The DATE System: Program Audio via Existing Video Transmission Facilities

Several methods for combining sound program audio with the video baseband signal for concurrent transmission have been investigated in recent years. This paper describes one of these methods. It uses a digital technique in which four 15-kHz audio channels are digitized, multiplexed, and modulated on a subcarrier placed at 5.5 MHz, just above the NTSC baseband video spectrum. This method is called DATE (Digital Audio for Television). It produces no perceptible picture degradation, and audio quality is maintained at a 70-dB signal-to-noise ratio. DATE is extremely attractive because it reduces operating costs, eliminates the need for maintaining separate audio transmission facilities, and maintains high quality audio performance. Now in operation with the Public Broadcasting Service satellite transmission project, DATE applications for four-channel audio include: stereophonic and quadraphonic audio, multilingual programming, cueing, orderwire, and analog data channels.

Print ISSN

0036-1682

Published

1979-06

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J06661