Audio and video trends 2022

There’s no doubt that the audio visual industry has proven its ability to survive and thrive in trying times. Global events have facilitated the rapid evolution of audio visual technologies, and these only continue to advance. Here are some audio visual trends for 2022 collected from many sources (click the link colored to text to get to the information source):

Growing consumer demand for audio content: People are listening to all forms of audio content: news, music, podcasts and books. Nielsen reports 75 per cent of people working from home are streaming music every week, with 40 per cent tuning in daily.

Rapid smart speaker adoption: Smart speakers and voice assistants are becoming common home appliances. One-third of U.S. households are equipped with smart speakers and 44 per cent of U.S. adults use voice assistants. Smart speakers let listeners to respond to ads using voice commands. Consumers are rapidly embracing voice to access information, entertain themselves and shop. The ability to instantly answer consumers’ questions and help them solve problems is becoming a key advantage for marketers who lean into audio.

Digital Audio is becoming multi-devices: Historically, digital audio has been widely consumed via mobile devices; it can now also be launched from a variety of new technologies including tablets, connected speakers, TVs and even smart watches.

Prosumer audio: Prosumer audio gear has remained on a steady upward curve over the last few years. With podcasting, live streaming, and at-home work solutions more popular than ever, it’s been a fantastic few years for prosumer audio sales. Their need for reliable, slightly elevated gear to take their content to the next level is proving highly profitable for certain companies.

Social sound: Audio fans are getting more social than ever, thanks to new apps that allow like-minded users to communicate without the screen fatigue or doom-scrolling associated with photo and video-based social networks.

3D audio: Spatial or 3D audio has firmly found its footing in the video game industry, with Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles both natively supporting the feature.

Content Still Rules: Audiophiles are fiercely loyal to their favorite DJs, hosts, podcasters, artists and stations. As a result, they’re spending more time than ever listening to audio daily. Listeners consume programming on their own terms.

Streaming rules: Streaming music now account for more than 85% of all music enjoyed. Only 6% of music is now downloaded, even less than is physically purchased in the form of records, CDs, or the last tapes.

TikTok has caused a seismic shift in the world of content creation, skewing it ever further into a mobile-first industry. To capitalise on the market, more and more mobile-friendly gear is being created, forgoing the need for hundreds of adaptors and plugging straight into AUX, USB-C, or iPhone ports (or working wirelessly).

Many amplifier technologies in use: While classic class AB amplifiers are more and more often replaced with class D amplifier technology, there is still special audiophile markets for class A amplifiers and tube based amplifiers. New technology just coming to the class D amplifiers are GaN-based audio amplifier powered with switch mode power supply. They promise premium audio systems with good sound quality in a small and light format.

Vinyl records: Vinyl is here to stay, it seems, despite all technological advances that would have seemed to threaten it. Vinyl records (and coincidentally, cassette tapes) are selling like hot cakes again. Vinyl sales have been steadily rising for some time, but in 2020 for the first time in 34 years, vinyl has surpassed CD sales.

Streaming has killed CD: CDs sales are continuously and quickly declining thanks to streaming and music flash drives.

The race to wireless zero latency: Companies around the world are racing to find a solution that all but eliminates latency from wireless audio, removing the need for cables in an increasingly space, waste, and aesthetically-conscious world.

Green screens: As events become more hybrid, green screens will play a significant role, enabling speakers to be placed directly in the content becoming part of the message. Green screens are a great cost-effective way to insert branding and infographics, which works perfectly for online events and we will see them become adopted further for conferences. There are also cameras with depth sense features and software that can use pretty many background for green screen type effects without building a real green screen.

Hybrid events: Events have had to embrace the constant mix of who can attend, who can possibly attend and who is not afraid to attend and as such have flipped to hybrid. Although not necessarily an AV trend, hybrid events are unsurprisingly on the increase as people work from home and corporate travel is halted. In those events content needs to be clear and targeted to get the information across efficiently. There is demand for standalone apps that can enhance hybrid events such as Slack, Slido and Survey Monkey.

4k UHD: We will see more quality content produced in 4K UHD to ensure graphics can stand up to the state-of-the-art vision sources that are being employed in venues. If you are not creating content in 4K UHD then you are not taking advantage of all that is available to project your message.

Touchless Environments: COVID-19 has accelerated the desire for automation and touchless environments from a nice-to-have to a must-have. They minimize the amount that people come into contact with shared surfaces. Following the throes of COVID-19, it appears that touchless building controls are here to stay.

Remote Control And Remote Management: We’re seeing an increase in demand for remote management software that allows one person, or a small group of people, to log into a remote system and review the status of a set of classrooms or meeting spaces. Increasingly in 2022, companies can implement remote monitoring and maintenance for audio visual systems to support the advancement of technology. Whether your organization is expansive or small, remote audio visual support teams can significantly reduce operating costs for your business.

Live Streaming: As more people look to tune into events from home, we’re seeing an increased need for equipment that supports live streaming.

Video Walls: In many commercial spaces, there’s often a need for a large video display. In past years, many spaces have opted for projection screens as opposed to large LCD displays or video walls, solely because the cost was much lower. The price of video walls getting close to similar to a projection screen, and the benefits almost always outweigh the slightly higher cost.

Service And Maintenance: As more commercial spaces look for ways to save, there’s been an increasing demand for AV integrators to handle service and maintenance in order to maximize the lifespan of AV products. Businesses are focussing on reducing the overhead costs associated with maintaining and installing the equipment. Companies having expertise in sectors other than AV cannot have a dedicated team to manage and monitor their AV equipment.

Snake oil: Many audiophiles are infected by the snake oil curse, which causes them to chase endlessly after what is supposedly better sound reproduction. Audio interconnect and speaker cables have become a profitable business built on imaginative marketing and misinformation. This market now extends into power cords, HDMI, and optical cables. Untold sums of money have been wasted on the fanciful claims of cable vendors. There is lots of ridiculous pieces of pseudo-audiophile nonsense out there. Try to avoid this bullshit in 2022. Try to to restore peace of mind, and the enjoyment of music.

Hybrid environment: Although some employees are returning to the office, it is doubtful that society will return to an entirely on-site work environment. Remote workspaces from 2020-21 on will now be ‘Hybrid’ (home and office). AV technologies are playing a crucial role in creating a modern working environment. Hybrid technologies are changing their form, we had just a Skype call before the pandemic and now we have Zoom, Microsoft Team Rooms, Google Meet, etc with more advanced features allowing space for seamless collaboration and communication. Hybrid environments are expected to go beyond that with continuous innovation and development. Remote employees, distant customers, healthcare providers, and educational institutions can utilize unified communication solutions. It is now increasingly important to adopt technologies that make collaboration easier. At one time, frequent video communications, online learning, and compact hardware design were ambitious audio visual innovations that were hard for people to imagine. Today, they’re top priorities for business, educational, and religious spaces of all types, and are critical to how people interact in those spaces.

Silent Video Gains Momentum: It’s estimated that 85% of short videos viewed on Facebook are watched without sound. Yet as much as 41% of video would be incomprehensible to viewers without sound. Video marketers are using captions, context and other “no-audio” tactics to convey information.

Social Media Goes Video-First: video content is one of the internet’s main attractions. Users are being drawn to video-first platforms. One of the most common reasons people use social media is to view video. But with video streaming set to be as much as 82% of total web traffic by 2022, the importance of video content to marketing strategy is massive and still growing.

