Audio Notes: Tim Carroll

Tim Carroll is a consultant based in New York City. In his copious spare time, he enjoys answering e-mail sent to him at: tjcarroll@ieee.org.

Keeping It All 'In Sync'

by Tim Carroll, 10.23.2002

After tackling the "loud ad problem" last time, we are ready to jump into what I believe is the second most popular television audio complaint: audio and video synchronization, better known as "lip sync," and as we will refer to it for the sake of brevity, A/V sync. more

DTV and 'The Annoyingly Loud Commercial Problem'

by Tim Carroll, 9.18.2002

Last time we investigated how audio metadata is created and distributed, and what happens if the values are wrong or missing. We also discovered that the Dolby Digital (AC-3) system can potentially be "tricked" into allowing overly loud program material to be delivered to consumers. more

Audio Metadata: You Can Get There From Here

by Tim Carroll, 8.21.2002

This time we will get down to brass tacks and try to answer three questions: How and where do these and other metadata parameters get created? How does metadata make it from the point of creation all the way to the Dolby Digital (AC-3) encoder to be sent on to consumers? and finally what happens if there is no metadata or if it is set incorrectly? more

A Closer Look at Audio Metadata

by Tim Carroll, 7.24.2002

Last time we introduced the idea of Audio Metadata, or "data about the audio data," and this time we will explore it in greater detail. more

Exploring the AC-3 Audio Standard for ATSC

by Tim Carroll, 6.26.2002

Last time we discussed the technical details of the BTSC system and some of the pitfalls that broadcasters need to be aware of when passing audio through the system. This time we will get into the technical details of the ATSC audio system, also known as AC-3. more

BTSC Stereo Audio for Analog TV

by Tim Carroll, 3.20.2002

In my last column, I introduced the BTSC sound standard for analog NTSC television and the AC-3 sound standard for digital ATSC television. This time, I'll look a little bit deeper into the BTSC system and explore some important consumer implementations and issues. more

Audio for Television - The Big Picture

by Tim Carroll, 2.20.2002

In coming months, I will try to cover the "nuts and bolts" of audio for both digital and analog television, focusing on the issues and applications within the broadcast plant. more