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Why is the volume always so much louder on TV commercials than it is on the shows?

So often when a TV show switches to a commercial the volume blasts. Why is that and how do they do it?

Public Comments

1. It has to do with how the commercial was recorded. In car audio, this is called mode balancing. The volume of the commercial was recorded independently from the broadcast show. Once a commercial hits, it can be loud or quiet. You'll see this on many HD stations as the HD content is fairly quiet compared with commercials.
2. The reason the volume seems louder for TV commercials is because they are using electronic circuits or computers to remove a lot of silence between the words. By removing lots of silence, the average volume level increases (though the level at which they record the audio stays exactly the same), plus they can fit a lot more content into the same amount of time. Because the average volume level has increased, your ears perceive that the overall volume has also increased.
3. All commercials and tv programs are recorded with their own audio and video settings then they are broadcasted to your television through your service provider. Because of this you will notice different volume levels from channel to channel and also when commercials come on. Most televisions have a built-in feature in the audio menu that you can activate that will attemp to stabilize these fluctuations, although not always effective. You should consult your owners manual for details on this setting.
4. That is the way they are broadcast. Nothing can be done about it. Keep your remote handy.