Digital audio: Digital audio consumption accelerated in 2021 and commercial engagement followed the audiences. In 2022 we foresee three key commercial trends in the digital audio space: Data-led targeting capabilities provide a powerful way to get advertising cut through, Creativity is a constant rather than a ‘trend’ in advertising and Audience Growth is attracting new advertisers. Programmatic audio is divided into three main supply sources – music streaming (through suppliers like Spotify), podcasts (the biggest opportunity for brands), and online broadcast radio (now more attractive with the addition of data overlay opportunities). Amongst these audio heavyweights we can see emerging innovation in the form of conversational and actionable audio ads.

Virtual and Augmented Reality: Although virtual and augmented reality first entered the public consciousness via video games or social media filters, they are now infiltrating every aspect of our lives. Given the rapid evolution of technology, it is inevitable that these advancements will impact the audio visual industry. Companies specializing in the development of VR and AR technologies are noticing an increase in interest from educational institutions wishing to create an enhanced learning experience. Within the healthcare sector, VR solutions are assisting healthcare professionals with socializing medically isolated patients. Virtual reality has been in development within the audio visual industry for many years. In 2022, virtual reality is becoming mainstream. Or at least tries.

Shift from linear TV to streaming: Video streaming goes beyond traditional TV viewing for people under 45. The lion’s share of viewing by those over 45 is still grabbed by linear television.

883 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Multitone Analyser – still in beta, but showing a lot of potential.
    https://distortaudio.org/multitone.html

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Fun with Retrofitted 8mm vintage camera
    https://hackaday.io/project/184748-fun-with-retrofitted-8mm-vintage-camera

    Digitize a vintage 8mm camera. Not for the sake of convenience, but for the enjoyment of video recording.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Take an in-depth look into why ‘Dune’ succeeds where so many other big-budget blockbusters seem to fail with realistic VFX.

    Green Screens Aren’t Green Anymore (And That’s Why the ‘Dune’ VFX Look So Good)
    https://nofilmschool.com/dune-vfx-green-screen?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1650561001

    Take an in-depth look into why Dune succeeds where so many other big-budget blockbusters seem to fail with realistic VFX.
    Dune: Part One is going to be a movie remembered for many, many different reasons.

    And while that might not be the biggest or most obvious legacy for such a divisive, yet clearly great, film, when you look behind the scenes of Dune: Part One it clearly appears to set the standard for how CGI and VFX should be used in big budget cinema—at least for those filmmakers trying to keep a certain style of realism.

    the green screen (and the blue screen) has been an integral and synonymous part of the VFX filmmaking tradition. From the earliest iterations dating back to some of the first days of cinema, green screens, rear projections, and other basic CGI elements are just a fact of modern filmmaking life.

    And, truth be told, the green screen technique isn’t that hard to pull off even for those just starting off in their video careers.

    Sand Colored Screens for Dune
    But that’s not what Villeneuve did for his films. And I like how Thomas talks about this decision in his video breakdown as the onus for much of Villeneuve’s creative decisions came down to replicating real life and real world lighting as much as possible.

    He used sand-colored screens instead.

    However, Thomas’ video does a great job of showing just how and why these film approaches look different. And, if you’re a fan of Villeneuve’s aesthetic choices, you can appreciate why he chose to forgo the traditional green or blue screens for this project and instead went with his naturalistic options.

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    New Lidar System Promises 3D Vision for Cameras, Cars, and Bots Piezoelectric effect harnessed for cheaper lidar
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/solid-state-lidar-2657187384?share_id=7015394

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Class G Amplifier Targets Compact, High-Definition Car Audio
    April 21, 2022
    ST’s amp, in Class G operation, automatically optimizes the voltage supplied to the bridge-tied-load power stage depending on the audio-signal level. The resulting analog sound comes with near-Class D efficiency at normal listening levels.
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21239777/stmicroelectronics-class-g-amplifier-targets-compact-highdefinition-car-audio?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220415027&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    The TDA7901 amplifier developed by STMicroelectronics implements a Class G audio operations mode. Class G topology is about having it both ways. It’s a power-supply modification that takes advantage of the fact that musical and voice signals have a high crest factor, with most of the signal content at lower amplitudes. Crest factor—sometimes called a peak-to-average ratio—is the difference in decibels between the peak and average levels of a signal.

    Here, Class G works based on an integrated buck controller that automatically adjusts the voltage rail depending on the audio signal level. Thus, efficiency is optimized at each output level. According to ST, the TDA7901 is nearly as efficient as a Class D amplifier when providing the normal listening level of audio power (1 W).

    The TDA7901 is a single-chip quad-bridge amplifier that integrates a full digital-to-analog converter (DAC), digital input for direct connection to I2S, and MOSFET output stages. Integrating the buck controller in the IC contributes to system size and weight reduction, cuts the bill of materials, simplifies circuit design, and saves developing firmware to control the voltage rail.

    The new amplifier is suited for many in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, such as head units, smart cockpit systems, external amplifiers, and more. It has full in-play diagnostics, including real-time load-current monitoring through I2S or I2C interfaces, enabling ASIL-A certification of safety-related applications such as warning-tone generators and acoustic vehicle alerting systems. A digital impedance meter is provided as well, ensuring systems containing the TDA7901 can meet the demanding requirements of automotive OEMs.

    Numbers aren’t everything, but the part, which also ensures immunity from any input disturbances, helps return audio performance that reaches a 117-dB S/N ratio with more than 117 dB of dynamic range and low noise. Furthermore, it boasts a frequency response that’s flat up to 80 kHz and supports HD (high definition) audio.

    With its I2S digital input and quad-bridge-tied-load (BTL) output, the TDA7901 delivers 4x 43 W of audio power (at 4-Ω load and the outputs saturated at 14.4 V, according to ST). The amplifier’s wide supply-voltage range, spanning 4.5 to 18.5 V

    A diagnostics array communicates the status of each speaker through the I2C bus. A digital-impedance-meter (DIM) function measures the value of the load. The same I2C bus enables the part to control several configurations of the device.

    Pricing starts at $7.90 for orders of 1,000 pieces.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    120 desibeliä 10 neliömillin mikrokaiuttimesta
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13497-120-desibeliae-nelioesentin-mikrokaiuttimesta

    Bosch Sensortech on vahva peluri kulutuselektroniikan antureissa ja nyt se laajentaa MEMS-pohjaisiin kaiuttimiin ostamalla Fraunhofer-instituutista ponnistavan Arioso Systemsin. Tämän kehittämällä tekniikalla voidaan valmistaa erittäin pieniä kaiuttimia, joilla voidaan kuitenkin tuottaa kirkas ääni ja kova äänenpaine.

    Normaalisti kaiuttimet perustuvat värähtelevään kalvoon. Niissä fyysinen koko asettaa rajoitukset äänen tuottamiselle. Tämä on ongelma erityisesti korvan sisään asennettavissa in-ear -nappikuulokkeissa. Niissä on ollut vaikea tuottaa esimerkiksi matalia taajuuksia tai kovempaa painetta ilman säröjä.

    Arioso Systems on kehittänyt uudenlaisen muunninteknologian, jossa ääni syntyy MEMS-piisirun sisällä olevien pystysuuntaisten lamellien liikkeen kautta. Perinteisten kalvojen sijaan Arioson tekniikka käyttää sirun tilavuutta äänen tuottamiseen. Siksi on mahdollista rakentaa miniatyyrikokoinen MEMS-mikrokaiutin, joka tuottaa jopa 120 desibelin paineen 10 neliömillimetrin kokoisella aktiivisella alueella. 120 desibelin painetta ei toki tarvita nappikuulokkeissa, sillä se menee lähes kipua aiheuttavan melun tasolle.

