With MPEG-H Audio selected for inclusion as an additional audio system in the ISDB-Tb specifications, broadcasters will be able to deliver immersive and personalized sound to Brazilian viewers over the existing SBTVD/ISDB-Tb system by simulcasting MPEG-H Audio alongside the existing AAC audio.
For the live transmission at SET Expo, ATEME’s TITAN encoder is used to encode audio and video content. It generates a transport stream containing two audio streams using AAC and MPEG-H Audio according to the ISDB-Tb specifications, while an EiTV Playout Professional headend device produces the necessary PSI/SI tables required for ISDB-Tb transmission and the final multiplex compatible with the specifications of the Brazilian SBTVD/ISDB-Tb pattern. ISDB-Tb signal reception is performed by an EiTV smartBox with full support for the Brazilian Digital TV System interactivity standard DTVi.
Multiple professional MPEG-H production solutions are also on display at the 2019 SET Expo trade show. The Fraunhofer booth also includes a real-time encoding-decoding chain and tools to produce 3D sound and interactive audio with MPEG-H. At the Solid State Logic (SSL) booth, visitors can step inside an OB truck supplied by Epah Estudios to experience an immersive and interactive MPEG-H production with material captured at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest using a mixing console by SSL and a Linear Acoustic AMS Authoring and Monitoring System.
In addition, the Fraunhofer booth offers consumer demos such as the MPEG-H enabled Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar as well as MPEG-H enabled TV sets from Samsung and LG that are already in use in South Korea.
“We are excited that MPEG-H Audio has been selected for the Brazilian Digital Television System. This major enhancement will bring the most advanced audio experiences into Brazilian viewers’ homes. The maturity of the MPEG-H Audio system, its availability in professional broadcast equipment, and its advanced personalization features are key factors for fast adoption in the Brazilian market. We will continue to work closely with Brazilian broadcasters on enabling them to produce more and more MPEG-H content, as well as with local professional equipment manufacturers on updating their products with MPEG-H support,” says Adrian Murtaza, Senior Manager, Technology and Standards at Fraunhofer IIS.
MPEG-H Audio provides immersive sound and enables the viewer to personalize a program’s audio mix, for instance by switching between different languages, adjusting the volume of a sports commentator, enhancing the dialogue, or choosing from various audio description options. Personalization features like the latter enable broadcasters or providers of video streaming services to offer more advanced accessibility services. In terms of content delivery and playback, MPEG-H Audio’s universal delivery concept ensures the best sound regardless of the consumer device or listening environment.
The first trial using MPEG-H Audio in Brazil was conducted during the 2019 Rio Carnival by Fraunhofer IIS and TV Globo: it focused on the evaluation of production tools necessary for enabling advanced personalization features such as enhancing the dialog or choosing a “Sambadrome” version of the content without any commentary. Later in the year, this most advanced audio system for broadcast and streaming services was selected for inclusion as an additional audio system in the specifications of the Brazilian Digital Television system ISDB-Tb.
Furthermore, MPEG-H Audio is standardized in ATSC 3.0 and DVB, as well as in 3GPP. In South Korea, terrestrial ATSC 3.0 broadcasting with MPEG-H Audio is already on air, making MPEG-H the world’s first commercialized next-generation TV audio technology. Professional broadcast equipment, including encoders and monitoring solutions, as well as decoders and consumer products, such as TV sets and soundbars, have been announced and introduced with MPEG-H support.
To learn more about MPEG-H Audio, please visit www.iis.fraunhofer.de/mpeg-h and www.mpegh.com
