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A model install for Dolby Atmos at Dolby HQ in London’s Soho - based on JBL monitors and Crown amplification. The broadcast object
Moving into the living room, the idea of objects in broadcast has been talked about for a while, but 128 channels of audio, plus metadata, is not practical with current codecs and bandwidths. However, with oncoming improvements to those codecs, there is space for more audio options - and this is the broadcast definition of an object.
In May 2013 Tony Churnside set out a basic vision of what BBC R&D sees as the real world application of object-based audio. BBC R&D also conducted tests on object-based experiences and the way in which viewers might interact with the programming, including the on-going Breaking Out, which you can find at
futurebroadcasts.com. A White paper - ‘Object-Based Audio Applied to Football Broadcasts - The 5 live Football Experiment’ (WHP 272) produced by The UK Audio Research Partnership (BBC R&D, Surrey, Southampton, and Salford universities) describes a test where listeners were given control over the commentary level in the mix, and the ability to focus on one end of the stadium depending on which supporters they wanted to side with.
On whole it was discovered that listeners tended to find a comfortable setting and stick with it, rather than explore the possibilities throughout the event - though of course this kind of thing rather depends on what options are available.
Dolby has moved this idea on with a wider-ranging concept demonstration at NAB 2014, is avoiding the term ‘object’ in this context and opting for ‘programme elements’.
Coinciding with the publication of the ETSI AC-4 Standard (TS 103 190 V1.1.1), Dolby has demonstrated the potential flexibility and options that a variety of programme elements, and increased channel count could offer. Dolby’s Prinyar Boon, Director of Systems Architecture, Broadcast, explains the potential in terms of the most important thing - the viewer experience.
“In terms of next generation audio there are two possible experiences. One an immersive experience, which we can roughly call Atmos for home if you like - there are height elements there. The second one is more personalisation, where you can choose the experience that will be delivered.”
Part of the Dolby demo is the playback of an ice hockey game through an experimental set-top box, where via a GUI the user can choose their ‘experience’...
“Just using the remote you can choose the neutral experience, or the home crowd, or the away crowd” says Prin. “You can, in effect move around the stadium, or choose no crowd at all. You can then choose the commentator - a neutral commentator, a biased commentator, or even no commentator at all.
The Pro Audio Report
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