Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Help! My onscreen image looks too good!

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-20-2009, 08:28 PM:

Apparently I am not showing movies correctly. Very recently the owners of my theater chain came in and and did a once-over of the place as they tend to do every couple of months or so. As they were walking through the booth the owner commented on how bright my images were. The District Manager that was accompanying him also made several comments on how he thought my screens were too "hot" and the such (and yes, he was talking about brightness, not temperature). We are the only Regency outside of the state of California, so I suppose they were just used to how things tend to look at all of their theaters out there (it has gotta be pretty bad for my screens to look way too bright in comparison). Most decent theaters in the Denver area are as bright or brighter than my screens (except for maybe the dollar theaters or places that feature staff who cannot focus a xenon bulb properly). I can barely get maybe 14 footlamberts out of my smallest/brightest in scope. I am surprised that they didn't complain that my prints were too clean or didn't have enough scratches.

Has anyone else encountered "complaints" similar to this from the top brass?

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 08-21-2009, 12:17 AM:

Once an owner touched a lamphouse and got frightened that it was too hot!

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-21-2009, 12:23 AM:

You should be proud of what you've done where you work at, for it definitely shows that DM is used to darker screens...

I ran into that once with EDW's: Engineer's Office would call me up and wonder and worry on how we are doing since I have never called in for any sort of tech problems. I just simply tell them that "I got it under control."

Guess, there are more booth clowns in California than anywhere else and the "big cheese" have aclimated themselves to this form of operation..

It's sorta fun to be a "threat" to either a company or circuit: You know what you're doing.

-Monte

Posted by Andy Bajew (Member # 5330) on 08-21-2009, 12:27 AM:

quote:
Once an owner touched a lamphouse and got frightened that it was too hot!

I baked brownies on top of one of our theaters that doesn't have the top exhaust fan. Management saw it wise to place the unit somewhere else to help cool down something in the lobby rather than their projector bulb...

I didn't really bake brownies, but I probably could. I have been severely burned from the lamphouse at the end of a really long movie.

And Joe-
I had corporate complain the booth was too clean. They might have been mad about the lounge we made though and the cable box we rewired to the opposite end of the booth to have cable in this lounge.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-21-2009, 12:31 AM:

I once had the "expert" owner of a 1570 venue I installed tell me the sound was 1 dB too loud. (Like ANYONE could hear a 1 dB difference...HA!) [uhoh]

So, I went to the booth and touched NOTHING and then asked him if now it was better...he said now it was PERFECT! What an asshole! ...Him, not me! [Razz]

Doncha just LUV the self-appointed "experts"? [fu]

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 08-21-2009, 01:54 AM:

quote: Joe Redifer
Has anyone else encountered "complaints" similar to this from the top brass?

No. I frequently compliment myself on my work. Said compliments do wonders for my ego, encouraging me to strive for continued excellence, knowing I'm worthy of my approval! [beer]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-21-2009, 01:59 AM:

quote: Andy Bajew
And Joe-
I had corporate complain the booth was too clean.

Ha ha! My booth is clean, but they were able to find a bit of dust in the hinges of the lamphouse door (which was purchased in very used condition from a local dealer). They were so disappointed that they weren't clean since I worked a whopping 4 shifts a week. I think I have higher priorities than lamphouse door hinge dust, like keeping everything else running! But they just do that just so they can hold something over you, I think... to feel powerful maybe, I dunno.

As far as experts go, I always have people who want me to turn the sound up or down a "notch or two". Ummm... OK. 6.5 to 6.4. Exactly one notch!

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-21-2009, 05:52 AM:

Babes: it's all about power, control, and ego. I think they actually resent competence. Louis

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 08-21-2009, 08:05 AM:

quote: Phil Hill
Doncha just LUV the self-appointed "experts"?

They're

everywhere. Just ask them to take charge and then watch them do a disappearing act.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-21-2009, 09:33 AM:

quote:
Like ANYONE could hear a 1 dB difference...HA!

Yo Phil,
There is a guy outside a Boston that claims to be able to hear a 1db difference... and you'd better NOT argue with him either!

Joe,
One of my old bosses used to brag about having screens lit at 20+ foot lamberts, running 70mm at 24 foot lamberts. Not only does that bright an image give me a headache but it's just plain wrong! It's one of the things on my looooong list of reasons why I left there.

Mark

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-21-2009, 09:40 AM:

There's an easy way to test if somebody can hear 1 dB. Mark the fader then find a fader setting that measures 1 dB lower. Put the subject in the audiorium and tell them to let you know when you've lowered it 1 dB.

Didn't Dolby design the faders so that each number was approximately 3 dB because they found that was the smallest delta that humans could perceive?

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 08-21-2009, 11:08 AM:

I have a friend who claims to be able to hear beyond 30KC and refuses to use hearing protection in extremely loud situations because he can, at will, tighten his ear drums and thus avoid hearing damage.

Joe, dim and fuzz the image by placing a piece of window screen across the port, double or triple to achieve the necessary result.

Posted by Jake Spell (Member # 5294) on 08-21-2009, 11:12 AM:

yeh, tell him I said good luck with that. Once your hearing's gone, its not coming back

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-21-2009, 11:38 AM:

I thought that 1dB was, by definition, the smallest perceptible difference in loudness.

Presumably, this applies to humans with excellent hearing.

As for image brightness, there is a certain threshold for me, above which the image "pops" and below which it looks flat and lifeless. This is around 14fL. Anything less just looks ugly. There is a huge difference for me between 12fL and 16fL. I don't think that I've ever seen an image brighter than 18fL, so I can't comment on overly bright images.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-21-2009, 12:49 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
Babes: it's all about power, control, and ego. I think they actually resent competence...

..and they can be horrible as managers when they let power go to their heads and fail to be in self control about the position.

Posted by Andy Bajew (Member # 5330) on 08-21-2009, 02:51 PM:

Off topic, but I had a lady run out of the theater one time saying we are trying to make them deaf. She said it was too loud so I went into the theater to check the sound--went to the booth and turned it up more because it was too quiet.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 08-21-2009, 02:58 PM:

I had a similar occurrence long ago where someone repeatedly had come out complaining that the sound was way too loud and the guy running the booth kept on turning it down. A couple of us went in with the guy and while I could barely make out the dialog because it was so quiet, this guy was wincing in pain claiming it was unbelievably loud. We gave him a refund since it was obvious we were never gonna be able to make it quiet enough for him with anyone else able to hear anything.

Now I've come to realize that the guy likely had a hearing aid that wasn't calibrated correctly.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-21-2009, 03:03 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
As for image brightness, there is a certain threshold for me, above which the image "pops" and below which it looks flat and lifeless. This is around 14fL. Anything less just looks ugly. There is a huge difference for me between 12fL and 16fL.

Yeah, a couple of mine really attract the eye. You can just stare at them because they look so good. The larger (LOL) auditoriums are dimmer and don't look anywhere near as nice, especially with our ancient 1940's lenses. Yet they are still "too bright" if the DM is to be believed.

As for sound, I used to get a lot of complaints when I first started, but I don't any more since I fixed those issues to the best of my ability given the speakers they have (JBLs with internal crossovers as big as your head).

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-21-2009, 03:10 PM:

FWIW contratulations on your "Hot" screens Joe. Most multiplexes I've been in were way too "cool". I suspect the multiplex operators are trying to save money on xenon lamps. Never had complaints about the light in the carbon arc days.

Posted by Bill Bright (Member # 1998) on 08-21-2009, 03:30 PM:

quote:
Like ANYONE could hear a 1 dB difference...HA!

Perhaps his ears were manufactured by Dolby?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-21-2009, 03:40 PM:

quote: Robert E. Allen
I suspect the multiplex operators are trying to save money on xenon lamps.

Maybe. They do seem to be in some financial straights or something just by judging what is going on. They told the manager to cut my shifts down to two days a week so I could just build, break and change trailers/ads. No time for any booth maintenance at all. They specifically wanted to reduce booth hours, yet our attendance has been up.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-21-2009, 11:44 PM:

quote: Joe Redifer
No time for any booth maintenance at all. They specifically wanted to reduce booth hours, yet our attendance has been up.

