Migration to HD TV

Mr Phillip Nottle Sony

Abstract This presentation gives an overview of the various issues surrounding the migration to the HD environment. This presentation takes a broad look at all areas including sets and makeup as these need to be considered by broadcasters and production houses as they commence producing programs for the HD market.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER Philip Nottle has worked in the broadcast industry since 1967. His experience has covered both the radio and television areas within the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as well as four years outside the ABC as a contractor with the SA Film Corporation and various production houses. From 1986 he was responsible for providing technical training to the ABC's technical staff. Philip joined Sony Australia in 2000 as the Training Manager for all Broadcast and Professional products. He prepared and presented courses on the DVCAM, DVW, DNW, XDCAM, XDCAM- HD, HDC and HDW product ranges. He currently holds the position of Technology Manager for the Broadcast and Professional Products (Asia) and provides support to Sony's Sales Companies and customers throughout the Asia Pacific region. He holds a Certificate IV in Workplace Training (Category 2) and is a member of SMPTE. He is also involved in the ARSG6, CT-2 and D27 standards committees.

III-7

Building the TV Audience-Is HD Enough?

Mr. Trevor Francis Worldwide Marketing Manager, Broadcast, Quantel Ltd, UK

Abstract This paper sets out some thoughts on how the broadcasting industry might fight back against the global movement of advertising revenue away from television and radio and towards the internet. I'm going to draw on the experiences I've had while working for Quantel, and focus on the two major areas of my company's business which are movies / high-end production and news/sports. Or as I would often characterise them, productions with lead times of weeks to months, versus minutes to hours. Broadcasting as we know it has a lot to offer the world, of course. Like other related industries threatened with change, we have an opportunity to adapt to the new competitive landscape. Like the movie industry when television came along – offering lavish colour on wider and wider screens to tempt us back to the cinema. And now, the music recording industry is busy re-inventing itself in the download generation. Paying for music is almost a voluntary action now. I'm going to look at the opportunities offered by Stereo 3D to both the movie and broadcast industries. Very high quality digital production techniques can now lift the 3D experience out of its patchy history and transform television from a purely passive 'viewing' to an involving 'experience'. We know that news stories can flash around the world in moments now. Not agency to agency, or broadcaster to broadcaster, as in the past. But from individual to individual; group to group. Social networking sites allow us all to share information with our friends, families and peers – in an instant. But can we always trust we what see and read on these sites? How do we get the fuller picture? Who provides that background and the context? There's an important role for news broadcasters here.

III-9 Building the TV Audience-Is HD Enough?

The future's here Three or four decades earlier, many pioneers To quote the author William Gibson, “The around the world had been developing future is already here. It's just not very evenly techniques for capturing and displaying a distributed yet.” Speaking in 1999, he obviously moving image. It took a few commercially- wasn't describing the current state of world minded inventors, like Thomas Edison in the economics, nor was he describing the United States, to see how this new technology broadcasting industry as we approach the end of could be developed to generate cash. And it did the first decade of the twenty-first century. But of course. Lots of it. his words do have an interesting resonance and Both the film and radio industries suffer from a admit more than one interpretation. We could major short-coming: they can't recreate the true be depressed; we could begin to panic; we could experience of 'being there – live'. I can hear predict the end of broadcasting as we've known what's happening, now. Or I can see and hear it it. Or, we could stand back and look at what's all, but later. Television was, to use a more happening; we could see some opportunities to modern expression, going to fill a gap in the adapt to the new circumstances; opportunities market. Even when it appears that other for our industry to fight back, based on some technologies have grabbed all the business, as it very traditional ideas and values. did to the nascent TV industry in the 1920's and Today's entertainment media industries – film, 30's, it's possible for a new idea to enter and win. television and radio – are all the product of Just as important, it's perfectly possible for the technological developments begun at the end of older technologies to re-invent themselves and the nineteenth century. Some seminal ideas were fight back. seized by a few visionary individuals and developed into practical realities. But none of Back to the future them could really develop until they became a There's nothing new about the term High business. Of the three, television was probably Definition. It's been around since the end of the regarded as the least commercially attractive to 1970's, hasn't it? Well actually, it was coined a lot begin with. Another quote, this time from a earlier than that. After all, High Definition isn't British journalist of the time: “Television? The really an absolute term, it's comparative. When word is half Greek, half Latin. No good can the UK made the transition from 405 lines to come of it.” So said C P Snow. This may sound 625 back in the 1960's, the improvement in very odd today but it wasn't so very different image quality was quite striking. But at one time, from the opinion of the founder of the BBC, even 405 lines seemed unattainable. John Reith, who was far from convinced of the social value of television. Reith wanted 'Nation One of television's pioneers, largely forgotten to speak peace unto nation', which is still the these days, is John Logie Baird. Baird, a serial BBC's motto. Radio could carry the human inventor, you might say, became interested in the voice around the world and achieve this aim. idea of relaying moving images by radio. Like What need for pictures? everyone involved at the time, he realised that

