Press Releases Archive

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits

Fraunhofer IIS Brings Surround Music to the iPod Community at CES

Press Release 5.01.2009

At the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, a worldwide leading provider of MPEG audio technologies, presents MPEG Surround, the new standard for high-quality surround music downloads. CES show attendees can experience MPEG Surround from a legacy iPod® through a Fraunhofer-designed iPod docking station prototype at booth 3219, North Hall. In addition, MPEG Surround will be demonstrated in one of the many environments to which it is ideally suited – the automobile.

“We believe that MPEG Surround will become a major online
distribution format when downloading music, movie and TV
content, and offers the music industry a way to sell iPodcompatible
surround content through the existing stereo
download infrastructure,” says Harald Popp, head of the
Multimedia Realtime Systems department at Fraunhofer IIS.
“As a consequence, we will work for the global acceptance
of MPEG Surround in 2009 as the new sound paradigm
for entertainment download as we have done for the radio
broadcasting markets in the past. In addition, we will deliver
efficient MPEG Surround software implementations to
content providers, operators, music stores, broadcasters and
related equipment OEMs to spur further industry adoption.”

With MPEG Surround, Fraunhofer brings a new level of
audio fidelity to the living room, the PC, the car and portable
devices such as iPods and 3G phones. Music labels includ-
ing Eagle Rock Entertainment and Telarc International have
endorsed this enhanced music standard.

Renowned producer, multiple Grammy and TEC Awardwinner
George Massenburg says: “As a music mixing professional,
I hear a dramatic world of possibilities mixing music
in surround. For some time I’ve been looking for the right
technology to make it easy for everyone to enjoy high-quality
surround music. The technology will have to fit easily into
existing delivery channels. It will have to offer a real stereo
downmix solution. It will have to be scaleable and it will have
to sound really good – good enough to pass modern critical
listening evaluations conducted by impartial professionals –
like me. Well, that solution is Fraunhofer’s MPEG Surround”

For more information, please visit:
http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/EN/bf/amm/products/mpegsurround