There are some links and contact details you might find useful at the end of my email... As far as quality goes, I can only speak for ITFC 3 years ago, but the QA was pretty tight, at least then. All scripts AND recordings were cross-checked for everything, and someone had to listen to the entire final thing. Even the crap like "When cats throw up" at 3am on some obscure satellite channel had to be perfect. When the recording is complete, a file of time codes, fade curves and track names are bundled up and sent to the layback studio, where it gets mixed with the original track, the level of fade, which is usually preset, deciding how much the background track is faded. It SHOULD be the case that the AD and movie tracks are the same volume, just that the movie track is faded during the AD section. Did it sound like this? http://progressive.ifdnrg.com/streams/yourlocalcinema/harrypotter72ad.mp3 There are several companies that do AD though - ITFC, Red Bee, IMS, Sky to name a few, and it's not always easy to tell who did what. So it's best to contact the broadcaster themselves - you might find this http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ouch/2011/01/tv_audio_description_how_is_it.html?page=33 and http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/tvradiofilm/television/adtv/Pages/adfeedback.aspx interesting. In case you don't want to wade through all that, the key contact numbers are: BBC - telephone 03700 100 222 BBC iPlayer - email AccessibilityTeam@xxxxxxxxx ITV - telephone 0844 881 4150 or email viewerservices@xxxxxxx Channel 4 - telephone 0845 076 0191 Five - telephone 08457 050 505 or email customerservices@xxxxxxx Sky channels - telephone 0844 241 0333 or email accessiblecustomerservice@xxxxxxxxx Hope that helps! On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 7:02 PM, Kevin Lloyd <kevin.lloyd3@xxxxxxx> wrote: > It does make you wonder if they have any quality assurance checking at all > for AD programmes. I know in this case the AD is quiet but I've lost track > of the number of movies I've stopped because the AD is ridiculously loud and > makes the movie unwatchable... > > Kevin Lloyd > E-mail: kevin.lloyd3@xxxxxxx > ----- Original Message ----- From: "ANDY COLLINS" <Andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 5:46 PM > > Subject: [access-uk] Re: Tonight's Harry Potter and AD > > >> Thanks Pele - I'll give that numbrer a try this week - >> >> Andy >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pele West" <pele.west@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 10:40 AM >> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Tonight's Harry Potter and AD >> >> >>> Hi Andy >>> >>> I entirely agree with you. The mix between the film and the audio >>> description was not very good, but then, neither was the film. >>> >>> A few years a go there was a problem with Audio Description in our area >>> on ITV where the sound would break up when something was being described. I >>> reported it and after a few months ITV engineers identified the problem >>> and rectified it. >>> >>> My first contact was the ITV Duty Office on 0844 881 4150. >>> >>> I have no idea if this is still a valid number, but it is worth a try. >>> >>> Pele West >>> >>> >>> ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- >>> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] >>> ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: >>> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> ** and in the Subject line type >>> ** unsubscribe >>> ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the >>> ** immediately-following link:- >>> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] >>> ** or send a message, to >>> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq >>> >> >> ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- >> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] >> ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: >> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> ** and in the Subject line type >> ** unsubscribe >> ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the >> ** immediately-following link:- >> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] >> ** or send a message, to >> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq >> > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] > ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ** and in the Subject line type > ** unsubscribe > ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the > ** immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] > ** or send a message, to > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq