AES San Francisco 2008
Broadcast Session Details
Thursday, October 2, 9:00 am — 10:45 amB1 - Listening Tests on Existing and New HDTV Surround Coding Systems
Chair:
Gerhard Stoll, IRT
Panelists:
Florian Camerer, ORF
Kimio Hamasaki, NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories
Steve Lyman, Dolby Laboratories
Andrew Mason, BBC R&D
Bosse Ternström, SR
Abstract:
With the advent of HDTV services, the public is increasingly
being exposed to surround sound presentations using so-called home theater environments. However, the restricted bandwidth available into the home, whether by broadcast, or via broadband, means that there is an increasing interest in the performance of low bit rate surround sound audio coding systems for “emission” coding. The European Broadcasting Union Project Group D/MAE (Multichannel Audio Evaluations) conducted immense listening tests to asses the sound quality of multichannel audio codecs for broadcast applications in a range from 64 kbit/s to 1.5 Mbit/s. Several laboratories in Europe have contributed to this work.
This Broadcast Session will provide profound information about these tests and the results. Further information will be provided, how the professional industry, i.e. codec proponents and decoder manufacturers, is taking further steps to develop new products for multichannel sound in HDTV.
Thursday, October 2, 11:00 am — 1:00 pm
B2 - Audio and Non-Audio Services and Applications for Digital Radio
Chair:
David Bialik
Panelists:
Robert Bleidt, Fraunhofer USA Digital Media Technologies
Dave Casey, Neural Audio Corp.
Toni Fiedler, Dolby Laboratories
David Layer, NAB
Skip Pizzi, Contributing Editor, Radio World magazine
Geir Skaaden, Neural Audio Corp.
Simon Tuff, BBC
Dave Wilson, CEA
Abstract:
A discussion of different codecs used throughout the world, USA HD Radio, Eureka, Surround Sound, Electronic Program Guide, Other Data Services, and public adoption. Various implementations of digital radio including both terrestrial and satellite services throughout the globe.
Thursday, October 2, 2:30 pm — 4:30 pm
B3 - Considerations for Facility Design
Chair:
Paul McLane, Radio World
Panelists:
Sam Berkow, SIA Acoustics
William Hallisky, Meridian Design
John Storyk, Walters Storyk
Abstract:
A roundtable chat with design experts Sam Berkow, John Storyk, and William Hallinsky. We’ve modified the format of this popular session further to allow attendees to hear from several of today’s top facility designers in a more relaxed and less hurried format.
What makes for an exceptional facility? What are the top pitfalls of facility design? Bring your cup of coffee and share in the conversation as Radio World U.S. Editor in Chief Paul McLane talks with Sam Berkow of SIA Acoustics, John Storyk of Walters-Storyk Design Group, and William Hallinsky of Meridian Design Associates, Architects, to learn what leaders in radio/television broadcast and production studios are doing today in architectural, acoustic, and facility design.
How are the demands of today’s multi-platform broadcasters changing design of facilities? How do streaming, video for radio and new media affect the process? What does it really mean to say a facility is “green”? How should broadcasters handle cross-training? What are the most common pitfalls broadcasters should avoid in designing and budgeting for a facility? What key decisions must you make today to ensure that your fabulous new facility will still be doing the job in 10 or 20 years?
Thursday, October 2, 4:30 pm — 6:30 pm
B4 - Mobile/Handheld Broadcasting: Developing a New Medium
Chair:
Jim Kutzner, Public Broadcasting Service
Panelists:
Mark Aitken, Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sterling Davis, Cox Broadcasting
Brett Jenkins, Ion Media Networks
Dakx Turcotte, Neural Audio Corp.
Abstract:
The broadcasting industry, the broadcast and consumer equipment vendors, and the Advanced Television Systems Committee have been vigorously moving forward toward the development of a Mobile/Handheld DTV broadcast standard and its practical implementation. In order to bring this new service to the public players from various industry segments have come together in an unprecedented fashion. In this session key leaders in this activity will present what the emerging system includes, how far the industry has progressed, and what’s left to be done.
Friday, October 3, 11:00 am — 1:00 pm
B5 - Loudness Workshop
Chair:
John Chester
Panelists:
Marvin Caesar, Aphex
James Johnston, Neural Audio Corp.
Thomas Lund, TC Electronic A/S
Andrew Mason, BBC
Robert Orban, Orban/CRL
Jeffery Riedmiller, Dolby Laboratories
Abstract:
New challenges and opportunities await broadcast engineers concerned about optimum sound quality in this contemporary age of multichannel sound and digital broadcasting. The earliest studies in the measurement of loudness levels were directed to telephony issues, with the publication in 1933 of the equal-loudness contours of Fletcher and Munson, and the Bell Labs tests of more than a half-million listeners at the 1938 New York Worlds Fair demonstrating that age and gender are also important factors in hearing response. A quarter of a century later, broadcasters began to take notice of the often-conflicting requirements of controlling both modulation and loudness levels. These are still concerns today as new technologies are being adopted. This session will explore the current state of the art in the measurement and control of loudness levels and look ahead to the next generation of techniques that may be available to audio broadcasters.
