Linear Acoustic BroadcastAsia2010 Product Preview
Gencom Booth 7N3-01
Photo Links:
www.wallstcom.com/LinearAcoustic/LQ1000.zip
www.wallstcom.com/LinearAcoustic/AERO.zip
www.wallstcom.com/LinearAcoustic/AERO.qc.zip
www.wallstcom.com/LinearAcoustic/AERO_air.zip
Company Overview
Linear Acoustic is the leading authority in television audio control from production to transmission. The company designs and manufactures the AERO(TM) range of audio processing and loudness control solutions, e2(TM) (e-squared) multichannel audio backhaul and distribution, and MetaMAX(TM) metadata processing products. The company licenses and OEMs key technologies to other companies in the broadcast industry. The company is actively involved in standards and practices creation as a member of the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) and as a sustaining member of SMPTE. Linear Acoustic is proud to be a premier member of the Sports Video Group and is one of the founding members of its DTV Audio Group. Linear Acoustic provided its upmixing products and technical services for NBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and provided twenty four AERO.qc(TM) units and technical services for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. More information about Linear Acoustic is available at www.linearacoustic.com.
Linear Acoustic at BroadcastAsia2010
AERO.air(TM) Transmission Loudness Manager
The flagship AERO.air(TM) -- for over-the-air and cable network broadcasters -- is the only all-in-one processor to accept any Dolby(R)-encoded or PCM audio, to provide upmixing and loudness control, and to output both PCM and Dolby-encoded audio for transmission. Advanced multiband processing assures consistency without artifacts, which is not achievable with wideband-only control.
Many new features keep AERO.air at the forefront: UPMAX-II 5.1 reference quality 5.1 channel automatic upmixing; CrowdControl(TM), which prevents dialogue from disappearing in the mix; optional internal Dolby E/Digital/Plus decoding; Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Pulse (HE-AAC) encoding; and internal Nielsen Watermark encoding for audience measurement.
AERO.mobile(TM) Audio Loudness Manager for Mobile-DTV
Audio for mobile TV presents new challenges. The dynamic range "comfort zone" used for mixing television audio for viewing on stereo or surround in-the-home televisions is far too wide for comfortable listening on typical earbuds or tiny speakers. Background noise in many environments will define a relatively high loudness floor -- if the volume is increased for acceptable intelligibility on soft passages, loud passages run the risk of causing hearing damage.
The AERO.mobile(TM) employs newly developed psychoacoustic processing that enables content to remain audible in noisy environments on small mobile devices. Accepting mono, stereo, or 5.1-channel station audio, the unit includes all tools a broadcaster needs to deliver the most satisfying experience appropriate for widely varying individual listening environments.
AERO.qc(TM) Audio Quality Controller
The AERO.qc(TM) allows users to monitor and fix loudness problems automatically in real time during production or as audio enters the plant for ingest. It couples the ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement standard with proprietary signal analysis techniques to evaluate content and make adjustments. Operator intervention can range from full control of measurement and audio adjustment to highly automated processing that requires little oversight. The new UPMAX-II algorithm is included for reference-quality 5.1 channel upmixing. Full-color front-panel metering provides comprehensive real-time loudness indication. Options include Dolby(R) E/Digital decoding, AERO-style multiband loudness and dynamic range control, multichannel analog output with speaker EQ, and HD/SD-SDI input and output.
LQ-1000(TM) Loudness Quality Monitor
The LQ-1000 provides comprehensive loudness and peak level metering of 5.1-surround and/or stereo AES or SDI audio per industry-standard ITU-R BS.1770, a crucial requirement for mixing and transmitting in compliance with ATSC Recommended Practice A/85.
Loudness information is presented in a simple, colorful, and easy-to-interpret manner: LKFS current loudness, target loudness, and current true peak level are clearly indicated with both large numbers and a dual "bar graph" display familiar to all. A histogram shows loudness over the duration of the program or segment. Color is used to display the loudness comfort zone: green if in target, blue if too quiet, yellow if getting loud, and red if too loud. VGA output is provided for external displays and multiviewers. Options include internal Dolby(R) E/Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Plus decoding.
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