On Jan 7, 2:34*pm, "Brenda Ann" wrote:
"D Peter Maus" wrote in ...

* More importantly, there has been an attempt for some time, now, to
actually define skipping commercials as 'theft of service,' and make it
illegal. This issue was given voice by Ted Turner 10 years ago at a
conference, in which he openly stated that people who skip through, edit
out, mute or otherwise remove commercials from media are guilty of theft
and ought to be prosecuted for their crimes.

On a semi-related note...

Sony/BMG are trying to redefine "illegal" regarding fair use of music. *I
just read an article saying that they're pushing to make it illegal for you
to rip your own, bought and paid for, CD's to your computer or mp3 player,
regardless of whether you are sharing them or not. Their logic: ripping a CD
to your computer or mp3 player, even after purchasing the CD, is like
"stealing only one copy".

Isn't this what the computer industry already had in place?? That you
can not make copies of a program - even ir you own it-and then install
it on more than one computer.?? They call it licensing or site
licenses which are out and out highway robbery?? I think someone or
something has got to stand up to whomever: congress - the FCC - about
this stuff. Media is getting way too over regulated in some ways and
way too underregulated in others.

Sony/BMG are trying to redefine "illegal" regarding fair use of music. I
just read an article saying that they're pushing to make it illegal for
you
to rip your own, bought and paid for, CD's to your computer or mp3
player,
regardless of whether you are sharing them or not. Their logic: ripping a
CD
to your computer or mp3 player, even after purchasing the CD, is like
"stealing only one copy".

Isn't this what the computer industry already had in place?? That you
can not make copies of a program - even ir you own it-and then install
it on more than one computer.?? They call it licensing or site
licenses which are out and out highway robbery?? I think someone or
something has got to stand up to whomever: congress - the FCC - about
this stuff. Media is getting way too over regulated in some ways and
way too underregulated in others.

One difference is that software has always been licensed, whereas music
recordings in the past have usually been sold like books, i.e., if you have
it, you have more or less unlimited use of it as long as you don't give
copies to other people.

Another difference is that software isn't just something you listen to or
read -- it's a tool that you use for productive work. I.e., you don't get a
Microsoft Word license in order to enjoy Microsoft Word; you use Microsoft
Word as a tool to create other things. Of course, that isn't an ironclad
argument for licensing, but it does explain why software hasn't been treated
like music.

Anyhow, the digital media industry is in a dither. The public wants the
equivalent of phonograph records, but the sellers want to sell the
equivalent of concert tickets (a limited and temporary right to listen).

And the public will win. Remember copy-protected diskettes? What killed
them was that copy protection interfered with too much use that was
undeniably legitimate. Ditto for DRM. Librarians in particular are worried
about DRM, because it's likely that in 100 years, some of today's music will
be unplayable, even by people who have authentic equipment and software to
play it, because nobody is around who can renew the license.

Vote with your pocketbook. Don't buy music with unreasonable license
conditions.

Incidentally, a similar kind of thing has started happening with software.
It started with Borland's "no-nonsense license agreement," which said,
basically, "copy and install this anywhere you like as long as only one copy
of it is in use at a time." (They recognized that programmers often have
more than one computer.) Today, many software packages explicitly permit
making a copy for your laptop or home computer, for use by the same person
at different times.

Ultimately we may need some laws defining fair use. There's a strong
feeling among copyright experts that, basically, copyright only gets
involved when *other people* receive copies of the material, not when you
copy your own stuff for backup purposes or for use on different kinds of
equipment.

D Peter Maus wrote:
Steven Ramirez wrote:
I use Time Wanner Cable in New York City. And I notice that when
commericals come on the volume level is too high.

I could like to know if other people notice this?

Thank you

oldchip




Cable is horrible about this. Most of the commercials come in over
processed...that is, with average level driven closer to the peak, for
greater loudness.

Also, there's a good deal of spectral manipulation so the bulk of the
audio falls into the spectra where the ear is most sensitive.

It's a phenomenon that's been applied to commercial audio since the
early days.

This differs from most program audio which has higher dynamic range,
and often, but not always, less spectral manipulation, so the ear
doesn't fatigue through the program. So, there's a difference in
perceived level between commercial and program matter.

Also at issue, is that local commercials come in produced by smaller
houses, or in-house, with less attention to the audio. Levels can be
low. Production values different. And the entry level operators taking
in these local spots, or even locally produced access programs, don't
pay attention to the incoming audio, and take corrective measures to see
to it that levels are matched source-to-source.

And since cable doesn't, as a rule, process the audio for each channel
at the head end for level/loudness/spectral distribution, the levels can
vary not only source to source, but channel to channel, as well.

You'll notice similar issues with your DTV channels over the air from
your local stations.

CBS network feeds tend to be pre processsed to remove a lot of the
level variations at the network. As does CBS and ABC. Locally, though,
this can vary.

You can take some steps to correct this, yourself, though. If you have
a newer TV, in the Setup Menu, the audio portion has an audio level
control setting specifically designed to deal with these loudness
variations. Toshiba calls it StableSound. Others have similar names.
These can be effective, but a bit heavy handed.

Now, if you're using outboard audio for a home theatre setup, you can
install a compressor, or limiter yourself. FMR audio makes a product
called a Really Nice Compressor, with a street price of about $229. This
particular device has what FMR calls "Super Nice" mode: Gain control
without audible artifacts. Setting attack at a medium fast rate, release
medium slow and compression ratio at about 3:1 or less, and using no
more than 5db of gain control, in SuperNice mode, you can pull up the
lower audio without the huge pump up of noise you hear in most
installations, control the huge variations between program level audio
and commercial audio, still appreciate the more natural sound of the
less processed program audio, AND hear some of the very low portions
that otherwise would be nearly inaudible.

In the case of gain control devices, like equalizers, less is more, so
use it lightly for maximum benefits. If you can hear it working, you're
using too much.





Is it 6 channels?

D Peter Maus wrote:

In each case, where there has been an attempt made, and successful or
practical design implemented, it's been defeated by other interests. An
extreme example being included in TiVo and TiVo-like DVR services, where
an attempt to bypass commercials are met with popups. Or in the case of
one DVR device, the Fast Forward is defeated during commercial messages.
Hacking the hardware has been roadblocked by grinding off the
identification numbers and manufacturers marks of chips on the board.
Hacking the streams for outboard implementation has been met with
inverted or modified video encoding, in some cases, encryption.
Manufacturers are keenly aware that consumers which to have this
ability, but they realize they have a conflicting dog in the hunt, and
commercial interests win out. With technical solutions to prevent the
ultimate intent of the consumer.

My Echostar VIP622 DVR proudly fast-forwards through the commercials.
In fact, it has a 30 second jump dorward button. In most of the
civilised world the commercials come at the beginning and at the end of
a program, not every 8.5 minutes.

The ad-supported model is hopefully on its last legs. It is a very
flawed system, left-over from the days of steam locomotives and spats.