Friday, October 3, 4:00 pm — 6:45 pm
B6 - History of Audio Processing
Chair:
Emil Torick
Panelists:
Dick Burden
Marvin Caesar, Aphex
Glen Clark, Glen Clark & Associates
Mike Dorrough, Dorrough Electronics
Frank Foti, Omnia
Greg J. Ogonowski, Orban/CRL
Bob Orban, Orban/CRL
Eric Small, Modulation Sciences
Abstract:
The participants of this session pioneered audio processing and developed the tools we still use today. A discussion of the developments, technology, and the “Loudness Wars” will take place. This session is a must if you want to understand how and why audio processing is used.
Saturday, October 4, 9:00 am — 10:45 am
B7 - DTV Audio Myth Busters
Chair:
Jim Kutzner, PBS
Panelists:
Robert Bleidt, Fraunhofer USA Digital Media Technologies
Tim Carroll, Linear Acoustic, Inc.
Ken Hunold, Dolby Laboratories
David Wilson, Consumer Electronics Association
Abstract:
There is no limit to the confusion created by the audio options in DTV. What do the systems really do? What happens when the systems fail? How much control can be exercised at each step in the content food chain? There are thousands of opinions and hundreds of options, but what really works and how do you keep things under control? Bring your questions and join the discussion as four experts from different stages in the chain try to sort it out.
Saturday, October 4, 11:00 am — 1:00 pm
B8 - Lip Sync Issue
Chair:
Jonathan S. Abrams, Nutmeg Audio Post
Panelists:
Scott Anderson, Syntax-Brillian
Richard Fairbanks, Pharoah Editoial, Inc.
David Moulton, Sausalito Audio, LLC
Kent Terry, Dolby Laboratories
Abstract:
This is a complex problem, with several causes and fewer solutions. From production to broadcast, there are many points in the signal path and postproduction process where lip sync can either be properly corrected, or made even worse.
This session’s panel will discuss several key issues. Where do the latency issues exist in postproduction? Where do they exist in broadcast? Is there an acceptable window of latency? How can this latency be measured? What correction techniques exist? Does one type of video display exhibit less latency than another? What is being done in display design to address the latency? What proposed methods are on the horizon for addressing this issue in the future?
Join us as our panel covers the field from measurement, to post, to broadcast, and to the home.
Saturday, October 4, 2:30 pm — 4:30 pm
B9 - Listener Fatigue and Longevity
Chair:
David Wilson, CEA
Panelists:
Sam Berkow, SIA Acoustics
Marvin Caesar, Aphex
James Johnston, Neural Audio Corp.
Ted Ruscitti, On-Air Research
Abstract:
This panel will discuss listener fatigue and its impact on listener retention. While listener fatigue is an issue of interest to broadcasters, it is also an issue of interest to telecommunications service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, music producers, and others. Fatigued listeners to a broadcast program may tune out, while fatigued listeners to a cell phone conversation may switch to another carrier, and fatigued listeners to a portable media player may purchase another company’s product. The experts on this panel will discuss their research and experiences with listener fatigue and its impact on listener retention.
Saturday, October 4, 5:00 pm — 6:45 pm
B10 - Audio Transport
Chair:
David Prentice, VCA
Panelists:
Kevin Campbell, APT Ltd.
Chris Crump, Comrex
Angela DePascale, Global Digital Datacom Services Inc.
Herb Squire, DSI RF
Mike Uhl, Telos
Abstract:
This will be a discussion of techniques and technologies used for transporting audio (i.e., STL, RPU, codecs, etc.). Transporting audio can be complex. This will be a discussion of various roads you can take.
Sunday, October 5, 9:00 am — 10:45 am
B11 - Internet Streaming—Audio Quality, Measurement, and Monitoring
Chair:
David Bialik
Panelists:
Ray Archie, CBS Radio
Rusty Hodge, SomaFM
Benjamin Larson, Streambox, Inc.
Greg J. Ogonowski, Orban/CRL
Skip Pizzi, Contributing Editor, Radio World magazine
Geir Skaaden, Neural Audio Corp.
Abstract:
Internet Streaming has become a provider of audio and video content to the public. Now that the public has recognized the medium, the provider needs to deliver the content with a quality comparable to other mediums. Audio monitoring is becoming important, and a need to quantify the performance is important so that the streamer can deliver product of a standard quality.
Sunday, October 5, 9:00 am — 11:00 am
B12 - Art of Sound Effects—Performance to Production
Panelists:
David Shinn
Sue Zizza
Abstract:
Sound effects: footsteps, doors opening and closing, a bump in the night. These are the sounds that can take the flat one-dimensional world of audio, television, and film and turn them into realistic three-dimensional environments. From the early days of radio to the sophisticated modern day High Def Surround Sound of contemporary film; sound effects have been the final color on the director's palatte. Join Sound Effects and Foley Artists Sue Zizza and David Shinn of SueMedia Productions as they present a 90 minute session that explores the art of sound effects; creating and performing manual effects; recording sound effects with a variety of microphones; and using various primary sound effect elements for audio, video and film projects.