 |
 |
 |
Vista audio enhancements revealed
Friday, September 8th, 2006
Much of the hype surrounding Windows Vista has been concerned with its graphics: the new, 
DirectX-powered Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) graphics engine, and the translucent Aero Glass visual themes laid on top of it. Visuals are perhaps the easiest feature to sell a new operating system with, and Vista has pulled out all the stops in this area. However, until now very little attention has been paid to the audio improvements in Windows Vista. Let’s take a look!
Loudness equalization
One annoying feature of watching broadcast television that everyone is familiar with is the fact that different channels have their volume tuned to different levels, and commercials have volumes louder than any of the programs. This leads to constant fine-tuning of the volume control in order to achieve an acceptable sound balance.
Some high-definition televisions already come with volume-leveling controls built-in, but these only work if you are using the television’s speakers—most people with HDTVs will be using their sound systems to listen to the audio feed instead. Windows Vista will maintain a relatively constant perceived volume while playing different audio files or sources. Some applications—such as Apple’s iTunes—already implement volume-leveling technology, but that must be applied to a single music file at a time. Vista’s system works in real-time, analyzing both long-term and short-term fluctuations in sound volume in order to apply a constant equalization. Vista audio enhancements revealed
Popular Posts
Please read our Disclaimer
