MPTV in 5.1?

[techboy]

Geez:  When we installed the dolby 5.1 encoder unit at WTMJ for the first winter Olympics years ago, it was a pretty much a "plug in and go" process.  The complicated part is integrating the unit into the on air system so as it switches modes when necessary without operator input.   But gosh, my cheap home 5.1 receiver switches to 5.1 mode when it sees the appropriate bit rate.  Oh well.  I'm sure I will enjoy Sound Stage in 5.1 someday.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Hmm.  I don't understand how they can call the equipment new.....

[techboy]

Well, it's "new" to them.  Commercial broadcast grade equipment is EXPENSIVE, especially propriatary hardware like Dolby Labs.  I suspect that Sound Stage may be the only show on PBS done in real 5.1dd.  So, to spend an awful lot of $ for 1 hour per week is a hard sell to station bean counters.

[StarvingForHDTV]

They have owned the equipment for a long time, as far as I know.

[wxndave]

For the viewer, 5.1 is very easy.  However transmitting it correctly as it was intended by the program producer is not.  Depending on how the 5.1 is encoded by the network can make all the difference.  From what I can tell NBC and PBS encode the signals differently.  

The question that you need to ask yourself.  Do you want the the 5.1 program to sound as it was intended or do you want them to pick what they think is best for the viewer?  From my understanding MPTV would not be able to  use the metadata that tells the local dolby equipment to encode the signal the same way it comes from PBS.  MPTV needs to decode the PBS 5.1 and encode it again after it goes through the local switching equipment.   Dolby does not have a way currently for the metadata information to be transfered to the encoder from the decoder.  

I know that us as viewers want to use the expensive equipment that we bought.  However we need to understand that this is new to the people who have to make this work.  

Dave