In Broadcast - August 2015 - 61


61

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 8 | August 2015

InFile

Audio & Video Codecs
DTS & M-GO have announced an
agreement for DTS to provide its DTSHD multi-channel surround sound
as part of M-GO's video streaming
activity. DTS-HD audio encoding
will be deployed in stages across all
M-GO compatible devices. Future
applications will mark M-GO as the
first streaming service to offer DTS
Headphone:X which is claimed to
offer a full surround sound experience
through any set of headphones.
Jünger Audio is developing an audio
monitoring system compatible with
immersive multichannel audio formats.
The unit allows monitoring and
auditioning of up to 16 audio channels.
A variety of physical input and output
formats will be offered including SDI,
MADI and AoIP. The graphical interface
allows the user to perform 3D panning
of audio objects.
Open Broadcast Systems' Opus
is a royalty-free audio codec. It is
employed in Skype, WebRTC and on
the Sony Playstation 4. A specification
for using Opus in a standard MPEG
Transport Stream was recently
written, enabling it to be used in
broadcast contribution. An IBC2014
demonstration showed a live 1080i
feed from a camera going into an
Open Broadcast Systems OBE C-100
encoder. The signal was encoded as
an MPEG transport stream with high
bitrate H.264 video plus low bitrate
Opus audio. This fed an OBE C-100
decoder. Claimed latency was around
300 milliseconds. The Opus in MPEGTS standard is published freely online
and is available for all manufacturers
to implement without royalties.

Omnia Audio, collaborating with
Belar Electronics Labs, is introducing
diversity-delay correction in Omnia
FM audio processors. Diversity-delay
refers to the blending process used as
part of iBiquity's HD Radio system, in
which tuners revert to the analogue
signal when a received broadcast is not
strong enough to maintain signal lock.
The software monitors and adjusts the
time alignment of a station's HD digital
and analogue FM signals, eliminating
the eight-second delay between the
two and allowing listeners' receivers to
switch between them without glitches.
Orban's
Optimod-PCn
1600
broadcast-quality audio processor is
available as software-only for Orbanapproved computers running Microsoft
Windows 7 (or higher) or pre-installed
on a host computer. Introduced at NAB
2015, it is the first Optimod that runs
natively on the host computer's Intel
x86 processor. The software performs
stereo enhancement, automatic gain
control, equalisation, high-frequency
enhancement, multiband gain control,
peak level control and automatic
loudness control. Depending on the
ordered configuration, it can run
multiple instances of monophonic,
stereo, or surround processing (up to
7.1 channels).
Prodys has designed a new 4G
LTE/3G
wireless
communication
module for the company's Ikusnet
product range. It is claimed
to
improve
bandwidth,
transmission
robustness
and latency, especially in
applications that require
mobility.

cont'd...
RTW's Mastering Tools is a software
plug-in providing loudness, level,
audio analysis and mono-to-7.1
measurement.
Features
include
analysis and display functions for
mastering, metering and loudness
measurement on up to eight channels.
It is available as a standard-format
plug-in under Microsoft Windows and
Apple OS X.
Systembase's C600ip codec offers
full IP audio capability together with
X.21 connectivity. This combination
allows it to be used for automated
backup of traditional X.21 studio-totransmitter links over IP. Management
features include web browser support.
The codec is fully compatible with the
existing C500IP series.
Tieline Technology has introduced
a POTS G5 hardware module for
its Genie and Merlin codecs. When
installed it allows codec users to create
high quality connections over voicegrade telephone networks. All Genie
and Merlin codecs are fully IP enabled.
Optional US and Euro ISDN G5 modules
already provide ISDN compatability.
Two POTS modules can be installed,
supporting two POTS audio streams in
multi-stream Genie Distribution, Merlin
and Merlin Plus codecs. The addition
of POTS support means a primary IP
connection can also now fail over to

Vortex Communications'
CallMe Browser Codec

backup ISDN or POTS connections if
required. Genie and Merlin codecs
can automatically monitor and
manage switching between primary
and backup connections over all
available transports. Codecs will fail
back to a primary connection if it
becomes available after a temporary
interruption.
WorldCast
Systems'
APT
SureStreamer allows a broadcaster
to send the same audio content
over divergent paths for increased
reliability. A reconstructed stream is
produced by the decoder; dropouts
or interruptions to any individual
connection have no effect on the
playout.

WorldCast Systems' APT SureStreamer

Higher Bit Rates Ahead...
Orban's
Optimod-PCn
1600

With content producers now moving
rapidly into 4K production formats
and NHK hoping to start 8K test
broadcasts in 2016, codec developers
face an interesting challenge
in designing systems that will
accommodate much higher data rates
than are currently needed for HD.
Intopix' Tico is an interesting move
in this direction. It allows 4K UHD to
be compressed for transport over
legacy SDI infrastructure and modern
IP-based production and contribution

networks. A coalition of companies,
the Tico Alliance was formed to
establish Tico as an IP-based live
production tool for upgrading
existing SDI-based systems, and
to ease 4K-UHD adoption over SDI
infrastructure. It currently comprises
Altera Corporation, Artel Video
Systems, Belden Grass Valley,
Embrionix, Image Matters, Imagine
Communications, Keisoku Giken,
Macnica Americas, Nevion, Ross
Video and Xilinx.
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.vtx.co.uk/product.aspx?id=245 http://www.aptcodecs.com/radio-products-32-157.html http://www.orban.com/products/
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