As a video producer I’ve been working in professional High Definition (HD) video formats for years. When consumer video made the move to HD it really catapulted the viewer experience into a dimension of quality previously only enjoyed by film makers. Then, last year, voice calls on  our  deskphones at Telstra went HD giving staff such a crisp, clear quality that it really feels like you’re talking face-to-face rather than over the phone. As a confirmed high def tragic, I was pretty excited when I heard it was coming to the Next G® mobile network.

To make the video I asked Tenielle, one of Australia’s up-and-coming singer/songwriters (and the 2009 winner of the Telstra Road to Tamworth) for her help to demonstrate the difference in clarity and range you hear on a HD Voice call versus a standard mobile phone call. It’s pretty important that a singer transmits the full dynamic range of their voice, so Tenielle was definitely up for the challenge. We did the filming and audio recording sat Chief Entertainment studios; with Tenielle singing her song  I did a little.

The video really demonstrates the difference in dynamic range between SD and HD mobile voice quality.  SD voice used a frequency range of 300-3400Hz compared to High Definition Voice which is capable of frequency ranges of 50-7000Hz.

It’s great to actually be able to hear the difference between the two. HD Voice really is a step up in quality. But watch the video, and let me know what you think.

Related links:

• Telstra introduces the World’s largest coverage footprint of HD Voice calling
• Telstra Road to Discovery
• Tenielle