The 2009 NAB Show Booth N2502  

NAB White Paper: Looks Good Leaving Here, Must Be Your Set

by Leigh Whitcomb / Paul Briscoe

Many consumers will tell you that the average quality of television has gone down in recent years — and they’re not just referring to the programming. While some HD content may indeed look pristine in the living room, it’s true that viewers’ perception of a great deal of content is that it’s become somehow worse, despite the broad deployment of digital systems and “HDTV.” Unhappy viewers may change channels, change service providers or even sue if the quality doesn’t meet their expectations. How can this be in the magical digital age? This paper looks into the types of degredations that can reduce the quality of audio and video between creation and the viewer, their impact — technically, perceptually, and artistically — and where they occur in equipment and systems. System design considerations and operational solutions are discussed, including lip sync and use of Active Format Description (AFD) in aspect ratio management.

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