APT and Skywalker Sound form a winning team

Belfast-based Audio Processing Technology (APT) have been awarded the Invest Northern Ireland Strategic Development Award in recognition of its work with Skywalker Sound.
APT collaborated with Skywalker Sound, a division of Lucas Digital, to develop WorldNet Skylink - a range of products that will allow the secure transfer of multi-channel audio using Internet Protocols (IP).
Skywalker Sound's engineering liaison for the project, Doug Ford, recently visited APT's head offices in Belfast to check on progress and he met with Managing Director, Noel McKenna, who received the award on behalf of APT.
McKenna said: "We are delighted that Invest Northern Ireland has recognised our involvement with Skywalker Sound by presenting us with this prestigious honour. WorldNet Skylink is an exciting project for both companies and we anticipate healthy demand from the market when the units eventually roll off the production line."
WorldNet Skylink uses APT's industry standard compression algorithm Enhanced apt-X to provide a method of transferring audio that is capable of operating over a variety of data links.
APT has undertaken to develop complimentary encoders and decoders that will operate in several different modes including 'store and forward', using secure FTP transmission, real-time streaming or 'pseudo-streaming'.
The new products will give film directors and producers the ability to review works being mixed at Skywalker Sound in Marin County wherever they are in the world.
The inclusion of 'store and forward' facilities will mean that time differences are eliminated.
Field trials for the WorldNet Skylink units are expected to take place towards the end of this year.
(SP)