Fraunhofer IIS, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (“QTI”), and Technicolor,
the three major technology companies behind the MPEG-H Audio standard,
are demonstrating this new technology at the NAB 2015 conference in Las
Vegas this week. In two separate venues, the companies will offer the
world’s first live broadcast demonstration of their new immersive and
interactive TV audio system currently proposed for ATSC 3.0 and being
developed for over-the-top streaming video services.
MPEG-H Audio offers viewers the ability to turn up or down particular audio elements in a program – such as dialogue or sound effects – as they prefer. © Fraunhofer IIS/Boxler/Schilling.
MPEG-H Audio is designed to offer broadcasters a cost-effective means to
elevate the sound quality of their offerings beyond 5.1 surround while
incorporating groundbreaking new interactive and immersive features
across the full range of modern viewing devices from high-end home
theaters, to tablets, smartphones, and sound bars.
MPEG-H Audio Live Broadcast Demonstration
The end-to-end live production demonstration at the Fraunhofer booth
SU3714 will incorporate a live audio feed from a remote truck combined
with recorded programming from video servers at the network. The process
for distributing the new, live content to affiliate stations, inserting
local commercials and emission to viewers’ living rooms will be included
in the demo.
Aside from the Fraunhofer prototype audio/video encoders and decoders
and a Jünger Audio monitoring unit, all of the equipment in the
demonstration is unmodified broadcast equipment used in TV plants and
remote trucks today.
The system is based on the new MPEG-H Audio international standard. It
offers viewers the ability to choose different audio presentations, such
as “home team” or “away team” commentary for a sports event, or volume
control over specific audio elements in a program – such as dialogue or
sound effects. Viewers are also able to experience immersive sound over
loudspeakers, new 3D soundbars, tablet computer speakers, and
headphones. Additionally, it is a true multi-screen audio system that
tailors playback so programs sound best on a range of devices and
environments – from quiet home theaters with speakers to the subway or
airport with earbuds.
All of these features will be under the control of the broadcaster or
content distributor, providing new creative opportunities, such as the
ability to efficiently add additional languages, players, or official
microphones, or, as the three companies have demonstrated, car to pit
crew radios at races.
“This system has grown from our pioneering work on Dialogue Enhancement
years ago and our early work in immersive sound, as well as our 15 years
of providing half the world’s TV sound. In November 2013, we presented
the idea of a football game where you could Hear Your Home Team™ and
adjust audio elements of a program to your preference. We have
progressed to a full, live implementation of the audio path from the
field of play at a sports event to the listener’s ears at home or
mobile,” said Robert Bleidt, Division General Manager at Fraunhofer USA
Digital Media Technologies.
“At Technicolor we are proud to contribute our Scene Based Audio
Higher-Order Ambisonics technology to this great opportunity for
broadcasters,” said Claude Gagnon, SVP, Content Solutions Industry
Relations. “We continue to invest in the creative community to develop a
rich ecosystem for the Film and the Broadcast industry.”
The demonstration will also include prototypes of new consumer devices
supporting MPEG-H, including a Technicolor set-top box, Samsung
pre-production prototype TV, and Texas Instruments-based audio-video
receiver.
To experience this demo at NAB, please visit the Fraunhofer booth SU3714
or contact matthias.rose@iis.fraunhofer.de.
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