Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag. J
Volume: 119, No. 3, pp. 22–27
Abstract: Wide variations in program-to-program loudness form the basis of many viewer complaints. The first step toward a strategy for loudness management is an understanding of the problem and its magnitude. Television programs are typically delivered without a specification for loudness. As a result, the loudness of television programs can vary significantly. Some broadcast networks have requested that programs be delivered at a specified loudness. Have program producers been meeting the delivery specification? For programs delivered where loudness has not been specified, how much does loudness vary program-to-program? In this analysis, 77 primetime television programs were recorded for analysis to determine their loudness. Loudness was measured using the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R)BS.17701 standard. The analysis shows how consistent loudness is for a network. For networks that specify a target loudness, the analysis shows how well the target is being met.
Publication Date: 2010-04-01
DOI: 10.5594/J11395
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279 | Electronic: 2160-2492
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/J11395
Author(s): Kenneth Hunold
bio
Kenneth Hunold is a broadcast applications engineer for Dolby Laboratories, Inc., where he works with broadcast and cable network engineers and production personnel as they transition to high-definition television with 5.1-channel audio. He also works with Dolby's motion picture clients on audio mastering and presentation for film and digital cinema. Before joining Dolby in 1999, Hunold worked with the ABC Television Network in a variety of engineering positions for 25 years. Most of that time was spent “on the road” for ABC Sports, and in ABC's Engineering Laboratory. He has worked on many major television events and received an Emmy Award as a video engineer for his work on the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary. From 1992 to 1999 he was a writer for Broadcast Engineering Magazine and an NAB “Pick Hits” judge. Hunold is a member of SMPTE, AES, and SBE. He is a former SMPTE Governor for the New York Region and a former New York Section Chair.
Copyright: © 2010 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

1. ATSC: “ATSC Digital Television Standard, Part 5—AC-3 Audio System Characteristics,” Doc. A/53 Part 5:2007, Advanced Television Systems Committee , Washington, D.C. , Jan. 3, 2007 . EXTERNAL
2. Riedmiller J. C. Lyman S. Robinson C. , “Intelligent Program Loudness Measurement and Control: What Satisfies Listeners?” presented at the AES 115th Convention, New York, New York, Oct. 10–13, 2003 . EXTERNAL
3. ITU-R: Recommendation BS.1770–1, “Algorithms to Measure Audio Programme Loudness and True-Peak Audio Level,” International Telecommunications Union , Geneva , 2007 . EXTERNAL

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Kenneth Hunold; Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 119, Issue: 3, April 2010); SMPTE, 2010. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J11395

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Kenneth Hunold; Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 119, Issue: 3, April 2010); SMPTE, 2010. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J11395

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<span class="citation">Kenneth Hunold; <cite>Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 119, Issue: 3, April 2010); SMPTE, 2010. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/J11395" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/J11395</a></span>

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Kenneth Hunold; Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 119, Issue: 3, April 2010); SMPTE, 2010
doi: 10.5594/J11395
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/J11395

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Kenneth Hunold; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j11395">Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 119, Issue: 3, April 2010); SMPTE, 2010
<span class="doi">10.5594/J11395</span>
</li>