QC Central is now monitoring audio loudness in the LKFS scale as well as dbfs. Loudness levels are a more accurate way to discern a show or movies audio average, monitoring loudness is also mandated by law. President Obama recently signed into law the Calm Act. The purpose of this is so that all television program and commercials are being broadcast at the same audio levels. The law is designed to stop commercial content from being played louder than television programming. You may have noticed this at some point, you are watching a show with the volume low, and when a commercial comes on it is much louder, this is no longer allowed. The Calm Act is in force, throughout North America and Europe.
We are using the Dolby LM-100 Broadcast Loudness Meter to achieve the most accurate possible measurement. The LM-100 is a dedicated piece of hardware that measures many things including Loudness in the LKFS scale. It works by analyzing the entire audio content of a show and figuring out the dialogue average using algorithms. The acceptable range under the Calm act is -24LKFS +/- 2 LKFS, so a range of -22 to -24 LKFS.
Some networks and distributors have adopted the loudness specification as part of their audio production, and many more will soon follow. Many QC facilities are not reporting loudness levels as part of their reports, we are. Don’t risk getting a job kicked back due to inadequate Audio reporting on a quality control report. Call QC Central or the latest and most up to date QC’s in the industry.