Now there's some great logic for you. Put the "heart" of your theatre in a risky position and expect to maintain business.
[Confused]

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 08-22-2009, 02:42 AM:

No, but I did get comments after I'd been there a while, and a few adjustments to the bulb focuses, that our pictures look better. One would be amazed when you actually adjust things properly, clean up the reflectors, and lenses, and port glasses, and films. I have gotten complaints about the booth cleanliness, being not so good. But hey, I'm more worried about what hits the screen and comes out of the speakers than I am how the booth looks. I'll handle that after I'd cleared up the cataracts on the optical readers, cleaned and lubed the film path, the film, cleaned the nasty platters, the afore mentioned reflectors, lenses, port glasses, etc. There was a marked difference in quality of picture and sound from when I started, to a few weeks into my job. Also, cleaning and lubing the projectors for the first time in years also quieted them, and thus less purring you hear in the auditoriums. They commented on how much better the picture looked, but also had to complain about my booth. I was like "Hey look, I've been here 2 weeks. Give me time." But you know, upper management has to find something to complain about, or they wouldn't be doing their job.

BTW, I wasn't even certified level 1 yet, and regal requires you to be level 4 before even thinking about doing anything with the bulbs.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-22-2009, 04:18 AM:

That Regal certification thing is weird. I guess it might be a decent idea or at least a good intention, but I don't put too much faith in it judging by some of the Regal presentations I have seen. They aren't any better than other chains when it comes to their projection booth employees (exceptions will always apply so please don't take offense if you are actually good), so I don't think that it is really very beneficial, at least not in this town. Sometimes I wish there were a real Film-Tech training program, but I think it is too late for that since film is going bye-bye in many venues and so little importance is being place on its handling. Anyone who managed to touch the leader to the floor when threading would automatically fail. [Big Grin]

Oh, they did mention my clean projectors, but somehow the lamphouse door hinge dust still interferes with the quality of my presentation and customers are less likely to return as a result. [Roll Eyes]

I guess if I get a compliment, I must also get backhanded in the face to bring me back down where I belong. I am actually amazed that my projectors weren't "too clean", though.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 08-22-2009, 10:44 AM:

Scott said, "I thought that 1dB was, by definition, the smallest perceptible difference in loudness."

What?! [Confused]

How could you think that?

The deciBel is one tenth of a Bel, which is just the ratio of the logarithms of two power levels.

That is, one Bel is log10(P1/P0), and one deciBel is 10*log10(P1/P0).

(That's for power or intensity. For voltages, because they are squared to get power, a dB is 20*log10(V1/V0), which is 10*log10((V1^2)/(V0^2)) => 10*log10((V1/V0)^2) => 10*2*log10(V1/V0) => 20*log10(V1/V0)).

For that simple mathematical expression to by definition be the smallest perceptable difference would be really weird. It would require an extreme mathematical elegance about the human body that probably necessitates intelligent design [Smile]

Anyhow, I think it's generally accepted that most people can distinguish a volume level of about 3 dB. I'm sure there's plenty of variation, though, and it probably depends on the program material and the how trained the person is.

--jhawk

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-22-2009, 12:48 PM:

True though, 1dB difference is a decent jump.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-22-2009, 06:11 PM:

Actually John...1dB in SPL is indeed considered the resolution of typical human hearing. 3dB is a sizable jump that even people not paying attention to will notice. It also happens to be a doubling in power. 10dB is another magical number...not only is it 10 times as much power but it sounds 10 times louder (or quieter) too.

There are many oddities in the world some human based...some physical. My personal favorite is the expression i^i (eye to the eye). It is equal to e^(-Pi/2). To have i, e and Pi all have a relationship to each other is a nifty one. A Complex, and two irrationals and all are key to most scientific numerical expressions.

Steve

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-22-2009, 07:11 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
it's all about power, control, and ego. I think they actually resent competence.

They have to justify their jobs. Most probably wake up every day worried sick that today will be the day they will be outed; that it will be discovered they really don't know anything or have any talent, and their trip on the gravy train will come to an end.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-22-2009, 08:49 PM:

Thanks, Tim!