    Koska kaiutin on täysin piipohjainen, se on myös erittäin energiatehokas,

    Markkinatutkijat ennustavat mikrokaiutinsovellusten voimakasta kasvua tulevina vuosina. Esimerkiksi Yole Developpementin mukaan mikrokaiuttimien kokonaismarkkinoiden odotetaan kasvavan 9 miljardista Yhdysvaltain dollarista vuonna 2020 11 miljardiin dollariin vuonna 2026. Tässä kasvussa MEMS-tekniikalla on merkittävä rooli.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
    In a presentation to advertisers, NBCU says it will release three new Universal movies straight to Peacock; Universal has 25 movies set to release in 2022
    — The move is not only an attempt to attract subscribers but an acknowledgment that releasing some films theatrically has become more of a gamble.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/02/business/media/peacock-streaming-movies.html

    Etan Vlessing / Hollywood Reporter:
    Lionsgate signs a multiyear deal giving Peacock and NBCUniversal networks exclusive rights to its movies for their Pay 2 window, starting in 2024 — The deal will send ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ and John Wick: Chapter 4′ to the NBCUniversal streaming platform in 2024.

    Lionsgate, Peacock Ink Movie Output Deal
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/lionsgate-peacock-ink-movie-output-deal-1235138936/

    The deal will send ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ and ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ to the NBCUniversal streaming platform in 2024.

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Designing For The Small Grey Screen
    https://hackaday.com/2022/05/03/designing-for-the-small-grey-screen/

    With the huge popularity of retrocomputing and of cyberdecks, we have seen a variety of projects that use a modern computer such as a Raspberry Pi bathed in the glorious glow of a CRT being used as a monitor. The right aesthetic is easily achieved this way, but there’s more to using a CRT display than simply thinking about its resolution. Particularly a black-and-white CRT or a vintage TV has some limitations due to its operation, that call for attention to the design of what is displayed upon it. [Jordan “Ploogle” Carroll] has taken a look at this subject, using a 1975 Zenith portable TV as an example.

    The first difference between a flat panel and a CRT is that except in a few cases it has a curved surface and corners, and the edges of the scanned area protrude outside the edges of the screen. Thus the usable display area is less than the total display area, meaning that the action has to be concentrated away from the edges.

    Visual Design Principles for Old Black & White TVs (GreyVHF)
    https://medium.com/@ploogle/greyvhf-aac0a3975628

    An anachronistic guide to designing new games that look and play great on ancient technology.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Stop-Motion Angels In The Light Field
    https://hackaday.com/2022/05/03/stop-motion-angels-in-the-light-field/

    Baseball jokes aside, holograms have been a dream for decades, and with devices finally around that support something like them, we have finally started to wonder how to make content for them. [Mike Rigsby] recently entered his stop-motion holographic setup into our sci-fi contest, and we love the idea.

    Rather than a three-dimensional model or a 2d picture with pixels, the Looking Glass light field display supports a series of images as quantized points (hence light field). As you move around an object, images are interpolated between the frames you do know, giving a pretty convincing effect.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Piezo Fibers Transform Fabric into Sensitive Microphone
    May 2, 2022
    A research team developed an “acoustic fabric” that works like a microphone, converting sound first into mechanical vibrations and then into electrical signals.
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/analog/article/21240410/electronic-design-piezo-fibers-transform-fabric-into-sensitive-microphone?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220415033&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    What you’ll learn

    How piezoelectric fibers can be used for acoustic sensing and audio output.
    The test arrangements employed to assess performance from different perspectives.
    The results of some of the tests along with links to more detailed information.

    There’s lots of interest in using textiles and fabric as transducers, whether for energy harvesting or as biosensors, and with good reason: Fabric is unobtrusive, ubiquitous, and part of daily life. In fact, there’s so much activity that the IPC has developed an array of defining and relevant standards.

    Now, a team at MIT working with collaborators at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has developed an “acoustic fabric” that works like a microphone, converting sound first into mechanical vibrations, then into electrical signals (as well as the reverse function).

    The fabric operates as a sensitive audible microphone while retaining the traditional qualities of fabrics, such as machine washability and draping. It’s composed of piezoelectric textile yarns woven into the weft of a cotton warp to transform extremely small pressure waves at audible frequencies into lower-order mechanical vibration modes.

    The result is a fabric that captures sounds ranging from a whisper to heavy road traffic, and it can even determine the precise direction of sudden sounds like hand claps. However, its uses are highly “local” as well: When woven into a shirt’s lining, the fabric can detect a wearer’s subtle heartbeat features. The fibers can even be directed to a generate sound, such as a recording of spoken words, which another fabric can detect.

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/avdisasters/permalink/4843515562443583/

    Anyone installing HDMI distribution solutions without having an understanding of the principals of EDID management shall henceforth be referred to as an EDIDIOT.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    What do we call it when HDCP causes problems?
    Piracy.
    Normal

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Every ISP in the US has been ordered to block three pirate streaming services
    ISPs ordered to block the pirate websites “by any technological means available.”
    https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/05/judge-rules-every-isp-in-us-must-block-pirate-sites-run-by-mysterious-defendants/

    A federal judge has ordered all Internet service providers in the United States to block three pirate streaming services operated by Doe defendants who never showed up to court and hid behind false identities.

    The blocking orders affect Israel.tv, Israeli-tv.com, and Sdarot.tv, as well as related domains listed in the rulings and any other domains where the copyright-infringing websites may resurface in the future.

    Each ruling provides a list of 96 ISPs that are expected to block the websites, including Comcast, Charter, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. But the rulings say that all ISPs must comply even if they aren’t on the list

    That landing page is available here and cites US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla’s “order to block all access to this website/service due to copyright infringement.”

    “If you were harmed in any way by the Court’s decision you may file a motion to the Federal Court in the Southern District of New York in the above case,” the landing page also says.

    The orders also contain permanent injunctions against the defendants themselves and other types of companies that provided services to the defendants or could do so in the future. That includes companies like Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Google, and Namecheap.
    In all three cases, none of the defendants responded to the complaints and did not appear in court, the judge’s rulings said. “Defendants have gone to great lengths to conceal themselves and their ill-gotten proceeds from Plaintiffs’ and this Court’s detection, including by using multiple false identities and addresses associated with their operations and purposely deceptive contact information for the infringing Website,” the rulings say.

    The defendants are liable for copyright infringement and violated the anti-circumvention provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the judge wrote,

    The judge ordered domain registrars and registries to transfer the domain names to the plaintiffs. The rulings include injunctions against “third parties providing services used in connection with Defendants’ operations,” including web hosts, content delivery networks, DNS providers, VPN providers, web designers, search-based online advertising services, and others.

    Financial institutions face similar bans on doing business with the blocked websites.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    I Can Restore Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine to HD, So Why Can’t Paramount?
    https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/333150-i-can-restore-star-trek-voyager-and-deep-space-nine-to-hd-so-why-cant-paramount?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

    Previously On… the Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Voyager Upscale Project
    If this is your first time discovering the Voyager and Deep Space Nine Upscale project, welcome. A little over two years ago, I launched a personal and completely unofficial effort to restore Star Trek: Deep Space Nine based on the original DVD source, using then-new software like Topaz Video Enhance AI. After some initial success with DS9, I decided to extend the project to Star Trek: Voyager. I have surpassed my own hopes as far as absolute restored quality.

