Oct 1, 2009
Noisy Ads on TV
Every year, television networks receive thousands of complaints from viewers bothered by commercials that seem to be getting louder and louder.
A technical organization that sets standards for digital TV broadcasters came out on Sept. 16 with new recommendations that may finally lower the volume.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee, which developed the standards for digital video formats now used by all broadcasters in North America will soon send new standards to broadcasters for approval and provide a way to measure the loudness of television content, based on current scientific understandings of how human hearing works. Shows and commercials would be tagged with information about their loudness that TVs and audio receivers could use to counteract the audio tricks that make commercials appear so loud.
Under current FCC rules, the peak of a commercial can be no higher than the programming it accompanies. The problem is that the peak level of the sound does not accurately reflect how loud something sounds to the listener. Audio engineers find ways to get around the FCC rules by making commercials seem louder without actually increasing the peak levels of the loudest parts.
The problem is made worse with digital television, which can produce a greater range of sound than analog. This exacerbates the difference between television programs, which use the full range of sound, and the commercials, which squeeze the sound and push it upwards.
The new ATSC recommendations are entirely voluntary, but ATSC President Richer is confident that broadcasters will adopt them. "Broadcasters want to do things in a uniform way," he said. "Because our membership is broad, all of the major networks, many of the other broadcast groups, and also the manufacturers, we get a lot of buy-in to what we do." I think they should pay us to watch commercials, rather than charging us to watch TV.
A technical organization that sets standards for digital TV broadcasters came out on Sept. 16 with new recommendations that may finally lower the volume.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee, which developed the standards for digital video formats now used by all broadcasters in North America will soon send new standards to broadcasters for approval and provide a way to measure the loudness of television content, based on current scientific understandings of how human hearing works. Shows and commercials would be tagged with information about their loudness that TVs and audio receivers could use to counteract the audio tricks that make commercials appear so loud.
Under current FCC rules, the peak of a commercial can be no higher than the programming it accompanies. The problem is that the peak level of the sound does not accurately reflect how loud something sounds to the listener. Audio engineers find ways to get around the FCC rules by making commercials seem louder without actually increasing the peak levels of the loudest parts.
The problem is made worse with digital television, which can produce a greater range of sound than analog. This exacerbates the difference between television programs, which use the full range of sound, and the commercials, which squeeze the sound and push it upwards.
The new ATSC recommendations are entirely voluntary, but ATSC President Richer is confident that broadcasters will adopt them. "Broadcasters want to do things in a uniform way," he said. "Because our membership is broad, all of the major networks, many of the other broadcast groups, and also the manufacturers, we get a lot of buy-in to what we do." I think they should pay us to watch commercials, rather than charging us to watch TV.
Quotable
The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie - deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth - persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
Bokeh Shapes
These are shapes of light in the blurred background of photos. Interesting shapes can be achieved by using a bokeh filter over the camera lens. Bokeh is a photography term derived from the Japanese word for blurred. 
The Bokeh Filter is a simple filter that clips onto the end of your lens. This filter blocks out pieces of light that cause the bokeh (blur) in your images to take the shape of the filter. Cool stuff and they cost only ten dollars.
The Bokeh Filter is a simple filter that clips onto the end of your lens. This filter blocks out pieces of light that cause the bokeh (blur) in your images to take the shape of the filter. Cool stuff and they cost only ten dollars.
HIFU
Surgeons in Zurich have successfully demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a revolutionary brain surgical procedure. The method allows surgeons to carry out fully non-invasive brain interventions, even on an out-patient basis, using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) guided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
HIFU (pronounced high foo) has been used for the treatment of uterine fibroids and tumors of the prostate gland for several years. However, its application to the brain through the intact skull for non-invasive neurosurgery seemed impossible until now.
The researchers have successfully treated ten patients using transcranial HIFU since September 2008. The new technology opens up procedures for a variety of brain diseases, including brain tumors.
The HIFU beams pass straight through the patient's skull and are focused within the brain into a point 3-4 mm in diameter. This allows the surgeon to guide the ultrasound beam and to then ablate tumor or other diseased tissue at a very precise location in the brain. The ultrasound beam produced by 1024 transducers raises the temperature of the tissue through a sequence bursts lasting 10-20 seconds.
