Optimal Sound - Testing for Audio in Windows Vista

Optimal Sound provides Audio Test Services

Audio Logo Testing

Optimal Sound provides complete logo testing services for audio devices and the audio portion of the system logo tests. The audio fidelity test logs generated by Optimal Sound can be combined with device or system logs created at the system vendor's site, in order to complete WHQL device or system submissions. All system IDs and device IDs must match (not just audio device ID) in order for logs to be included in this fashion.

In the case that a test is failing, Optimal Sound can make recommendations on how to resolve the issue in the quickest and most cost-effective manner possible. Contact us for more information.

Audio Fidelity Testing

The new Audio Fidelity tests are required for both audio device and overall system logo submissions for Vista. Completed audio fidelity test logs must be included with the submission, even though passing logs will not be required until June 1, 2007. Contact us for more information.

Competitive Analysis

Optimal Sound can perform complete competitive analysis and teardown of PC audio subsystems, and generate audio flow charts along with detailed implementation reports. Detail can be provided at whatever level is needed by the customer. Contact us for more information.

Usability Testing

While usability testing is always an important concern, it is especially important given all the changes to audio found in Microsoft Vista. Usability testing is largely an iterative process, and is fundamentally different from functional testing. Usability testing observes how typical users perform critical tasks using the system being tested, then factors corrections into the next development release., where the usability is again tested with a new group of test subjects. Optimal Sound can perform usability testing for you; click here for more information. Contact us for more information.

Functional Testing

Functional testing is the process of determining whether the audio subystem performs as expected. Rather than running a battery of automated tests, functional testers perform common tasks and verify correct results. Unlike usability testing, the same team of functional testers deployed for each successive development release. Functional testing should be employed for each piece of audio-enabled software shipped on a system. For instance, if your system includes a media jukebox program, then both the media jukebox and Windows Media Player should be tested to verify that they both play all popular audio file formats. Optimal Sound can perform audio functional testing for you. Contact us for more information.

Test Failure Analysis

Optimal Sound provides complete failure analysis for any audio test failure. We can provide recommendations on how to resolve issues in a cost effective and timely way. If there is a test failure that needs to be resolved, we can resolve it.

Use Optimal Sound services to add an audio expert to your team, and ensure that your systems sound great, are easy to understand, and function properly with Windows Vista. Contact us for more information.

News about HD Audio and Windows* Vista*

Microsoft Releases Updated Guide to Array Microphone Implementation A major update to this white paper from Microsoft provides previously-unavailable details on how the Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Microphone-Array Beamforming processing built into Windows Vista is implemented, as well as how to test it and use it. For more info, click here.

Microsoft Releases New Microphone Array Verification Tool Microsoft has released a command-line tool which can verify whether an audio driver accurately reports microphone-array geometry information and whether the Voice Capture DMO operating in microphone-array mode processes the captured data accurately. For more info, click here.

Microsoft includes built-in Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Microphone Array Processing in Vista As part of DirectShow 9, Microsoft has included Vista-only source code with the new Windows SDK. This source code can be compiled to create a test app which demonstrates the Acoustic Echo Cancellation DMO. While initially intended for use with USB-based array microphones, guidelines are provided for HD Audio implementation as well. For more info, click here.

Microsoft Documents Limit on DTM Test Storage, outlines possible solutions Driver Test Manager (DTM) is the new logo testing infrastructure used for both Windows Vista and Windows XP logo submissions. The default installation is limited to 2 GB of storage, which is enough to get started, but probably not enough for serious DTM users. To find out more options, click here.

Microsoft includes Audio System Effects in Vista Microsoft has released an updated white paper on how to use the Audio System Effects that are included at no charge in Windows Vista. In-box built-in effects include
    Loudness Equalization DSP (LFX)
    Forward Bass Management (LFX)
    Reverse Bass Management (LFX)
    Low Frequency Protection (LFX)
    Speaker Fill (LFX)
    Room Correction (GFX)
    Virtual Surround (LFX)
    Speaker Phantoming (LFX)
    Virtualized Surround Sound over Headphones (LFX)
    Bass Boost (LFX)
For more details, click here.

Microsoft WHQL postpones date that systems must pass audio fidelity tests On Thursday, August 30, Microsoft's Hardware newsletter announced that systems will not be required to pass the audio fidelity portion of the logo tests until June 1st, 2007. However, all submissions must include complete logs from the audio fidelity tests, which requires an Audio Precision System 2 test set to be connected to the DTM test environment. For more info, click here.

Audio Fidelity Testing Now Required for Vista Audio Device Logo Microsoft has released Windows Logo Program (WLP) specification 3.07, which has significant impact on the audio development and logo submission process for Windows Vista. Audio devices and drivers are now required to included passing audio fidelity test logs in order to qualify for device logo. For more info, click here.

Windows Vista RC2 to be released October 6, 2006 Recently disclosed details of Windows Vista RC2 release indicate that Vista build 5743 will be released Friday, October 56, 2006, and will be designated as Vista Release Candidate 2 (RC2). For more info, click here.

Audio Design Line Publishes excerpt from HD Audio Book EE Times affiliate Audio Design Line, has reprinted Chapter 9 of the new book from Intel Press, High Definition Audio for the Digital Home: Proven Techniques for Getting It Right the First Time by David Roach, Scott Janus, and Wayne Jones. This chapter of the book describes the complete signal audio signal path of a modern PC, including both hardware and software audio components. For more info, click here.

Microsoft publishes sample code for 3 different Audio System Effects Microsoft has released sample code for three different sample Audio System Effects along with a retitled document describing how to use them. For more info, click here.

Microsoft Multimedia VP Amir Majidimehr writes about Audio System Effects included in Windows Vista Read first-hand the thinking behind the new Audio System Effects included in Windows Vista. For more info, click here.

Microsoft Channel 9 Video on audio hardware for Windows Vista features Hakon Strande and David Roach Check out the 38-minute Channel 9 video featuring Hakon Strande of Microsoft and David Roach of Optimal Sound discussing the audio hardware in Vista. For more info, click here.

Microsoft Releases HD Audio Pin Configuration Test Guidelines Microsoft has released a paper entitled Microsoft HD Audio Pin Configuration Implementation Test Procedure Guidelines. The paper describes how to use a Microsoft-supplied pin configuration utility to generate and validate a set of verb tables which is embedded in the system BIOS. The verb table describes the audio configuration of the system. If the verb table is configured incorrectly, the UAA HD Audio class driver will not function properly and the Windows Vista logo tests will fail. For more info, click here.

News about HD Audio & Vista

Optimal Sound provides Audio Test Services

News about HD Audio and Windows* Vista*