    My goal, from the beginning, has been to create a tutorial for restoring these TV shows that anyone can follow. I published a guide for Deep Space Nine last year. The process has changed significantly since last summer and that tutorial is now outdated. It will be updated and a new tutorial published for Voyager in the near future.

    The work I’m showing today is not based on the same workflow I’ll eventually recommend people follow for the show. The workflow that created this content does not map easily to a one-size-fits all tutorial.

    All previous issues related to line waver and flicker have been resolved. Improper focus in some parts of the station flyby has been resolved. Line resolution through the station is excellent. Color in the above video has been lightly graded but not dramatically. All of this was achievable without access to the master tape Paramount has locked in a vault somewhere.

    Let me be clear: When I say I can restore DS9 and Voyager to HD-equivalent quality, I do not mean that this is achievable in literally every frame and scene. There are still places where the DVD encoded very little detail, leaving the upscaler next to nothing to work with. I can no more summon 720p-equivalent output in these circumstances than I can flap my arms and fly. When this happens, the best way to deal with it is to find settings that minimize the visibility of the damage rather than amplifying or emphasizing it within the scene. A little strategic blurring can work wonders.

    I do not want to give a false impression. Not every Deep Space Nine or Voyager episode is encoded well enough to make this level of improvement possible when using consumer-grade tools and software. Every episode can be substantially improved, however, and many can be improved to the point that they look like early era HD content — which wasn’t exactly error-free itself. The weaker episodes can be improved to the level of “Much better looking DVD.”

    Obligatory Boilerplate
    The Deep Space Nine Upscale Project is an unofficial fan restoration run by a highly competitive porcupine who enjoys lost causes and sucks at giving up on things. It is not blessed, encouraged, endorsed, or sanctified by Paramount.

    I do not endorse piracy. If you intend to restore Deep Space Nine and Voyager, you will need the original DVDs to do it. Either PAL or NTSC will work (NTSC is preferred for quality reasons) but whatever ripped versions are available online most likely will not. Those files have already been encoded, throwing away at least some of the detail we want to preserve.

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Putting a Class D Audio Amplifier Through Its Paces
    May 2, 2022
    Editor Bill Wong takes a look at Diodes’ 12-W PAM8965 audio-amplifier evaluation module.
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/analog/video/21237929/electronic-design-putting-a-class-d-audio-amplifier-through-its-paces?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220427029&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    Diodes Inc. provides a range of analog and power products. For this Kit Close-up video, I take a look at the PAM8965 EVM. The PAM8965 can drive a pair of 4-Ω speakers at up to 12 W

    The PAM8965′s integrated amplifier efficiency can hit 92% with a low quiescent current of only 10 mA and very low shutdown current of 0.7 μA.

    Some features include spread-spectrum modulation (SSM) for EMI suppression, allowing for the use of inexpensive ferrite bead filters. The non-clipping power limit utilizes a 41-step automatic gain control.

    External audio feedback pins make it possible to customize sound by using feedback network design.

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    A Thin-Film Speaker for Low-Power, High-Quality Audio
    https://www.hackster.io/news/a-thin-film-speaker-for-low-power-high-quality-audio-93a6f9d9a9a6

    MIT engineers have developed an ultra-thin loudspeaker that can transform any rigid surface into a high-quality, active audio source.

    Paper-thin and just as light, a new thin-film loudspeaker developed at MIT can generate high-quality sound no matter what rigid surface it is bonded to, turning pretty much anything into an active audio source. The process used to achieve these properties is both quite simple and easily scalable, requiring only three basic steps to potentially wallpaper a room, a car interior, or an airplane cockpit, offering either high-quality sound or noise-cancellation in loud environments.

    Where most existing thin-film loudspeakers need to stand on their own and bend freely — mounting them would impede vibration and dampen or distort sound — this new approach works on any surface because the entire loudspeaker doesn’t need to vibrate. Instead, the design features tiny domes distributed on a thin layer of piezoelectric material, each of which vibrates individually. Space on the top and bottom of the domes allows them to vibrate without being damaged.

    The thin speakers are fabricated by using a laser to cut tiny holes into a thin sheet of PET, the underside of which is then laminated with a film of the piezoelectric material PVDF as thin as 8 microns. A vacuum is then applied above the bonded sheets while a heat source is applied underneath them, causing tiny domes of the PVDF to protrude through the holes in the PET layer. Finally, the other side of the PVDF is laminated with a second PET layer to create the necessary space between the domes and the bonding surface.

    The device is also low-power, needing only about 100 milliwatts of power per square meter of speaker area. A hand-sized speaker made of the film was used to demonstrate the design, which can produce 66 decibels at 30 cm away at 1kHz with 25V of electricity passing through. At 10kHz, the output ramped up to 86dB. While this shows that in the current model, the small diaphragms may struggle to create much volume at lower frequencies, a bonus of the design is its tunability. The size of the holes can be altered to create domes of varying radii, which the researchers have taken advantage of to test for optimal parameters.

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The number of Americans comfortable going to a movie theater is the highest it’s been since the start of the pandemic, according to a Morning Consult poll, suggesting lackluster in-person attendance can no longer be blamed solely on Covid.

    Covid Isn’t Why Americans Aren’t Going To The Movies, Study Suggests
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/05/05/covid-isnt-why-americans-arent-going-to-the-movies-study-suggests/?sh=729f1f0c5180&utm_campaign=socialflowForbesMainFB&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&utm_medium=social

    Reply
  18. Vishal Shah says:

    Thank you for sharing such a useful article. I had a great time. This article was fantastic to read. Continue to publish more articles on

    Keep sharing! very informative stuff
    Source: United SMEs
    https://unitedsmes.in

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nordic Semiconductor has announced the launch of a development kit designed for wireless audio projects: the nRF5340 Audio DK, featuring Bluetooth LE Audio support and a dual-processor Arm Cortex-M33 processing system.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/nordic-semi-launches-nrf5340-audio-development-kit-for-bluetooth-le-audio-projects-3cc148e92dad

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Extremely thin optical fiber prompts next-gen imaging
    Dec. 23, 2021
    Researchers in the UK have developed video images from just an optical fiber the width of a single human hair.
    Justine Murphy
    https://www.laserfocusworld.com/fiber-optics/article/14222524/extremely-thin-optical-fiber-prompts-nextgen-imaging?utm_source=LFW+Fiber+Optics&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220510004&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    This new-generation imaging system employs single multimode optical fiber as well as time-of-flight 3D imaging and advanced beam shaping techniques to create 3D video images of remote scenes.

    The next generation of imaging technology could be right around the corner … led by a single optical fiber that is about the width of a human hair.

    An international team led by the University of Glasgow (Scotland) has developed a new imaging technique that can create video images via a single multimode optical fiber. It also employs time-of-flight 3D imaging, which touts applications such as environmental monitoring and motion tracking—according to the study, published in Science, “depth is recovered by measuring the round-trip flight time of laser pulses, typically using collection optics several centimeters in diameter.”

    “Our ambition is to create a new generation of single-fiber imaging devices that can produce 3D images of remote scenes,” says Miles Padgett, a Royal Society research professor at the University of Glasgow and principal investigator for QuantIC, the UK Hub for Quantum Enhanced Imaging.

    Communication exchanges between light modes typically scramble any light shining through a single optical fiber when imaging, rendering the image unrecognizable. The Glasgow-led team—which includes physicists from the University of Exeter, Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (Glasgow), Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Germany), and Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)—has been able to resolve this, thanks to advanced beam shaping techniques. According to the researchers, it allowed them to “pattern the input laser light to the fiber to create a single spot at the output.” That spot of light, in turn, can scan the scene as the system measures the intensity of the backscattered light into another fiber; this provides brightness for each pixel in the image.

