Variations in audio loudness between broadcasted materials can lead to viewer frustration as the overall volume of the media varies from program to program or program to commercial. Today?s digital audio production and broadcast systems allow for a much wider dynamic range to be sent to the viewer, while high fidelity audio systems in the home allow for the full reproduction of the audio signal to be decoded.

The ITU has developed a standard ITU-R BS.1770/1 that provides a method for measuring the loudness of mono, stereo or multiple channel audio programs. (This standard has been adopted by the ATSC recommend practice A/85 that provides techniques for establishing and maintaining audio loudness for digital television systems.) Equipment and methods have been introduced to assist in examining the problem, tagging the program with metadata, scaling the program to the proper level, and evaluating the program for compliance. These tools and techniques can allow operators and engineers to maintain a consistent audio loudness between programs, commercials and promo materials.

Two specialists in the field made expert presentations:

Kenneth Hunold, Broadcast Applications Engineer for Dolby Laboratories, works with broadcast and cable network engineers and production personnel as they transition to high-definition television with 5.1 channel audio. Ken also works with Dolby?s motion picture clients on audio mastering and presentation for film and digital cinema. Hunold is a member of SMPTE, AES, and SBE. He is a former SMPTE Governor for the New York Region and a former New York Section Chair.

Karl Kuhn is Senior Video Systems Application Engineer for Tektronix supporting Analog/Digital Video, MPEG, and RF. Tektronix has employed him for 10 years. Karl holds 3 U.S. patents and 1 International patent that covers In-service Testing of Digital Broadcast Video. He is the current Chairman and is past the Secretary and Treasurer for the Washington DC Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). He is also a Certified Project Management Professional thru George Washington University.

We would like to express our gratitude to WCVB-TV for allowing us to use their Studio B for this meeting...