Broadcast TV audio issues - Videokarma.org TV - Video

OvenMaster · #1 10-20-2008, 10:55 PM

Has anyone else noticed any broadcast television audio issues lately?

First up is audio sync.

I don't care if it's through the DTV box feeding my VCR and TV upstairs, or the plain vanilla analog TV in the living room; live programs such as the news, or broadcasts that are on videotape -- lately I can't get through one day without the audio sync on at least one television broadcast getting messed up. My local CBS and FOX outlets are especially bad in this regard, sometimes up to five seconds difference.

Second is program volume.

Ever since the DTV switchover has progressed, I've been noticing a lot of broadcasts with abnormally low volume -- on analog as well as digital channels -- sometimes to the point of having to crank the volume up to 80% or so to get "normal" listening levels. Then, of course, the commercials blast you out of your seat. This is on all the TVs in the house, and especially on the local CBS and ABC outlets.

Never had problems like these or this bad in the past. DTV is such fun.

Duane · #2 10-21-2008, 10:56 AM

Yes,the problems exist here as well. The lip sync issue is not as bad as yours, but the volume levels are all over the place. It also seems that both FOX and CBS is the worst. The CBS football broadcasts are about 10db lower than their other broadcasts.

OvenMaster · #3 10-21-2008, 08:29 PM

Thank God! I thought it was imagining things, or something was wrong with my TV, VCR, or converter box!
Thanks, Duane.

Tom

Fast_Eddie · #4 10-21-2008, 08:32 PM

We're having a lot of trouble right now. It's the d/a delay now that the video signals are being sent digitally. They're working on it, but us local stations are in a tough spot with it right now. There are just no simple, affordable solutions that you can integrate into a plant. The problem is it only happens sometimes, so the delay device has to be set up properly. I suspect a lot of these problems will be resolved next year.

Take care,

Ed

OvenMaster · #5 10-21-2008, 08:35 PM

I kinda thought it might be something in that realm, Ed... similar to the problems I have with computer video captures. I'd read something about dropped frames screwing up sync.

Thanks for the insight; I'm glad to hear from someone working in broadcasting.

Tom

Fast_Eddie · #6 10-21-2008, 08:41 PM

Don't hold me to that as a technically accurate description. As I look at it, I don't think it's really d/a at all. It seems the problem is at its worst when it's "all digital". I know our live HD truck has an issue. It's all digital, but the damed lip sync is off. Somehow you can get the audio processed and sent back faster than the video. I've seen it on a lot of stations and on a lot of shows. The Network stuff seems to be right more often than not, but Oprah, for example, which just went to HD is not very good. Our local live truck being the worst I've seen.

Take care,

Ed

OvenMaster · #7 10-21-2008, 08:51 PM

Well, c'mon, you're in the business, Ed, that's your job. I think you'd be in the know more than most, so from my layman's view, and seeing how the issue does rather mimic video capture frame dropping (which happens to be in a digital realm as well), I'll go with it until a better explanation comes along.

Tom

no1maestro · #8 10-22-2008, 12:22 PM

I have noticed the same problems here in the midwest but mine is even worse. My house is tied into the cable system. I have three different timings; straight cable with no box, digital cable with a box and HD cable. All three are fed by the single cable but the sound and picture each have different delay times so that if all are on at the same time the house sounds like Sam Phillips Memphis studio. I have also noticed the sync times off but not all the time. I'd love to have some answer. Thanks!!!

BillR mastering · #9 10-22-2008, 12:50 PM

I am hearing the MP3 "squiggly" sound in the background of the programs as of late. Drives me bonkers. A swishing phasy nasty irritant. I have resorted to closed caption. Life is too short to be bombarded with this level of germ radiation. (as if the programming itself were not bad enough)

In the name of advancements, this is not a horizonal improvement, rather a backwards step of the worst order.

To remind myself of what it is like to have excellent sound and picture, I inserted a VHS of old live Johnny Carson (hi-fi vhs sound) and the tube cameras of the era and the fidelity was visually smooth, clean and the sound was tremedous.

tdst51 · #10 10-23-2008, 12:12 AM

I seem to have audio problems on my "over the air" antenna. All the channels I receive are much lower audio than the satellite channels. Mostly a better picture, but low volume.

BillR mastering · #11 10-23-2008, 02:45 PM

Relish the fact that they are lower volume. This means they are less likely to be hyper compressed dynamically, giving the electronics much more breathing room upstream. Now, if they could just have -transparent to the original source- quality audio, we could be getting somewhere.

nakmandan · #12 10-23-2008, 02:59 PM

I get the same problems here in the Chicago suburbs over the air. Ugly Betty has been particularly bad for sound problems. One episode last year, they broadcast only the surround and music tracks but no center channel dialog for over 20 minutes. You could just barely hear some dialog in the surround mix but it was low enough that you couldn't tell what they were saying. Switching to 2 ch didn't help either.

Also, when listening through the surround receiver sometimes, the panning and levels are so out of whack that I just turn the receiver off and use the TV's 2 ch speakers so I can follow the dialog.

Definitely going through its growing pains, IMHO.