Tutorial on Critical Listening of Multichannel Audio Codec Performance

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Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag. J
Volume: 121, No. 8, pp. 30–45
Abstract: Listening for impairments introduced by multichannel audio codecs is an important task. Classical objective methods are not adequate in assessing audio coding schemes. Accordingly, International Telecommunications Union Recommendations Section (ITU-R) Recommendations BS.1116 and BS.1534-1 provide guidelines for subjective evaluation of codecs. This paper provides a tutorial on the proper conditions for reliable codec testing. Several key components covered are properly designing the experiment; selecting the listening panel and training listeners; developing the test methodology; selecting balanced program material, loudspeaker or room, and sound-field requirements; listening for artifacts; and analyzing statistics. This paper addresses these various components, including the sound-field requirements, because per the ITU, “The characteristics of the reference sound field at the listening area are most important for the subjective perception of, or the quality assessment of, auditory events and their reproducibility at other listening places or rooms. These characteristics result from the interaction of the loudspeaker(s) and the listening room.”
Publication Date: 2012-11-01
DOI: 10.5594/j18246XY
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/j18246XY
Author(s): Sunil Bharitkar
Grant Davidson
Louis Fielder
Poppy Crum
Copyright: © 2012 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

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2. ITU-R Recommendation BS.1534-1 , “Method for the Subjective Assessment of Intermediate Quality Level of Coding Systems,” International Telecommunication Union Recommendations Section , Geneva , 2001 . EXTERNAL
20. Efron B. , “The Jackknife, the Bootstrap, and Other Resampling Plans,” J. Soc. Ind. Appl. Math. CBMS-NSF Monogr. , 38 , 1982 . EXTERNAL
21. EBU Tech 3339 , “EBU Evaluations of Multichannel Audio Codecs,” Phase 3, European Broadcasting Union , Geneva , 2010 . EXTERNAL
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Sunil Bharitkar, Grant Davidson, Louis Fielder, and Poppy Crum; Tutorial on Critical Listening of Multichannel Audio Codec Performance, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 121, Issue: 8, 2012); SMPTE, 2012. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/j18246XY

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Sunil Bharitkar, Grant Davidson, Louis Fielder, and Poppy Crum; Tutorial on Critical Listening of Multichannel Audio Codec Performance, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 121, Issue: 8, 2012); SMPTE, 2012. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/j18246XY

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<span class="citation">Sunil Bharitkar, Grant Davidson, Louis Fielder, and Poppy Crum; <cite>Tutorial on Critical Listening of Multichannel Audio Codec Performance</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 121, Issue: 8, 2012); SMPTE, 2012. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/j18246XY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/j18246XY</a></span>

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Sunil Bharitkar, Grant Davidson, Louis Fielder, and Poppy Crum; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j18246xy">Tutorial on Critical Listening of Multichannel Audio Codec Performance</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 121, Issue: 8, 2012); SMPTE, 2012
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