Dolby - DP600 Program Optimizer

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 audio platform that provides a file-based work-flow solution for loudness correction, audio creation, conversion, and upmixing. It is specifically designed for use in cable, satellite, IPTV, terrestrial TV, radio, and postproduction facilities. The DP600 includes the world’s first intelligent audio analysis and automated loudness normalization engine, along with the ability to encode, decode, convert, and transcode between the following Dolby formats: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse, and Dolby E bitstreams; as well as PCM, MPEG-1 LII, AAC, HE AAC, and HE AAC v.2. It also features a newly designed algorithm for upmixing legacy two-channel audio for 5.1-channel delivery. To ease the transition into a file-based work flow, the DP600 also supports many of the most common broadcast media file and audio formats in use today.

Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer

Automated Loudness and Metadata Correction

Content producers and broadcasters can reduce loudness complaints by using the DP600 to provide viewers with a consistent audio experience across programs, channels, and networks. Expanding upon the unique Dialogue Intelligence™ technology developed for the Dolby LM100 Broadcast Loudness Meter, the DP600 normalizes the loudness of audio programs while preserving their original dynamic range.* The DP600 analyzes the loudness of file-based audio bitstreams coded in Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse, and Dolby E, and validates and corrects the dialnorm audio metadata parameter without the need for decoding and reencoding the original audio bitstream. The DP600 also provides intelligent speech-based loudness normalization for both PCM (.wav and .aiff) audio and MPEG-1 LII audio.

* 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.

Audio Encoding/Decoding and Conversion

The DP600-C version of the Program Optimizer provides faster-than-real-time file-based encoding, decoding, and conversion between all of Dolby’s audio formats (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse, and Dolby E) as well as PCM, MPEG-1 LII, AAC, HE AAC, and HE AAC v.2, while preserving the audio metadata.

In addition, it 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. The DP600 also supports Dolby Pro Logic® II encoding for two-channel matrix-encoded content derived from multichannel source files.

Upmixing Functionality

Customers interested in enhancing two-channel audio for use in 5.1-channel applications can purchase an optional software upgrade that adds an intelligent file-based upmixing capability to the DP600. This unique process is based on a newly developed Dolby algorithm that creates a wider natural-sounding sweet spot. It also ensures that subsequent downmixing is free from artifacts typically found with other solutions. The upmixing process can be adaptively integrated into the same DP600 work-flow profiles utilized for file-based loudness correction, encoding, decoding, conversion, and transcoding.

Work-Flow Flexibility and Ease of Use

The Dolby DP600 platform supports several types of applications, including archiving, automated quality control, content conversion, and media asset management, and offers considerable potential for integration with third-party systems through an open Web services–based API. In recognition that not all users 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 select a specific profile, 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 Program Optimizer is designed with future extensibility in mind, maintaining support for the latest broadcast and audio file formats and the most up-to-date Dolby innovations.

Why Dolby

Automated loudness analysis and correction: Provides a more consistent, reliable, and high-quality experience without the need to manually validate and correct each piece of media

Patented Dialogue Intelligence™ algorithm: Effective speech-based loudness normalization; automatically sets and/or corrects dialnorm values within media files

Automated file conversion and transcoding: Simplifies conversion of archives to next-generation formats

Intelligent upmixing capability: Enhances legacy two-channel content

Hot folder mode: Simplifies integration into existing work flows

Touch-screen status display: Simplifies upgrades, system provisioning, maintenance, and operation

Adaptable and extensible design: New features and supported audio formats available through simple software updates

Upgrade options

UU/600 ($2,695)

This DP600 and DP600-C upgrade adds two-channel (including Lt/Rt matrix-encoded programs) to five- or 5.1-channel upmixing functionality.

UC/600 ($8,500)

This upgrade adds faster-than-real-time file-based encoding, decoding, conversion, and transcoding of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse, Dolby E, PCM (.wav and .aiff), MPEG-1 LII, AAC, HE AAC, and HE AAC v.2 (.mp4 and .aac) to the DP600 base configuration.

Front & Back Panels
Specifications
Documents

DP600 Program Optimizer Front View Medium

DP600 Program Optimizer Rear View Medium

ENLARGE

DP600 Front Panel

Main Status Display

Touch-screen, 6.4-inch diagonal VGA (640 × 480 dpi)

System Status LEDs

Power, alarm, temperature, drive activity

USB 2.0 Port

Type A; for licensing software and updates

DVD Drive (Behind Main Status Panel)

For software upgrades and updates

Removable Panel

For access to hard drives

DP600 Rear Panel

Power Supplies

Dual-redundant power supplies

PS/2 Ports

Two, for keyboard and mouse

USB 2.0 Ports

Four Type A

15-Pin SVGA Port

For a local video monitor

Ethernet Ports

Two 10/100/1000Base-T with auto-detection

Media File Formats Supported

GXF (SMPTE 360M); MXF Operational Patterns per SMPTE 390M (OP-Atom); SMPTE 378M (OP-1a); SMPTE 391M (OP-1b with internal essence file formats only); MXF Container (essence) support per SMPTE 379M (GC); SMPTE 381M (GC-MPEG); SMPTE 383M (GC-DV minus support for audio essence interleaved in DV); SMPTE 382M (GSC-AESBWF); MPEG-2 program stream; MPEG-2 single program transport stream

Media Server Platforms Supported

Omneon® MediaDeck™, Spectrum™

Linear Audio Types Supported

WAV, Broadcast WAV, and multichannel WAV files with or without a Dolby audio metadata WAV chunk
AIFF, including multichannel
16-, 20-, and 24-bit PCM (within any of the listed media file formats above)