Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
KOBA 2016
MPEG-H - Television Audio of the Future
At KOBA 2016, Fraunhofer will present the first professional broadcast encoders from Kai Media and DS Broadcast that support MPEG-H Audio. MPEG-H Audio enables immersive and interactive sound for next-generation UHDTV broadcast systems, such as ATSC 3.0.With MPEG-H Audio, broadcasters and streaming services can deliver the future of streaming and TV audio at unprecedented low bit rates in a cost-effective manner.
The MPEG-H Audio system is designed to work with today’s broadcast and streaming equipment and is part of the ATSC A/342 Candidate Standard. Features like object-based and immersive audio allow viewers to adjust the sound mix to suit their preferences and improves the level of realism of the overall audio experience. MPEG-H Audio allows also tailoring sound for optimal playback on a range of devices and environments, providing “universal delivery”.
Fraunhofer IIS will show real-time encoding and decoding of the new TV audio system. A combination of audio/video content will be broadcasted to a receiver for playback. Visitors can experience the new interactive and immersive features in a living room environment. Fraunhofer IIS will also demonstrate a new prototype 3D soundbar for convenient playback of immersive sound in any living room without requiring the installation of an elaborated loudspeaker setup.
Fraunhofer Cingo® & MPEG-H for the best immersive sound experience on VR devices
Fraunhofer Cingo brings immersive audio to VR devices and applications with a stunning level of realism to create the experience of “being there”. With more than 25 years of experience in the field of audio coding and processing, Fraunhofer IIS is a driving force in the industry in the development and delivery of truly immersive sound on VR devices, smartphones and tablets.
Cingo renders 3D audio content over headphones by incorporating head movements and as a result, sound sources can be perceived from anywhere in the 3D space around the listener. A truly immersive soundscape is of utmost importance in any VR experience and serves as a determining factor in the success of the illusion. The MPEG-H audio standard is the ideal companion for Cingo 3D audio rendering with the ability to deliver immersive 3D sound for virtual environments to mobile devices at bitrates used today for delivery of 2D surround sound. In addition to audio channels, MPEG-H can carry audio objects and higher-order-ambisonics signals. This capability makes it the ideal VR audio codec for user generated and Cinematic VR content, providing a complete toolset of VR audio mastering and mixing plugins from Fraunhofer.
In addition to immersive sound, Cingo also enables an excellent surround sound listening experience over stereo speakers or headphones while providing existing stereo content with a more natural and clear sound. It includes features such as loudness optimization for listening in noisy environments and improves the intelligibility of dialog and commentary. Fraunhofer Cingo is used by industry leaders such as Google in its family of Nexus devices, Samsung Gear VR, LG 360 VR, and in the Hulu VR app.
For the creation of 3D audio content that maximizes the VR experience, Fraunhofer IIS is currently developing production tools which can be previewed during KOBA:
- "Cingo Composer"Plugin: allows the authoring and mixing of 3D audio for VR in the DAW. Monitoring can be done in real time using Cingo and head-tracking.
- "Cingo for Unity" Plugin can import all audio tracks and metadata from the Cingo composer and automatically generates the VR audio scene as mixed previously in the DAW.