Linear Acoustic LA-5300 Broadcast Audio Processor

LA-5300 Broadcast Audio Processor Overview

Linear Acoustic LA-5300 is a versatile broadcast audio processor for TV that caters to both ATSC 3.0 and Non-ATSC.30 environments. For International Users, click here to learn more about LA-5300.

Watching TV is a very different experience than a decade ago. Viewers can watch broadcast TV “off the air,” from a local cable provider, or via streaming. Media consumption continues to evolve rapidly to match the world’s on-demand lifestyle. 

Broadcasters—traditionally restricted to the confines of the “TV set”—finally have the options they need to compete when adopting ATSC 3.0. By using a platform built on the same Internet Protocol backbone as today’s popular streaming media, they can now break free and push broadcast to mobile, cars, and gaming consoles and play by Internet rules, bringing together Over-the-Air (broadcast) with Over-the-Top (streaming) content. Viewers now have the same choices and overall enhanced experience that they have come to expect from competing media platforms like streaming.

The Linear Acoustic LA-5300 Broadcast Audio Processor provides everything broadcasters need to be ready for NEXTGEN TV/ATSC 3.0 audio, with the option of backward compatibility for ATSC 1.0 services and streaming or MVPD feeds. It simultaneously addresses the concerns of aging ATSC 1.0 infrastructure and future-proofs the way forward for those wishing to update to ATSC 3.0 today, all in a single, compact, integrated package that includes loudness control, upmixing, encoding, audience measurement watermarking, and bitstream analysis for up to four simultaneous real-time program streams, along with confidence decoding.

LA-5300 Broadcast Audio Processor Features

• Linear Acoustic UPMAX® ISC upmixing
• Linear Acoustic APTO™ loudness control 
• Optional Dolby® AC-4 encoding from PCM for stereo, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos® services
• Optional Dolby Digital (AC-3) and Dolby Digital Plus encoding for stereo, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos® services
• Dolby Real-Time Loudness Leveler when encoding to a Dolby format
• Confidence AC-4 / Dolby Digital / Dolby Digital Plus / Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos decoding  
• Optional Verance® Aspect® or Nielsen watermarking
• Dual 3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI, 5 pairs of AES-3 I/O, and AES67 I/O in support of SMPTE ST 2110-30 and -31 workflows
• Optional Quad-Link 3Gb/s SDI I/O for supporting 4K workflows or MADI I/O (mutually exclusive)
• Dual 1000BaseT Ethernet connections (AES67 and control)
• SNMP alarm and status reporting
• Web-based user interface provides comprehensive setup, configuration, routing, control, and metering

LA-5300 Broadcast Audio Processor In Depth

A Complete ATSC 3.0/NEXTGEN TV  and ATSC 1.0 Audio Solution

The rollout of ATSC 3.0—better known to consumers as NEXTGEN TV—offers myriad benefits for both the broadcaster and the viewer alike. New features such as personalization, dialog enhancement, and immersive audio all bring a more enriching experience to your audience. For the broadcaster, ATSC 3.0 helps generate revenue with watermarking. While ratings watermarking is not new, modern implementations of this proven approach yield ratings data that is consistent and reliable across all connections.  ATSC 3.0 also brings with it a unique set of requirements, challenges, and opportunities for television broadcasters. 

The Linear Acoustic LA-5300 provides a single solution for all of your audio processing needs for both ATSC 3.0 and 1.0 services, including loudness control, upmixing, optional audience measurement watermark insertion, and optional encoding into select Dolby emission formats. These include Dolby AC-4 or Dolby Digital (AC-3) for ATSC broadcasts and Dolby Digital Plus / Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos (Dolby Digital Plus with JOC) for streaming or MVPD distribution, plus bitstream analysis and monitoring of the final encode. 

The ability to handle up to 4 programs means one LA-5300 can provide unique encoded streams for the main program audio, SAP, and video descriptive services—all in a single 1RU solution. 

I/O for Any Facility

The LA-5300 comes standard with 5 pairs of AES3 I/O, dual 3G SDI I/O, and AES67 I/O to support SMPTE ST 2110-30 and -31 (Level A) workflows. Options include Quad-Link 3G SDI for facilities utilizing 4K workflows, or MADI I/O. Two Gigabit Ethernet ports are provided, one for AES67, and one for remote control via the web-based GUI.