    “In applications like endoscopy and boroscopy, imaging is traditionally achieved by using a bundle of optical fibers—one fiber for every pixel in the image, resulting in devices the thickness of a finger,” Padgett says. In their study, he and fellow researchers essentially demonstrated “near-video-rate 3D imaging through multimode fibers with a total aperture of several hundred micrometers.”

    The researchers used a pulsed laser in part of their work, allowing them to measure the light’s time of flight as well as the range of every pixel in the image. They also implemented aberration correction via wavefront shaping synchronized with a pulsed source to scan the scene at ~23,000 points per second. They note in the study that they were able to image “moving objects several meters beyond the end of a ~40-cm-long fiber of 50-µm core diameter at frame rates of ~5 Hz.” In their prototype system, each frame contains up to “approximately 4000 independently resolvable features, with a depth resolution of ~5 mm.”

    Specifically, the team recorded the 3D images at distances ranging from “a few tens of millimeters to several meters away from the fiber end with millimetric distance resolution and frame rates high enough to perceive motion at close-to-video quality.”

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Brian Heater / TechCrunch:
    Apple discontinues the iPod touch, leaving the device on sale “while supplies last” and ending the product line after debuting the original iPod in October 2001

    The iPod is dead
    Brian Heater@bheater / 7:01 PM GMT+3•May 10, 2022
    https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/10/the-ipod-is-dead/

    Last October marked 20 years of the iPod. It’s a remarkable run in the cutthroat, always-iterating world of consumer electronics. And while it’s undoubtedly true that life hasn’t been particularly fruitful for the music player in a product lineup that includes various iPhones and iPads, the beloved music player has somehow managed to hang on.

    That is, until today.

    Apple this morning announced that the iPod is dead. That is, as much as a particular gadget can ever be dead. Rather, it will shuffle off this mortal coil slowly, remaining for sale while supplies last. So if you were considering purchasing one for any reason, buy now or forever hold your peace.

    The iPod’s death has been a protracted one. I can hear those “the iPod was still around?” posts clogging up the comments section as I type this.

    The first iPod debuted onstage in the hand of Steve Jobs on October 23, 2001. “With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go,” he noted at the time. “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again.”

    In the age of ubiquitous smartphones and Spotify, it’s hard to impress upon people how revolutionary the promise of 1,000 songs in your pocket ultimately was. All of that was packed onto a tiny 5GB Toshiba hard drive and plugged into a Mac via FireWire cable.

    Without the iPod, there’s no iPhone, no iPad. Last week, iPod and iPhone co-creator Tony Fadell walked us through that direct connection.

    “We did iPod Plus Phone,”

    Of Jobs and the iPod/iPhone connection, he explained, “He had very clear views on things — until they weren’t clear,” he told TechCrunch. “Or it became very clear that they wouldn’t work. He pushed us very hard on making the iPod Plus Phone work. We worked weeks and weeks to figure out how to do input with the click wheel. We couldn’t get it, and after the whole team was convinced we couldn’t do it, he was like, ‘keep trying!’ At some point we all said, ‘no, it isn’t going to work.’”

    When the iPhone arrived six years later, it ditched the clickwheel for a touchscreen, though the company was still attached enough to keep that iconic input device alive through the iPod Classic. 2007 also saw the debut of the iPod Touch, which drew upon the iPhone’s touchscreen design. That same year, the company announced that it had sold its one-hundred-millionth device.

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Rebecca Jennings / Vox:
    Creators who quit YouTube keep returning despite “YouTube brain”, where creators are creatively and financially subject to the whims of viewer attention spans

    The YouTubers are not okay
    https://www.vox.com/the-goods/23064266/dan-howell-michelle-phan-youtuber-brain?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4

    Prominent YouTubers keep quitting the platform and then coming back. Call it the result of YouTube brain.

    For years, digital creators have been trying to convey the ennui of this supposed dream job: they’re lonely, they’re burnt out, they’re built up then tossed aside by unfeeling algorithms and corporate bureaucracy. They feel stuck between the kinds of content that makes them money and the content they actually want to produce.

    Howell enumerated these reasons and more, all of which are good reasons to quit a job you hate. Another, less discussed one, however, is something I’ve come to call “YouTube brain.” Compare it to “Twitter brain,” in which spending too much time on Twitter results in someone becoming argumentative and perpetually outraged, or “Instagram brain,” (image-obsessed and overly materialistic), or “TikTok brain,” (unquestioningly devoted to the latest slang or trend before moving on to the next one). YouTube brain, from the perspective of the YouTuber as opposed to the viewer, is what happens when you are both creatively and financially subject to the whims of other people’s attention spans for years at a time, weighed down by neverending demand for more content for dwindling returns.

    Chronic YouTube brain can land you in some bizarre circumstances. Take Michelle Phan, the longtime beauty YouTuber who last week claimed that she had “healed a man who had been in a wheelchair for years” through the power of “Divine Love.”

    The YouTube celebrity pipeline typically looks something like this: A creator might start out within a particular niche (gaming, makeup, daily vlogging, sketch comedy), and through their onscreen charisma, develops a following made up of fans who come less for, say, the games, and more to feel as though they’re hanging out with a friend. At this point, at least one of three things will happen: Either the creator will achieve such a level of success that they’ll no longer feel “relatable” to audiences and must reckon with their persona (see: Emma Chamberlain), the creator will be subject to some level of cancellation for past actions (see: basically all of them), or the job will create such a pressure-cooker environment that the creator quits altogether — but only for a while.

    For the most part, though, once a YouTuber reaches a certain level of success, they’re a YouTuber for life. I’m less convinced this has anything to do with the platform itself and more about the kind of person it attracts and who ends up succeeding. In my years of interviewing them, I’m always struck by the way YouTubers — and creators writ large — make sense of the world, which tends to be fervently individualistic and, at times, a little bitter. This is an understandable attitude to have when your livelihood is dependent on the creator economy, in which individuals compete against one another for the most attention possible.

    Vloggers tend to be keenly, almost freakishly attuned to the in-depth analytics YouTube provides for them. “It is brilliant and terrifying how much information YouTube gives you about your content and your audience,” explains Howell. “If you’re making a video from the heart, truly expressing yourself … you are greeted with a wall of red lines saying ‘Sorry, nobody likes this, sweetie.’”

    Most of all, I’ve found that YouTubers tend to view other people and situations in black and white, divided between what’s good for themselves as individual creators and outside forces that wish them harm. They are often distrustful of institutions and organizations, particularly the media, whom they feel antagonize creators because newsrooms are scared they’ll be replaced by them (though PewDiePie is known most for this belief, Howell’s latest video also includes references to it). In this, they are not dissimilar to the attitudes of the wider public, who are increasingly skeptical of established institutions but quick to believe that Satanic forces are present at music festivals, for instance, and that despite evidence to the contrary, they will be among the 1 percent who makes money from joining an MLM or, say, an NFT project.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Museum rigs up multi-screen N64 GoldenEye to prevent “screencheating”
    Step one: Spend thousands on outdated CRT signal-processing tech.
    https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/how-to-play-multiplayer-goldeneye-on-four-tv-screens-with-only-one-n64/

    25 years later, this museum figured out how to stop screen cheating in GoldenEye
    By Hope Corrigan published 4 days ago
    Without the use of modern hardware too.
    https://www.pcgamer.com/25-years-later-this-museum-figured-out-how-to-stop-screen-cheating-in-goldeneye/

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Satellite TV Hacking in the 2000’s
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmAnCzquo64

    A brief history of Satellite pay-TV hacking (piracy) in the first decade of the 2000’s in Australia and elsewhere.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Creating 3D Space In A Mix | Depth, Width & Height
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk9bKVmAXSk

    How do you add space to a mix to make your music or film more immersive for the listener? In this video, I’ll show you some mixing techniques for controlling the depth, width, and height in your mixes and how they work.

