Internet Video Streaming

[NathS101]

Hey all,
I'm involved in mixing some broadcast audio for streaming on the world wide web as something I like to do outside of work and have recently been asked to throw in my 2c when it comes to improving/implementing new workflows & the technical infrastructure.

We're referencing 1kHz tone @ -20dBFS and aim for OP48 & OP59 compliance (overall loudness average @ -24LKFS but also with max peak @ -10dBFS).

Now tell me, should we leave the internet stream at those levels or bump it up so we're peaking around 0.1dBFS and therefore averaging around -14LKFS??
I've found recently after watching some internet TV shows/clips with certain computer speakers, the playback audio level has to be cranked yet it's still barely audible...

At Nine we just send it out at the same level as the TV broadcast but I'm thinking that in this other case we may need to bump it up so it's more consistent with music/video levels in iTunes.

What do you suggest?
Also I'm happy to hear any other suggestions.
Cheers

[Chinagraf]

I'd bump it up. Being as the internet is not subject to compliant levels most of it it working to maximum level. In the context of the majority of stuff being streamed I'd want to be at a comparable level. Particularly with the amount of autoplay advertising on the net which is peaking a zero.

[gigpiglet]

hi nathan
i mix a lot of music for internet streams (which may be different to what you are doing - tv - but still)
i fine you need to limit hard, and bump up as far as you can.
i know that sounds like something you wouldnt want to do to your record, but for people listening on their laptop you just have to.
im also pretty brutal at pulling out the bottom end.
i also make sure i actually listen to it on a laptop (at home even, where there is noise) rather than in the studio
you will be surprised what you hear and dont hear in that different environment.

like you say though, there is no standard...

[Drumstruck]

It might be worth having a look at Bob Katz book Mastering for iTunes ??

[jasound]

Run like you normally would with -10 dbfs peaks for on air, then send that off to a "Maximizer" to get 0.3dbfs for online.
I've found that 0.3 gives a little bit of leeway and keeps it clean on most DAs.

Also what kind of content is it?
If it's music I normally listen on headphones and I'd like to think most people do as well, so I'd mix with low end and stereo in mind.
But if it's TV, movie talky stuff, mixing for computer speaker might be the way to go.

[NathS101]

Thanks for your replies.
It involves live music, dialogue & tape replay and actually gets some TV broadcast, thus the OP48/59 standards.

As well as multi-tracking we're currently running the 2buss through Protools for a bit of compression & limiting (waves C4, SSL Gcomp & L2 with WLM & PAZ for monitoring) however we're thinking of running a few mix busses through tools instead so we have control over each output: TV program, web stream/DVD records etc.
I'll look into limiting the stream buss a bit more with the L2 and then bumping it up to around 0.3dBFS.
Also monitoring off a pair of reference speakers & headphones more regularly are on the list.

Hey Gareth how much bottom end are you pulling out?
cheers

[gigpiglet]

nathan
i hi pass things a lot harder than i normall would
like - even on kick i might come up to 60hz or so
and i dont put the "bump" in things that i normally might down in that 80 - 100 area
just doesnt seem to work

i also put a hi pass on the mix buss and come up to 50 or something like that, before the limitier (so the limiter can work harder/ be more transparent)

i find laptop and tv set ups are one of two ways...
1 - no bottom end reproduction at all (in ear buds, laptop speakers, etc) so no point having it in the program OR
2 - loads of artificial lumpy horrible bass. so if you have anything lumpy (like a bass or kick) down in that 80 area where whatever satellite or similar system is "processing" bass, it just goes to mush and sounds horrible.

very few (im sure there will be exceptions on this board, but im talking general public) people have their computer connected to any kind of good, flat monitoring system.

[smash]

TC has a really good white paper about it:

http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/20400 ... r-2013.pdf

The short version: -16dB LKFS with a max TRUE peak of -3dB, so aim for a (not "True") peak of -6dB.

We've done this for a few biggish event, and it has worked really well, if you feed a straight OP59 mix into a web stream, you get complaints due to it being too quiet.

Simon "Smash" Ashby

[NathS101]

Thanks smash!
Still want to talk soon