Freeview HD (DVB-T2) sound levels

I have had about 1 month now of being able to receive Freeview HD
since the Angus transmitter passed the DSO date. I have not watched
much other than BBC HD but have noticed that the sound levels are
significantly lower on the HD channel than the normal SD ones.
Switching to Channel 50 (BBC HD) I have to increase the volume setting
on my Sony Bravia Freeview HD set to around 50 (whatever the units
might be). Switching back to BBC1 for the news at 10.00 last night I
was almost deafened and had to drop the setting back to almost exaclty
half.

This is not a one off and seems to be the same all the time. Searching
for comments on the web others indicate it is something to do with the
dynamic range on HD. Whatever it is, surely the broadcasters could
try and balance the sound levels? The commercial channels have
always been good at increasing the volume for the advertisements. . .

ChrisW wrote:

I have not watched
much other than BBC HD but have noticed that the sound levels are
significantly lower on the HD channel than the normal SD ones.

That's true on FreeSat, as well. Flippin' nuisance, it is.

SteveT

In article ,
ChrisW wrote:

I have had about 1 month now of being able to receive Freeview HD
since the Angus transmitter passed the DSO date. I have not watched
much other than BBC HD but have noticed that the sound levels are
significantly lower on the HD channel than the normal SD ones.

I have the same problem.

Switching to Channel 50 (BBC HD) I have to increase the volume setting
on my Sony Bravia Freeview HD set to around 50 (whatever the units
might be).

My Panasonic has a per-channel volume correction, but it's not enough.

-- Richard

Now if you don't care about quality and want to feed your sound via analogue
units, then get the Alice Level Devil or similar. You can also get a very
crude gain riding amp from CPC I think, intended for people with tinnitus
or poor hearing.

Neither is particularly nice, as of course one is a limiter, and the other
a similar device to the auto level of a cassette machine but stereo.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Richard Tobin" wrote in message
...
In article ,
ChrisW wrote:

I have had about 1 month now of being able to receive Freeview HD
since the Angus transmitter passed the DSO date. I have not watched
much other than BBC HD but have noticed that the sound levels are
significantly lower on the HD channel than the normal SD ones.

I have the same problem.

Switching to Channel 50 (BBC HD) I have to increase the volume setting
on my Sony Bravia Freeview HD set to around 50 (whatever the units
might be).

My Panasonic has a per-channel volume correction, but it's not enough.

-- Richard

brightside S9 wrote:

Can you change the audio from AC3 to MPEG2 in the sat box for BBC HD?
That'll fix it

Ah, I don't know. I'll give it a try.

Thanks,

SteveT

"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
ChrisW wrote:

I have not watched
much other than BBC HD but have noticed that the sound levels are
significantly lower on the HD channel than the normal SD ones.

That's true on FreeSat, as well. Flippin' nuisance, it is.

SteveT

Not a nuisance at all if you turn the problem on its head :-)

The Humax freesat box has its own volume control which works on SD
channels. HD channels are output at, for want of a better definition, I call
"Line Level" for HDMI. This is independent of the Humax volume setting.

So to get perfectly balanced Volume levels across SD and HD channels all
that was necessary was to reduce the Humax volume control by about 25% to
bring the SD sound down to the HD level.
Overall volumes are controlled by whatever the STB is using for the final
output.
In my case that is an AV amplifier, though it could equally well be the TV
itself.

My area will not get Terrestrial HD till 2012 but I guess the equivalent STB
will work in the same way.

I find that HD channels are much enhanced when proper Dolby 5.1 surround is
being transmitted.

Richard H