HE-AAC Test Suite Launched at NAB by Digital TV Labs and Fraunhofer IIS

Digital TV Labs Press Release /

Las Vegas, USA, April, 2014 – Digital TV Labs and Fraunhofer IIS have joined forces to develop the world’s first MPEG-4 HE-AAC audio test suite for DVB receivers now available to broadcast device manufacturers.

Digital TV Labs, the digital media and device testing expert that specializes in testing tools and services worked in conjunction with world-renowned audio technology specialist Fraunhofer IIS, to launch the new MPEG-4 HE-AAC audio conformance test suite for DVB receivers.

The test suite is designed to measure compliance for MPEG High Efficiency-Advanced Audio Coding (HE-AAC), the world’s most efficient high-quality multi-channel and stereo audio codec that was co-developed by Fraunhofer IIS.

The HE-AAC standard has been deployed globally in TV & Radio broadcast systems such as ISDB-T, SBTVD, DMB, ATSC-M/H, 3GPP, HbbTV, DAB+, and Digital Radio Mondiale. It is the de-facto standard for mobile streaming and natively supported by over 7 Billion devices. HE-AAC for DVB audio encoding is standardized by TS 101 154 and supports the full set of DVB/MPEG metadata.

Digital TV Labs is providing two core offerings, available to consumer electronics manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers; the option to license the DVB Receiver Test Suite for HE-AAC conformance and a complete testing service and report, both of which can be used to test products for verification of the audio standard.

The new HE-AAC DVB test suite will be built on existing extensive test streams from both organizations. It will enable efficient validation of end-user platforms and ensure interoperability with broadcast audio services.

Keith Potter, CEO of Digital TV Labs says: “We are delighted to be working with Fraunhofer IIS in rolling out this exciting program. This new development will provide for the first time a comprehensive test suite that will provide full HE-AAC coverage and compliance validation for DVB receivers.”

Harald Popp, head of the Audio & Multimedia Business department of Fraunhofer IIS added, “Fraunhofer’s goal has always been to deliver high quality implementations of advanced audio technologies to the rapidly evolving media world. With the HE-AAC audio compliance test suite of Digital TV Labs, manufacturers can make sure they deliver that high-quality audio and multimedia experience also to end-users.”

About Digital TV Labs:

Digital TV Labs provides specialized digital media consultancy, testing tools and services to validate digital media and device conformance for multiple standards across various worldwide geographies. The company delivers testing solutions for manufacturers, operators, standards organizations and broadcasters covering terrestrial, satellite, cable and IP delivery. Digital TV Labs’ flagship products, Evora iSuite and Ligada iSuite, are unique test frameworks incorporating multiple test suites covering over fifty countries and operators, and that can be quickly configured for new standards and specifications. Digital TV Labs, a Dolby Testing Licensee, Registered HbbTV Test Centre and DLNA accredited ICV, has over 300 clients including all the major consumer electronic brands, manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers. For more information about Digital TV Labs visit http://www.digitaltv-labs.com

Press contact:

Abigail Park, Digital TV Labs, abigail.park@digitaltv-labs.com, 0117 9896186

About Fraunhofer

When it comes to innovative audio technologies for the rapidly evolving media world, Fraunhofer IIS stands alone. For more than 25 years, digital audio technology has been the principle focus of the Audio and Multimedia division of Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS). From the creation of mp3 and the co-development of the AAC to the future of audio entertainment for broadcast, Fraunhofer IIS brings innovations in sound to reality. 

Today, technologies such as Fraunhofer Cingo for virtual surround sound, Fraunhofer Symphoria for automotive 3D audio, AAC-ELD for telephone calls with CD-like audio quality, and Dialogue Enhancement that allows television viewers to adjust dialogue volume to suit their personal preferences are among the division’s most compelling new developments.  Fraunhofer IIS technologies enable more than 7 billion devices worldwide. The audio codec software and application-specific customizations are licensed to more than 1,000 companies. The division’s mp3 and AAC audio codecs are now ubiquitous in mobile multimedia systems.

Fraunhofer IIS is based in Erlangen, Germany and is a division of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. With more than 23,000 employees worldwide, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is comprised of 67 institutes and research units making it Europe’s largest research organization. 

For more information, contact Mandy Garcia, mandy.garcia@iis.fraunhofer.de, or visit www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm