Media Operations Group

Audio NormalizationExecutive Update

Jeremiah A. B. Locanas

Wednesday August 19, 2009 @ 11.30a

16W Conference Room, 30 Rock

2 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Executive Summary:

Background Information:- Audio Variability Government Action & Consumer Feedback

Strategy:- Alternatives versus Chosen Strategy

Operational Readiness:- Equipment, Testing & Training

Recommendations:- Partial vs. Full Rollout

- Low vs. High Communication

Remaining Action Items:

SCALING

TECH

- 24 LKFSLOUD!!

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GE Presenter and Event /

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Background Information:Proposed Government Action:- Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act

- Representative Anna Eshoo, CA

- 60 Co-Sponsors

- Testimony from Jim Starzynski / ATSC

- Industry-wide support of LKFS / ITU-R BS.1770

- -24 LKFS + /- 2 dBFS

Producer & Consumer Feedback:- The Tonight Show (Conan Debut)

Goals:- Standardize Audio Broadcast Loudness across all assets

- Install Hardware, Perform Testing

- Adjust SOP’s, Train MOC Technicians

- Prepare and Align Tangential Parties for Roll-out

4 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Strategy – Analysis & Options:June Input Mix June LF-SF Mix July Input Mix July LF-SF Mix

Ingest Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROM REACT

HD-SD Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

5834

2354

2536

866

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

HD-SD Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

5899

1547

2464

511

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

Ingest Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROMREACT

7.83 %

20.74 %

54.64 %

9.70 %

M O CD U BS A N

Manual - Detect,Adjust, Reject QC

QC

QC

QC

QC

QC

TRANSCODER

TRANSCODER

TRANSCODER

TRANSCODER

Normalization Target:-24 LKFS +/- 2 dBFS

7.09 % Other

MOC-MB/DG Workflow In Progress

PRIMARY STRATEGY ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY

NOC

13.6 %

66.5 %

% TBD

% TBD

19.9 %

TAPE

DG

AVID HD/SD

DROP BOX

30 ROCK

CHANNEL

CHAIN

Chosen Strategy:- Scale Audio within MOC at a Transcoder Level - Automate with DG/MediaBroker Process Flow - Enhanced QC and Updated Rejection Criteria

Alternative Strategy:- Scale Audio within NOC: - Higher costs: DP600 ($18K/unit) - Could impact Audio Quality: Cuts vs Scales

AUDIO

PROCESSING

BROADCAST

5 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

7.83 %

20.74 %

54.64 %

9.70 %

13.6 %

66.5 %

% TBD

% TBD

19.9 %

TAPE

M O CD U BS A N

Manual - Detect,Adjust, Reject

DG

AVID HD/SD

DROP BOX

30 ROCK

QC

QC

QC

QC

QC

QC

TRANSCODER

TRANSCODER

TRANSCODER

TRANSCODER

Normalization Target:-24 LKFS +/- 2 dBFS

7.09 % Other

MOC-MB/DG Workflow In Progress

CHOSEN STRATEGY

Strategy – Implementation:

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GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Operational Readiness:Equipment:- Enabled AnyStream Transcoders

- Enhanced QC:

- Dolby LM100 Loudness Meter

- Dolby DP569 Audio Encoder

Tested Transcoder Profiles Content Variations:- HD 5.1*, HD Stereo, HD ProRes, DC LB & CT, SD Stereo and DG/MB*

- Longform & Shortform Assets

- Louds & Softs, Duration

- NOC Offline Test Channel Chain

- HD 5.1*, DC Stereo, SD Stereo

Training for Enhanced QC:- Defined Acceptable Range / Rejection Criteria

- LM100 Settings & Usage

- SOP Adjustment

Viewer turns up volume

Viewer turns down volume

-22 LKFS

-24 LKFS

-26 LKFS

NBCU Average Target Loudness

-34 LKFS

-60 LKFS

-19 LKFS

0 LKFS

NBCUTargetZone

Version 5.8

7 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Roll Out Strategy Proposal:

- All DG: Transcoder

- All Tape: Manual Flag & Adjust

- ID Timeline for other Assets

- Retrain MOC Technicians

- Enable All Formats

Phase 1: Tape & DG

Phase 2: 30 Rock & Edit 10

Phase 3: Drop Box

Phase 4/5: ISIS HD/SD

Partial RolloutCommercials Only

- Update Technical Specification

- Informal Communication

Risks:- Agency/Advertiser Complaints

- Others claim 1st to market

- Update Technical Specification

- Letter to Advertising Community

- Internal Communication

Risks:- “Center Cut Safe”-like impact

Low Communication

Full RolloutAll Assets

High Communication

Purge old material, Retrain MOC Technicians, Harris VideoTek Upgrade

8 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Backup:

SLIDES

BACKUP

9 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Ingest Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROMREACT

Strategy - Metrics:

June Input Mix June LF-SF Mix July Input Mix July LF-SF MixIngest Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROM REACT

HD-SD Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

5834

2354

2536

866

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

HD-SD Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

5899

1547

2464

511

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

Ingest Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROMREACT

10 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

HD-SD Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

5899

1547

2464

511

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

Strategy - Metrics:

June Input Mix June LF-SF Mix July Input Mix July LF-SF MixIngest Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROM REACT

HD-SD Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

5834

2354

2536

866

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

HD-SD Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

5899

1547

2464

511

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

Ingest Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROMREACT

11 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Strategy - Metrics:Ingest Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROM REACT

June Input Mix June LF-SF Mix July Input Mix July LF-SF MixIngest Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROM REACT

HD-SD Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

5834

2354

2536

866

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

HD-SD Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

5899

1547

2464

511

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

Ingest Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROMREACT

12 /

GE Presenter and Event /

01/31/11

Strategy - Metrics:HD-SD Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

5834

2354

2536

866

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

June Input Mix June LF-SF Mix July Input Mix July LF-SF MixIngest Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROM REACT

HD-SD Mix from 7/1/2009 to 7/31/2009

5834

2354

2536

866

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

HD-SD Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

5899

1547

2464

511

LF-HD SF-HD LF-SD SF-SD

Ingest Mix from 6/1/2009 to 6/30/2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

ISIS TAPE 30 ROCK COMMERCIAL GET FROMREACT