Have you ever wondered why the dialogue audio volume is so low on your television program?

You can include me in that discussion. Numerous times while watching shows on basic or cable television, character interaction is hard to pick up on because I cannot hear what characters are saying to one another. (In case you are wondering if I have bad hearing, I play music on my phone at audio volume level 1 – and sometimes that is too loud depending on the data source). Then I proceed to turn up the audio volume or enable subtitles because of the irritation. Then the commercial hits and BOOM! Time to put it on mute!

Now, there have been a number of explanations for this. First, the system included with the television is producing sound that is projected outward in multiple directions and you are only getting part of it due to where the television is displayed (cabinet, entertainment center, versus affixed to the wall). This could be remedied somewhat by moving obstructions and interference. Then there is the audio format included with the programming you are watching. Low quality audio formats do not sound as good due to compression and data loss and may sound more perceptible as it gets louder. This does not change the quality. If the sound quality is just not adequate, you may need to look into what is being delivered to you via your provider and their equipment. In terms of the equipment connections, if the data source input is reaching your television by AV or Composite instead of HDMI, this could reduce the quality too after the output has been delivered from the cable box to the television. You could change this and perhaps hear some improvement.  

Finally, we move away from transmission or equipment issues and focus on intentional or willful action to deliver this effect. In 2011, the FCC moved in and required that commercials have the same audible level as the programming for which they accompany. If the viewer has their viewing device audio set to 5, the programming should be a 5 and the commercial should be a 5. Okay, this makes sense, but why did the advertisers and the providers need to have a situation where the commercials and the programming did not correspond. Most likely, they determined by making the commercials louder than the programming the advertising would be more effective and resonate better with the target audience. In response to this regulation, the program producers may have decided to change how loud the speaking components of the soundtrack are in relation to the sound effects and the commercials. This could circumvent the regulation by not changing the overall volume of the programming just subcomponents.