Coding Technologies and DTS used the occasion of the NAB show to showcase their combined aacPlus/DTS transcoding solution, which enables high-quality 5.1 surround sound for HDTV broadcasting at a fraction of the typically required transmission bandwidth. The new solution incorporates the highly efficient MPEG-4 aacPlus audio codec with the well-known DTS audio technology available in more than 50 million DTS-enabled home theater receivers.
By doing the DTS transcoding within the viewer’s set-top box, aacPlus/DTS enables broadcasters to profit from the bandwidth saving advantage of the aacPlus audio codec for over-the-air transmission and enables backwards compatibility. Specifically for 5.1 surround sound, 160kb/s aacPlus provides the same audio quality as 384kb/s transmissions currently used in ATSC. This frees up valuable transmission bandwidth, allowing broadcasters to add new video channels, secondary audio such as multilingual programming, or simply cut down on transmission costs.
For more information, visit www.codingtechnologies.com and www.dts.com.
