SMPTE published its of new SMPTE ST 2098 standards for immersive audio. The standards are to simplify distribution of immersive audio, and ensure smooth and consistent playout on various immersive sound systems.
"Immersive audio makes a significant impression on audiences, and because of the real value it adds, we're seeing an increasing number of movies being mixed for the immersive environment," said Brian Vessa, founding chair of SMPTE's Technology Committee on Cinema Sound Systems (TC-25CSS) and executive director of digital audio mastering at Sony Pictures Entertainment. "By supporting delivery of a standardized immersive audio bitstream within a single interoperable digital cinema package, the new SMPTE immersive audio standards simplify distribution while ensuring that cinemas can confidently play out immersive audio on their choice of compliant Immersive sound systems".
Vessa discusses the challenges in sound quality in the cinema, and the committee's work in this SMPTE Podcast.
The three standards are ST 2098-1:2018, Immersive Audio Metadata; ST 2098-2:2018, Immersive Audio Bitstream Specification; and ST 2098-5:2018, D-Cinema Immersive Audio Channels and Soundfield Groups.
'SMPTE ST 2098-2 defines a coded representation (bitstream) that carries the audio essence and metadata necessary to reproduce a complete immersive audio program', the format of the metadata items when carried in a bitstream or file is also defined by this part of the standard, where part 1 defines the metadata and their values.
SMPTE ST 2098-5 defines names and abbreviations for immersive audio channels and soundfield groups associated with D-Cinema immersive audio presentation. This standard also provides guidance on typical locations of cinema loudspeakers used for immersive audio reproduction.
The jump from part 2 to part 5 leaving part three and four is not explained by SMPTE.
"Immersive audio makes a significant impression on audiences, and because of the real value it adds, we're seeing an increasing number of movies being mixed for the immersive environment," said Brian Vessa, founding chair of SMPTE's Technology Committee on Cinema Sound Systems (TC-25CSS) and executive director of digital audio mastering at Sony Pictures Entertainment. "By supporting delivery of a standardized immersive audio bitstream within a single interoperable digital cinema package, the new SMPTE immersive audio standards simplify distribution while ensuring that cinemas can confidently play out immersive audio on their choice of compliant Immersive sound systems".
Vessa discusses the challenges in sound quality in the cinema, and the committee's work in this SMPTE Podcast.
The three standards are ST 2098-1:2018, Immersive Audio Metadata; ST 2098-2:2018, Immersive Audio Bitstream Specification; and ST 2098-5:2018, D-Cinema Immersive Audio Channels and Soundfield Groups.
'SMPTE ST 2098-2 defines a coded representation (bitstream) that carries the audio essence and metadata necessary to reproduce a complete immersive audio program', the format of the metadata items when carried in a bitstream or file is also defined by this part of the standard, where part 1 defines the metadata and their values.
SMPTE ST 2098-5 defines names and abbreviations for immersive audio channels and soundfield groups associated with D-Cinema immersive audio presentation. This standard also provides guidance on typical locations of cinema loudspeakers used for immersive audio reproduction.
The jump from part 2 to part 5 leaving part three and four is not explained by SMPTE.