Project Description

The Clean Audio Project was funded by the ITC and then Ofcom between 2003-2006.

The project took place as the rollout of digital television was beginning and investigated how the additional audio and data found in 5.1 surround broadcast could be used to improve TV sound for hearing impaired people.

Findings from the project led to the formation of the UK Clean Audio Forum and contributed to broadcast standards.

Standards

Work from this project contributed to the following broadcast standards:

• ETSI Standard TR 101 154, V1.4.1 (2000-07), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB); Implementation guidelines for the use of MPEG-2 Systems, Video and Audio in satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasting applications: Annexe E4,

Referenced as mandatory for clean audio provision in:

• EBU – TECH 3333: EBU HDTV Receiver Requirements. 7.3 Clean Audio. Geneva, Switzerland,
• Open IPTV Forum (2011), Open IPTV Release 2 Specification, Volume 2 – Media Formats [V2.0],

and NorDig Unified Requirements for Integrated Receiver Decoders for use in cable, satellite, terrestrial and IP-based networks.

Publications

Journal Articles

• The Clean Audio Project: Digital TV as assistive technology
  B.G Shirley, P Kendrick
  Technology and Disability, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 31-41, 2006
• The Effect of Stereo Crosstalk on Intelligibility: Comparison of a Phantom Stereo Image and a Central Loudspeaker Source
  B Shirley, P Kendrick, C Churchill
  Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 10/2007; 55(10)

Thesis

•  Improving Television Sound for People with Hearing Impairments
  B Shirley
  Degree: PhD, Supervisor: Dr Bill Davies, 12/2013

More Information

Can be found at the Clean Audio Web Page