III-10 some method was required for dissecting a live concept of television. He went on to develop a scene into incremental parts. He chose a colour television system and even experimented mechanical method based on a spinning disk, with stereoscopic 3D in 1928. Nineteenth pierced with a spiral of holes to 'scan' the image. century photographers had made stereo 3D still cameras, so it seemed logical to Baird that a Baird understood was the need for publicity to television process should attempt to follow the generate interest in this new idea. He persuaded example. the owner of Selfridges, a large London department store, to host demonstrations of television. They were very popular. He also The second HD revolution developed techniques, involving 'live' scanning The second high definition revolution isn't of received images to moving film, with pushing out the old standards as rapidly and continuous processing and display by cinema easily as in the 1930's. Even where mandated by projectors. Horrendous by today's standards, governments, such as in the United States or but the public were able to see distant events, like Australia, the uptake has been very slow. In the horse races, long before the cinema newsreel early days the choice was very clear; a system caught up. with lots of disadvantages and a poor picture – or a robust, reliable, highly marketable product Eventually, when the BBC became interested in with a high-definition picture. A no-brainer, we experimenting with a television service, they would say. Today, the issues are far less clear. organised a trial between Baird's system and an electronic television process. The electronic There is a complex relationship between the scanning and display system, still familiar to us broadcasters' ability to upgrade their systems, today, achieved 405 scanning lines, using 50 the content producers' willingness to meet the interlaced fields per second. This became known additional costs of producing in HD and the as 'high definition' television. Compared with consumers' desire to spend extra cash in order to Baird's, it was. Just as importantly, it did not rely see a better picture. Who's going to make the first on complex, noisy and unreliable mechanical move? parts. So the electronic television process, backed by two major organisations, Marconi Let's look at it from the consumer's point of view. and EMI, won the day. He has a considerable investment in TV sets, VCRs, DVD players, set-top boxes and other The point to be made here is that, in the 1930's, peripherals to build his domestic system. It's very when this contest was being fought, not only in likely that all of this will become redundant at a Britain, but in France, Germany, the United stroke if he decides to upgrade to HD. So why States and other countries, High Definition won should he? Just because it's HD? Probably not. the battle. It won doubly because, not only did it Again, looking back for clues, it has taken more produce a higher-quality, stable image but also than a technical advance to tempt the viewer the receivers were practical and reliable enough into upgrading their equipment. for sustained domestic use. It was, perhaps, the first HD revolution. The transition from monochrome to colour took many years, despite the apparently obvious Despite losing this contest, Baird was highly advantages. The relatively high cost of early successful in generating early interest in the colour TVs didn't help.

III-11 The move from 4:3 to 16:9, a much more subtle probably borrowing the TV display to do so. benefit to the consumer, is still not universal. And they download video onto mobile devices Very few television productions are shot truly and watch it on the move. They'll absorb the wide-screen, mindful of the large numbers of content, if it interests them, and ignore the viewers who would be disadvantaged if they technical quality. So do they want HD? were. So far, the answer to most of these questions has Surround sound – another even more subtle been to chant the mantra, “content is king.” The benefit - has been tried. It's great for reproducing way to tempt an audience is to offer them shows the sophisticated movie sound tracks at home, they really want to watch. Bring in a large but the additional production costs have audience and the advertising money follows. deterred most TV producers. The two most successful genres for HD to date have been sports and movies. Cinema films are We shouldn't overlook the fact that the viewer generally made to extremely high standards of experience moving from NTSC to HD is more picture and sound quality, so there's lots of extra pronounced than moving from PAL to HD, detail, higher contrast and more vivid colour especially from widescreen. So audiences in when viewed in HD. There's an instant appeal to North America, Korea and Japan should the viewer. It's great for the content owners too, appreciate HD more; Europe and the rest of because even their back catalogues may be re- Asia/Pacific, rather less. scanned at HD and further extend the life of movies from earlier decades. But, if all this isn't confusing enough, there are other pressures on the consumer too. The Sport generates huge television revenues. Lots display device is changing; the cathode-ray tube of it is fed back to the players, but it has also has all but disappeared from the shops in a few funded huge global media enterprises, like short years. It has been replaced with a variety of ESPN, Rogers, Fox and Star TV. Sport is TV flat-panel displays, some of better quality than that people want to watch live. They don't want others and, until recently, much more expensive. to hear the result before they see the game. Large numbers of people watching a defined genre is Our viewer is also being told that analogue perfect for advertisers too. They know lots about transmissions are to be switched off in much of the audience, and they know they're watching the world. He has to buy a new digital set-top live, and therefore captive. They can't spool box, or a digital satellite receiver, or receive his through the commercials. Not only that, but the TV via cable or broadband. It sounds confusing sports venues can be filled with advertising and expensive. He is being pulled in lots of content, as are the players' shirts. There really is directions at once. How does he make up his no escape. HD brings it all faithfully into the mind? home, where it may be enjoyed up and down the generations; the kids watch sport too. Well, his family probably won't help. If he has children, as I do, they may spend more time in So is HD enough? For sport, maybe, for the time front of a computer than a TV set. Unlike the being but there isn't enough of it to go around. older generations, they don't see the same Mainstream broadcasters look for a balanced work/play split between the PC and the TV. output. Drama, entertainment, factual and news They also enjoy playing on games consoles,

