A Canadian company is developing technology that would soften
the blast delivered by most TV commercials, reports Kevin Hilton
for NewScientist.com. Engineers at International
Telecommunication Union?s (ITU) Communications Research Centre are
building a new type of software-driven meter that will be tested
early this summer, with the results expected to be reported in
August. Toning down the often-deafening roar of commercials is more
complicated than you might think, Hilton explains, as it involves
?peak loudness limits, average loudness levels, and compressed
dynamic ranges.? Still, if ITU engineers are successful, Hilton
says, ?The new metering software could be installed in a video
server, where it will analyze the programs and ads and adjust the
sound in real time as they are broadcast.?
?Anne Geske
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