Filtering Out Vitale! 12/04/2006
A reader has posted the secret on the bulletin board. Nice work! This just might have us out to get surround sound this weekend...
I posted this in the "One Minute Remaining" thread, and thanks to the replies I received I will repeat the technique here for a larger viewing audience. If you are sick and tired of listening to Vitale, and you are fortunate enough to have access to an audio receiver + surround sound speakers, here is an easy and 100% effective way to eliminate Vitale and Patrick from your viewing experience. If the game is being broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 (not sure if that means the game has to be in high def or not, the audiophiles on the board can correct me), the audio is divided up such that the rear channels are *only* the ambient crowd and stadium noises.
On a whim during the Indiana game, I muted the front-left, front-center, front-right, and subwoofer - leaving only my rear channels. To my delight, the only sound remaining was that of Cameron: sneakers squeaking on the hard wood, the crowd shouting, and the occasional PA announcement. You don't hear a peep out of ESPN! If you already have a surround sound setup, you should test this out (unless you enjoy hearing Vital sing 'Hear Comes Santa Claus').
