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PART 5:
Operating Instructions
This
part
describes how
to
adjust
the OPTIMOD-TV
setup controls to achieve
a
sound appropriate to your taste, programming, and competitive situation. Although
primarily
engineering- oriented,
it
is
written
so
that
others
interested
in
your
station's sound can also benefit.
Best results will
be
achieved if both Engineering
and other
interested parties
go
out of their way to communicate with one another regarding the " sound" that best
suits the station's needs and objectives. It is especially important that Engineering
explain
to
others
that
there
are
significant
tradeoffs
among
the
three
prime
processing
parameters:
Loudness,
Brightness,
and
Distortion.
Maximizing
one
invariably results in some deterioration of one or more of the others -- a tasteful,
effective compromise must be made.
Audio Quality And OPTIMOD-TV: Due to the proliferation of new
video services
such
as
videodisk
and pay-cable, TV audio is in a rapidly- changing state of flux.
Formerly,
the
sound
desired
for
TV
was
one
that
was
extremely
uniform
and
unobtrusive.
However,
the
processing
necessary
to
achieve
this ( and
to
control
excessive commercial loudness) often has a very deleterious effect upon the quality
of
demanding program
material such as musical
variety shows and rock concerts.
It
is becoming clearer and clearer that in order to successfully compete with non-
broadcast
video,
broadcast
TV
must
cast
off
its " business
as
usual"
attitude
regarding audio quality and audio processing. Fortunately, the 50-15,000Hz FM audio
channel
is
fully
up
to
the
task
of
transmitting
higher
quality
audio.
Your
OPTIMOD-TV can process the
audio with perceived quality
much higher
than the
audio
processing customarily used in TV
audio.
Since the processing problem
has
been solved by OPTIMOD-TV, and since the basic transmission channel is capable of
very high quality, achieving improved quality depends upon the quality of the audio
section
in
the
home
receiver,
upon
the
quality
of
the
source
material
feeding
OPTIMOD-TV,
and
upon
the
quality
of
the
transmitter ( particularly
its
aural
exciter), all of which are rapidly improving.
The
source
quality
logjam
was
finally
broken
by
the
availability
of
50-15,000Hz
diplexed or digital links in network audio feeds, by the increasing use of 1" helical-
scan
video tape
recorders ( whose
intrinsic
audio quality substantially exceeds the
quality of 2" quad machines), and upon the use of audio tape machines synchronized
(by
means
of
SMPTE
time
code)
to
video
for
highest- quality
playback
of
more
demanding program material. In most stations, much more work remains lo be done
in the areas of cleaning up DA ' s, audio switchers, STL's, and the like. However, the
potential for high audio quality is finally at hand.
Thanks to the Japanese, the audio sections
in television receivers have
improved
to
the
point
where
improvements
in
the
quality
of
the
transmitted
audio
are
readily noticeable in the living room. Even television receivers with tiny speakers
can
reproduce
differences
in
quality
even
though
they
might
not
be
able
to
reproduce the source with the ultimate fidelity.
Your OPTIMOD-TV is ready for stereo operation with the addition of an external
stereo generator consistent with the stereo standards of your country. ( OPTIMOD-
TV
is
equipped
with
a special
connector
to
permit
particularly
high-performance
interfacing to the Orban 8182A/SG BTSC Stereo Generator.)
In
addition,
modification
of
the
station's
facilities
so
that
stereo
audio
can be
handled will provide a golden opportunity for a general upgrading and modernization
of plant audio equipment which cannot help but have a beneficial effect upon the
general audio quality, apart from any multichannel considerations.
5-1
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