State of the DTV & HDTV Transition

on the CBS /CW TV Networks02 /20 / 2008

Robert P. Seidel

CBS Television Network

V.P. Engineering & Technology

February 17, 2009 Deadline

On February 17, 2009 the U.S. Government has mandated that the NTSC standard definition analog service be turned off.

In preparing for this transition, CBS will stop distributing a standard definition satellite signal to our 207 affiliates in Sept. 2008.

Ghost Whisperer

CSI: Miami

CBS HDTV PRIME TIME 2007/2008

7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:307:00

60 Minutes

tuesday

sunday

monday

saturday

wednesday

thursday

friday

How I Met Your Mother

Two &a Half Men

Hack

Crime Time Saturday

CSI

NCIS

Moonlight

Simulcast in HDTV

Without a TraceSurvivor

CSI:NY

Numb3rs

Cold Case

48 Hours

Criminal Minds

Crime Time Saturday

Simulcast in HDTV &5.1 Surround Sound

Cane

Rules of Engagement

Dexter

Jericho

The Big Bang Theory

The Unit

Kid Nation

Big Brother

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (HDTV in Jan 2008)

America’s Next TopModel

CW HDTV PRIME TIME 2007/2008

7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:007:00

tuesday

sunday

monday

wednesday

thursday

friday

Beauty and the Geek

Simulcast in HDTV

Gossip Girls

Everybody Hates Chris

Aliens in America

Girlfriends The Game

Life is Wild

Reaper

America’s Next TopModel

Smallville Supernatural

Online NationCW Now

CBS HDTV Sports Programming

US Tennis Open. College NCAA Football every Saturday. All NFL Football games on Sunday. All College Basketball including all 64

teams at the start of “March Madness” and NCAA Final Four Basketball in 5.1

The Masters Golf Tournament in 5.1 and the PGA coverage in the summer.

CBS HDTV Programming In June 2001 CBS announced, “The

Young and The Restless”, the number one daytime drama.

The Late Show with David Letterman Sept 2005.

CBS Owned & Operated station in NY, LA and Philadelphia are producing all of their local news in HD.

Future CBS HDTV Programming

The Price is Right Game show. The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. The CBS Morning News - The Early Show. 60 Minutes news magazine. In addition to Wheel of Fortune and

Jeopardy; Programs to be Syndicated by CBS/King World to local TV stations: Everybody Loves Raymond CSI CSI NY Entertainment Tonight/ Insider

CBS HDTV Programming 2003-2008 Grammys in HDTV and 5.1

Surround Sound with over 800 individual audio sources.

On average, 40 hours per week of original HD programming, increasing to 60 hrs.

Daytime programming, Primetime, Sports, Movies and Specials.

Audio Loudness in the Digital Television System

LM-100 Readings with All Channels Active for Primetime Thursday 03/29/07 (8-11 PM)

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

8:00:00 PM 8:15:00 PM 8:30:00 PM 8:45:00 PM 9:00:00 PM 9:15:00 PM 9:30:00 PM 9:45:00 PM 10:00:00 PM 10:15:00 PM 10:30:00 PM 10:45:00 PM 11:00:00 PM

Samples every 10 seconds

Sum

med

pow

er in

dB

Pgm

Avg Pgm

Commercilas

- 23.5 dBAvg Com Level

σ = - 20.8 dB

σ = -26.2 dB

N=1071 samples

Avg Pgm Level = - 22.7 dBAvg Pgm- Com diff = + 0.8 dB

Avg Pgm Level = - 29.4 dBAvg Pgm- Com diff = - 5.9 dB

Avg Pgm Level = -25.5 dBAvg Pgm- Com diff = -1.9 dB

LM-100 Readings with All Channels Active

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

9:30:33 PM 9:31:16 PM 9:31:59 PM 9:32:43 PM 9:33:26 PM 9:34:09 PM 9:34:52 PM

Samples every 10 seconds

Sum

med

pow

er in

dB

Pgm

Avg Pgm

Commercials

Avg Com Level- 22.6 dB

N= 28 samples

Commercial

Avg Pgm = -22 dBPgm- Com diff = 0.6 dB

Program Dial NormalizationProgram Program Program Program

A B C D A B C D A B C DComm Comm Comm

Dial Norm Program Loudness

Program Dial Normalization

Program Program Program ProgramA B C D A B C D A B C DComm Comm Comm

Dial Norm Program Loudness

Program ProgramA B C D

Pre-break loudness

Comm

Comfort Zone +2.5 dB to -5.5 dB normal listen level.

