Linear Acoustic® Unveils Audio Monitoring and Authoring Solution For Immersive 3D Audio at NAB 2017
April 24th, 2017 — Linear Acoustic, part of the TV Solutions Group of the Telos Alliance, announced the release of the Linear Acoustic AMS, an all-new hardware and software solution for authoring and monitoring of immersive 3D audio in compliance with the ATSC 3.0 Digital Television System specification.
The audio system in ATSC 3.0 provides listeners with a personalized and immersive audio experience using Next Generation Audio (NGA) technologies, including MPEG-H. The Linear Acoustic AMS is purpose built to provide a comprehensive solution for real-time authoring, rendering, and monitoring of flexible and advanced audio programs for this new consumer experience.
AMS simultaneously delivers audio for ATSC 3.0 broadcasts and 5.1-/2-ch audio for ATSC 1.0, OTT, or Mobile services. Using smart metadata and Linear Acoustic APTO™ loudness control, AMS facilitates easy audio mixing and authoring operations, in full compliance with international loudness standards. Individual audio elements are combined with user specified metadata to create immersive and personalized audio programs for the viewer. The AMS web interface allows the authoring engineer to easily control the interactive features of MPEG-H offered to the viewer, and build presets for different listening experiences.
The Telos Alliance xNode family of AoIP devices allow Linear Acoustic AMS to be configured with any combination of SDI, AES/EBU, Analog, and GPIO logic controls, all with full Livewire+ AES67 Audio over IP support. The SDI xNodes supports 2 fully independent 3G-/HD-/SD-SDI paths, and will de-embed up to 16 channels of audio to the Livewire+ AES67 network. The audio can be re-embedded into the SDI output stream with full video delay compensation for each SDI input, ensuring that audio video synchronization is maintained. 4K video formats are supported by the use of 2 SDI xNodes.
“As a global leader in loudness control and deployment of industry leading audio technologies, Linear Acoustic has created AMS as the perfect tool to deliver the full vision of an advanced consumer audio experience for digital television,” says Markus Hintz, VP, Global Sales and Business Development at the TV Solutions Group. “Both Linear Acoustic and Minnetonka Audio have been involved in immersive audio formats from the beginning. AMS is a result of that knowledge and experience and provides the features to create an immersive, interactive listening experience based on standards set forth by the ATSC. The product has been designed in close cooperation with Fraunhofer IIS. It combines Linear Acoustic real-time audio processing with Minnetonka Audio software engineering on Telos Alliance AoIP architecture to create a future-proof production platform for the Next Generation Audio experience.”
"Fraunhofer IIS is proud that MPEG-H Audio is supported by Linear Acoustics AMS,” says Harald Fuchs, Product Manager for MPEG-H TV Broadcasting. “It will enable broadcasters to meet the expectation of the 21st century TV audience regarding next-generation audio features. This also includes the ability to personalize the listening experience through the system's interactive audio capabilities. Together with immersive sound this opens up a new dimension in audio for the end consumer.”
Linear Acoustic AMS will be demonstrated in the TV Solutions Group booth, SU2321, in addition to Fraunhofer IIS’'s booth, SU6110.
About The Telos Alliance®
For three decades, the brands of the Telos Alliance have revolutionized radio and television by pioneering disruptive, cutting-edge audio technology with the goal of helping global networks and local stations produce better programming, improve audience engagement, and bolster ratings. The Telos Alliance is made up of six brands—Telos® Systems, Omnia® Audio, Axia® Audio, Linear Acoustic®, 25-Seven® Systems, and Minnetonka™ Audio—that raise the bar for quality and innovation in the radio and television industries. The Telos Alliance invented Audio over IP for broadcast and contributed time and resources to the effort that led to the AES67 standard. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, with additional offices and dealers around the world, the Telos Alliance offers an industry-leading five-year warranty, and backs users' critical on-air needs with worldwide 24/7 round-the-clock support for all customers.