Following Dolby’s decision in 2013 to discontinue its DP570 Multichannel Audio Tool, dynamics specialist Jünger Audio claims to be the only company in the world that can supply a product to fill the gap.
The company’s says that its D*AP8 MAP Monitoring Audio Processor, which was on show at NAB 2014, is the only Loudness processor on the market capable of offering real-time metadata emulation as standard. This feature allows broadcast engineers in post-production, DVD and DTV facilities to check the quality of Dolby Digital AC3-encoded audio prior to transmission so they can monitor exactly what the consumer will ultimately hear.
“Metadata emulation is very important to the broadcast community, especially those working in the USA where the ATSC has specified that all audio must be Dolby AC3 encoded prior to transmission,” says Jünger Audio’s CEO Peter Pörs. “Every set-top box in the USA – and in many other countries, too – has a Dolby Digital decoder installed as standard. These decoders receive audio metadata, which is the unique ‘data about data’ delivered by Dolby Digital bitstreams.
“Metadata is important because it ensures that television audiences at home hear their programs the way producers and content creators intended them to be. All kinds of audio parameters, including Loudness levels, are controlled this way. In countries where you can be fined if you get audio loudness wrong, it’s vital that broadcasters can check exactly what consumers will hear before material leaves their facilities.”
