Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IISIn this section we provide information and materials from recent webinars on Audio and Media Technologies topics.
Webinar Archive
xHE-AAC: Next-Generation Audio Advancements with Fraunhofer and MainConcept
Fraunhofer’s high-quality xHE-AAC audio encoder is now available as a FFmpeg Plugin from MainConcept. Fraunhofer IIS was the primary developer of the xHE-AAC audio codec and MainConcept is the leading provider of video and audio codecs, plugins and applications to the production, streaming and broadcast industries.
In this webinar, experts from Fraunhofer and MainConcept discuss how:
- Loudness and dynamic range metadata in xHE-AAC can help you provide the best possible listening experience on any device and in any environment
- xHE-AAC empowers service providers and audio professionals worldwide that rely on FFmpeg-based ingest and encoding frameworks
- Audio bandwidth is saved as a result of xHE-AAC’s encoding efficiency without sacrificing quality
- To maximize audio encoding efficiency from 12 kbit/s to 500 kbit/s and above for optimized stereo services
The webinar concludes with a Q&A session.
Immersives und Personalisiertes Audio für Rundfunk, Streaming und Musik
Daniela Rieger and Yannik Grewe held a webinar for the Association of German Tonmeister (Verband deutscher Tonmeister) about functionality and possible uses of MPEG-H Audio and gave an overview of the state of development. In the practical presentation they demonstrated the production of MPEG-H Audio. The recording concludes with a Q&A session.
The webinar is in German.
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union DIGITAL BROADCASTING SYMPOSIUM 2021
As member of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium, Fraunhofer IIS partcipated in the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium, presented the latest findings after the recent DRM FM trial in India, and gave a workshop on DRM enabling distance learning.
"Better UHD-TV Experiences – lessons from MPEG-H audio and HLG" webinar - as part of "24h of ATEME"
Together with Mickaël Raulet of ATEME and Andrew Cotton of BBC, Adrian Murtaza talked about the latest updates and developments in production and broadcast workflows with immersive and personalized sound.
SMPTE February Virtual Meeting: Next Generation Audio for ATSC 3.0
At its February virtual meeting, SMPTE Hollywood hosted a panel of broadcast experts for a discussion of the groundbreaking audio features of ATSC 3.0, the new digital television transmission standard also known as Next Gen TV. Expected to be adopted by broadcasters worldwide, ATSC 3.0 promises to deliver improved home and mobile reception, greater data capacity and better quality, as well as support for the advanced sound codecs MPEG-H Audio and Dolby AC-4.
AES webinar: MPEG-H Authoring Suite for post-production workflows
With MPEG-H content, producers can enable features that create an entirely new audio experience for consumers. This session explains how you, as a producer, can do that. MPEG-H Authoring Suite (MAS) is a set of applications that facilitates the easy, fast and intuitive production of MPEG-H Audio content. In this webinar, Yannik Grewe demonstrates the MAS tools for production, monitoring and quality control as well as their interoperability.
Webinar series "Next Generation Audio and Video Technologies"
While the COVID-19 pandemic is still holding the industry back from getting together and leading valuable conversations, Fraunhofer IIS invited the broadcast industry leaders ATEME, Cobalt, Interdigital, Jünger, Philips, Technicolor and Telos Alliance to join forces and offer a series of three webinars about available solutions to deploy next generation audio and video technologies as well as the latest trends in the broadcast industry.
The panel formed by experts in standardization, broadcast and production workflows walks the viewers through the necessary steps for the transition to next-generation broadcast and streaming technologies including the most advanced features of MPEG-H Audio and Advanced HDR by Technicolor. These technologies are the key building blocks for the future of entertainment and provide a heightened level of user experience as they open the doors for innovative business opportunities and new content formats.
Demonstrations explain how immersive and interactive sound and truly vivid pictures can be enabled within the limits of today’s infrastructures.
Learn more about the speakers and agenda
Part 1: Roundtable – Meet the experts
Our experts discuss the current status in standardization and adoption of Next Generation TV technologies in the different regions of the world as well as the directions broadcast and streaming are taking in various markets.
Watch the recording (at Vimeo)
Part 2: Next Generation Audio and Video technologies
With the advanced MPEG-H immersive and personalized sound features as well as Advanced HDR by Technicolor, content creators can now enable completely new and premium audio and video experiences for their viewers. In this session, our experts share their experience gained while working with broadcasters all over the world during major live events that were broadcast or streamed in MPEG-H Audio and Advanced HDR by Technicolor.
Watch the recording (at Vimeo)
Part 3: Hands-on experience with MPEG-H Audio and Advanced HDR by Technicolor
“How can I leverage HDR as well as immersive and interactive audio technologies today, using my existing production workflows and infrastructure? While enabling these next generation technologies, how can I also produce and deliver high quality SDR and legacy audio in a cost-effective way?” These are some of the most important questions we receive from broadcasters. This webinar provides the answers. Our experts talk about live production and broadcast, and demonstrate how to enable the most advanced features in existing facilities.