III-12 all need to be accommodated. News we'll come Of course, many much-hyped film innovations to later. How do we attract audiences back to the prove nothing but fads and there's nothing TV for the other programming types? wrong with some healthy scepticism. However, as individuals and as an industry, we have a There was a hint earlier. It could be 3D. John responsibility to rationally think about new Baird thought it worth exploring more than technology. The world isn't going to wait around eighty years ago and today the games for us. manufacturers are heading rapidly for 3D as they fight for market share. If the younger Objections fade if and when it's clear a new generations start to expect 3D from the games technology delivers real benefits – either to the console, then why not when they're watching content maker or the audience. The most TV? compelling argument is of course money. If a new technology can either save money or make Stereo 3D broadcasting – the next big more money that tends to get attention. Show idea? business is a business. Stereo 3D has the potential to be a powerful Digital Stereo3D film making is already being weapon in broadcasting's fight-back against the enthusiastically embraced by Hollywood internet. If television was conceived to place the because of current evidence that the numbers viewer within the event or action, then 3D is the work. Assuming you have a film that already obvious development. The cinema has appeals to an audience, Stereo presentations get experimented with 3D over the years but, in more cash through the door. Last year Hannah another parallel with the Baird experience, those Montana smashed box office records and this experiments were limited by the mechanical year dozens of titles are in production. nature of the capture and display devices. There is nothing more disturbing than an unsteady Now good movies - that happen to use Stereo3D stereo image. Modern HD techniques can yield - are getting good box office. The logic follows all the definition we need for good 3D, with a that stereo 3D programming will be equally rock-steady display. attractive. Sport can be stunning in 3D; factual and natural history too have great potential. It's impossible to predict whether stereo 3D will really take off, but let's have a little fun and take another look back and see how earlier, radical The business case for Stereo 3D developments were regarded: broadcasting 'Talking pictures will never replace the silent drama' If we accept that audiences will want to watch Joseph Shenck, United Artists, C.1928 stereo 3D television, can the industry afford to make the programs? Remember our earlier discussion and the consumer / advertiser / “The process of Color motion picture photography [has] producer triangle? never been perfected…it would tire and distract the eye, take attention from faces and acting and facial expression, The technology to begin stereo broadcasting blur and confuse the action….” exists now and the first pilot channel is already Douglas Fairbanks, 1930 transmitting in Japan. Show the general public and you get a positive reaction. III-13 Monochrome to Monoscopic to Comments Colour Stereoscopic

Cameras New cameras Same cameras Existing HD cameras used in matched pairs are suitable for stereo

Storage New VTRS Same storage Existing NAS or SANs can be used. Pairs of VTRs can be used. Some new VTRS can record Stereo signals (e.g. Sony).

Production galleries New production Existing production Most current switchers switchers. Existing production switchers DVEs and twin channel DVEs can be repurposed for Stereo

Post production New equipment Some new, some current

Transmission New Current

A key issue will be cost. There were initial needed, however since the only difference objections to Colour TV on the grounds of cost. between the eyes should be horizontal disparity Interestingly the technology costs today of (and not for example color, geometry or focus moving from Monoscopic Broadcast to differences) care is needed to match and Stereoscopic Broadcast are much lower than the geometrically align the cameras. Special rigs are inflation adjusted costs in the 50's 60's and 70's used which range from inexpensive and simple of moving from black and white broadcast to (which can produce good stereo but only if colour. Not all equipment has to be replaced. carefully set up and skilfully used) to highly sophisticated rigs, like the 3ality Digital systems For the advertisers, there's a double benefit: large shown here, with advanced mechanics and audiences and the possibility for their product to electronics which need minimal set up times and achieve a prominence never attainable in 2D! are easy to use.

Shooting for Stereo is a different aesthetic than How will Stereo3D conventional TV. The audience is far more broadcasting work? involved in the image and wobbly camera work A pair of matched cameras, typically spaced at or whip pans are usually avoided in favour of a roughly adult eye distance, are used to capture more immersive and smoothly paced style that the image. The horizontal offset produces a draws the audience in. binocular disparity. No special cameras are III-14 3ality Digital rigs have been in action recently in many Broadcast tests including NFL and Sky

One important topic to understand is 'where to Will the viewers wear glasses to place the action'. Up to now much stereo has watch TV? been shot for large screens, not for domestic There are screens around which produce a television sets. One artistic judgement is whether stereo effect without the need for glasses, but to place the objects of interest in a shot on, they are quite limited in image depth and behind or in front of the TV screen by viewing angle. Good stereo 3D depends on 'converging' – increasing or decreasing the directing the two images to the left and right eyes horizontal offset. Placing objects behind the and polarised glasses are the most effective. Will screen (positive parallax) gives a 'window' effect people wear them? i.e. the viewer is looking through a frame to a scene behind. This is the objection that is the most difficult to refute technically because it is based on the Placing objects in front of the screen (negative tricky field of human behaviour. The evidence parallax) gives the appearance of action so far is 'yes – most but not all people will be happening in the viewer's room. This 'in your prepared to wear glasses'. Of course there is a face' style is great for jokes and certain kinds of potential vanity issue, however no one much action but care is needed not to push objects too minds wearing sunglasses outdoors if it's too far that the viewer can't 'fuse' them and they get bright and the need to wear earphones didn't an uncomfortable double image. Also care is seem to slow down sales of the Sony Walkman in needed framing shots where the action comes the eighties. Recently iPods did rather well too out of screen if the objects are cut off by the didn't they? Sony, and later Apple, have made screen edges. This gives a so called 'conflict of earphones fashionable. Maybe someone will cues' – the image is in front of the screen yet is produce polarised glasses we all want to wear? also occluded by the screen frame so must Or perfect a screen display that works without therefore be behind the screen. them.

