LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Connected TV software solution provider iWedia and Fraunhofer IIS, a leading applied research organization, have announced a partnership that will see the seamless integration of MPEG-H Audio into iWedia’s comprehensive ATSC 3.0 software stack.
The partnership is notable because it represents a crucial step in preparing for the rollout of the DTV+ next-generation broadcast standard in Brazil, which will incorporate advanced audio capabilities to enhance consumers’ viewing experience.
“This partnership with Fraunhofer IIS is vital for iWedia to deliver state-of-the-art solutions for emerging broadcast standards like DTV+ in Brazil,” explained Hans-Juergen Desor, iWedia CEO “Our deep knowledge of Android TV framework from the native codec to the TIF extensions and ATSC standard, will ensure an exceptional and personalized audio experience for viewers.”
This collaboration leverages iWedia’s deep expertise in ATSC 3.0 solutions and the cutting-edge advancements in MPEG-H Audio technology driven by Fraunhofer IIS.
“MPEG-H Audio provides significant benefits for broadcast, and we are excited to collaborate with iWedia to combine these advanced audio capabilities with ATSC 3.0 in preparation for DTV+ in Brazil,” added Adrian Murtaza, chief business development manager at Fraunhofer IIS. “Our joint work on integrating the MPEG-H codec, UI manager, and audio scene configuration handling into Android will enable immersive and personalized audio experiences for Brazilian consumers.”
The two companies described the benefits of their collaboration on bringing MPEG-H Audio to Android TV devices as follows:
- Preparation for new era of immersive and personalized audio with ATSC 3.0. Our collaboration ensures devices will be ready to deliver the advanced sound of the DTV+ broadcast standard.
- Experiencing high-fidelity MPEG-H Audio. We are working directly within the ATSC software stack and Android operating system to guarantee a smooth and exceptional audio experience by integrating crucial components for decoding and managing audio.
- Enjoying enhanced audio control and customization. Our integration provides users with easy-to-use tools to manage and personalize their audio experience, tailoring the sound to their individual preferences. This is achieved through the audio elementary stream piping, which is essential for retrieving and applying user preference scene configurations.
- Streamlined integration process. Manufacturers will benefit from our integration process, which makes it easier and more efficient to incorporate cutting-edge MPEG-H Audio into their TV products.
- User-friendly and intuitive experience. Handling audio information and user preferences within the Android TV framework to provide such an experience when interacting with MPEG-H Audio features involves extending the TV Input Framework (TIF) to handle audio information and user preferences effectively.
