusions:

1) This seems to be a relatively recent problem, since digital TV, so I suspect that before that the individual stations got the programs delivered with only one audio track, and now they get multiple audio tracks, leaving them with the responsibility to mix them properly.

2) I've also come to the conclusion that they don't actually have anybody there who watches their own programs as they send them out, as such problems are entirely obvious to anyone paying attention. You'd think having somebody in "quality control" actually watch each program as it is sent out would be a requirement, but apparently not. They never seem to have a clue they are broadcasting garbage, until somebody tells them. StuRat (talk) 22:43, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

StuRat, while what you suggest is possible, it is not likely the fault of your local station. I work in engineering at a television station and all of our syndicated programs are quality checked three times: Once after receiving them from the distributor while being segmented, again after they are loaded into a traffic schedule for playback 8-16 hours before they air, and once again by a live person while they are transmitted. Yes, this all changed since digital TV and HD broadcasting became the norm, since different types of audio channel configurations can now be distributed and transmitted more easily. --Thomprod (talk) 12:38, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

One difference in broadcast TV, at least in the US, is that while there was only one analog station before, now there are up to 6 digital substations, so it would take 6 times as many people to monitor all the broadcast channels at once. Then there are new distribution methods, like the Internet, too. Under analog TV, if the audio was out a "having technical difficulties" message would have gone out within a few minutes, now I hardly ever see such a notice. I assume this is because it's as simple to fix as turning a dial, once they notice the problem. StuRat (talk) 14:56, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

I fear that if I call the cable company technical support and try to explain the problem, they won't understand. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 18:53, 20 August 2015 (UTC)

You're probably right in that the "customer support" person you get will have no idea that there are now different audio channels which must be properly mixed, by them, before the signal is sent out. Try getting them to write a report to send to the tech guys, and dictate it word for word. Have them read if back to you, too, or they are likely to just type "audio out", as that's less work for them, even though it won't get the problem fixed. Ask for a customer complaint number or whatever they call it, and tell them know you will call back to check on it, so they know they will get caught if they take short cuts. Then call back and check on it just to be sure, having the new "customer service" person read it back to you again. This way there will be no question about you being "properly serviced". StuRat (talk) 22:02, 21 August 2015 (UTC)