Omnia XII supports Nielsen, Fifty5Blue (formerly Kantar), and Ipsos watermarking via paid license options. To active your license, see Activating a Paid License.
Omnia XII Nielsen Watermarking License Option: Adds Nielsen watermarking to the Omnia XII Audio Processor. One license must be purchased per unique program input. Individual CBET codes must be obtained from Nielsen or its affiliates.
Omnia XII Kantar Watermarking License Option: Adds Fifty5Blue watermarking to the Omnia XII Audio Processor. One license must be purchased per unique program input. Individual codes must be obtained from Fifty5Blue.
Omnia XII Ipsos Watermarking License Option: Adds Ipsos watermarking to the Omnia XII Audio Processor. One license must be purchased per unique program input. Individual codes (tokens) must be obtained from Ipsos or its affiliates.
Navigating to Watermark Pages
To navigate to Omnia XII watermarking controls:
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose FM/HD Processing > PROC.
In the middle section of the screen, click Expanded.
Click Watermarking in the block diagram.
Control tabs for Fifty5Blue, Nielsen, and Ipsos watermarking display. Click the tab to access the desired watermarking controls.
Setting up Nielsen Watermarking
The Omnia XII audio process features built-in software integration to support Nielsen’s PPM watermark encoder. This capability replaces the function of a hardware PPM encoder, and places the watermarking process at an optimal point in the Omnia XII’s internal signal chain.
Prerequisites:
Omnia XII Nielsen Watermarking License Option purchased and activated. See Activating a License for a Paid Option.
Valid CSIDs (media codes) obtained from Nielsen
Just as Nielsen's hardware PPM encoders have a unique ID that identifies your specific station, your Omnia XII needs a unique ID in order to watermark your audio. These codes are available only from Nielsen. To request media codes, contact Nielsen:
Email: encoding@nielsen.com
Phone: 1-866-767-7212
To set up Neilson watermarking:
Contact Nielsen to obtain text-based SIDS and check digits.
Configure time synchronization.
Nielsen watermarking uses psychoacoustic masking to stamp an inaudible, time-stamped payload into your audio. If the processor’s internal clock drifts, audience logs will mismatch and fail to register credit.
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose Settings.
Click the Clock Sync tab.
In the Synchronization Mode drop-down menu, select PTP.
Navigate to the Nielsen watermarking controls.
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose FM/HD Processing > PROC.
In the middle section of the screen, click Expanded.
Click Watermarking in the block diagram.
Click the Nielsen tab.
Input Station Identifiers (SIDS).
Once the license is active and time is locked, you must map your unique audience tracking tokens that were provided directly by Nielsen.
Select the processing core or output stream you want to track (for example, FM Output).
Locate the SID (Source Identification Code) entry fields.
Carefully input your official Nielsen SID and accompanying Check Digits.
Important! For most FM stations, make sure you put the same codes in for FM and HD1 (and enable both encoders & HD>-FM Crossfeed). This ensures that the HD1 simulcast is getting credited as well as the FM. Do not fill in or enable the HD2/HD3 unless you are subscribed to ratings for them and have the appropriate codes from Nielsen. Do not duplicate your FM/HD1 codes on HD2 and HD3.
Important! If instructed by Nielsen, separate encoding for FM and HD1 is permitted. The Omnia XII supports this configuration, but HF >-FM Crossfeed must be disabled.
Ensure that CBET Mode is set to the proper location: International or Domestic (US).
If your market tracks via CBET (Critical Band Encoding Technology), enter the designated CBET ID and CBET Check Digits in their respective fields.
Enable and verify the encoder.
In the Status box, click Engaged.
Verify the encoder by looking at the Status Window directly inside the Nielsen UI window.
The display transitions to a green state to indicate it is running and actively iterating codes in the current audio path.
Tip! Use the Client Audio File Recorder to send MP3 validation recordings to Nielsen. Just pick the appropriate patch point (Decoded MPX, or HD1 output). You can even record both paths at once. To set up a recording, go to Client Audio / Client File Recorder
Setting up Fifty5Blue Watermarking
The Omnia XII audio processor features built-in software integration to support Fifty5Blue (formerly Kantar) ratings watermark encoding.
Prerequisites:
Omnia XII Kantar Watermarking License Option purchased and activated. See Activating a License for a Paid Option.
Active contract and specific tracking codes from Fifty5Blue.
These codes are available only from Fifty5Blue. To request media codes, contact Fifty5Blue directly.Fifty5Blue will send you a Fifty5Blue media license and an Audience license, which you can upload to as many cores as you like.
The Audience license may contain multiple channel codes, which is Fifty5Blue’s equivalent of the Nielsen CBET ID.
IMPORTANT - If you want to encode an FM and three HDs with separate codes, you will have to let Fifty5Blue know, so that they can generate an Audience license with the correct amount of channels.
To set up Fifty5Blue watermarking:
Navigate to the Fifty5Blue watermarking controls.
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose FM/HD Processing > PROC.
In the middle section of the screen, click Expanded.
Click Watermarking in the block diagram.
Click the Fifty5Blue tab.
Extract the hardware lock token (.ext file) from the Omnia XII.
Click Download Authorization Code to generate a hardware-based .txt file required to request a unique license file from audience measurement administrators.
Save the generated .txt file to your computer.
