Doing dialnorm correctly
Dear editor:
While I applaud the article “Dialnorm: A good idea gone bad?” from December 2007, you give too much credit to NBCU. So far, only its broadcast channels (KNBC HD in my market) are doing dialnorm “correctly.” Its satellite channels (CNBC, MSNBC, etc.) run with an average dialog of -22dBFS with the dialnorms fixed at -31dBFS. That's 9dB too loud.
A better corporate example would be Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta. Mike DeHart's group has achieved dialog normalization across its entire broadcast suite.
Mike Lilly
Time Warner Cable
Problem with product link
Dear editor:
I really enjoy reading about new product announcements in Broadcast Engineering. One of my greatest frustrations, however, is when you send me off to a Web site for more information, and it's just not there. For example, you had a write-up about the new Canon BU-40H pan/tilt camera, and at the end of the announcement it says: “For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.” But when you go there, there is no information on the product. Worse yet, Canon has no e-mail contacts listed, not to mention a terrible search engine. So, after getting me all interested, I hit a dead end. Do your writers even check the links they recommend? Canon will get a piece of my mind tomorrow by phone. In this day and age, there is no excuse for a poor Web site.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Bob Woodward
Systems Electronic Group
Editor responds:
I agree with your frustration.
In product information stories, we use the links provided in company product press releases — in this case, the exact link provided by Canon.
Yes, we do check every link. However, when the company only gives us a corporate link, that's all we can do.
Who's in charge?
Dear editor:
When working with a systems integrator, who defines the workflow of a project? Is this to be decided by the customer or the consultant?
RV Krishnan
K Konsult
John Luff responds:
Any competent consultant should be able to analyze your operation and recommend an appropriate workflow solution. However, sometimes there are cultural or business reasons why certain options must be considered, of which a consultant might not be aware. It should be a goal of the consultants to conduct interviews with the customer to elicit all relevant factors from the client before making a recommendation. In the end, the client makes the choice of final workflow choices.
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