Sounding Off on Surround Sound
excerpts from a Broadcasting & Cable email:
The number of pixels in the picture has often defined the HDTV experience but for an increasing number of viewers the HD experience also involves Surround Sound audio. And for broadcasters and networks the biggest challenge in the HD experience is, increasingly, delivering a quality audio experience free of lip-sync problems and other issues.
"The issue is consistency," says Emory Strilkauskas, ESPN manager, transmission contribution. "There are tremendous issues with dial-norm compatibility or not hearing the announcers and we need to minimize those issues and provide a consistent high-quality product."
Ensuring that viewers at home can clearly hear the dialogue in the center channel, for example, involves not only proper mixing but also proper delivery from the network to the station and then through cable and satellite providers. All of those delivery points are susceptible to troubles.
That's one reason Tim Carroll, president of audio equipment maker Linear Acoustic, says great audio begins with a solid mix. "Dialogue is king, there's no escaping that," he says. "Keep the dialogue centered on the screen and viewers will be glued to the action." Surround Sound is typically associated with sports, primetime programming, and movies and special events.
But will Surround Sound ever make it to news programming?
When NBC began broadcasting the Today show in HD they made the decision to deliver it in Surround. "We want to bring Rockefeller plaza into everyone's home," says Jim Starzynski, NBC Advanced Technology, principle engineer. "Engineering had the way to do it and the directors have been enthusiastic."
ABC, however, hasn't been able to bring Times Square into viewer's living rooms as the network's Good Morning America infrastructure doesn't enable 5.1 audio delivery. "We had a short period to covert GMA to HD and we were busy getting the pictures right," says Robin Thomas, group director, engineering, ABC Broadcast Operations & Engineering. "So the decision was made to hold off on 5.1."
While morning news programs in lively locations with frequent musical guests can benefit from Surround Sound Bob Seidel, CBS vice president, advanced technology and engineering, says that for local stations the need for expedience doesn't allow dramatic 5.1 Surround Sound. "But for soft news 5.1 makes sense," he says.
Posted by admin on January 3rd, 2007 :: Filed under Announcements
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