Steve: the 1 db mark is the mathematical enumeration of the result of many (hundreds, thousands) of test volume changes conducted by Bell Labs way back there (1920's?). The average, non technical person can just perceive 1 db as the smallest change that is apparent Louis

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-22-2009, 08:56 PM:

Louis, I think that is pretty much what I said.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 08-22-2009, 10:00 PM:

Now I don't know what to think. I wonder why 3 dB stuck in my head. Several subject-matter experts referred me to Moore, but I'm not sure how to interpret him.

See Moore, Brian C. J. An Introduction to the psychology of hearing, 5th Edition. Emerald Group Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0125056281. pp. 138-139, available on Google Books:

quote: Moore

For wideband noise, or bandpass-filtered noise, the smallest detectable intensity change is approximately a constant fraction of the intensity of the stimulus. In other words, ΔI/I is roughly constant. This is an example of Weber's law, which states that the smallest detectable change in a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of that stimulus. The value of ΔI/I is called the Weber fraction. If the smallest detectable change is expressed as the change in level in decibels, i.e., as ΔL, then this too is constant, regardless of absolute level, and for wideband noise it has a value of about 0.5-1 dB. This holds from about 20 dB above threshold to 100 dB above threshold (Miller, 1947). The value of ΔL increases for sound which are close to the threshold.

Though a smart person points out to me that this is dB of intensity, not dB of SPL, so it must be multiplied by 2, giving us 1-2dB.

Note that this is for wideband noise. He goes on to say that it improves at high volumes for pure tones.

On the other hand, the end-of-chapter summary on p. 158 says,
"We are able to detect relatively small changes in sound level (0.3-2dB) for a wide range of levels and for many types of stimuli." and assuming that's intensity, that suggests 0.6-4 dB of SPL for types of sounds more general than noise and pure tones.

YMMV [Smile]

--jhawk

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 08-23-2009, 04:48 PM:

From my experience in telephony I can relate that any delta < 1dB was deemed undetectable by the human ear. Any delta > or = 1dB was.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-23-2009, 08:41 PM:

Reminds me too much of subliminal advertising advocates who claimed you can't see something that is only on the screen for 1 frame. I suspect it is all subjectively different for each person under different conditions.

Posted by Robert Minichino (Member # 3495) on 08-23-2009, 08:55 PM:

You calculate dB differently for power ratios than you do for amplitude ratios, so that the resultant dB steps are comparable (3dB gives you doubling of power, 10dB 10x power), so there's no need to multiply the decibel figure by two.

So if you had a ratio of two sound intensities (a power ratio), you'd calculate the dB ratio as 10 log (I1/I2), and if you had two sound pressures (an amplitude ratio), you'd calculate the dB ratio as 20 log (P1/P2); the factor of two difference comes from the fact that power is proportional to amplitude squared, and log x^2 = 2 log x.

Posted by Eric Robinson (Member # 2966) on 08-26-2009, 01:06 AM:

I had a manager once that complained that the staff helped the customers too fast at the concession counter. We used to wipe the counters with butter topping and slide everything right up to the customer from wherever we were at the time.

Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 08-27-2009, 01:05 AM:

quote: Lyle Romer
Didn't Dolby design the faders so that each number was approximately 3 dB because they found that was the smallest delta that humans could perceive?

I've been wondering about this for the XD10P's. How many dB's is each fader volume point? My best guess is that every 0.1 is half a decibel. Anyone know for sure?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-27-2009, 06:59 AM:

Its not uniform. On the analog faders (VCAs)...despite a linear taper fader, the actual VCA characteristics resemble a log-taper. Thus, once you get to about "7" each full number is about 3dB to say "8". And a little bit less as you go to "9". However, as you turn the level down it progressively gets more attenuation.

As I recall, one of the reasons for using "7" as the reference was due to keeping the discrete components more or less tracking together. If you measure the SPL of the analog VCAs...particularly the discrete ones like on the Cat 117 at different volume settings, you will find they don't track precisely. So if everything is at 85dBc at fader 7...you might find a dB or two difference channel-to-channel at say "4".

On the digital side of things, they try to simulate the analog log characteristics by have a knee in the fader curve...I forget exactly where the hinge is (somewhere around "4" or "5"...it is depicted in the CP500 and CP650 manuals). Note too, the CP500 never did anything over 9.2 or so..despite its numbers able to go to 9.9 and likewise at the bottom of range...there is a point where it doesn't really go any lower.

