Every night, I battle my TV. Just as I’m settling in a nice, relaxing half-slumber while listening to Sarah-Jessica-Parker-as-Carrie-Bradshaw rant about men, I find myself rudely awakened by some horrendous Livelinks commercial. Suddenly I’m in a mad rush to find the remote in order to down the volume.” -A Cure for Loud TV Commercials
The issue: Commercials are extremely loud
TV watchers are having issues. Networks wantonly make their commercials louder then their main programming. This will make for some irritated viewers, like the viewer above. Many viewers have complained towards the FCC, the government Communications Commission. Unsurprisingly, the FCC has not fixed the problem, regardless of the complaints.
One possible high-tech solution
Interestingly, the writer claims there is another solution, a new electronic device, called Dolby Volume, which supposedly will modulate the television volume whilst not disturbing the caliber of the show’s soundtrack.
This may be a means to fix the problem, a rather excessive, convoluted one. However, I’m wondering why the author and so many more do not consider simpler, more obvious solutions. Instead, they wait for technology to repair the issue or pester their government to find the networks in line.
Three low-tech solutions
There are at least a couple of other low-tech solutions. The first is the “fast-forward” button. Record all your shows with your VCR or DVR and fast forward through all of the commercials. At 16 approximately minutes (32 30-second commercials) of commercials each hour, you can not just eliminate the problem of high-volume commercials, you could cut back your TV watching time by 25% with this particular simple little trick. In fact, the loud noise could actually shock you out of the hypnotic TV trance just enough to hit the fast-forward button.
Addititionally there is the “mute” button. The only condition for your solution is that you do have to keep your handheld remote control handy. So, that may not work if you’re attempting to make use of the TV to fall asleep. Nonetheless, that’s a genuine means to fix bear in mind for other times. While the muted commercials are playing you can speak to your family or read instead. It’s also simpler to un-mute the volume when the show comes back on.
Another obvious option would be the “OFF” button. Turn off your TV and then you don’t have to worry whatsoever about the TV’s volume. Consider the peace and quiet should you implement that solution!
Probably, however, a number of you believe I’m joking. Such a radical solution! Consider, however, how you would react if every other company failed this miserably to satisfy your expectations or caused you so much grief after purchase. You would immediately stop having them playing. You’d tell all your friends and they’d stop having them playing too. Soon such a company would have no clients and could be bankrupt.
Why is TV so different?
Why do people turn to the federal government to fix the various problems or wait for some miracle techno-gadget, rather than while using most obvious solutions, one of these is to stop watching television?
Is TV so addictive that most people cannot?
The a la carte programming debate was another illustration of this mentality. Lots of people were upset that cable companies bundled their programming together, forcing customers to cover adult-oriented programming in order to receive Disney along with other family-oriented programs. To fix this problem several groups petitioned the federal government to make the cable companies to offer a la carte programming, instead of the bundled packages.
People considered the federal government rather than simply refusing to do business with the offending cable companies. If people want family-oriented programming, they can simply rent some of the a large number of family movies that are offered, or they can enjoy some genuine family-oriented activities instead, like playing games or playing outdoors together.
Likewise, the author above suffers although the jarring commercial interruptions. She admits that they uses the television to relax during the night. To her, it appears the TV is really a sleep aid–a sleep aid that apparently doesn’t work very well. Wouldn’t the obvious solution be to stop using the TV at bed time and check out another solution? Perhaps, a great book might are more effective being an aid to relax or sleep.
Are you going to suffer or solve?
Obviously, this new techno-gadget may help. However, whether it fails to resolve the issue, will she finally switch off the TV a minimum of at bed time? Or will she suffer until the government or some new gadget fixes the issue?