Milford, MA – September 21, 2009 – THAT Corporation has announced dbx-tv® Total VolumeTM, the only 2-channel loudness control technology that manages all sources of undesirable loudness changes. Requiring less than 20 MIPS of DSP horsepower, Total Volume’s code is small enough to be integrated into even the most resource-constrained TV SoCs.
According to Les Tyler, THAT’s president, “Out of control loudness changes have plagued television for years. Recently, Congress has gotten into the act with an attempt to regulate our way out of this problem. We believe viewers need control in order to have a truly effective solution. dbx-tv Total Volume works in the TV set. Unlike other solutions, Total Volume deals effectively with all sources of loudness variation. None has been completely effective, until dbx-tv Total Volume.” Lane Czekala, dbx-tv’s sales/marketing manager, commented, “Total Volume uses audio compression technology derived from dbx’s decades of experience with audio level control. We’ve harnessed THAT’s experience in this tricky and esoteric field to deliver a consistently pleasant listening experience for any viewing situation.”
According to FCC documents, undesirable changes in TV-audio loudness levels have annoyed viewers going back to the 1960’s. Loudness changes are caused by commercials, channel switching, excessive spatial processing, and the wide dynamic range allowed by digital sources and transmission methods. The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act now under review in the US Congress is an attempt to address the problem at the broadcast end. Equipment is available to broadcasters to control loudness, but individual broadcasters use different equipment or different settings for the loudness of their channels. Locally inserted commercials often have different loudness compared to national broadcasts.
Competitive viewer-based solutions typically require so much DSP horsepower that TV makers must add extra hardware processing, thus increasing costs. Low horsepower solutions often suffer from audio artifacts such as “pumping” and “breathing.” In contrast, dbx-tv Total Volume behaves like an intelligent hand on the remote control, maintaining desired sound levels while avoiding noticeable artifacts. Total Volume is configurable for any viewing environment, such as nighttime, movie watching, or standard TV. It even helps maintain dialog intelligibility.
Availability
Total Volume is available today for evaluation and license. To learn more, please contact dbx-tv:
Email: info@dbx-tv.com Web: www.dbx-tv.com
About THAT Corporation:
See www.thatcorp.com for more info.
Editors contact:
Denise Novelline, Email: dmn@dbx-tv.com
Tel: 508-478-9200 ext 109