SRS Labs: An Open Letter Regarding TV Volume Fluctuation
January 20 2010 - 7:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- January 20,
2010 Fellow TV viewers, Recently, a blow had been struck for the
common ear! The CALM act, HR 1084, passed the House on a voice vote
and an identical bill has been introduced in the Senate. This is
the first attempt by the government to gain control of those
blaring commercials that jar you out of your TV watching reverie.
In conjunction with the recently adopted ATSC recommended practice
A/85, Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness
for Digital Television, this should go a long way to reduce this
common annoyance. Unfortunately, while both efforts were undertaken
with the best of intentions, there are still no guarantees of
smooth sailing. It turns out the primary target of both the CALM
act and ATSC's A/85 measure is traditional broadcast, one station
at a time. Given that, the public will likely be facing at least
four major issues that will not be going away: -- Volume level
shifts between stations when channel surfing will not be regulated
and, therefore, remain uncontrollable. So, switching from channel
to channel to find the right program to watch will still prove to
be an annoying, frustrating exercise as the volume level will shift
up and down even after standards are set in place. -- The insertion
of local commercials by cable and satellite providers is another
element that is difficult to control. While a commercial might be
at an appropriate level for insertion in one network's feed, it may
be way out of line for another. With the hundreds of networks and
channels running through a typical cable or satellite plant, this
will be extremely difficult to manage, if not impossible. -- Then
there are the commercials themselves. These things are designed to
get people's attention, and no advertiser wants his commercial to
be perceived as quieter than another or, even worse, quieter than
the program. By using clever production techniques, commercial
producers can still make their commercials seem loud without
exceeding the level of the program material. There are also many
cases when the program intentionally tapers off in level for
dramatic effect prior to a commercial. Even a well produced
advertisement will seem jarring in this situation. -- Finally there
is the issue of multiple sources. Much of the TV content people
watch today does not originate from conventional broadcasters.
Local sources such as game consoles and DVD and Blu-ray players are
now being supplemented by streaming content over the internet, all
of which have different audio levels and are not subject to
regulation. Fortunately there is a solution; with the processing
power available in today's TVs and Set Top Boxes, it is possible,
using advanced DSP algorithms to automatically control volume level
at the point of delivery. As long as this can be accomplished
unobtrusively, and it can, this approach is the ideal solution.
Regardless of the source or level of the incoming content, a volume
leveling solution at this point can always make adjustments that
are consistent with the user's needs. This is because the process
is fully cognizant of all audio coming into the device. So while HR
6209 and A/85 provide much needed relief, the final nail in the
coffin of disturbing volume shifts could ultimately be right in
your own living room. Sincerely, Alan Kraemer Chief Technology
Officer SRS Labs, Inc. About SRS Labs, Inc. Founded in 1993, SRS
Labs is the industry leader in audio signal processing for consumer
electronics. Beginning with the audio technologies originally
developed at Hughes Aircraft, SRS Labs holds over 150 worldwide
patents and is recognized by the industry as the foremost authority
in research and application of audio post processing technologies
based on the human auditory principles.Through partnerships with
leading global CE companies, semiconductor manufacturers and
software partners, SRS is recognized as the de facto standard in
audio enhancement, surround sound, volume leveling and voice
processing technologies. SRS solutions have been included in over
one billion electronic products sold worldwide including flat panel
HDTVs, STBs, mobile phones, portable media devices,PCs and
automotive entertainment. SRS Labs supports its partners around the
globe with a network of offices in regions including the U.S.,
China, Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. For more information, visit
http://www.srslabs.com/. Visit SRS Labs' blog at
soundingoff.srslabs.com, on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/srslabs or on Twitter at
http://www.twitter.com/srslabs. Except for historical information
contained in this release, statements in this release, including
those by Mr. Gharapetian, may constitute forward-looking statements
regarding our assumptions, projections, expectations, targets,
intentions or beliefs about future events that are based on
management's belief, as well as assumptions made by, and
information currently available to, management. While the Company
believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable
assumptions, there can be no assurances that the Company's goals
and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks
and uncertainties, may affect the Company's actual results and may
cause results to differ materially from those expressed in
forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company.
Some of these factors include the acceptance of new SRS Labs'
products and technologies, the impact of competitive products and
pricing, the timely development and release of technologies by the
Company, general business and economic conditions, especially in
Asia, and other factors detailed in the Company's Form 10-K and
other periodic reports filed with the SEC. SRS Labs specifically
disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statement whether as a result of new information, future
developments or otherwise. SRS Labs, Inc. Contact: Investor
Relations Contact: Michael Bingham, PR Manager Matt Glover, Liolios
Group, Inc. 949-442-5582 949-574-3860 Twitter: @SRSLabs (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070322/LATH036LOGO)
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http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: SRS Labs, Inc. CONTACT:
CONTACT: Michael Bingham, PR Manager of SRS Labs, Inc.,
+1-949-442-5582, , Twitter: @SRSLabs; or Investors, Matt Glover of
Liolios Group, Inc., +1-949-574-3860, , for SRS Labs, Inc. Web
Site: http://www.srslabs.com/
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