    0:00 – Introduction
    1:00 – Width
    2:33 – Height
    3:21 – Depth

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    High-Performance Source for ADC and Audio Test with Novel DPD
    May 12, 2022
    Testing instruments typically requires ultra-low-distortion signal generators. New concepts are needed to ensure characterization at a high level, though. Reference designs leveraging advanced DACs and a DPD algorithm can help enhance signal fidelity.
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21241601/analog-devices-highperformance-source-for-adc-and-audio-test-with-novel-dpd?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220510015&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Flight Case For Regie Video – ALP Flight Cases
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzfWBU1hL1g

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Video Production Truck Tour – HighEndTV Symphony 4K/HDR 40′ Expando – NAB 2022
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GNBdHFXXRw

    Adam Mills of HighEndTV was gracious enough to take us on a tour of their 4K HDR truck.

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Blackmagic Design New ATEM Switcher Products – NAB 2022
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9pNu9yZ1o8

    Blackmagic Design announced three new models of Constellation HD switchers at NAB 2022. Here’s a quick peek.

    Turn One 4K Camera Into Four – datavideo KMU-100/200 Region of Interest Processors – NAB 2022
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn_IQCGfn7I

    If you’ve ever wondered if you can split a 4K camera into four separate camera feeds, well… you can using the datavideo KMU-100 and KMU-200 Region of Interest processors

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    X-Keys USB Keyboard Controllers – NAB 2022
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjjbV70hpJY

    Maggie at P I Engineering took us on a tour of some of their X-Keys USB keyboard controller products. These work great for controlling vMix, Blackmagic ATEM switchers as well as many other devices. X-Keys are my preferred controllers for video production because of the huge flexibility that comes with the available software tools.

    X-Keys Controllers – https://djp.li/xkeys

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    DJP’s NAB 2022 Highlight Reel
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD4I14VXjOI

    Camera and Microphones Used for NAB Reporting
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD6JDL82LnI

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    24, 30, or 60 frames per second? What is the right choice?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMfvQPv5ZPg

    One of the decisions we need to make when shooting video is: What frame rate am I going to use?

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Live Video Streaming Using Starlink Satellite — Does it work?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_86zc76GW-U

    I’ve had my Starlink dish now for about two months and have spent many hours testing various video encoders to see how the combination works.

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    HDMI-kaapelit reputtivat testissä
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13574-hdmi-kaapelit-reputtivat-testissae

    HDMI on erinomainen standardi, joka on vallannut video- ja audiosignaalin siirron olohuoneissa ja työpöydillä. EU:n sähköturvallisuusviranomaisten tekevä testi kuitenkin osoittaa, että HDMI-kaapelien laadussa on paljon toivomisen varaa.

    Testistä vastasivat neljän maan sähköturvallisuusviranomaiset: Elsäkerhetsverket Ruotsissa, Bundesnetzagentur Saksassa, BAKOM Sveitsissä ja Agentshap Telecom Hollannissa. Testissä oli mukana kaikkiaan 30 kaapelia eri valmistajilta ja peräti 27 näistä reputti eli ei täyttänyt vaatimuksia.

    Testissä kävi ilmi, että yhdeksän kymmenestä HDMI-kaapelista ei täytä EMC-vaatimuksia. EMC -häiriöt tarkoittavat, että signaaleja vuotaa. Tämä voi häiritä muita lähellä olevia laitteita. Testissä käytiin läpi myös antennikaapelien EMC-ominaisuuksia ja vuoden 2012 testiin perusteella antennikaapelin laatu on heikentynyt.

    Viranomaisten mukaan kaapelin hinnasta ei voi suoraan päätellä sen laatua. Joissakin tapauksissa kalleimmat kaapelit vuosivat eniten.

    HDMI-liitäntästandardi on ehtinyt versioon 2.1. Sen myötä väylän datansiirtokyky kasvoi 2.0-standardin 18 gigabitistä 48 gigabittiin sekunnissa. Tämän mahdollistaa se, että 2.1-standardissa jokaisen johtimen läpi viedään dataa kaksinkertainen määrä eli 12 gigabittiä. Lisäksi kellosignaaleille varattu neljäs johdin otetaan datan käyttöön. Tällä päästään standardin määrittelemään 48 gigabittiin sekunnissa.

    Käytännössä HDMI-kaapelin yli voidaan siirtää ruudulle 60 kertaa sekunnissa virkistyvää 8K-kuvaa tai 120 kertaa virkistyvää 4K-kuvaa. Markkinoilla 2.1-versio on edelleen marginaalisessa asemassa.

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Voi olla vaikea saada tulevaisuudessa kaavioita ONKYON laitteista

    Tunnettu japanilainen hifivalmistaja Onkyo jätti konkurssihakemuksen
    https://tekniikanmaailma.fi/tunnettu-japanilainen-hifivalmistaja-onkyo-jatti-konkurssihakemuksen/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1652693129

    Kulutuselektroniikkavalmistaja Onkyon taival on päättymässä konkurssiin. Japanilaisyhtiön konkurssihakemus jätettiin perjantaina, kertoo Nikkei Asia.

    Hifilaitteistaan tunnetun klassikkomerkin velkataakka on kasvanut noin 3,1 miljardiin jeniin eli reiluun 23 miljoonaan euroon.

    Classic Japanese audio brand Onkyo files for bankruptcy
    Maker of stereos and speakers doomed by market shift to streaming and smartphones
    https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Classic-Japanese-audio-brand-Onkyo-files-for-bankruptcy

    Japanese audio equipment maker Onkyo Home Entertainment filed for bankruptcy at Osaka District Court on Friday, with total liabilities of around 3.1 billion yen ($24 million).

    The Osaka-based company was delisted in August. It was unable to keep pace with changes in how people listen to music, as users shift from audio equipment like compact stereo systems — once Onkyo’s core business — to devices like smartphones for streaming services.

    Since then, Onkyo has essentially stopped doing business except management of an already-sold subsidiary. The company told Nikkei it “tried to maintain business on a smaller scale, but could not stop cash-flow problems from worsening.”

    Established in 1946, Onkyo supported the audio boom as a household name for speakers, turntables and stereo receivers. But the market transformed in the 2000s as Apple’s mobile audio player iPod and smartphones became popular.

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    HyperDeck Shuttle HD – Desktop recording, playback and prompting // Show and Tell Ep.95
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cPDxptV3Vk

    The Blackmagic HyperDeck Shuttle HD is an interesting little playback and recording device that slots next to an ATEM Mini (Extreme).

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    $2500 Ultrasonic Microphone Lets You Hear Like a Cat & Dog
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RBz7DQbXLw

    Ever wonder what a dog whistle actually sounds like to animals?

    In this video I use a special microphone, the Sanken CO-100k that can record frequencies up to 100 kHz, way higher than typical microphones and human hearing, both of which usually top out at 20 kHz. By recording ultrasonic sounds and pitching them down into human range, we can get an idea of what these ultrasonic sounds are like (relatively at least). I bought several devices and gadgets to test, such as dog whistles, anti-barking gadgets, and ultrasonic pest repellers, to see what kind of ultrasonic noise they produce.

