Amen
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Shit mixing and/or your range on your tv/stereo/8-track/record player is set too wide.
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I've been wondering the same thing. Especially the difference between dialogue and anything else happening.
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Sharp TVs back in the 90s had tech built in to automatically level off the loudness.

I believe the FCC made a rule stopping commercials from overusing gain when recording. For a while some commercials would be loud as fuck compared to others.
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They do have a rule, and a place to report offending networks and stations. It was better when the law was passed, but there are stations both cable and local that are terrible.


I think all tv's have a sound control setting now. Does not seem to help.

Heard someone say that commercials, bumper music, etc are recorded at the loudest settings. TV shows are not.
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Even though the FCC has a decibel limit for all broadcasts, there are numerous reasons why sound levels vary from program to program and especially broadcast channel to broadcast channel.

Just like in movie theaters, local TV stations rarely calibrate their signal levels to meet FCC guidelines, which also includes Multiband and Single band compression. If the compression ratio isn't set properly, music that's been Mastered in the last 20 years is noticeably louder than Masters that haven't been Re-Mastered at all, or in recent years.

Without the overall Compression set properly, quieter passages will be quieter while louder passages will be much louder. The Compression is supposed to be set at a specific ratio to "even out' all of the disparities but as mentioned earlier, most local TV affiliates do not take the time to calibrate.

Additionally, most local TV stations don't broadcast at the Maximum Decibels allowed, so commercials are often much louder than the broadcast because they DO take advantage of each and every decibel in order to gain the viewer's attention.

Most TV's these days have a "volume-leveling" mode, which compresses the audio signal in order to make the dialog, music and commercials more even in volume but their effectiveness is hit or miss.

I don't really hear this issue as much as I did in past years, mainly because I bypass the local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates in favor of either their respective apps or Ad-Free Hulu. The apps, in my experience, also provide a better picture than the local affiliate as well.

I haven't watched an episode of The Office since the finale aired years ago but I don't recall hearing the theme song as distinctly louder than the dialog, so again, it just may be your local affiliate. But I'd be interested to know if you're hearing this on Netflix or The Peacock because those apps are meeting the proper FCC guidelines.
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Funny you chose the Office, I actually have every episode on my DVR and watch a episode or two every night. I guess I'm addicted to the show. Probably have been through the entire series a dozen times. I watch almost no other sitcoms or network shows at all, mostly just sports, news and reality TV. Especially watch the ID Channel, Paula Zahn and Joe Kenda are some favorites. I've never thought about that as far as the theme to show being abnormally loud. It's a novelty type song that I think actually fits the show, and was written by Jay Ferguson who was the lead singer of a favorite band of mine, Spirit.

You should check the settings on your TV. I have a Samsung 75" 4K LED TV and last week I had changed the sound from Movie to to Music, and when a game came on I couldn't hear the announcers over the phony crowd noise. I thought what a terrible mix and please turn down the phony noise. Then I remembered I had made a change, and put the sound back on Movie, and the voices now became the focal of the sound and the crowd noise seemed to fade to the background.
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Watch The Office on Netflix. It may be my bedroom TV because I don't think I notice it on my living room TV.
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I'm not exaggerating when I say this, but I have probably watched the office 20 times through lol. With age I've gotten pretty bad anxiety and I feel that it gives me a sense of calm.
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The Office to each their own I guess. I could count on one hand how many times I have watched. Everyone says it's great but I just had little interest. I never found much use for the office environment. I went in got my assignments talked to the engineer in charge and was out the door into the field and back in usually after the office workers had gone home. Maybe one day but if I land on a channel with reruns it's like a Mexican radio station. My impulse is to hit scan in a half a shake of a lamb's tail.
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You got me beat, it's only been about a dozen times through for me, but I didn't start until the series ended. I don't watch the networks except for sports, same with Seinfeld, I didn't watch it until it ended. So I've only watching the Office for about 3 years, I'm making up for lost time.
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Parkour Parkour Parkour
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I don't get it. Is that some character in the show?
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This is totally an issue... especially with The Office.
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