Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer

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The Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer provides a unique set of audio tools for file-based broadcast environments and work flows.

The Dolby® DP600 Program Optimizer is an innovative tool designed specifically for cable, satellite, IPTV, terrestrial TV, and postproduction facilities that employ a file-based infrastructure and work flow. The DP600 includes the world's first intelligent audio analysis and automated loudness normalization engine for many of the most common broadcast media file and audio formats in use today. In addition, it offers Dolby E, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus encoding, decoding, and transcoding, all in an open architecture.

Automatic Loudness Correction and Metadata Configuration

Using the DP600, content producers and broadcasters can provide viewers with a consistent audio experience and reduce loudness complaints across all of their programs, channels, and/or networks. Expanding upon the unique Dialogue Intelligence™ technology developed for the Dolby LM100 Broadcast Loudness Meter, the DP600 normalizes the loudness of audio programs with no impact on their original dynamic range.* The DP600 automates previously lengthy quality-control processes, and performs them in faster than real time. The DP600 automatically analyzes the loudness of audio bitstreams coded in Dolby E, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus, for any channel configuration and loudness level. It intelligently and automatically sets, validates, and corrects the dialnorm audio metadata parameter without the need for decoding and reencoding—ensuring a properly encoded bitstream. The DP600 also provides intelligent and automatic speech-based loudness normalization for both PCM audio and MPEG-1 LII audio.

File-Based Audio Encoding/Decoding and Cross-Conversion

The DP600-C version adds faster-than-real-time file-based encoding and decoding of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and the first file-based implementation of Dolby E. Additionally, this version enables multichannel audio transcoding of Dolby E to Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus formats. It also offers a unique high-quality, single-step Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital Plus transcoder that preserves the metadata and minimizes tandem coding losses. This allows the audio from existing media archives to be converted to next-generation broadcast formats. Dolby Pro Logic® II encoding provides two-channel matrix-encoded content derived from multichannel source files.

Upmixing Functionality

A software upgrade, available optionally, adds intelligent file-based upmixing functionality. The upmixer is based on a new proprietary algorithm developed by Dolby, and is not based on the Dolby Pro Logic II decoder. It allows users to output a 5.1-channel program from a two-channel source file, and the process can be integrated into a DP600 work-flow profile along with loudness correction, encoding, transcoding, or decoding.

Work-Flow Flexibility and Ease of Use

The Dolby DP600 platform suits several types of applications, including archiving, automated QC, content conversion, and media asset management, and it offers considerable potential for integration with third-party systems through an open Web services–based API. In recognition that not all users will require a high level of integration, the DP600 also features a hot folder ingest process that is simple to set up and use. In this mode, users can define specific work-order profiles, and all media files moved to the hot folder will be automatically processed based on the profile, and delivered to a user-defined folder upon completion.

Ready for the Future

The Dolby DP600 system has been designed with future functionality in mind, and upcoming Dolby innovations can be added when available.

* In very rare cases involving extreme loudness corrections that require gain, soft limiting will occur only during program peak levels that would exceed clipping after applying this type of loudness correction.

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