The new technology is unrivalled for suppressing the ever constantly changing background noise in television programmes. Similar research being developed by leading, rival UK and US science universities focuses only on constant background noises such as aircraft and car engines. Diction is based around an intelligent algorithm that learns to quickly distinguish actors voices and the background sounds. Digital signal processing techniques then lower the background sounds, without degrading the main foreground sounds. Diction is the first time that television background noise has been successfully suppressed because of the ever changing sound and pitch levels.
Diction is a world-leading solution which has a range of other applications.
For instance, with mobile phone users, the technology will significantly reduce distracting background sound from vehicles and general high street noise. It will also benefit the military where soldiers communicating in tanks, aircraft, trucks and helicopters can experience deafening background noise. Diction will be able to identify and cancel out this background noise enabling the person on the receiving end to hear clearly. This developed commentary production and transmission systems to help blind and partially sighted people to follow television. The Audetel project was awarded the Royal Television Society s Communications Innovation Award.