III-15 The good news is that watching stereo at home will look much more like the first picture than the second :-) We know how to shoot, produce, post produce What makes this story even more interesting is and broadcast Stereo 3D today. The content will the fact that those arresting images were be there in the next few years if there is a will to captured by members of the public and were create it and the TV sets are coming onto the flashed around the world in moments using market. social networking sites. Thousands, if not millions, of people knew about this story before Who knows what percentage of the population the major news networks. will accept wearing glasses? I don't and neither does anyone making definitive sounding The most memorable images were captured by pronouncements. What I'm reasonably certain one man, Janis Krums, using his mobile phone. of based on the personal experience of working Janis was travelling across the Hudson River on a with many thousands of people at events is that ferry as he broke this story to the world, using the if you show good stereo with good glasses, Twitter site. He achieved his Andy Warhol 15 whatever doubts people start with, tend to fade. minutes of fame and became an instant media celebrity. Meanwhile, the news networks were If we want Stereo3D broadcasting we can have scrambling their camera teams and satellite it. trucks.

So a fascinating story behind a fascinating story. HD for news? But is it always like that? Would you believe every One of the iconic news images of recent months story you read in a viral email or on a social has to be the Airbus which crash landed in the networking site? I think not. Hudson River in New York. By almost any criteria it's a great news story; it has a real human This is where professional news suppliers apply dimension and it has a happy ending. It's a story their craft. Any responsible newsroom will look of a great hero, the pilot, who brought his for independent corroboration before they run a passengers and crew safely to the ground after story – even one like this. We're all aware of how his plane was apparently crippled by a bird easy it is to fabricate evidence. Many of us, and strike. A tragedy was averted and it gave us all probably even more of our children, have the something to feel glad about. skills and the computer software to produce composite images which suggest stories like this.

III-16 And that's just stills. There are millions of people providers have is context and background. What in the world with access to complex video editing kind of plane crashed? Why did it crash? Should tools – they too could fabricate a 'story'. I worry before I board the same type of aircraft? This is where the full resources of the news team We all have our favourite news providers, swing in. They have their technology specialists, whether on the web, radio or television. We'll their expert interviewees and other sources who probably use a combination of all three. The will help explain what has happened and why. most important quality those news providers The graphics teams can produce maps and have is trust. We know that if we see a story on diagrams to show the location, the path of the their channel, then they've checked their facts. plane and so on. It helps us to understand the None of them can be 100% sure all of the time. story. But they try very hard. A news organisation that's trusted by the viewers This is really important of course, because is likely to be trusted by other organisations too. I although there may be a few misguided but remember seeing the first video of the stricken largely harmless self-publicists around - the kind plane; the miracle of that water landing, that will fabricate a story, just to get their few captured by a video surveillance camera on the minutes of fame, a few moments on the TV if dockside. Even more than those first still images, they're lucky. There is a darker side. Politically that grainy video made the story real for me. motivated organisations and groups constantly Finally, we want to see and hear from the people. seek attention. They can stage-manage events; The 'vox pops'. I want to hear the survivors' distort images, edit pictures and sound – to stories and I want to see and hear the heroic create a false impression. It's just as easy to pilots and air traffic controllers who prevented circulate these via the web too. this accident from becoming a tragedy.

We in the technology industry have an So what's the role of high definition in all this? important role to play in this news filtering None necessarily. The value of a news process. In the early days of domestic broadcaster is the trust we have in them. Our camcorders, when members of the public role, in the supply side of this industry is to give captured video of a major event, like a plane them the tools to do their job effectively. Speed, crash, it was often very difficult to transfer their and economy, will usually win over technical tape to a professional format. And it took time. quality – certainly in a breaking news story. But Even more if they sent 8mm film. Now, stills, news has to operate within the overall landscape video and sound can be emailed from a news of contemporary broadcasting. If you flick from location and in be front of a producer in an entertainment channel to news, you might moments. We're helping the news providers by expect to see at least the studio and graphics in allowing them to gather this content from their HD. If not, you might flick again, to the next audience. After all, a news station in a large city news channel which is. All equipment is may have a few camera teams of their own but increasingly HD: cameras, editing, servers, they now have access to the millions of us with graphics. If an HD camcorder costs no more digital cameras and mobile phones, wherever we than SD, then why not do it? If your production are. system handles HD as easily as SD, then why wouldn't you? The next most important function the news

III-17 News will become HD because it can more than using his mobile phone and a public website. because it has to. We will expect to see the news This was sufficient to prompt a senior BBC packaged in HD, knowing that we can trust the correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones to comment content, however it was gathered. in his blog on the BBC's website. He was discussing Twitter with some colleagues who Conclusion were unfamiliar with the site. He described it as So, is the future here? If it is, it definitely isn't 'like a very fast, but not entirely reliable news very evenly distributed yet. So, maybe Mr agency' and went on to reveal that he'd heard of Gibson was right. We do have a commercial two major stories within 24 hours courtesy of broadcasting industry looking to re-invent itself. Twitter. The other was a statement on Apple We have a lot of HD and we have some Stereo Chief, Steve Jobs' health. The BBC, of course, 3D making strides in the cinema and some early applied a lot more journalism and production to signs of experimental 3D broadcasting in Japan, those stories than simply relaying the brief for example. But we also have a lot of SD around Twitter messages. too. Most of us still have TV sets in the living room and computers on our work desks. It's The opportunity for the world's broadcasters is going to be a while yet before we all have to offer us added value; something the internet 'universal information and entertainment cannot give us. That may be really high quality centres'. content made in HD, it may be breathtaking sports coverage in Stereo 3D or reliable, We have experienced a recent, major news event trustworthy news and analysis. But HD by itself where the story was broken, and the initial is probably not enough. coverage provided, by a member of the public