Steve

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 08-28-2009, 07:00 PM:

quote: Bill Enos
I have a friend who claims to be able to hear beyond 30KC and refuses to use hearing protection in extremely loud situations because he can, at will, tighten his ear drums and thus avoid hearing damage.

I doubt that very much, but it's easy enough to test whether he can hear to 30KHz. If he CAN hear to 30KHz, I'd like some of his DNA so it can be combined with mine or an ear transplant with him or something.

And I don't know what he means by "tightening his eardrums", but what loud noise does is destroy the hairs that are in the cochlea. Pressure waves cause the liquid in the cochlea to move hairs which in turn simulate the auditory nerve. Exposure to loud noises causes the hair cells to become less sensitive. Unfortunately, these hair cells do not regenerate or heal - once damaged, that's it. Unless he has some unique bone or membrane structure that he can squeeze together to block loud waves from reaching the eardrum, I don't see how he can protect his ears without an artificial device.

I read a story online about how some merchants who don't want teens and kids hanging around their stores have a device that puts out a high frequency. It drives the kids nuts, but adults can't hear it (although due to iPods and loud rock concerts, there is now substantial hearing loss among the young as well - I've read estimates that say 15% of young people have some hearing loss.) My daughter once walked into a house (she was in her 20s at the time) where they had one of those high-frequency bug eliminators and it drove her nuts - she had to leave. I didn't hear a thing.

I doubt whether any person over 35 on this Forum can hear anything much past 18KHz, especially those living in cities. I keep praying that in my lifetime, they'll figure out how to repair or heal high frequency hearing loss. I would love to get my teen-aged hearing back.

Posted by David Stone (Member # 4846) on 08-31-2009, 03:35 AM:

I am surprised that Regency commented. I went to South coast at laguna Beach recently and not only do you hear both films in each theater at the same time but the picture is that dim ...about 8 FTLs the whites are yellow...Down thw road at laguna Niguel was not much brighter and smiley faced subtitles due to the curved screen and accute projection angle.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-31-2009, 04:06 AM:

Well maybe it is easier to get one theater to stop being excellent rather than to try and make the rest of them step up their game so they don't look so bad in comparison. I guarantee that the Tamarac is/was the best Regency ever, bar none. I guess we were the first in the company who actually had decent ambitions of quality or something. Maybe customers are supposed to expect less when attending a Regency theater?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-31-2009, 06:29 AM:

The Dolby fader characteristic has much to do with FLetcher Munson...(human hearing characteristics) if you know who they are or have ever studied their work you'll understand why it is like it is.

Mark

Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 09-03-2009, 04:37 PM:

quote: Bill Enos
I have a friend who claims to be able to hear beyond 30KC and refuses to use hearing protection in extremely loud situations because he can, at will, tighten his ear drums and thus avoid hearing damage.

That's interesting. Does he have a comparable talent useful in case of constipation?

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 09-03-2009, 06:31 PM:

Hey Bill,

Would that be our mutual friend?

Rick

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 09-03-2009, 06:41 PM:

Rick, yes.

Posted by David Despain (Member # 5400) on 09-03-2009, 10:45 PM:

Joe,

Since Trolley Square is now closed I am sure you have the best presentation for Regency. Although, I would have put up ours against anyone when I was there.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-03-2009, 10:55 PM:

We took Trolley Square's equipment. I had to tweak quite a few things but I got it working quite well. For one, they were missing almost every cue when I started working there right after it had been installed. Now they miss none. Also added a start cue so there was none of this motoring-the-leader-down nonsense. Fools didn't take off the flywheels when they shipped the stuff to Denver, so I had to replace a Dolby Digital unit as well (thanks to Cliff at USL).

We started our projectors and never installed the remote start thingy in the office that you guys had. Of course, two of the Tamarac's automations are super-ghetto, barely-working Christie AM8's. Remember, Madstone bought the equipment for Trolley Square, Regency buys equipment that is as cheap as they can get seemingly irrelevant of the quality and condition. That's why the Tamarac has two AW8 automations that glitch out all of the time and are not cue-compatible with the other automations. Regency is so cheap that they even reuse popcorn from the night before, thinking that somehow that will be better for their profits. They must REALLY be hurting financially to be pinching pennies like that.

