Unsound vision

SBS seems to have its problem the other way round. Their commercials and promotions often are much louder than the surrounding programme.

I find myself viewing with the remote control in one hand to adjust sound quality. But I should not have to do it.

In these times of strong competition for the advertising dollar, it is surprising that all stations don't seem to value enough the subjective effect of sound levels on viewers to budget for overall higher presentation quality control of their operations.

In peak high-audience times instead of just shovelling out the shows, or relying on automated presentation, perhaps they should make efforts to improve their received image. This could offer eagerly sought-after advertisers a value-added service, albeit subtle, which might possibly justify the cost of careful manual over-ride presentation, and make commercials more impactive and acceptable.

Unless you time shift a programme, you only get to see it once, so surely its effect on you ought be so optimal that you keep coming back to that channel for more of the same.

That's one of the aims of broadcasting life – holding viewers, not churning them.