[AG-TECH] Fwd: A Lip Synch Problem Solution

[Osland, CD (Chris)]

The alternative, for those who are ventriloquistically challenged,
are the SloMuffs (pat. pend.) compensating headset.  These are
passive devices, in which the circumaural elements contain the
remarkable UltraDense gel.  This amazing material transmits
sound several orders of magnitude slower than air, so can compensate
for timeshifts.  As network delays are variable, SloMuffs contain
a reservoir of EltraDense gel, and the user can fill the earpieces
with more or less gel to exactly match prevailing conditions.

These units should start shipping at the beginning of 2Q04.
Please use your favourite search engine to discover more 
up-to-date details.

Cheers

Chris Osland


____________________________________________________________________
Chris Osland                                               Office tel: +44
(0) 1235 446565
Digital Media and Access Grid                          Medialab tel: +44 (0)
1235 446459
BIT Department                                     Access Grid room tel: +44
(0) 1235 445666
e-mail:   C.D.Osland at rl.ac.uk                                       Fax: +44
(0) 1235 445597
CLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Bldg. R18)
Chilton, DIDCOT, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Markus Buchhorn [mailto:Markus.Buchhorn at anu.edu.au]
> Sent: 01 April 2004 01:01
> To: ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov; video-l at aarnet.edu.au
> Subject: [AG-TECH] Fwd: A Lip Synch Problem Solution
> 
> 
> 
> For info. Interesting development out of OSU...
> 
> >Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 13:19:00 -0500
> >From: Bob Dixon <dixon.8 at osu.edu>
> >To: Megaconference: ;
> >Subject: A Lip Synch Problem Solution
> >
> >There have been a number of discussions about the occasional 
> "lip synch" problem in video conferencing.  The problem is 
> that in some cases the video is delayed longer than the 
> audio, so voices are heard before the speaker's lips are seen 
> to move. Crudely speaking, this is caused by the fact that 
> the video information is more voluminous than the audio 
> information, and hence is delayed by overloaded components 
> along the way, such as network devices and MCUs.  There is no 
> inherent synchronization built in, so in a non-ideal world, 
> things tend to become unsynchronized.
> >
> >There is usually no "knob" or setting one can manually 
> adjust to compensate for this. So this leads to either just 
> accepting it, or looking for more unusual solutions.
> >At the recent ViDe conference in Indianapolis, this topic 
> was discussed, and a new approach
> >was suggested. I have investigated this new approach further 
> and found that it may be a solution.
> >
> >The basic idea is that the audio needs to be delayed with 
> respect to the video, so as to bring them back into 
> synchronization.  It turns out that people can learn to do 
> this with a little effort.
> >All you have to do is move your lips before you actually 
> speak.  This is a form of ventriloquism, and it has been 
> taught for some time at the Edger Bergen Institute for 
> Advanced Speech.
> >
> >In traditional ventriloquism, you shift your speech to 
> another location. But in this case, you shift it to another 
> time.  In mathematical terms, the first case deals with the 
> spatial domain (often involving the spatial Fourier 
> Transform), and the second one with the time domain (where it 
> is described by the McCarthy Transform).
> >
> >I have been studying this new technique via a correspondence 
> course from the EBIAS, and have achieved a modest degree of 
> skill, as of April 1.  I can demonstrate it for you some time 
> in a video conference, or maybe in next year's Megaconference.
> >
> >
> >                                                           Bob
> >
> >
> >-- 
> >Robert S. Dixon, Ph D, PE
> >
> >Chief Research Engineer
> >
> >Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARNet)
> >and
> >Ohio State University, Office of the CIO
> >
> >Postal address:                  Office Telephone: 614-292-1638
> >Office of the CIO
> >Room 451 Baker Systems Engr
> >Ohio State University            Fax:              614-292-7081
> >1971 Neil Ave                    Email:        Bob_Dixon at osu.edu
> >Columbus, OH 43210
> >
> 
> 
> Markus Buchhorn, ANU Internet Futures Group,       |Ph: +61 2 61258810
> Markus.Buchhorn at anu.edu.au, mail: Bldg #108 CS&IT  |Fx: +61 2 61259805
> Australian National University, Canberra 0200 Aust.|Mob: 0417 281429
>