ABOUT THE SPEAKER Trevor Francis is responsible for the Marketing of Quantel's broadcast products. This includes steering the roadmap for product development, heading the product management team and producing presentations and papers for major trade shows. His base is the company headquarters in Newbury, England but his job takes him abroad more or less continuously. He spends most of his working life talking to broadcasters about digital non-linear production systems. Many of Quantel's broadcast customers are in the news and sports business, but he's also spent time working with game shows, soaps and virtually every kind of TV production. Trevor started his TV life in 1978 as a trainee videotape editor at the BBC in London before moving to the commercial news provider, ITN, in 1982. After many years on the road covering news stories, he was promoted into the ITN management. In 1998, Trevor was seconded to the new technology selection group and was tasked with overseeing the operational transition from videotape to non- linear production. In this role he designed new workflows, naming conventions and disaster recovery plans as well as managing an internal information and training programme. Trevor was invited to join the team at Quantel in September 2000 and now clocks up more air miles than he ever did as an editor. As well as promoting Quantel's products, he is able to share first-hand experiences of managing, not just the technology, but the even more important human consequences of changing the way broadcast professionals work.

III-18 HD TV Challenges and Solutions to Transition to HD TV

Mr Tony Spath Vice President International Broadcast, Dolby Laboratories Inc, U.K.

Abstract Surround sound,which originated in the cinema,is very popular in broadcast today.The most popular generes of programming are routinely produced now in 5.1 surround sound,in both SD and HD picture formats.Tis paper outlines the technologies used and the requirements for the broadcast audio infrastructure that are required to transmit programmes in surround sound.It further notes that planning and putting in place key facets of this infrastructure make the difference between being able to upgrade a service from stereo to surround in future or being required to broadcast stereo audio for the lifetime of the service.

III-19 HD TV Challenges and Solutions to Transition to HD TV

Introduction ready for surround, the end-to-end broadcast chain needs to be able to handle up to 6 channels Surround sound is very popular. Using 5.1 of audio and support the technologies that can channels of audio to present surround sound carry them. The technologies and the way they started in the cinema, where a surround are carried are all covered by international soundtrack enhanced the experience, increasing standards. the dramatic effect and putting the viewer more “in the action”. Today, in addition to feature films a wide variety of programmes are made in Requirements of the End-to- surround sound around the world. From major sporting events such as the Olympics, the FIFA End Broadcast Chain World Cup and cricket tests matches, through No-one would expect to broadcast high TV dramas like “Lost” and “The Sopranos”, definition picture without examining the documentaries and nature programmes from infrastructure, equipment and working practice the likes of National Geographic and Discovery, where HD differs from SD. So in audio: TV audience shows such as “Strictly Come wherever audio is worked on or listened to, Dancing”, music like “The Last Night of the consideration must be give to the differences Proms”... the list goes on. In Europe alone, over between mono or stereo operation and working 250 channels today broadcast in surround with 5.1 surround sound. Fortunately these sound. To broadcast in surround requires a considerations are usually less complex and broadcast chain (production, transmission and expensive in audio than in video. TVs/STBs) that can handle surround sound end to end; but these broadcasts also transmit stereo Productions / Live events for some of the time as a matter of course. Not Control rooms need surround monitoring all programmes are or need to be broadcast in There is an ITU standard (ITU-R rec 775-1) for surround. For a broadcaster launching a new 5.1 speaker layout. Practice shows how this can service, there is a choice to be made over audio. be adapted for smaller environments such as In the lifetime of the service, will there be a need OB trucks. There are also many rooms and OB to broadcast in surround or will stereo suffice? If trucks to look at as good examples of practical a broadcaster launches a service without 5.1 monitoring. surround sound but with a surround sound infrastructure, they can broadcast in surround Consoles need to be able to mix to more than 2 whenever they choose to in the future. The (stereo) audio channels necessary foundations have been laid. However, 5.1 consoles are now widely available across the if the service starts without a surround sound entire range of price and performance. Training infrastructure, particularly without the TVs or in 5.1 audio production is also available. STBs being able to handle surround, that service is likely to be confined to broadcast stereo or Metadata setting is required. (Programme loudness, mono for the duration of the service. To be dynamic range and stereo downmixing)

III-20 Products such as the Dolby DP570 Multi- distributed for store or play-out. And incoming channel Audio Tool are available to audition programmes will also have 5.1 audio and set metadata. Metadata needs to be carried soundtracks that must be accommodated. Dolby with the audio to which it refers. This can be E has been used widely for this purpose, carrying done in a Dolby E stream along with the 5.1 up to 8 channels and associated metadata across audio and, optionally, a stereo mix as well. A a stereo AES audio interface. Satellite feeds Dolby DP571 encoder will do this. Alternatively regularly carry a 5.1 soundtrack (often with an the SMPTE 2020 standard specifies how audio accompanying stereo track) using Dolby E. metadata is carried in video ancillary space of an There are SMPTE standards for the carriage of SDI or HDSDI stream; and there is an EBU Dolby E within AES3 stream (SMPTE 302M, specification (RF64) to show how metadata can 337M, 338M) and the ETSI TS101 154 be carried in a broadcast .wav file. These will standard describes the carriage of AES3 audio enable all broadcast manufacturers to build within MPEG TS. There is also an EBU products to handle metadata. Training in recommendation for track layouts above 2 metadata handling is available. channels. Dolby E as a technology is widely available in Dolby manufactured products (e.g. Distribution (Includes DP 571 encoder, DP572 decoder), and is also Incoming Programme Feeds) now supplied as part of modular systems and Programmes need to be able to be sent and infrastructure products from a list of received with 5.1 audio tracks. Programmes companies.1 Training in using Dolby E is produced with 5.1 soundtracks in-house need to available. be