    Time Stamps:
    0:00 – Intro
    1:34 – The Special Microphone & Demo
    3:24 – About Recording Ultrasonic Sounds
    4:18 – The Test Subjects
    5:02 – Test: Dog Whistles
    6:05 – Test: Electronic Anti-Barking Devices
    8:04 – Test: First Pest Repeller
    9:48 – Test: Second Repeller

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Live Streaming Basics: Everything You Need To Get Started!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzRQr_GFeFw

    Live streaming is super fun, but there are a few super fundamentals when it comes to the gear you need to get started. Streaming setups can range from ultra simple to incredibly complex, so this video will help you create a solid foundation that you can build on over time.

    Which ATEM Mini Should You Get For Streaming & Recording?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74_6-Eak874

    The Blackmagic ATEM Mini is a super powerful video switcher at a relatively affordable price, but there are 5 different models with different features. So today I’ll ATEMpt to explain the differences to help you figure out which switcher is right for you.

    Chapter Markers:
    0:00 – I’ll ATEMpt To Explain
    0:26 – Which ATEM Should You Buy?
    1:15 – Features That ALL ATEM Minis Have
    1:42 – Audio Inputs
    1:59 – The Blackmagic Ecosystem
    2:20 – Fan Noise
    3:06 – No Power Switch
    3:47 – Potential Downsides: 1080 & Single Source Output
    5:19 – ATEM Mini Base Model
    6:43 – ATEM Mini Pro (Best Overall Value)
    7:22 – ATEM Mini Pro ISO
    8:18 – ATEM Mini Extreme
    9:41 – ATEM Mini Extreme ISO

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Building a BUDGET Streaming Setup For $100
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7LQ8nI6tow

    Welcome to the first episode of: Streaming On A Budget!
    In this episode, I gave myself a budget of $100 to build a cheap streaming setup.
    This will include a budget microphone, budget light, budget webcam and a budget stream deck.
    Instead of building a complete streaming setup like I sometimes do, I just went for the budget streaming gear people will be looking for. So whether you use a laptop or a desktop, you can just buy this stuff and it will work fine.

    Building on a Budget – Episode 2
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONtVcQv7oh8

    Welcome to the second episode of: Streaming On A Budget!
    In this episode, I gave myself a budget of $250 to build a complete streaming setup. This will include a microphone, a light, a webcam and a second monitor! This desk setup will contain only the important gear people buy for live streaming. In future videos, I will be building complete streaming setups.

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    I Built a BUDGET Streaming Setup for $65
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ZW4MAhM2w

    Looking to build a budget streaming setup? Today, on just a $65 budget, we build a cheap streaming setup that doesn’t sacrifice much in quality. Check out all of the gear used today below and let me know in the comments what the next budget should be!

    I Bought a Complete Wish.com Streaming Setup..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFwysi9o5Gw

    Even though I got scammed multiple times during this video, this Wish setup turned out much better than I would’ve expected!

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Silence Of The IPods: Reflecting On The Ever-Shifting Landscape Of Personal Media Consumption
    https://hackaday.com/2022/05/16/silence-of-the-ipods-reflecting-on-the-ever-shifting-landscape-of-personal-media-consumption/

    On October 23rd of 2001, the first Apple iPod was launched. It wasn’t the first Personal Media Player (PMP), but as with many things Apple the iPod would go on to provide the benchmark for what a PMP should do, as well as what they should look like. While few today remember the PMP trailblazers like Diamond’s Rio devices, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t know what an ‘iPod’ is.

    Even as Microsoft, Sony and others tried to steal the PMP crown, the iPod remained the irrefutable market leader, all the while gaining more and more features such as video playback and a touch display. Yet despite this success, in 2017 Apple discontinued its audio-only iPods (Nano and Shuffle), and as of May 10th, 2022, the Apple iPod Touch was discontinued. This marks the end of Apple’s foray into the PMP market, and makes one wonder whether the PMP market of the late 90s is gone, or maybe just has transformed into something else.

    After all, with everyone and their pet hamster having a smartphone nowadays, what need is there for a portable device that can ‘only’ play back audio and perhaps video?

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nordic Semiconductor’s new dev board is built for Bluetooth LE Audio, but compatible with a range of other 2.4GHz radio protocols including Thread and Zigbee too.

    Nordic Semi Launches nRF5340 Audio Development Kit for Bluetooth LE Audio Projects
    https://www.hackster.io/news/nordic-semi-launches-nrf5340-audio-development-kit-for-bluetooth-le-audio-projects-3cc148e92dad

    New dev board is built for Bluetooth LE Audio, but compatible with a range of other 2.4GHz radio protocols including Thread and Zigbee too.

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Video SerDes Tech Boosts Resolution Over a Longer, Single Wire
    May 12, 2022
    Sponsored by Texas Instruments: Achieve higher resolution and transfer uncompressed video, power, and more over one wire using V3Link serializers/deserializers.
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/tools/learning-resources/whitepaper/21240305/texas-instruments-video-serdes-tech-boosts-resolution-over-a-longer-single-wire?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220510036&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    The uncompressed transmission of video data, control signals and power is heating up—and it’s not just with the promise of warmer weather. A wide range of applications, from endoscopy, a non-surgical procedure used to examine a person’s digestive tract, to factory automation, require that high-bandwidth data be transferred over several meters worth of cable.

    That presents a challenge, not just because of the signal loss introduced with such a transmission channel, but also due to the introduction of electromagnetic-interference (EMI) or electromagnetic-compatibility (EMC) considerations common to medical or industrial applications. Such external noise sources could interfere with the cable as data passes to its destination.

    Increasing the resolution of an imager in a system increases the amount of data it generates, data that must be transmitted, processed, and stored. Unfortunately, connecting an imager over a small-diameter wire or cable can add signal interference. Here, we’ll discuss a modern solution to this problem: V3Link SerDes pairs, which can enhance resolution and reduce system size in high-speed video applications.

    V3Link technology acts as a bridge between protocol-based data interfaces, which require multiple signaling conductors to transfer high-bandwidth data. Supported data-interface standards include HDMI, LVDS, MIPI CSI-2, and MIPI DSI. These standards, however, are designed to transfer video only over short distances, which may include PCB traces.

    V3Link devices support various cable types. Applications typically utilize either coaxial or twisted-pair cables to carry information between serializer and deserializer. Coaxial cables tend to have lower insertion-loss characteristics when compared with twisted-pair cables due to their electromagnetic construction. Twisted-pair cables are typically more immune to the effects of electromagnetic interference. Most V3Link devices can support either coax or twisted-pair configurations to ensure flexibility in various applications.

    V3Link transfer works by combining input data into packets or frames to be transmitted serially at high speed. Payload data makes up the majority of the frame. This is the high-bandwidth portion of the data, which could be comprised of video pixel information, audio data, or other data types including radar, LiDAR, and more.

    By utilizing a proprietary echo-cancellation technique, V3Link SerDes allows for full duplex communication over one physical conductor.

    Using this simultaneous back-channel communication, I2C access and GPIO transfer can be enabled across in either forward or reverse directions. V3Link deserializers utilize multiple equalization techniques to recover high-frequency signal content and mitigate the effects of intersymbol interference (ISI), reflections, or external noise influence.