Ready for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

The LA-5300 meets the immediate requirements for NEXTGEN TV/ATSC 3.0 audio right out of the box, with channel-based AC-4 encoding, loudness control, and upmixing to either 5.1 or immersive audio (Dolby Atmos) configurations for multiple programs. As ATSC 3.0 adoption grows, support for its additional features and benefits such as object-based audio, interactive consumer control, personalized audio, and multiple presentations within a single stream can be incorporated into the LA-5300 via software updates.

MVPD Turn-Around Workflow

ATSC 1.0 / 3.0 Simulcast

Block Diagram

LA-5300 Broadcast Audio Processor Specifications

Processing

• Processing for up to 4 independent audio programs
• Linear Acoustic UPMAX ISC® upmixing to 5.1 or immersive configurations, and downmixing to 5.1 or stereo configurations
• Linear Acoustic APTO™ Loudness Control
• Dolby Real-Time Loudness Leveler (RTLL) when encoding to Dolby formats
• Input source priority switching
• Optional Nielsen and Verance® Aspect® audience measurement watermarking

Remote Control

• HTML5 web browser-based remote control
• NMOS IS-04 and IS-05

Encoding

• Optional encoding to Dolby AC-4 (stereo, 5.1-ch, and Dolby Atmos configurations
• Optional encoding to Dolby Digital (AC-3) / Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3) in stereo and 5.1-ch configurations, and encoding into Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos (Dolby Digital Plus w JOC)

Decoding

• Confidence decode of all enabled Dolby encoder formats

Bitstream Analysis and Monitoring

• Bitstream analysis of all streams simultaneously plus confidence decoding/monitoring
• Multichannel output of either the PCM processing path or Dolby confidence decoder

Watermarking

• Optional Nielsen (N2, N6, CBET) audience measurement watermarking
• Optional Verance® Aspect® audience measurement watermarking

Audio Core

• Thirty-four channel audio core for processing and passthrough, including compensating delay

HD/SD-SDI I/O

• Two independent auto-sensing 3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI inputs (SMPTE ST 425-1, 292M, and 259M) up to 1080p/60/59.94/50Hz, each with de-embedding/re-embedding for up to 8 audio pairs
• Optional Quad-Link 3Gb/s SDI for 4k workflows (mutually exclusive with MADI option)

AES-3 I/O

• 5 inputs/outputs via 75 Ohm BNC unbalanced female connectors, internally terminated; signal levels per SMPTE 276M/AES-3ID-2001

AES67 I/O

• Up to 32 channels of bi-directional AES67 I/O in support of SMPTE ST 2110-30 (Level A) workflows

MADI I/O

• Optional MADI I/O supports up to 32 channels for processing (mutually exclusive with Quad-Link SDI option)
• Passthrough and shuffling for up to 64 channels
• I/O via coax or optical SFP socket (SFP sold separately)

Clock Reference

• 48kHz reference via SDI, PTP, AES-3, internal clock (standalone use only)
• MADI (when MADI option is installed)
• Vref

Sample Rate/Resolution/Frequency Response

• 48kHz, 24-bit, 20Hz – 20kHz

Ethernet

• Two Gigabit RJ-45 connections – one for AES67 / SMPTE ST 2110-30, one for networked remote control

Parallel GPI/O Control Port

• 15-pin female D connector, 0-5V TTL levels, 5 GPI/O inputs, 5 GPI/O outputs

Power

• Dual internal redundant auto-ranging power supplies

• 95-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 100W maximum total

Dimensions and Weight

• 19” W x 15.5” D x 1.75” H (approximately 48.2 x 39.4 x 4.5 cm )

• Net weight: Approximately 9.0 lbs (4.08 kg)

• Approximate shipping weight 16 lbs (7.26 kg)

Regulatory

• North America – FCC and CE tested and compliant with UL-approved power supplies
• Europe – Complies with European Union Directive 2011/65/EU + (EU) 2015/863 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS)
• Compliant with the CE EN 62368-1:2020, EN 55032:2015 and EN 55035:2017 requirements

Warranty

• Standard Telos Alliance 2-year limited parts and labor 
• Please visit https://telosalliance.com/Warranty-Information for details

Dolby, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. The NEXTGEN TV logo is an unregistered trademark of the Consumer Technology Association and is used by permission.