Fraunhofer IIS, the world’s renowned source for audio and multimedia technologies, today announced a licensing agreement with Triton Digital’s Streaming Division, which will enable Triton customers to benefit from the most efficient surround audio algorithms for the delivery of their Internet radio programs.

Triton Digital encoders will incorporate Fraunhofer’s gold standard MPEG Surround and HE-AAC audio codecs, which combine the best audio quality, robustness and highest compression efficiency. The agreement also includes SX Pro, Fraunhofer’s flexible upmix tool that can be used by broadcasters to create surround audio from original stereo content before encoding. This enables a smooth transition from the stereo to the surround streaming age and allows content providers to launch attractive 24/7 surround services right away.

“Now more than ever, Internet radio has to compete with various HD media offerings for the consumer’s attention at home, on-the-go and even in cars. The audience expects the highest audio quality, similar to HDTV or DVD, especially when using high-end speakers,” said Harald Popp, head of the Multimedia Realtime Systems department at Fraunhofer IIS. “This quality expectation often includes surround sound and our efficient codecs enable broadcasters to deliver this immersive experience to their listeners at affordable and reliable bitrates.”

“We selected Fraunhofer audio codecs to provide our customers with a flexible and future-proof audio solution that meets consumers’ high quality expectations in any given listening environment,” said Yves Eric Laliberté, President of Triton Digital’s Streaming Division.

Triton Digital’s Streaming Division offers a suite of streaming and advertising tools including media management tools, measurement, player creation as well as ad insertion and management. With multiple points of presence across four countries using operational and dimensioning guidelines above industry standards, Triton streaming audio and video is designed for broadcasters insuring optimal and reliable distribution of content to a broad worldwide audience.
For more information, visit www.tritondigital.com.

MPEG Surround is an ISO standard co-developed by Fraunhofer IIS. It is the ideal solution for bandwidth efficient surround Internet radio services, allowing the cost-efficient delivery of surround audio at stereo bitrates as low as 64 kbit/s for 5.1-channels. Software implementations for device and software player manufacturers are available from Fraunhofer IIS for various operating systems and embedded platforms.
Fraunhofer IIS (hall 8, B80) will exhibit at the IBC Show in Amsterdam, September 9 – 13, 2011.
For more information, visit www.iis.fraunhofer.de/audio