You settle in to watch your favorite show on Hulu, excited for a night of entertainment and relaxation. But as the program starts, you’re suddenly jolted by an advertisement blaring at maximum volume through your speakers or headphones. You frantically grab the remote to turn it down before it wakes the neighbors.
This experience is all too common for Hulu viewers, leaving many to wonder—why are the ads so much louder than the actual shows?
In this article, we’ll explore the reasoning behind Hulu’s infamously loud commercials and how the streaming service gets away with such an annoying tactic.
The Problem: Hulu Ads Are Way Louder Than the Show
Hulu includes advertising in their content to subsidize the cost of streaming for viewers. However, many subscribers complain about the volume of Hulu’s advertisements relative to the shows they’re watching.
Read More - This is Why Hulu Have So Many Ads! Here’s How to Skip It.There are a few reasons why Hulu ads may seem excessively loud.
1. Different Audio Levels
The audio levels of Hulu’s ads are optimized independently from the shows and movies they accompany. As a result, an ad may be mastered at a higher decibel level than the surrounding content, creating the illusion it is louder.
2. Perception of Loudness
Hulu ads are often highly compressed, with little dynamic range between the loudest and softest parts. This compression makes the ad seem subjectively louder than content with more dynamic range.
Additionally, Hulu ads frequently have attention-grabbing elements like upbeat music, sound effects, and emphatic announcers which draw focus to the audio and exaggerate the perceived loudness.
3. Device Limitations
The speakers or headphones you use to watch Hulu also impact how loud ads seem. If your device has limited frequency response, it may overemphasize midrange frequencies where much of the audio energy in ads is concentrated.
Similarly, low-quality speakers may introduce distortion that makes ads sound louder. Using higher-quality audio equipment can help mitigate these effects.
What Can You Do?
Unfortunately, as a viewer there isn’t much you can directly do to fix Hulu’s loud ad problem since it requires changes on their end.
However, you can provide feedback to Hulu via their website or social media and request that they start utilizing volume leveling technology to provide a better overall experience for customers.
With enough feedback, hopefully Hulu will resolve this issue and implement a solution to normalize volumes across their content and ads.
You can also adjust your own TV or streaming device’s volume during the ads to minimize discomfort from the loudness spikes.
Read More - List Of Actors Who Have Played Batman (Bruce Wayne).How to Deal With Loud Hulu Ads
Adjust the Volume Settings
- To reduce the volume of loud Hulu ads, you will need to adjust your device’s volume controls. Locate the volume buttons on your streaming device’s remote or directly on the unit itself.
- Lower the volume to your desired level before the ad break begins. Be aware that Hulu ads can still seem excessively loud in comparison to the content’s audio levels.
Enable ‘Limited Ads’ Option
- If loud ads are an ongoing annoyance, you may want to enable Hulu’s “Limited Ads” option. This will decrease the frequency of ad breaks, though the ads that do play may still seem loud.
- The Limited Ads option costs a few dollars more per month but can improve your viewing experience. For the best ad-free option, you can upgrade to Hulu’s “No Ads” plan.
Report Excessively Loud Ads to Hulu
As a last resort, you can report any excessively loud ads to Hulu’s customer support team. Hulu aims to comply with the CALM Act, which regulates commercial ad volume relative to surrounding content.
By reporting loud ads, you are helping Hulu identify any ads not in compliance so they can be corrected or removed. You can submit reports through Hulu’s live chat support or by calling their customer service phone line.
Provide details about the ad, the time it aired and which device you were using so the issue can be properly addressed.
Read More - Yes, You Can Watch Movies in Spanish in Hulu! Here’s How!Wrapping Up
As an informed Hulu viewer, you can now understand the reasoning behind this and anticipate ads being louder. You may try adjusting volume as needed or leveraging ad-free options to avoid disruptive loud ads.
With this knowledge in hand, you can continue enjoying your favorite shows on Hulu while being prepared for loud ad breaks. Stay tuned for more inside scoops on the streaming world in future articles.