Secure your specific Audience License file by submitting the file via the Fifty5Blue/Kantar Helpdesk portal.
Fifty5Blue will send you an official customized license file.
Copy the file to your computer.
Upload the received Fifty5Blue license file from your file to the audio processor.
Note: The license must have a .lic extension.In the Omnia XII web UI, return to the Fifty5Blue page.
In the Fifty5Blue section, click Choose File, navigate to the Fifty5Blue file returned to you, choose it, and then click Upload in the Omnia XII web UI.
Upload an Audience license file from your computers to the audio processor.
Note: The license must have a .aud extension.
In the Omnia XII web UI, return to the Fifty5Blue page.
In the Fifty5Blue License section, click Choose File, navigate to the Audience file, choose it, and then click Upload in the Omnia XII web UI.
Route the measurement codes and enable the encoder.
In the Channel ID section, select the individual station ID/channel codes from the freshly populated dry-down list.
Click Apply to map these codes to your target processing core (such as FM).
Click Engage to start Fifty5Blue watermarking and verify the status indicator changes to a steady green.
If needed, click Restart to restart watermarking.
To remove Fifty5Blue licenses:
Navigate to the Fifty5Blue watermarking controls.
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose FM/HD Processing > PROC.
In the middle section of the screen, click Expanded.
Click Watermarking in the block diagram.
Click the Fifty5Blue tab.
Click Remove Licenses to remove the Fifty5Blue license (.lic) and the Audience Measurement license (.aud) files.
Removing the license files will render Fifty5Blue watermarking inoperable until licenses are reloaded.
Setting up Ipsos Watermarking
The Ipsos watermarking module enables a broadcast feed to be embedded with metadata for identification, primarily for market research and audience measurement.
Prerequisite:
Omnia XII Ipsos Watermarking License Option purchased and activated. See Activating a License for a Paid Option.
To set up Ipsos watermarking:
Navigate to the Ipsos watermarking controls.
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose FM/HD Processing > PROC.
In the middle section of the screen, click Expanded.
Click Watermarking in the block diagram.
Click the Ipsos tab.
Request a license file from Ipsos.
Upload the file from your computer back into the Omnia XII.
In the License section, click Choose File, navigate to the Audience file, and choose it.
Click Upload in the Omnia XII web UI.
Type in your Station ID/Channel Code.
Click Enable and verify the module status indicator changes to a steady green.
Setting up External Hardware Watermarking with Voltair
To set up external hardware watermarking (such as a physical 25-Seven Voltair and a hardware Nielsen PPM encoder) with the Omnia XII, you must configure a physical loop-through using the processor’s software-controlled patch insert point.
The Omnia XII patch point feature is designed exclusively for external, physical hardware loop-throughs. It allows you to intercept the audio stream at a designated "sweet spot" within the processor's pipeline, route it out of the physical AES/EBU or AoIP (Livewire) ports to an external box (such as a hardware Voltair or a standalone hardware ratings encoder), and return the processed audio back into the air-chain.
Placing the Voltair into Omnia XII’s patch point loop ensures that it receives audio after the Wideband AGC and multi-band sections have smoothed out the signals. This pre-processed audio allows the watermark tones to embed more robustly. After the tones are added, the audio travels back in the Omnia XII’s final peak limiters and Clemenza clipper, protecting the transmitter from overmodulation distortion.
To set up external hardware watermarking with Voltair:
Wire the physical hardware loop.
Route the audio in a continuous daisy chain out of the Omnia XII, through the external hardware, and back into the Omnia XII.
Connect a physical cable (AES/EBU, RJ45, or Livewire AoIP network) from a designated output on the back of the Omnia XII to the input of your external enhancement processor (for example, Voltair).
Connect the output of the Voltair to the input of your physical ratings encoder (for example, a Nielsen PPM box).
Connect the output of the rating encoder back into a designated physical input on the back of the Omnia XII.
Configure the patch point source and routing
In the Omnia XII web UI, choose FM/HD Processing > PROC.
In the middle section of the screen, click Patch Return.
Set the Patch Return Source to the exact physical input port where the ratings encoder’s output cable is returning (Analog, AES 1. AES 2, or AES 3).
Activate the patch loop on the processing core by switching Patch Mode to ON.
Once the physical routing is defined, you must tell the internal processing core to break its internal signal path and divert the audio through your new external hardware loop.
The audio path will break at the sweet spot (right after the multi band AGC/compressor states) and begin routing through your external Voltair and hardware encoder.
The “Patch Mode” control activates (ON) or bypasses (OFF) the patch point. Unless you are actually using the patch point, be sure this control remains set to OFF or the audio to all outputs could be silenced.Configure gain staging and verify the loop.
To prevent digital clipping or signal loss, you must balance the input and output levels.
View the live input meter on your external Voltair and encoder to ensure they are receiving a healthy, unclipped signal.
If the signal is too hot or too low, return to the Patch Return controls and adjust the Patch Gain.
It is imperative that the patch point be at unity gain. If the return is too hot, this will cause distortion since the return signal goes directly to the clipper.
Note: If you turn down the Patch Gain, it brings up the input level automatically by same amount.Check the Omnia XII’s final limiter/clipper meters to confirm the audio returning from the external encoder loop is hitting the final stages at unity gain without overloading.