Comprehensive solutions and expertise for the entire broadcast chain
Fraunhofer IIS offers technologies and applications for the entire chain of global digital radio standards DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) - from the studio to the receiver. Because IBC took place virtually this year, we have adapted our demos to a digital format to remain connected with you. Come to Fraunhofer’s virtual show floor and visit our digital radio experts in their webinar on consumer and professional services and solutions.
Lexology Webinar: Turning points across the spectrum – standard-essential patent licensing and litigation
In the context of healthy and sustainable innovation ecosystems, this discussion focussed on standardisation and the licensing of standard-essential patents (SEPs). A particular focus was on FRAND rights and obligations which are attributed to both a licensor and licensee – highlighting the distinct features of both a licensing negotiation and an infringement litigation. Collectively the interdisciplinary panel, which included Stefan Geyersberger, head of patents and licensing at Fraunhofer IIS, drew on deep experience gained in relation to SEP assets, with a particular focus on European and German case law.
This online seminar was organized by the Office of Elisabeth Opie - International Technology Lawyers, and hosted by Lexology.
A recording of the session is available at the Lexology website (Registration required)
AES LA Webinar: MPEG-H for broadcast, streaming and music
In the U.S., immersive (surround sound plus sound from above) sound is largely a feature film cinema experience, perhaps with a Blu-ray release. But, did you know immersive sound is part of ATSC 3.0 and some networks have been broadcasting immersive TV sound for three years? Or, that Amazon Music offers immersive music on their smart speaker?
All these uses are made possible by the open-standard MPEG-H Audio system primarily developed by Fraunhofer, which also offers 'turn down the announcer' interactivity. Robert Bleidt explains the concepts behind immersive sound and interactivity, and discusses its use in broadcast, streaming, and music markets.
Please contact us for details on how to access the recording of the webinar.
MPEG-H Audio Metadata and Production Format (organized by SET)
The MPEG-H Audio system enables immersive, interactive and customizable sound with advanced accessibility features such as dialogue enhancement and audio description. Already used in broadcast over ATSC, DVB and ISDB networks, the system enables producers and content creators to bring completely new audio experiences to viewers at home.
Our speakers share the great experience gained during live broadcast of major sports and music events and offer you a walk through live and post production tools for MPEG-H Audio. Special attention is given to the metadata handling in production, which is a key factor for enabling all the new and exciting features of MPEG-H Audio. There is also an introduction to the MPEG-H ADM Profile and interoperability with the Immersive Audio Bitstream (IAB) standard for immersive audio content.
Please get in touch with the Brazilian Society of Television Engineering (SET) in order to access the recording of the webinar: https://www.set.org.br/contato?lang=en
SET compiled a video of session highlights (available on Youtube)
A short summary of the webinar (in Brazilian Portuguese) is available on the SET website
Everything you need to know about MPEG-H Audio
The MPEG-H Audio system enables immersive, interactive and customizable sound with advanced accessibility features such as dialogue enhancement and audio description.
In this webinar, our speakers guide you through an end-to-end MPEG-H Audio broadcast and streaming chain, from production tools and encoding to end devices that support MPEG-H Audio. Professional equipment already available from major providers is showcased together with case studies of tests done over ATSC, DVB and ISDB networks with broadcasters worldwide. Our speakers share the great experience gained during live DASH and HLS streaming of major sport and music events where viewers at home were able to enjoy MPEG-H immersive and interactive sound on their existing Android TV set-top boxes.
Next Generation Audio is already a reality with MPEG-H: the system has been on the air 24/7 in South Korea since the launch of its UHDTV system in May 2017 and since last year MPEG-H powers Sony’s 360 Reality Audio immersive music experience already enabled in several commercial streaming services worldwide, including Amazon Music HD, Tidal, Deezer, nugs.net and Sony Select.
Hands-on post-production for MPEG-H Audio
With MPEG-H content, producers can enable features that generate a completely new audio experience for consumers. From immersive sound to personalization using audio objects and universal delivery, MPEG-H Audio offers advanced options for producers and content providers.
You may be wondering, “Can users make their own immersive and interactive mixes with MPEG-H?” The answer is yes, and producers always have full control over the advanced MPEG-H personalization features. This webinar on post-production tools answers all your questions on how to produce MPEG-H Audio and create an entirely new audio experience for your audience. There is also an introduction to the MPEG-H ADM Profile.
MPEG-H Audio workflow in live broadcasts
“How can I produce immersive and interactive content today using my existing production workflows?” This is one of the most important questions we receive from broadcasters eager to enhance their services. It is answered in the webinar as experts walk you through a live production and broadcast chain with MPEG-H, aimed at enabling its most advanced features in your existing facilities.
Together with its technology partners, Fraunhofer IIS has enabled a wide range of products for live authoring of MPEG-H content. Learn all about MPEG-H live production tools and the MPEG-H ADM Profile in this webinar.