III-21 Post Production Several technologies are encountered in surround Requirements for post production are much as for sound broadcasting: 3 emission technologies and 1 production (i.e. audio monitoring, audio operations) and distribution technology. Audio metadata is carried distribution (use of Dolby E and carriage of metadata in by all of these. a stereo AES3 infrastructure). Dolby Digital (AC-3) Audio operations on programmes produced An emission technology that can carry 1 – 5.1 audio with 5.1 soundtracks, or where a 5.1 soundtrack channels. It is used on DVD, US and DVB TV needs to be post produced or amended need to services and uses Dolby metadata to signal be able to decode or encode the audio configuration to the receiver, to downmix any soundtracks. There is now a wide variety of programme to stereo or mono and to provide products available that encode, decode, record loudness control and dynamic range optimisation and pass Dolby E streams.1 There is also a SMPTE specification for carriage of metadata Dolby Digital Plus (EAC-3) in a serial bitstream. (RDD6) New file-based The new generation Dolby Digital; used as an products are now coming to market that will emission technology on BD and TV services with H.264 video; provides for 1 – 5.1 channels and code, transcode and apply metadata beyond and the ability to mix audios streams in the automatically in a file-based environment, using decoder for Hearing Impaired services and servers for storage. The application of metadata interactivity. in file-based operations can include measuring and setting programme loudness automatically. Dolby Pulse (Coming soon) File-based operational training is available. The bandwidth efficiencies of HE-AAC coupled with true Dolby metadata and a Dolby Digital stream output that provides surround sound to all home Storage and Play-out theatre systems home theatre systems Servers need to be able to handle Dolby technology in files/MPEG TS. Dolby E An audio technology for programme contribution There is a wide variety of products available that and distribution; Dolby E carries up to 8 channels of pass Dolby E and Dolby Digital streams.1 In audio and associated metadata streams within an addition the aforementioned SMPTE standard AES stereo digital audio infrastructure. for the carriage of Dolby E within AES stream and the ETSI standardisation (TR 101 154) for Metadata carriage of AES audio within MPEG TS apply Metadata provides a number of key parameters that here. TR 101 154 also covers the carriage of are specifically intended to optimise the sound of the Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby programme delivered to differing replay systems Pulse audio within an MPEG TS. and environments. These metadata parameters are known as dialogue level (a.k.a. dialogue normalization or dialnorm), dynamic range control, Transmission and downmixing. Dolby Audio Metadata provides a Encoders need to be able to encode in the emission format “set-once” control over loudness and dynamic (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse) or take range instead of monitoring, compressing, and in the encoded stream and multiplex it with the outgoing adjusting levels all over the broadcast chain. video. III-22 There is a wide variety of products available that Getting Started encode and multiplex Dolby Digital streams: Dolby Digital has been broadcast for over 10 The essential elements required in the broadcast years now. There is an increasing number of chain to be able to broadcast 5.1 surround are products that can encode the new laid out above. However a broadster can get started by broadcasting already made programmes (“Turnaround” or alternatively Dolby Digital Plus streams. Dolby Digital and broadcasting feature films that already have a Dolby Digital Plus decoding are widely available 5.1 soundtrack). To do this requires in US and European TVs and STBs. Dolby implementing 5.1 audio capability across a Pulse is scheduled for release to manufacturers rather simpler chain. The most important aspect mid 2009. There is an ETSI standard for Dolby of this is to make sure the decoders include the Digital and Dolby Digital Plus decoding (ETSI possibility to handle surround sound. Without TS 102 366) and ISO/IEC 14496-3 describes this, any service is likely to be confined to the MPEG-4 HE AAC and MPEG-4 HE AAC broadcasting stereo or mono for the duration of v2 elementary streams and thus the bit-steam the service, only adding surround, at best, as a syntax used by Dolby Pulse. simulcast. This takes additional bandwidth in the transmission spectrum. Receivers TVs and STBs need to include ability to decode the audio In Conclusion to stereo. Surround is here to stay. Home theater systems The ETSI standard covers the carriage of Dolby abound in India’s middle class homes. In Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Pulse addition to exciting surround sound, these audio audio within DVB streams. Dolby Pulse technologies provide a broadcaster with encoding is expected to be available in early consistent setting of loudness between 2010 in commercially available consumer programmes – which can be set automatically in products. Being based on HEAAC, this is a file-based environment – and the ability to covered by the MPEG standard. tailor the audio in individual homes to whatever system is used in that room, be it a mono portable TV or a full home theater system. Home Theater Systems When choosing the audio system for television, it Broadcast signals need to be able to be sent to home theater is wise to consider the future as well as the systems to decode surround sound. present: if surround is of interest to viewers Every home theater system has one or more today, can a broadcaster afford not to be digital inputs which feed a 5.1 Dolby Digital broadcasting surround in the future? decoder for surround sound. There is a IEC Appendix 1 standard (61937) for carriage of Dolby Digital streams within across an S/PDIF digital audio Audio Standards interface. HDMI 1.3 carries 5.1 decoded audio ITU-R Rec BS775-1 Details the recommend- channels and/or Dolby Digital and Dolby ations for a 5.1 loudspeaker layout Digital Plus encoded streams.

