Management of broadcast audio loudness
AssigneeSnell Limited
InventorsMaurice Snell, Daniel Colgan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To control loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, representative loudness values for content respectively before (P) and after (C) the junction are received from a playout automation system. A time-varying gain control is applied before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction. The audio gain is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2P times higher than the original gain value. Then, the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2C times lower than the original gain value. After the junction, the gain is returned smoothly to the original value.
Claims20
A method for controlling loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, the method comprising the steps in an audio processor of:
- obtaining at said audio processor a first representative loudness value P before the junction;
- obtaining at said audio processor a second representative loudness value C after the junction in which the second representative loudness value is received from a playout automation system;
- and
- applying a time-varying gain control to the content using said audio processor in order to smooth its loudness value across the junction.
A method according to claim 6 in which:
- the audio gain applied to the content has an original gain value;
- and
- the audio gain applied to the content is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2P times higher than the original gain value.
A method according to claim 7 in which the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2C times lower than the original gain value and is after the junction returned smoothly to the original value.
A method for controlling loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, the method comprising the steps in an audio processor of:
- receiving a first representative loudness value P for content before the junction from a playout automation system;
- and
- applying a time-varying gain control in order to bring the loudness smoothly from the first representative value P to a second representative value C representing a loudness value for content after the junction.
A non-transitory computer readable medium containing programming instructions for instruction for causing a programmable apparatus to implement a method for controlling loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between programme and commercial or promotional content, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving from a playout automation system first P and second C representative loudness values for content respectively before and after the junction;
- and applying a time-varying gain control before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.