Still, I bet at least our print quality would have beat yours. We ran Filmguard on every print, every show. I bet your auditoriums were better, though. They just had to be. Do you have any pics of the Trolley Square? I'd love to see them.

Posted by David Despain (Member # 5400) on 09-03-2009, 11:06 PM:

I left about a year before they actually shut down(I saw the writing on the wall), so I am not surprised if the equipment went to hell considering who took over. When I was there we did use film guard, (i wish I could get where I'm at now, but I can't even get a film cleaner. save that for another post) but I think it was left over from Madstone.

I refused to reuse popcorn from the night before. I always threw it out. The savings from reusing popcorn is negligible. And yes, they are very cheap.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-03-2009, 11:09 PM:

You saw it coming? Mark Gulbrandsen, who removed the equipment when Regency closed down said something like that they had next to know warning about the closure and they had very little time to vacate the equipment from the building (you still had time to remove flywheels, Mark). I asked Lyndon (the owner) about the closure of that theater recently, but I can't remember what he said.

Posted by David Despain (Member # 5400) on 09-03-2009, 11:13 PM:

There were just to many factors which contributed to the closing of Trolley Square. The final one came from the landlord who did not want the theatre in there any more. It was doomed to fail from the beginning. Not enough room for 12 art house screens in Salt Lake.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-03-2009, 11:20 PM:

That's something I don't much understand. Madstone goes all out buying brand new equipment for the Trolley Square, making the theater fairly kick-ass. But for the Tamarac they didn't do ANYTHING in the booth and we had a bigger potential market. I wanted some of that Madstone $$$ to be spent on our location, but no. Instead Madstone decided to go out of business. Actually I did get them to buy me some platters after a few months. Not the ones I wanted, but better than what we had.

Posted by David Despain (Member # 5400) on 09-03-2009, 11:36 PM:

Madstone, and Regency underestimated the loyalty that the local non-profit art house had. I think they thought they would run the other theatre out of business( talk about worst theatre, presentation and everything) and capture the market. Especially with Sundance in Park City.

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 09-04-2009, 07:12 AM:

quote: Bill Enos
I have a friend who claims to be able to hear beyond 30KC and refuses to use hearing protection in extremely loud situations because he can, at will, tighten his ear drums and thus avoid hearing damage.

quote: Rick Raskin
Hey Bill,Would that be our mutual friend?

quote: Bill Enos
Rick, yes.

Why am I not surprised?

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 09-04-2009, 10:59 AM:

Rick, you have to remember also that he believes that his opinion is fact and that there can be no other, the three words he can't say---"I Don't Know".

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 09-04-2009, 12:11 PM:

Like his statement that HD broadcasters never stretch their pictures to fill the screen; that it must be the lack of a TV set's ability to adjust that causes the problem. And don't get him started on politics.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-04-2009, 12:18 PM:

I can hear a 1dB SPL difference and so can a lot of people. You just have to be paying attention. As stated, the average person will notice a 3dB shift. 10dB SPL "sounds like" twice as loud, even though it's 10x the power.

I know this is going to make me seem like an insensitive prick, but...I want my old quote back, dammit!

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 09-04-2009, 02:24 PM:

I have a 40% percent hearing loss. It's in the upper ranges about the same frequency as my wife's voice.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-04-2009, 06:37 PM:

Very common "problem."

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 09-04-2009, 07:50 PM:

There is a name for this malady. It is called "Psychic Deafness". It seems to work best for "do the dishes" and "Take out the garbage"!

The clarity really improves for things like "Soup's On" or "Dinner is ready"

KEN

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-04-2009, 11:22 PM:

Amazing how that works! Must be some kind of spread spectrum effect going on there. Where's that Honeydew list...

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 09-14-2009, 10:29 PM:

quote: Kenneth Wuepper
There is a name for this malady. It is called "Psychic Deafness". It seems to work best for "do the dishes" and "Take out the garbage"!

The clarity really improves for things like "Soup's On" or "Dinner is ready"

There's this old joke:

State Trooper stops an elderly motorist:

Trooper: Sir...are you aware that a woman flew out of your car about five miles back?

Motorist: Thank God!!! I thought I was deaf!