The results can be seen on a live map as the ablation takes place. The procedure can last several hours, but is performed without anesthesia. The patient is fully conscious through the procedure and so can respond to requests to move or speak and allow the surgeon to double-check that healthy brain tissue is not being damaged. It also avoids pre-operative medication risks associated with anesthetics, and reduces the time the patient must spend in hospital following surgery.
Researchers are also investigating the possibility of using HIFU to treat breast, liver, and bone cancers. Although many countries have been using HIFU for years, with thousands of successful procedures completed, the US only has a relatively small number of HIFU clinical studies in process, and it is not completely approved for all procedures, yet.
HIFU (pronounced high foo) has been used for the treatment of uterine fibroids and tumors of the prostate gland for several years. However, its application to the brain through the intact skull for non-invasive neurosurgery seemed impossible until now.
The researchers have successfully treated ten patients using transcranial HIFU since September 2008. The new technology opens up procedures for a variety of brain diseases, including brain tumors.
The HIFU beams pass straight through the patient's skull and are focused within the brain into a point 3-4 mm in diameter. This allows the surgeon to guide the ultrasound beam and to then ablate tumor or other diseased tissue at a very precise location in the brain. The ultrasound beam produced by 1024 transducers raises the temperature of the tissue through a sequence bursts lasting 10-20 seconds.
The results can be seen on a live map as the ablation takes place. The procedure can last several hours, but is performed without anesthesia. The patient is fully conscious through the procedure and so can respond to requests to move or speak and allow the surgeon to double-check that healthy brain tissue is not being damaged. It also avoids pre-operative medication risks associated with anesthetics, and reduces the time the patient must spend in hospital following surgery.
Researchers are also investigating the possibility of using HIFU to treat breast, liver, and bone cancers. Although many countries have been using HIFU for years, with thousands of successful procedures completed, the US only has a relatively small number of HIFU clinical studies in process, and it is not completely approved for all procedures, yet.
Interesting Bike
The rider builds and sells them. He has a number of styles based on the same concept.
Here is something for those of you on Facebook.
I added a button below each entry on this blog, so if you would like to share any particular entry with your friends, just click on the Facebook icon and it takes you directly to Facebook (if you do not have Facebook open it gives you a signin screen). You click and the entry is automatically posted to your wall.
I added a button below each entry on this blog, so if you would like to share any particular entry with your friends, just click on the Facebook icon and it takes you directly to Facebook (if you do not have Facebook open it gives you a signin screen). You click and the entry is automatically posted to your wall.
Kindle Books
This morning, Kindle finally posted two of my books Greatest Jokes of the Century Book 1 and Profound Thoughts Book 1. More are coming during the next few months. Kindle offers books at a steep discount to the paper price, so it might be worth looking into. Oh, they can also be read on your PC.
Greatest Jokes of the Century is the first book of 25, and the other 24, plus this one, are also available on Amazon.
Profound Thoughts is the first of 4 (so far) and it, along with the other three are also available on Amazon.
Stop by Amazon and take a look, they all have 'search inside' enabled, so you can see what is in them. Once you do, I know you will be delighted enough to buy one. As of this morning, my 'Medical Humor - Medical nonsense to tickle Your Funnybone book was 44 in the bestseller category for humor - doctors and medicine. Needless to say, it has been selling rather briskly.
The Amazon links above take you to my Author's page, so you can see all of my books. I have 36 of them listed on Amazon.
Thanks to all who have bought one or more of my books, and if you are in town and want it signed, let me know and I'll be glad to.
Greatest Jokes of the Century is the first book of 25, and the other 24, plus this one, are also available on Amazon.
Profound Thoughts is the first of 4 (so far) and it, along with the other three are also available on Amazon.
Stop by Amazon and take a look, they all have 'search inside' enabled, so you can see what is in them. Once you do, I know you will be delighted enough to buy one. As of this morning, my 'Medical Humor - Medical nonsense to tickle Your Funnybone book was 44 in the bestseller category for humor - doctors and medicine. Needless to say, it has been selling rather briskly.
The Amazon links above take you to my Author's page, so you can see all of my books. I have 36 of them listed on Amazon.
Thanks to all who have bought one or more of my books, and if you are in town and want it signed, let me know and I'll be glad to.
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