Fraunhofer IIS and Hulu announced an agreement for the use of Fraunhofer Cingo immersive audio headphone rendering solution for virtual reality and mobile devices. Users of Hulu’s VR app will benefit from movies and TV shows streamed using the HE-AAC surround sound audio codec and rendered for headphones through Fraunhofer Cingo.
Immersive audio is crucial for virtual reality experiences to create a full sense of presence. Fraunhofer IIS, the world-renowned experts in audio and multimedia technologies, developed Cingo to achieve enhanced playback of stereo, surround and 3D sound on mobile devices. On VR platforms, Cingo makes use of head-tracking to dramatically improve the entertainment experience on headphones.
HE-AAC is the native surround sound audio codec for Android, the underlying operating system of Samsung phones paired with Gear VR goggles. Android’s HE-AAC implementation includes full support for loudness and downmix metadata commonly known from the broadcast TV world, as well as other features that allow the sound to be tailored for an optimum user experience in any environment.
“Great audio is essential for virtual reality, more than on any other platform,” says Jan Nordmann, Senior Director Business Development, New Media at Fraunhofer USA Digital Media Technologies. “We are thrilled to bring surround sound to Hulu’s virtual reality experience through Fraunhofer Cingo. This helps to create the illusion of true presence.”
Consumers can experience Hulu with surround sound by downloading the Hulu VR app available from the Oculus Gear VR Store. Cingo is available from Fraunhofer as a product-ready software implementation for mobile device manufacturers, chip set vendors and providers of multimedia services. HE-AAC is today’s most efficient high-quality surround and stereo codec, deployed in over 8 billion devices and used in TV, radio and streaming services worldwide.
Hulu virtual reality app
Hulu’s just announced virtual reality app is available and viewable on Samsung’s Gear VR powered by Oculus. With this initial launch, the Hulu app is expanded to VR and augmenting the experience with 360-degree video content. Hulu also confirmed it will be launching exclusive original VR content and that subscribers to the service (only available in the US) can now watch the entire Hulu 2D library in immersive 360-degree environments.
“At Hulu, we are inspired by great storytelling and are passionate about evolving the art and experience of storytelling in TV and movies. 360-degree content puts you in the middle of the action and gives content creators the ability to create much deeper visual, auditory and emotional immersion. VR lets the content creators transport you into their world - to help you feel what it is like to be present, to be in the moment”, says Ben Smith, Head of Experience, Hulu.
Users of the Hulu VR app will be able to view more than 25 pieces of exclusive VR content from Baobab Studios, Discovery Communications, Las Vegas, The National Geographic Channel, RYOT, Showtime Networks, SilVR Thread, Spoke, Studio Transcendent, The Uprising Creative and Viacom, currently available. All 3D virtual films are available for every VR app user to experience, with or without a Hulu subscription. The new VR app also includes Hulu’s first originally produced VR short film, “The Big One,” a partnership with Lionsgate.
In addition to deep immersion in content, Hulu subscribers can use the VR app to stream Hulu’s entire library of 2D content - including current season broadcast programming, libraries of classic content, hit movies and Hulu Originals - in 360-degree, fully-immersive viewing environments. Just like with VR content, the 360 degree environments in the Hulu app transport viewers into immersive settings to watch their favorite show: sitting in a comfortable living room, watching a movie in a big screen theatre, or kicking back on a scenic beach. Viewers can interact with each 360-degree environment and change the ambience which includes outside scenes, lighting and look and feel to their preference.
The Hulu VR app is currently only supported on Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus, which works with the Galaxy S7/S7 edge, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge phones. Additional supported devices and platforms are coming soon, the company says.
As Ben Smith adds, “We are at the very beginning of VR and like everyone involved in VR technology and content, we at Hulu, have a lot of learn about what makes for a great VR experience in the eyes of the viewer. We are super excited about our first steps into VR. Try it out and let us know what you think!”
www.hulu.com/labs/huluvr
www.fraunhofer-cingo.com/
