Onkyo TX-NR636 levels issue

[Steve Howard]

Hey, strange question. When I'm listening to Direct TV broadcasts a strange issue occurs during playback. For example, on Saturday Night Live, the volume level on stage mics is normal, but when they cut to a taped piece it's much lower. And commercials are sometimes much lower in general as well. (I know most people would consider that a good thing!) I've tried optical cables, HDMI... even switching to mono playback only helps a little. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[lovinthehd]

You can't fix stuff like that at your end, all in what the network/D* is doing....

 

[Steve Howard]

Thanks, yeah I figured, but wouldn't that mean that everybody with Direct TV is getting the same results?

 

[j_garcia]

DOLBY VOLUME

This was created to level out the random audio levels when viewing broadcast TV. Need devices that support it though.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thanks, yeah I figured, but wouldn't that mean that everybody with Direct TV is getting the same results?

Yes, I get variances similar to this on some programs. Can't say SNL in particular, and have watched the last coupla episodes (you talking new or legacy reruns or ?). One thing is sometimes a particular network/show will seem to have a bass boost, sometimes it seems it flips between 2.0 and 5.1. In any case not a lot you can do about volume variances except as JGarcia mentions to use a volume leveler like Dolby Volume (what avr do you have?)

 

[Steve Howard]

It's on the new SNL's, and here's a weird one, during football games when they cut to the ref's mic, it's really low. Now, the surround material is fine, such as crowd and noise and such.Also, when I watch some docs and they cut to archive footage it's also low, I really haven't checked my own connections but I guess it's possible that I have a wire in the wrong receptor? I've got really nice NHT tower speakers and front as well.

 

[lovinthehd]

It's on the new SNL's, and here's a weird one, during football games when they cut to the ref's mic, it's really low. Now, the surround material is fine, such as crowd and noise and such.Also, when I watch some docs and they cut to archive footage it's also low, I really haven't checked my own connections but I guess it's possible that I have a wire in the wrong receptor? I've got really nice NHT tower speakers and front as well.

Could be partially setup/sound mode so maybe a review of details in that regard might bear something out...altho in a football game it wouldn't surprise me that not everything is level matched, wouldn't expect that all the time, sometimes that's just what the setup on field is yielding. It does somewhat make sense that when different things are spliced together that different recorded levels are involved.

How did you setup levels/delays for your speakers? AccuEQ or ?

 

[Steve Howard]

Could be partially setup/sound mode so maybe a review of details in that regard might bear something out...altho in a football game it wouldn't surprise me that not everything is level matched, wouldn't expect that all the time, sometimes that's just what the setup on field is yielding. It does somewhat make sense that when different things are spliced together that different recorded levels are involved.

How did you setup levels/delays for your speakers? AccuEQ or ?

I used the accu EQ, I assume that's the name of the set up that uses the mic?