With its special features, xHE-AAC effortlessly meets the requirements of digital radio and mobile audio and video streaming applications, where various audio content types need to be transmitted at very low bit rates.
xHE-AAC for streaming applications
The codec opens up the possibility of reaching billions of users in emerging markets where 2G/3G networks still exist in significant numbers and wherever heavily congested 4G/5G networks in major cities are a common reality. Streaming service providers benefit from drastically reduced CDN cost and simplified encoding asset management; consumers enjoy improved service quality while saving on their precious monthly data allowance.
xHE-AAC for live streaming
For the encoding of live broadcasts and events with xHE-AAC, our encoder is equipped with the Live Automatic Loudness feature. This offers a fully automatic, unattended loudness control for live signals, while preserving much of the signal’s dynamic range and loudness transients. Live content will be played by an xHE-AAC decoder at a loudness level consistent with other xHE-AAC content. As the feature is completely integrated with the xHE-AAC encoder, there are no user adjustments required.
xHE-AAC for DRM
DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) is the first digital radio standard to adopt xHE-AAC (mandatory since 2013) and benefit from its features. As xHE-AAC is a superset of the MPEG HE‑AAC codec used for all DRM transmissions to date, HE‑AAC remains available as part of the DRM standard to retain compatibility with existing systems. With xHE-AAC, DRM broadcasters can now use the same codec for all types of content and benefit from a simplified codec configuration process: The encoder automatically optimizes all quality-relevant parameters, eliminating the need to change configuration settings depending on the type of audio content being broadcast. In addition, the reduced bit demand of the codec allows for the delivery of a wider selection of audio programs.