Wild volume changes thru Home Theater System
Edvander
Newbie
I have a Sunfire Theater Grand system hooked up by HDMI cable from DVR to HT. HDMI from HT to TV. Optical Audio from DVR to HT from HT to TV. For some reason I am getting large volume changes.  It seems to be switching from stereo to Dolby Digital would be my guess.  An easy example that really bugs me is that when i watch the local news the dolby digital comes through perfect then we go to national news and the audio I believe must go to stereo because the center channel is non existent. This also happens when watching shows and then a commericial comes on and blows you out of the house.  Is there any way to have the audio transmit the same for all reception?  I didnt have this problem with Dish Network. This is so frustrating.
0 Likes
Re: Wild volume changes thru Home Theater System
Edvander
Newbie
Acutally the audio is digital on all channels (not switching to stereo).  It just has huge volume changes between programing and commercials.  Pretty frustrating.  Does anyone else have this problem?
0 Likes
Re: Wild volume changes thru Home Theater System
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@Edvander wrote:
Acutally the audio is digital on all channels (not switching to stereo).  It just has huge volume changes between programing and commercials.  Pretty frustrating.  Does anyone else have this problem?

There could be two issues at work.  The first is how your receiver decodes and outputs DD2.0 vs DD5.1.  The second is relates to the audio levels on the channels themselves, including whether or not the content is encoded with dialogue normalization

 

It is very common for channels to insert commercials at higher volume levels.  Sometimes this is done on purpose, and other times it is a specific to the settings on the commercial insertion equipment and/or the encoded levels on the commercial source.  Verizon passes most video and audio as is, so many of the differences you hear are due to the source content.  On most channels, Verizon does not process and adjust the audio levels as DirecTV and Dish Network do.

 

You might check to see whether your processor has a dialogue normalization setting.  Most Dolby Digital 5.1 programs are encoded with a dialogue normalization value, which is meant to equalize volume between DD5.1 encoded content on a particular channel.  When this setting is enabled, it usually serves to reduce the volume levels on DD5.1 programs encoded with dialogue normalization, and then you may hear a volume spike when you are hit with commercials and other channels that are not encoded in that way.  If dialogue normalization is already enabled on your receiver, you might disable it add and observe the difference on your system.

 

Some newer receivers do have a built-in audio adjustment feature (ex: Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Dolby Volume).  This is meant to equalize the volume levels across different channels and sources, much like DirecTV does with their signals.

0 Likes
Re: Wild volume changes thru Home Theater System
izub
Enthusiast - Level 3
I have something similar on MLB 586 no center channel only the front speakers...On some ABC national progarams The View, Jimmy Kimmel to name a couple same, no center...(On 3 or 4 sd channels, the sound is so loud that I am afraid the speakers may blow...This is not right)..Those are the only HD channels that do this... called several times told it was my receiver Never had trouble with Comcast, but didnty get all these channels and PQ...I am in Seattle area, and with Frontier buyout I will cancel when my contract is up...
0 Likes
Re: Wild volume changes thru Home Theater System
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

@izub wrote:
I have something similar on MLB 586 no center channel only the front speakers...On some ABC national progarams The View, Jimmy Kimmel to name a couple same, no center...(On 3 or 4 sd channels, the sound is so loud that I am afraid the speakers may blow...This is not right)..Those are the only HD channels that do this... called several times told it was my receiver Never had trouble with Comcast, but didnty get all these channels and PQ...I am in Seattle area, and with Frontier buyout I will cancel when my contract is up...
Well, we can tell you that it is NOT your receiver. The problem is with those channels. Verizon does not modify the signal in any way from what the broadcaster sends. Most other cable companies (comcast, Time Warner, Dish Network, and Direct TV) all modify the signal being sent to you instead of sending it the way the broadcaster intended. When Verizon was doing television surveys when they were getting ready to start television service, one major complaint from potential customers was the fact that the cable companies would compress and alter the video and audio signals being sent to their customers. So when verizon started with TV it was decided that verizon would simply "pass through" the audio and video signals from the broadcasters so the customers will get the pic/sound the way the channel intended. The bad part of this is that many channels intentionally increase the volume level of the commercials and some of their "flag ship" shows.  Not that they intentionally do it on all shows but a lot. Sometimes its just an accident on the broadcast side (someone bumped the volume output by mistake) which once seen by the broadcaster is generally fixed fairly quickly. Other times its intentional and thats the way it goes. One perfect example is the Super Bowl....Comercials have there volume doubled intentionally. Has been for years.
0 Likes
Re: Wild volume changes thru Home Theater System
TheSanchez
Contributor - Level 2

Hello Edvander,

The other posters are pretty much right about the audio swings.  It happens with every TV provider out there.   We here at verizon to not modify the volume of networks as it is passed to us from their feed.  However their volume does fluctuate over the course of time.  Some examples are QVC which tends to come in a few dB lower than similar channels.  The commercials both national and locally inserted are all formated to use a specific volume setting.  Because on FiOS we do not change the volume from the network provider the local commercials will most likely come in louder than the program your watching.  The same goes for some national commercials.

Just as an example, I was out of town this weekend in Virginia Beach visiting a friend.  This friend happens to use Cox service at his home.  We turned on American Dad and a local Cox Communications commercial came on.  The volume got so loud it started rattling one of his windows.  

0 Likes