Features

User-Friendly Interface

An LCD and full-time LED meters make setup, adjustment and programming of OPTIMOD-TV easy — you can always see the metering while you’re adjusting the processor. Navigation is by dedicated buttons, soft buttons (whose function is context-sensitive), and a large rotary knob. The LEDs show all metering functions of the processing structure (Two-Band or Five-Band) in use.

Absolute Control of Peak Modulation

The 8382 provides universal transmitter protection and audio processing for TV broadcast. It can be configured to interface ideally with any commonly found transmission system in the world, including EIAJ stereo, BTSC stereo, and dual-carrier.
The 8382’s dual-mono mode allows entirely separate mono programs to be processed, facilitating dual-language operation.
The 8382 provides pre-emphasis limiting for the two standard pre-emphasis curves of 50 ms and 75 ms. Its pre-emphasis control is seldom audibly apparent, producing a clean, open sound with subjective brightness matching the original program. (For AM aural carriers without pre-emphasis, we recommend Orban’s Optimod-DTV 6300 processor, which also includes a CBS Loudness Controller.)
The 8382 achieves extremely tight peak control at all its outputs — analog left/right and AES/EBU left/right.
The 8382 prevents aliasing distortion in subsequent stereo encoders or transmission links by providing bandwidth-limiting and overshoot-compensated 15 kHz low-pass filters ahead of the 8382’s audio outputs and stereo encoder.
Anti-aliased clippers running at 256 kHz sample rate prevent any trace of “digital clipper” sound.

Flexible Configuration

The 8382 includes analog and AES/EBU digital inputs and outputs. Both digital input and digital output are equipped with sample-rate converters and can operate at 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz sample rates. The pre-emphasis status and output levels are separately adjustable for the analog and digital outputs.
The analog inputs are transformerless, balanced 10k ohm instrumentation-amplifier circuits, and the analog outputs are transformerless balanced, and floating (with 50 ohm impedance) to ensure highest transparency and accurate pulse response.
The 8382 precisely controls the audio bandwidth to 15 kHz. This prevents overshoots in uncompressed digital links operating at a 32 kHz-sample rate and prevents interference to the pilot tone and RDS (or RBDS) subcarrier. Because the stopband of these filters begins at 16 kHz, they are well matched to BTSC stereo generators — the stereo generator will need to remove very little energy to protect the pilot tone, minimizing peak modulation overshoot.
All input, output, and power connections are rigorously RFI-suppressed to Orban’s traditional exacting standards, ensuring trouble-free installation.
The 8382 is designed and certified to meet all applicable international safety and emissions standards.

Adaptability through Multiple Audio Processing Structures

A processing structure is a program that operates as a complete audio processing system. Only one processing structure can be on-air at a time. OPTIMOD-TV realizes its processing structures as a series of high-speed mathematical computations made by Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chips.
The 8382 features two processing structures: Five-Band for a spectrally consistent sound with good loudness control, and Two-Band with CBS Loudness Controller for a transparent sound that preserves the frequency balance of the original program material while also effectively controlling subjective loudness. (The CBS Loudness Controller is not needed with the Five-Band processing because its spectral consistency creates consistent loudness as a desirable byproduct.)
A special Two-Band preset creates a no-compromise “Protect” function that is functionally similar to the “Protect” structures in earlier Orban digital processors. The Five-Band and the Two-Band structures can be switched via a mute-free crossfade.
The 8382 rides gain over an adjustable range of up to 25dB, compressing dynamic range and compensating for both operator gain-riding errors and gain inconsistencies in automated systems.
The 8382’s Two-Band processing structure is phase-linear to maximize audible transparency.
The 8382 uses Orban’s next-generation look-ahead technology to achieve outstandingly clean speech reproduction.

Controllable

The 8382 can be remote-controlled by 5-12V pulses applied to eight programmable, optically isolated “general-purpose interface” (GPI) ports.
8382PC Remote software is a highly graphical application that runs under Windows 2000 and XP. It communicates with a given 8382 via TCP/IP over modem, direct serial, and Ethernet connections. You can configure PC Remote to switch between many 8382s via a convenient organizer that supports giving any 8382 an alias and grouping multiple 8382s into folders. Clicking an 8382’s icon causes PC Remote to connect to that 8382 through an Ethernet network, or initiates a Windows Dial-Up or Direct Cable Connection if appropriate. The PC Remote software allows the user to access all 8382 features (including advanced controls not available from the 8382’s front panel), and allows the user to archive and restore presets, automation lists, and system setups (containing I/O levels, digital word lengths, GPI functional assignments, etc.).
OPTIMOD-TV contains a versatile real-time clock, which allows automation of various events (including recalling presets) at pre-programmed times.
A Bypass Test Mode can be invoked locally, by remote control (from either the 8382’s GPI port or the 8382 PC Remote application), or by automation to permit broadcast system test and alignment or “proof of performance” tests.
OPTIMOD-TV contains a built-in line-up tone generator, facilitating quick and accurate level setting in any system.
OPTIMOD-TV's software can be upgraded by running Orban-supplied downloadable upgrade software on a PC. The upgrade can occur remotely through the 8382’s Ethernet port or serial port (connected to an external modem), or locally (by connecting a Microsoft Windows® computer to the 8382’s serial port through the supplied null modem cable).