When the loudness falls outside the comfort zone, the viewer reaches for the remote.

Normal Listen Loudness}+2.5 dB

}-5.5 dB

}

}Too Soft

Too Loud

Program Dialnorm Applied to Program Individual Commercial Dialnorm Applied to Commercials

-20-15-10-50510

Loudness Excursion Exceed CZ

Commercial Pod

{

Program Dialnorm Applied to Program

Viewer Adjustment and Individual Commercial Dialnorm Applied to Commercials

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

Loudness Excursion Exceed CZ

Viewer adjusts volume to remain in the comfort zone

21.5%32.7%45.8%Percent

107233549 

16277Sunday

12345Saturday

15546Friday

16664Thursday

163211Wednesday

15258Tuesday

17278Monday

TotalFailedNo BenefitImprovedDay

Effectiveness of Dial Normalizing programs and all commercials

809 HD CommercialsCommercial Loudness Data

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

8:49:00 AM 10:01:00 AM 11:13:00 AM 12:25:00 PM 1:37:00 PM 2:49:00 PM

Time

Lo

ud

nes

s in

dB

FS

Target Loudness= -24dBFS

Average Loudness= -18dBFS

Loudness Histogram809 Commercials Average Loudness Distribution

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

-31 -30 -29 -28 -27 -26 -25 -24 -23 -22 -21 -20 -19 -18 -17 -16 -15 -14 -13 -12 -11 -10 -9

ITU BS-1770 Loudness (dBFS) with all 5 channels

Sa

mp

les

(N

=8

09

)

Target Loudness

Comfort Zone

+2.5dB-5.5dB

Commercials after Loudness Control

Commercial Loudness Data(1/31/2008)

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10:45:40 AM 11:00:04 AM 11:14:28 AM 11:28:52 AM 11:43:16 AM 11:57:40 AM 12:12:04 PM 12:26:28 PM 12:40:52 PM

Time

Lo

ud

ne

ss

in

dB

FS

Target Loudness= -24dBFS

Average Loudness= -24.2 dBFS

N = 673 Samples

Loudness Histogram after ControllerCommercial Loudness Distribution every 10 seconds

0

50

100

150

200

250

-31 -30 -29 -28 -27 -26 -25 -24 -23 -22 -21 -20 -19 -18 -17 -16 -15 -14 -13 -12 -11 -10 -9

Loudness (dBFS)

Sa

mp

les

(N

=6

73

)

Target Loudness

Comfort Zone

+2.5dB-5.5dB

Conclusions & Recommendations

Don’t author Dialogue Normalization values for each piece of content, because it’s an operational nightmare.

Standardize the mixing room sound pressure level. ( 75 dB ?)

If commercials exceed a loudness value of -24 dB, then they should be rejected or process the commercial with a Loudness controller.

Conclusions & Recommendations

Measuring & authoring Dialogue Normalization over the length of a program is an ineffective method for controlling loudness. Long term averaging does not address short term variations that occur when interstitial material is inserted.

Since Dialogue Normalization has no effect or is ineffective 54% of the time, disable it by setting a value of 31 ( 0 attn in the home). Use traditional dynamic range control devices to manage loudness with attack times in msec.

LM-100 Loudness per ITU-R BS-1770 with All Channels Active K_ _ _ -DT 11/19/2007)

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

8:00:13 PM 8:07:25 PM 8:14:37 PM 8:21:49 PM 8:29:01 PM

Samples every 10 seconds

Sum

med

pow

er in

dB -24.3 dB Avg Pgm

σ = - 23.6 dB

σ = -25.1 dB

N=176 samples

K_ _ _ Loudness Histogram per ITU-R BS.1770

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

-31 -30 -29 -28 -27 -26 -25 -24 -23 -22 -21 -20 -19 -18 -17 -16 -15 -14 -13 -12 -11 -10 -9

Loudness in dBFS

Sam

ples

( N

=200

)

Target Loudness

Comfort Zone

+2.5dB-5.5dB

Remaining Challenges Complete the ENG microwave conversion

in association with the Nextel digital radio exchange program, so that “live shots” will be in HD.

Transition SNG to MPEG4 so that satellite News Gathering is in HD.

Educate the production community that they must protect the 4 x 3 center cut for safe action and title of the HD signal to ensure that 100% of their audience receives the essential content.

Thank You