Ateme and Fraunhofer join forces to deliver next generation audio

Fraunhofer IIS, primary developer of the MPEG-H Audio system, and Ateme, a global leader of video compression and delivery solutions, announced today that they facilitate the delivery of personalized and immersive sound experiences with the integration of Fraunhofer’s MPEG-H Audio into Ateme’s KYRION encoders.

Thanks to this integration, broadcasters can now provide immersive sound that can be personalized via existing ISDB-T and DVB broadcast networks. This gives content providers faster access to a sophisticated audio system. As a solution for Brazil’s existing ISDB-Tb terrestrial broadcast system, KYRION is perfectly suited for the support of the ongoing TV 2.5 rollout in Brazil. This intermediate broadcast standard facilitates the transition to the next generation TV 3.0 broadcast standard that is expected to be launched in 2025.

Globo, the largest media group in Latin America, has already used Ateme’s KYRION encoders to broadcast prestigious events — including the 2022 football world cup and this year’s flagship production of the Rio de Janeiro and Recife Carnival parades — with MPEG-H Audio. KYRION has enabled Globo to deploy the new features of the TV 2.5 system with MPEG-H Audio in their 24/7 broadcast.

“Integrating MPEG-H Audio into Ateme’s KYRION encoders is a great step forward for widespread MPEG-H Audio delivery,” explains Adrian Murtaza, Senior Manager, Technology and Standards at Fraunhofer IIS. “This is a major addition to Ateme’s solutions, which already support MPEG-H Audio and VVC video in TITAN transcoders, currently used by Globo and the SBTVD Forum for the first tests of TV 3.0 in Brazil.”

KYRION’s low-latency video encoding capabilities enable a broad range of applications, mainly for sports events, news coverage, and entertainment. At the same time, it perfectly complements Ateme’s TITAN transcoders used by many providers for broadcast and streaming applications via DASH and HLS protocols today.

“Viewers are increasingly demanding high-quality, personal experiences,” said Julien Mandel, Solution Marketing Senior Director at Ateme. “This is true not only for images, but also for sound. Fraunhofer’s technology meets this demand, and we are thrilled to have joined forces with them to enable personalized and immersive sound for viewers in Brazil and all over the world.” BCS Bureau