Auracast broadcast audio is a new Bluetooth capability that enables an audio source device – such as a smartphone, laptop, TV, or even a public address or sound system – to transmit Bluetooth audio to any number of in-range Bluetooth audio receivers – such as headphones, earbuds, or even hearing aids.
The visitors who attended the demonstration in Barcelona where for the first time able to simulate how multiple wireless audio streams were available in the same location, and were able to hear for themselves how Auracast broadcast audio would help users share audio with others or select public announcement channels from an airport, hear the audio assist channel during a conference, or select between the audio of two sport channels playing on separate TVs.
Each visitor to the demonstration was provided with a pair of Auracast enabled earbuds (Qualcomm reference platform earbuds) and a smartphone with an Auracast app that allowed them to scan for, join, and listen to the Auracast broadcasts in three sample environments. Given that Bluetooth LE Audio is still not available in any commercially-available devices, the earbuds were connected to Pixel 6 smartphones with Android 12 running just a specific app to scan for Auracast transmitters and select which one to listen to in an area covering approximately 10 meters. Users were able to switch instantly from one Auracast transmitter to another one.
The simulated Class 1 transmitters in this case used development boards connected to the audio out of each source. According to the updated specifications, all Auracast transmitters are required to be able to transmit broadcast audio at 16kHz or 24kHz using the LC3 codec, which is known as Standard Quality Public Broadcast Audio in the underlying Public Broadcast Profile (PBP) specification. In addition to supporting standard quality, support for 48kHz LC3 audio is permitted, which is known as High Quality Public Broadcast Audio.
Auracast deployments in public areas should start next year according to Chuck Sabin, Senior Director, Market Development, Bluetooth SIG. Public venues like auditoriums, lecture halls, cinemas, theaters, and transit centers could all be candidates to add support for Auracast to the existing sound systems.
Event guests had a chance to experience how Auracast gives access to the audio channels of silent TVs in public spaces. Locations like sports bars, gymnasiums, transit centers, restaurants, waiting areas, and more could soon add support for Auracast broadcast audio. As long as visitor stay close to the TV, the Bluetooth coverage should work to listen to the corresponding audio.
For the demonstration in Barcelona, participants could also switch the channel to have a modeled Auracast airport gate experience. Participants simultaneously watched a movie on a single laptop using their own Auracast enabled earbuds. The person with the laptop used the Auracast app on their device to invite others around them to watch at the same time. Using the Auracast app on their smartphone, participants scanned for nearby Auracast broadcasts, selected the laptop, and the audio from the movie began directly streaming into their Auracast earbuds.
At the modeled airport gate, participants could also hear high-quality public address audio in their Bluetooth earbuds by choosing the Gate channel. For this demonstration, participants used the Auracast app on their smartphone to scan for and join Auracast broadcasts for their gate. The same announcements made over the gate speakers then streamed directly to their Auracast earbuds.
For each demonstration at The Auracast Experience, participants listened via their earbuds, but this same capability and experience will also be available to someone using an Auracast enabled hearing aid. In this way, Auracast broadcast audio has the potential to be the next-generation assistive listening system, increasing accessibility and helping people with all levels of hearing health to hear their best.
audioXpress asked a few industry experts that attended the demonstration to share their impressions. Franz Dugand, Sales and Marketing Director, Wireless IoT BU at CEVA, was positively impressed with the experience and the fact that all attendees were able to use TWS earbuds and switch sources instantly from the available demonstration app. You can read his detailed audioXpress article about Auracast technology here. CEVA was also demonstrating high quality LE Audio streaming at its own booth, using an unmodified Google Pixel 7 with Android 13 in developer mode as source, streaming audio to a CEVA headset with LE Audio using two CIS links with LC3 streaming 16-bit/48kHz audio at 96Kbps.
Alexander Goldin, Founder and CEO of Alango Technologies said: "The Auracast Bluetooth broadcasting demonstration by the Bluetooth SIG was one of my best experiences at the Mobile World Congress. While many of us have read about Auracast and some of us have guessed at the positive impact of this technology for people with hearing loss, the personal experience gave me confidence that Auracast is not an evolution, but a revolution in the way information is brought to us."
www.bluetooth.com/auracast/
Images courtesy of the Bluetooth SIG