III-23 EBU Technical Rec R96-2004 Formats for E data carriage within and AES audio stream production and delivery of multichannel audio IEC 61937 Describes the use of the S/PDIF programmes interface is to carry compressed digital audio. ETSI TS 102 366 Describes enhanced AC-3 This mode is used to connect the output of a and AC-3 audio formats DVD player to a home theater ISO/IEC 14496-3 Describes MPEG-4 AAC, MPEG-4 HE AAC and MPEG-4 HE AAC v2 elementary streams Standards for the Handling Audio Metadata SMPTE RP2020 Describes metadata via SDI Standards for Carriage of and HD-SDI Audio SMPTE RDD6 Provides a description and ETSI TS 101 154 Describes delivery of guide to handling a Dolby E metadata serial enhanced AC-3, AC-3, MPEG-4 HE AAC and bitstream MPEG-4 HE AAC v2 elementary streams over EBU TECH 3306-2007: RF64 A BWF- MPEG transport streams compatible multichannel file format enabling SMPTE 302M Format for non-PCM audio and file sizes to exceed 4 Gb, designed to meet the data in an AES3 serial digital audio interface requirements for multichannel sound in SMPTE 337M Describes data types that can be broadcasting and audio archiving. A Dolby carried within and AES3 audio stream metadata chunk can be appended to this file SMPTE 338M Describes the specifics of Dolby III-24 Appendix 2: Recommended Resources Reading Dolby Technical Library Available from Dolby Laboratories http://www.dolby.com/technicallibrary.aspx?i d=306&%3fTECHLIBTEM=8 Implementation Notes: 5.1 Audio Production / Post EBU Technical Publications Library Implementation Notes: Monitoring and Quality http://tech.ebu.ch/publications Control Implementation Notes: Preparing Play-out and Transmission for 5.1 Surround Sound over DVB Dolby Audio Metadata: Providing Control for Consistent, Predictable Broadcast Audio

III-25 ABOUT THE SPEAKER Tony Spath is responsible for adoption of Dolby technologies in broadcast applications throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. Following a successful Career as a music recording engineer and producer, Tony joined Dolby Laboratories in 1985 to help launch and promote Dolby SR to film studios and the music industry. He played an instrumental role in introducing Dolby technology to a growing film industry in both India and China. During Dolby's transition to digital, Tony also was involved in the first broadcast services to include Dolby Digital 5.1 in Europe in 1999 and in China 2005.When in the same year Dolby received a Primetime Emmy for Dolby E from the US Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, Tony was named in the citation. He is currently working with high- definition broadcasters and those planning alternative content delivery methods (IPTV, broadband delivery and mobile TV) to promote better audio. Tony has a degree in music from the University of Surrey.

III-26 Tape-based Efficiencies in a Tapeless Environment

Mr Fabio Gattari President, Etere srl

Abstract The increasing desire to move towards a completely tapeless environment has meant companies are even looking to digitize the receipt of videofiles from external parties such as agencies or program producers. However, they often come across issues that stem from an undefined tapeless workflow. Such issues include inaccurate tracking and authorization procedures, lack of visibility of transfer options and inadequate notification of media receipt resulting in idle media time. Broadcasters also rely heavily on comprehensive indexing systems to facilitate search and retrieval of video content. In tape- based environments or in the situation where the unregulated digital transfer of media files is permitted, metadata insertion is retrospective and undefined. A solution needs to be found that allows visibility between both internal and external parties with regards to media upload priorities and expectations. In this day and age and with the advance of digital capabilities, it seems illogical to still have to rely on tape-based file transfer between a broadcaster and an advertising agency. Broadcasters should be able to receive media files from external parties through a simple yet comprehensive upload process that encompasses metadata association, rights managed access, automatic receipt notification and full operational history available at the click of a button. Time to market is more important than ever and the broadcasting industry needs to fully embrace the notion of a tapeless workflow even where media transfer is concerned as the operational efficiencies it would bring are unquestionable.

III-27 Tape-based Efficiencies in a Tapeless Environment

Introduction files from external parties through a simple yet In today's broadcasting environment the tape- comprehensive upload process that based workflow is predominantly managed by encompasses metadata association, rights advanced, system specific software that managed access, automatic receipt notification underlines all internal procedures. This and full operational history available at the click software is the backbone of the broadcasting of a button. This simple process must both to system and the fundamental key to further integrate with the existing system as well as developing the tapeless environment is to ensure encompassing all control procedures that are that any new procedures or workflows interface used in a tape-based environment. seamlessly with the existing system. Time to market is more important than ever and The increasing desire to move towards a the broadcasting industry needs to fully embrace completely tapeless environment has meant the notion of a tapeless workflow even where companies are even looking to digitize the media transfer is concerned as the operational receipt of videofiles from external parties such as efficiencies it would bring are unquestionable. agencies or program producers. However, they often come across issues that stem from an 3rd Party digital content transfer undefined tapeless workflow. Such issues issues include inaccurate tracking and authorization It is imperative, particularly in today's world of procedures, lack of visibility of transfer options time constraints and the quest for ever increasing and inadequate or absent metadata assignation operational efficiencies, that 3rd party media processes. The potential lack of integration content, be it commercials or programs, are with the existing system is also an issue that received by a station in a timely and fully stations need to address. comprehensive manner including the effective Broadcasters also rely heavily on comprehensive provision of the relative associated metadata. indexing systems to facilitate search and retrieval In a tape-based environment, workflows have of video content. In tape-based environments long-since been established to make sure that or in the situation where the unregulated digital when content is received from an external transfer of media files is permitted, metadata source, it is duly registered, catalogued and insertion is retrospective and undefined. associated to a particular asset. The key to a A solution needs to be found that allows visibility successfully managed content library has in between both internal and external parties with recent years very much focused on effective regards to media upload priorities and media asset management and in particular expectations. In this day and age and with the advanced metadata association that in turn advance of digital capabilities, it seems illogical facilitates retrieval and reduces time to market to still have to rely on tape-based file transfer of the content in question. between a broadcaster and an advertising A fundamental issue with the move towards a agency. tapeless process where 3rd party media provision Broadcasters should be able to receive media

