NAB 2015: Verance-Linear Acoustic Products Preview

Verance-Linear Acoustic | Booth N5738

Verance Corp., a provider of watermarking solutions, today announced it has partnered with Linear Acoustic to integrate VP1, an open solution for first-screen ACR (automatic content recognition), into the Aero family of real-time and file-based TV station audio processors.

VP1 was submitted by Verance to the Advanced Television Systems Committee in response to its Call for Proposals for ACR Watermarking Systems in May 2014. Following an evaluation of all submissions, the ATSC TG3/S33 Specialist Group on Management and Protocols recommended VP1 for standardization within the ATSC 3.0 specifications, which are anticipated to be issued in 2016.

VP1 provides television broadcasters with an open architecture system for first-screen ACR, enabling delivery of the full suite of broadband-enabled next-generation television features, including personalized viewing, onscreen interactivity, dynamic advertising and viewing measurement.

For viewers tuned into an over-the-air broadcast, these broadband-enabled features will be activated in their receiver via signaling included in the broadcast signal. For viewers who receive their broadcast content via cable, satellite and OTT services, the existing delivery systems and consumer electronics interfaces provide no mechanism for carriage of this signaling information. 

ATSC identified that standardization of ACR watermarking technology for this purpose would provide a reliable, compatible and transparent mechanism for delivery of this information by any broadcaster to any manufacturer’s receiver.

Linear Acoustic Aero audio processors are deployed in hundreds of television broadcast stations in the U.S. and internationally, where they provide loudness management, Nielsen embedding and emission coding functions. VP1 embedding has been activated in Aero devices for use by broadcasters participating in technology trials during the standardization process and will become more broadly available as VP1 specifications are finalized.

Verance will be demonstrating embedding of VP1 in broadcast audio using a Linear Acoustic Aero unit from April 13-16 at the NAB Show’s ATSC Technology Pavilion (LVCC North Hall booth N5738).

“The Aero platform has the power and flexibility to support the audio processing needs of broadcasters now and into the future,” said Tim Carroll, CTO of the Telos Alliance and founder of Linear Acoustic. “VP1 integrates seamlessly with the existing AERO device functionality and the ATSC 1.0 environment, so our customers can begin exploring the capabilities of the technology today.  We have been impressed with the maturity, sound quality and accuracy of the Verance technology and look forward to working with our broadcast customers as they introduce VP1 to enable the next-generation of video services.”

Nil Shah, chief executive of Verance, added: “Our partnership with Linear Acoustic is a critical step toward fulfilling ATSC’s vision for delivering a powerful new platform for broadcasters. VP1 can bring all of the benefits of modern digital platforms — interactivity, personalization, dynamic advertising and viewer measurement — to every next-generation broadcast viewer, regardless of how they receive programming.”