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

[Victor Cornell]

Happy April 1st to you too Chris.

Vic

On Thu, Apr 01, 2004 at 10:06:41AM +0100, Osland, CD (Chris)  wrote:
> 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
> [The contents of this email are confidential and are for the use of the
> intended recipient only.
> If you are not the intended recipient do not take any action on it or show
> it to anyone else,
> but return this email to the sender and delete your copy of it.]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > -----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
> > 

-- 
_____________________________________________________
Vic Cornell.
IT Development Manager.
Information Technology Group,
Southampton Oceanography Centre,
Room 256/29,
Empress Dock,  European Way,
SOUTHAMPTON, SO14 3ZH, UK.
Email: vcc at mail.soc.soton.ac.uk http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/
Tel:02380596193 Fax:02380596195 Home Working:01803 812 535
_____________________________________________________