III-28 is concerned, is the absence of pre-established 3. Confirmation of receipt of content workflows that help to ensure and improve These three areas are now looked at in further operational efficiency. detail, with the aim of presenting a potentially A station may request media content in the form viable solution to the issue of the provision of of a digital file but once received, the risk is that digital 3rd party media content. they are simply associated to an asset and added 1. Pre-defined asset association to the playlist based on their file name or alter natively metadata is associated The first thing that needs to be established and retrospectively and by the station rather than communicated in a clear and succinct manner with the collaboration of the producer. There are the broadcasting stations' requirements as appears to be a lack of system definition and the concerns the media content it 'expects' to absence of an associated workflow and the receive. This first and crucial step allows the rd controls and processes that go with it. station to clarify its expectations and invites 3 parties to share in the responsibility of the timely The solution is to build on the existing workflows provision of relevant media content and its and methodology and create an interface that relevant metadata. connects 3rd parties to the existing system. This will not represent a dramatic change in system The broadcaster creates predefined assets that management but will result in a very definite are void of media content and relative metadata. increase in operational efficiencies. For a In essence these work as templates in which the rd broadcaster that is willing to invest in system 3 party can insert the relevant media file, the advancements, it will bring about various metadata and any other information unquestionable benefits. related to the asset in question. The fact that these assets are broadcaster generated ensures consistency and transparency of information. A tapeless workflow for the rd These assets are made available to the associated provision of 3 party media 3rd party via a web portal that is controlled content through rights managed access. The station is Every aspect of a tapeless workflow with regards able to manage 3rd party access and to dictate to the receipt of new media content needs to be deadline parameters through a real time portal specific to a digital environment. However, the that is accessible and editable 24/7. control and defined procedures that have 2. Upload of relevant content become unquestionable in a tape-based rd environment need to be transferred to the Guided by the predefined assets, the 3 party tapeless one. now proceeds to upload the relevant media

rd content based on the parameters as defined by When examining the provision of 3 party the broadcaster. In order to ensure as flexible media content in a digital format and the and comprehensive a system as possible, the associated workflows, there are three key areas to upload process should encompass the following consider: key criteria: 1. Pre-defined asset association • Source path (local, network, xdcam etc) 2. Upload of relevant content

III-29 • Codec (IMX4, JPG, MPG, QD25, QD50, no-one is made aware of its presence). WAVE or WMV) Once the upload has taken place and the asset is • Destination FTP updated on the broadcaster's database via the • Additional comments field web portal, an automatic notification procedure alerts the broadcaster to the change of state of • Metadata rd the asset in question and the 3 party receives a This paper previously mentioned the increasing confirmation of receipt. importance of appropriate metadata The complete picture can be represented as association. It is something that must be shown in the below diagram: underlined. Imposing the association of metadata on the 3rd party and that it is carried out at the point of upload will bring about Summary multiple benefits, not least an increase in operational efficiency and accuracy of What amounts to a simple digital procedure with its associated and clearly defined workflow would information surrounding a stations' media greatly improve operational efficiencies moving content. broadcasters even further into a correctly 3. Confirmation of receipt of content managed tapeless environment. All it needs is a In both a tape-based and tapeless environment broadcaster with the correct foresight and the the question of confirmation of receipt is ever vision to recognize the benefits such an interface present. A file that has been sent from a 3rd party would bring and that the efficiencies would far to a broadcasting station may have to go through outweigh the investment needed. various hoops to get to its destination and the Time to market is a buzz phrase that should not be burning question is: how is either party to know ignored and the idea of digitizing the provision of when, and if it has arrived successfully? A media content in an efficient and fully effective notification procedure needs to be in place to process that encompasses metadata association ensure both peace of mind and also, more and complete visibility is one that needs to be importantly, to eliminate idle media time (when addressed. the file has arrived correctly at its destination but

III-30 ABOUT THE SPEAKER Fabio Gattari is the founder and President of Etere srl (formerly SIS srl). The combination of more than 28 years experience in media communications twinned with his entrepreneurial spirit has driven Etere from strength to strength. Focusing on architectural excellence and intuitive solution- based software has taken him around the globe meeting and exceeding customers' expectations with innovative broadcasting software solutions. In 1986 Etere was the first broadcasting software company in Italy. Since then the company has grown dramatically and the software is now used by over 650 broadcasting stations worldwide.

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