Lucasarts Entertainment Company

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Tomlinson Holman

David Schnuelle

A test signal for enabling control of picture fidelity in a distribution system for distributing a video signal that has a vertical interval including a number of lines. The test signal comprises plural luminance levels for testing luminance linearity. The luminance levels have a non-linear level relationship with respect to one another. Each luminance level has a predetermined level. The test signal may additionally include a chrominance component for testing differential gain and phase. The chrominance component has a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined phase corresponding to flesh tone. In a method of enabling control of picture fidelity in a distribution system for distributing a video signal, the above test signal is provided at a source stage and is inserted into at least part of a selected line in the vertical interval of the video signal. At a later stage in the distribution system, at least two of the luminance levels in the test signal in the vertical interval of the video signal are measured, each of the at least two measured luminance level are compared with its corresponding predetermined luminance level to provide at least two luminance errors, and luminance linearity in the source stage and/or the later stage is changed to correct the luminance errors. Chrominance gain and phase errors may also be determined, and differential gain and phase changed to correct the chrominance gain and phase errors.

Vertical interval test signal for detecting video system low-level

Spectral imbalance (alteration in timbre) when playing home video versions of motion pictures having soundtrack equalized for playback in a room whose room-loudspeaker system is aligned to the standard motion picture theater X-curve is overcome by timbre correction which compensates for the X-curve equalization. Surround-sound home playback of motion pictures is enhanced by employing main channel loudspeakers that produce generally direct sound fields and surround channel loudspeakers that produce generally diffuse sound fields. In addition, the reproduced surround-sound channel is further enhanced by decreasing the interaural cross-correlation of the surround-sound channel sound field and by reducing comb filtering effects in the surround-sound channel at listening positions within the room, preferably by introducing slight pitch shifting in the signals applied to multiple surround loudspeakers. Preferably, further equalization is applied to the reproduced surround channel to compensate for the differences in listener perceived timbre between the surround-sound channel and the main channels.

Surround-sound system with motion picture soundtrack timbre correction,

Spectral imbalance when playing home video versions of motion pictures is overcome by a frequency response correction unit which compensates for the equalization employed during the production of motion picture sound tracks designed for playback over the standard X-curve. In addition, the frequency response correction unit may additionally or instead compensate for listener-perceived differences in the frequency response between the surround sound channel and main sound channels.

Timbre correction units for use in sound systems

Spectral imbalance (alteration in timbre) when playing home video versions of motion pictures is overcome by re-equalization according to a unique correction response curve which compensates for the equalization for playback in large theater-sized auditoriums inherent in motion picture soundtracks. Surround-sound home playback of motion pictures is enhanced by employing main channel loudspeakers that produce generally direct sound fields and surround channel loudspeakers that produce gnerally diffuse sound fields. In addition, the reproduced surround-sound channel is further enhanced by decreasing the interaural cross-correlation of the surround-sound channel sound field and by reducing comb filtering effects in the surround-sound channel at listening positions within the room, preferably by introducing slight pitch shifting in the signals applied to multiple surround loudspeakers. Preferably, further equalization is applied to the reproduced surround channel to compensate for the differences in listener perceived timbre between the surround-sound channel and the main channels.

Sound system with source material and surround timbre response

A motion picture loudspeaker system is described in which the loudspeaker elements are integral with an acoustical boundary wall such that the characteristics of the vented box woofers are optimized. In order to overcome high reflection problems as sound from the tweeters is reflected by the motion picture screen and the acoustical boundary wall, frequency dependent acoustical absorptive material is attached to the wall to inhibit high frequency reflections with minimal effect on the bass optimization. The system includes the use of a steep slope crossover netowrk having a crossover frequency such that there is a first order match of the woofer and tweeter dispersion at the crossover.

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Fairfax, CA, United States of America

Tomlinson Holman