Los Angeles WB affiliate KTLA broadcast the annual New Year's Day Rose Bowl Parade in high definition and 5.1 surround sound using the Linear Acoustic Octimax 5.1 DTV Audio processor.
Octimax combines multichannel, multiband dynamic audio processing with a setero-to-5.1-channel up-mixer. The device accepts a conventional stereo analog or digital signal and produces a fully mono- and stereo-compatible, 5.1 channel output audio to accompany the HD broadcast. KTLA installed the Octimax system within its Master Control area, where the processed multichannel audio was re-combined with high definition images produced by the on-site NHK remote truck.
"The NHK HiDef truck carries a stereo digital mixer," said Chris Neuman, director of broadcast operations and engineering for KTLA. "As a result we needed to devise a way of converting that stereo mix into a 5.1-channel output that would accompany our networked SD and HD transmissions. We had been using a Linear Acoustic Octimax at the station for several months and were familiar with its ease of operation. For the Rose Parade broadcast, it performed flawlessly."