    SerDes technology such as the V3Link TSER953 serializer and TDES960 and TDES954 deserializers work in tandem to transfer high-resolution video, control signals, and power simultaneously over a single thin wire. These devices help establish links between sensors and processors to aggregate clock, uncompressed video, control, power, and GPIO signals

    In addition to facilitating the transfer of video data, control signals, and power over a single cable, V3Link devices include adaptive equalizer technology that can compensate for a loss of up to 21 dB at 2.1 GHz, enabling the use of very thin 28 to 32 American-wire-gauge (AWG) cables. The higher the AWG number, the thinner the cable and the higher the signal loss. The ability to transfer power and control signals on the same thin cable also minimizes the number of conductors.

    At typical power dissipation of 250 mW on the sensor side, V3Link serializers consume very low power. As a result, the sensor and serializers can be integrated into very compact areas without the need for power and heat dissipation, which requires additional space.

    Conclusion

    V³Link is a high-speed bidirectional video SerDes technology that enables uncompressed transmission of video data, control signals, and power using a single wire. As a high-speed, uncompressed video-transport technology, V3Link aggregates video, clock, control, and peripheral data from cameras, radar, LiDAR, or time-of-flight sensors to an SoC over a single wire or cable up to 15 m. V3Link serializers and deserializers extend cable reach while maintaining image quality, reducing power consumption and improving system reliability.

    Enhancing Resolution and
    Reducing System Size in High­
    Speed Video Applications
    https://www.ti.com/lit/wp/slyy215/slyy215.pdf?HQS=asc-hsd-fpdl-v3link-asset-whip-ElectronicDesign_05-wwe_int&ts=1652878003867

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  44. Tomi Engdahl says:

    OnePlus Nord Buds: nappikuulokkeista ei kannata maksaa enempää
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13610-oneplus-nord-buds-nappikuulokkeista-ei-kannata-maksaa-enempaeae

    OnePlus esitteli eilen uuden Nord 2T -puhelimen kyljessä uudet Nord Buds -kuulokkeet. Niiden ominaisuudet ja hinta vakuuttavat. Itse asiassa napit saavat kysymään, kuinka paljon tällaisista kuulokkeista kannattaa ylipäätään maksaa.

    Viime talvena tuli kahteen otteeseen autettua nuoria etsimään AirPodseja lumesta. Epätoivo näkyi nuorten silmistä, kun yhtä kallista kuuloketta etsittiin urakalla. Toinen etsintä päättyi onneksi onnellisesti, toinen joutui pettymään. Mutta mahtoiko AirPodinsa hukannut ostaa uudet samanlaiset tilalle, vai ehkäpä jotkut edullisemmat?

    Nappikuulokkeiden kohdalla puhutaan usein äänenlaadusta tai vastamelutoiminnoista, koodekkituesta, Bluetooth-linkin vasteesta ja kaiutinelementin koosta. Tämä on oikeastaan kaikki akateemista. Jos olet hifisti, et kuuntele musiikkia napeista vaan laadukkaista kuulokkeista tai Geneleceistä. Nappi on jo fyysisesti ja mekaanisesti huono väline minkäänlaisen dynamiikan välittämiseen. Jos musiikinkuuntelu perustuu vielä söhröön Spotify-striimiin, sitä ei hifiksi muuteta millään napeilla, oli niiden kyljessä mikä tahansa logo.

    Nappikuulokkeiden ylivoimaisesti tärkein ominaisuus on napin istuvuus kunkin omaan korvaan. Jos nappi istuu tiukasti, nykyisillä elementeillä saa koiralenkille tai salille aivan riittävän bassotoiston. Lentokoneen melun suodattaminen vaatii toki vastamelutoimintoa, mutta kaikkialla muualla mikrofonien määrän lisääminen ajaa asiansa.

    Näin on myös uusissa Nord Budseissa. Niissä on yhteensä 4 mikrofonia, jotka suodattavat ei-toivotun taustamelun puheluiden aikana.

    Tämän kaiken saa omistukseensa 49 eurolla. OnePlussin puhelimiin napit parittuvat Fast Pair -toiminnolla välittömästi. Nord Budseja on oikeastaan pakko suositella. Pienin varauksin toki: osti mitkä napit tahansa, on tärkeintä testata niiden istuvuus omiin korviin.

    Nappikuulokkeissa on edessä vallankumous
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13611-nappikuulokkeissa-on-edessae-vallankumous

    Koulujen valmistujaiset lähestyvät ja moni miettii elektroniikan hankkimista nuorille. Nyt tarjolla on monia hyviä vaihtoehtoja: Huawein FreeBuds 4 -napit saa 149 eurolla, jos muotoiltu malli miellyttää ja kumitutillisiin on tarjolla OnePlussan uudet Nord Budsit vain 49 eurolla. Molemmat perustuvat vanhaan tekniikkaan, sillä nappikuulokkeissa on alkamassa vallankumous.

    Vallankumous perustuu mikrosähkömekaanisiin järjestelmiin eli MEMS-pohjaiseen kaiuttimeen. MEMS-kaiutin on piistä valmistettu mekaaninen elementti, jossa pietsosähköinen kalvo värähtelee ja tuottaa äänen. Tekniikalla on muutamia ylivertaisia etuja nappikuulokkeissa.

    Ensinnäkin MEMS-kaiuttimet ovat pieniä. Ne voidaan istuttaa piirilevylle vahvistimen viereen niin, että ratkaisu on selvästi nykyisiä pienempi. MEMS-mikrofoni kuluttaa vähemmän virtaa, mikä on iso asia pieneen akkuun perustuvissa laitteissa. Tehonkulutus on itse asiassa vain murto-osa, joten laitevalmistaja saa lisää pelivaraa tehobudjettiinsa.

    MEMS-kaiuttimen taajuusalue on tyypillisesti laaja (20 Hz – 20 kHz). Harmonin särö jää erittäin pieneksi (tyypillisesti prosentin osia). Sanalla sanoen, nykyistä pienemmällä komponentilla saadaan toteutettua enemmän tehoa ja kirkkaampaa ääntä pienemmällä tehonkulutuksella.

    Reply
  45. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Vangelis, composer of ‘Chariots of Fire’ score, dies at 79
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vangelis-obituary-idUSKCN2N51L8

    Vangelis, composer of Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner soundtracks, dies aged 79
    https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/19/vangelis-greek-composer-chariots-of-fire-blade-runner-dies

    Greek composer topped US charts and won an Oscar with Chariots of Fire’s uplifting piano-led theme

    Reply
  46. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Onkyo has gone bankrupt
    One of the big old trees in the hi-fi forest has fallen. Without a sound.
    https://www.lbtechreviews.com/news/hi-fi/onkyo-has-gone-bankrupt

    Reply
  47. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nearly 300,000 U.S. service members and veterans are suing 3M over a tiny piece of military gear they say didn’t work
    https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/290000-current-ex-military-service-members-are-suing-3m-earplugs-say-d-rcna27568

    Earplugs are as much a part of a service member’s protective gear as a helmet or flak jacket, given noise that can reach 150 decibels. What happens if they don’t work?

    Reply
  48. Tomi Engdahl says:

    What is it About Audio Distortion? Understanding Nonlinearity
    https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/what-is-it-about-audio-distortion/

    Learn about how system nonlinearity creates distortion in audio signals that impacts the sounds we hear. We will examine sine waves, harmonics, and intermodulation distortion.
    We spend a lot of time thinking and talking about distortion in audio, and even sometimes listening to it, but what is it really and why does it matter?

    Reply

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