Dolby Laboratories DP600 User Manual

DP600 Program Optimizer—Postproduction

Dolby DP600 and DP600-C Program Optimizer
Overview for Postproduction Facilities

Summary

The Dolby® DP600 Program Optimizer is an innovative and
flexible system offering intelligent file-based audio loudness
analysis and correction compatible with many of the broad­cast and video-on-demand (VOD) media file formats in use
today. Expanding upon the technology developed for the
award-winning Dolby LM100 Broadcast Loudness Meter with
Dialogue Intelligence™, the Dolby DP600 enables cable and
IPTV broadcasters to automatically normalize the loudness of
all file-based programming and commercials without impact­ing the original dynamic range.

For compressed audio formats that include metadata (Dolby E,
Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus, for example), the Dolby
DP600 can automatically set the dialnorm parameter and
automatically correct a previously set dialnorm parameter.

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Note: This document assumes the DP600 includes the optional file-based audio coding package.

The DP600-C version additionally offers faster-than-real-time
file-based encoding and decoding of Dolby Digital, Dolby
Digital Plus, and Dolby E content, and enables transcoding be­tween Dolby E and Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus formats.

Taking advantage of the features of Dolby Digital Plus, the
DP600-C can perform high-quality, single-step transcoding
of Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital Plus without having to de­code and reencode.

To ensure the highest possible work-flow integration and ef­ficiency, the DP600 offers open access (via Web Services) to
Dolby’s unique audio processing engines as well as coding
technologies traditionally found only in real-time hardware.

For example, the DP600 feature set complements several
types of third-party applications and products, including the
following:

• Archiving

• Automation

• Content conversion

• Content transport

• Distribution

• Media asset management

• Production

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In very rare cases involving extreme loudness corrections, “soft clipping” can occur.

A Quick Look Under the Hood

The DP600 includes a number of audio and media file processing engines for utilization in many applications,
as shown in Figure 1.

DP600 Processing Engines and
Supported Media File Types

Media File Types Supported

• MPEG-2 Transport Stream

• MPEG-2 Program Stream

• GXF (SMPT E 360M)

• WAV and Broadcast WAV

• Dolby E

• Dolby Digital (AC-3)

• Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3)

Loudness Analysis and Correction

• Dolby E

• Dolby Digital

• MPEG-1 LII

• LPCM via WAV and Broadcas t WAV

Direct Transcoding

• Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital Plus

Figure 1 DP600 Processing Engines and Supported Media File Types

Audio Encoders *

• Dolby E

• Dolby Digital

• Dolby Digital Plus

• MPEG-1 LII

Audio Decoders *

• Dolby E

• Dolby Digital

• Dolby Digital Plus

• MPEG-1 LII

* DP600 -C only.

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DP600 Program Optimizer—Postproduction

DP600 and DP600-C for Postproduction

The DP600 Program Optimizer can be utilized in several
postproduction and content creation applications:

• Automated fi le analysis and loudness correction

• Automated fi le transcoding
° MPEG-1 LII to Dolby Digital (AC-3)
° Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital Plus

• Automated broadcast media fi le (GXF, others) audio
transcoding

° Dolby E to Dolby Digital
° Dolby E to Dolby Digital Plus
° Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital Plus

File-based Dolby E, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus bit­streams can be encoded and decoded to and from multichan­nel WAV or Broadcast WAV fi les with metadata (included in
the Dolby audio metadata “chunk”).2 File-based media and
audio assets can be analyzed, logged, and (if necessary) cor­rected in faster than real time before delivery to clients.

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For more infor mation on the Dolby audio metadata chunk, please contact us.

Automated Broadcast Media File QC and Loudness
Correction

The Dolby DP600 platform facilitates a variety of applica­tions, including archiving, automated QC, content conversion,
and media asset management, and it offers considerable po­tential for integration with third-party systems through a Web
Services interface. Three control methods help meet specifi c
user requirements:

• Manual control—Users can set up and initiate
“processing jobs” on an individual basis from a simple­to-use Web browser interface.

• Third-party control via Web Services—The DP600’s
processing engines are also available as a set of Web
Services. Manufacturers can integrate these engines,
at any level, directly into their work fl ow to create a
seamless user experience without impacting day-to-day
operations.

• Automatic hot-folder ingest process—Users can create
“hot folders” and predefi ne a work order profi le for each
one. The profi le governs the DP600’s behavior with
specifi c broadcast media types. All media fi les moved
to a hot folder are automatically processed based on the
folder’s profi le and delivered to a user-defi ned folder
upon completion. Hot folders are easy to set up and use
and can greatly speed integration within some facilities.

Asset

Manager

Client

Ingest

Client/Server

Dolby DP600

10/100/1000 Ethernet

Archive Client Play-out

Server

Figure 2 DP600 Integration Over view

Satellite
Delivery

Clients

Media

Storage

Library

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