Linear Acoustic to Provide UPMAX:neo 5.1 Channel Upmixer For NBC’s Olympic Coverage

Linear Acoustic has been selected to provide its UPMAX:neo upmixers featuring DTS(R) technology to NBC during the network’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Aug. 8-24.

NBC Olympics is offering all of its Beijing Olympic Games programming in HD with 5.1 sound. When content can’t be broadcast live and is recorded or edited through a system without enough channels for 5.1 sound, the UPMAX:neo will provide the upmixing capability critical to maintaining the 5.1 sound field.

“NBC is breaking new ground with its comprehensive HD coverage of the Beijing Olympics, and the network’s ability to provide high-quality sound will be key to the delivery of the Games in all their glory,” said Tim Carroll, president of Linear Acoustic.

“The quality of 5.1 sound brings television viewing to a whole new level of enjoyment, adding another dimension that engages viewers in programming,” said Bob Dixon, director of sound design for NBC Olympics. “If we were to shift between 5.1 and stereo audio during our broadcasts, our digital viewers would experience quite a shock as sound collapsed to the front wall. By providing very good 5.1 sound quality, the Linear Acoustic UPMAX:neo upmixer will allow us to incorporate prerecorded or edited stereo content into our broadcasts without interrupting the continuity of the viewing experience. For those listening in stereo, the UPMAX:neo ensures that downmixed audio also sounds its best.”

The UPMAX:neo provides the proven Linear Acoustic UPMAX algorithm along with a special broadcast version of the DTS Neo:6(R) algorithm. DTS Neo:6 expands the palate of upmixing choices and allows the creation of a natural surround sound field with precise localization of sound elements.

The Linear Acoustic UPMAX:neo system will be in use at virtually every Olympics venue involved in live broadcasting and at the NBC Olympics broadcast center in audio control rooms, edit rooms, and in the quality control area as a monitoring and troubleshooting tool. More than 30 units will be installed for the network’s coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The UPMAX:neo will allow audio engineers to analyze the quality of incoming stereo feeds, whether for stereo broadcasts or for upmixing to 5.1 audio. The systems will also downmix audio, yielding stereo sound comparable to the stereo audio originally fed into the system.

Based on the award-winning upMAX 2251 product, the UPMAX:neo provides advanced processing in a compact, rugged 1-RU chassis. Additional upmixing choices are added to the original upMAX algorithm for increased flexibility in post-production applications. Metadata input is standard, along with GPI inputs to control upmixing. Available options include an eight-channel monitoring-grade balanced analog output with remote volume, mute, and return to reference inputs.