Andrew Mason

D5.1: Document On User Requirements

This document aims to identify the main technical and end-user requirements for the reception, presentation and personalised consumption of broadcast object-based content. Its purpose is to serve as guidelines for the design, implementation and assessment of technical solutions that will be developed during the project. Usability specifications are exemplified through various mock-ups and user scenarios. Several hardware and software solutions are considered for the end-user device in order to cover different audio content consumption situations (e.g. domestic use vs mobility). Personalisation and interactivity features are also listed and will require the design and development of user interfaces handling various input devices (e.g. touch screen, GPS sensors, microphone…).

The ATLANTIC Audio Demonstration System

A broadcast programme production chain using compressed media is now feasible. The problem of quality degradation from successive decode/encode operations is well documented. The ATLANTIC project aims to use compressed data-streams as the standard encoding throughout the post-production and distribution chain without compromising technical quality. This paper describes a system that demonstrates how cascading can be avoided in the poat-production and editing environment and, where cascading is unavoidable, how codec coding decisions can be hidden in a decoded PCM bit-stream and reused to minimise quality loss.