"WiSA E is our latest and highest performing software solution designed to robustly work in today’s congested world of Wi-Fi," says Tony Parker, vice president of business development and strategy at WiSA Technologies. "We are excited to see such strong demand for WiSA E with our beta customers and look forward to a number of WiSA E-based immersive audio solutions in the market."
WiSA E is a software-based, Wi-Fi compatible, 8-channel immersive audio solution that operates in the 5GHz band. It is designed as a plug-and-play module or IP license for embedding onto compatible TV SoC platforms. Designed with the low latency and tight speaker synchronization critical to supporting Dolby Atmos and DTS-X wirelessly, WiSA E enables audio manufacturers to design products that deliver a cinema-like audio experience, without wires. WiSA E can be implemented by manufacturers and OEMs in a variety of ways, including as a plug-and-play module or as an IP license enabling brands to embed WiSA E software directly into a compatible SoC TV platform.
WiSA E, WiSA DS, or WiSA HT?
WiSA Technologies was unfortunately hiding from sight at a crucial CE event such as CES 2023, precisely when its competitors were very visible about its own wireless technologies, and LG - one of WiSA's most important partners - promoted its own wireless audio (and video) technology. WiSA was having meetings in a private suite, like many other technology providers - but forgot to let CES visitors and press know where the suite was located.
In that undisclosed location, WiSA was supposedly demonstrating its latest Wi-Fi-compatible multichannel WiSA E embedded software audio technology, which creates an affordable alternative to the company's hardware based WiSA HT - the original, successful and robust implementation that has the large advantage of not operating in the crowded Wi-Fi frequency spectrum.
The WiSA E demonstration at CES 2023 featured a six-channel, 5.1 surround audio configuration transmitting uncompressed 24-bit/48kHz audio with a fixed latency of 20 milliseconds and tight channel synchronization using the 5GHz Wi-Fi band. WiSA E production-ready modules using the Realtek Ameba Smart (RTL8730E) are expected to be available before the end of Q2 2023.
This new implementation, which was mainly motivated by the need to support more TV manufacturers, should not be confused with the WiSA Discrete System (DS) technology that simply transmits up to five channels — four full-range audio channels and one high-fidelity subwoofer channel — of uncompressed 16-bit/48kHz sound over a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network it creates. This is a simpler implementation that is ideal for soundbar systems. When the soundbar does the core channels connected to the TV or STB source (e.g. HDMI), the five wireless channels become available to supplement the soundbar speakers with immersive channels.
At CES 2023, WiSA supposedly demonstrated a new Dolby Atmos soundbar system platform, powered by WiSA DS, allowing member brands to create soundbar systems with four channels of true up-firing Dolby Atmos sound at retail price points as low as $499. The platform has integrated WiSA’s DS technology into a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos wireless soundbar system featuring a total of ten audio channels, five of which are wireless. The five wireless audio channels include two rear channels and two rear up-firing front Dolby Atmos channels as well as a wireless subwoofer. The embedded WiSA DS technology requires only a single transmitter in the soundbar component, and single transmitters in the subwoofer and rear channel speakers, to send and receive all audio channels. The system components connect wirelessly with ease to deliver immersive sound at an affordable price point for consumers.
Dolby Atmos is precisely the most desirable configuration that both CE manufacturers and consumers look for in a fully wireless home theater system, such as the one long offered by the flagship WiSA HT technology. In contrast with WiSA DS, WiSA HT uses the U-NII 5GHz spectrum to transmit audio. Free from congestion, this spectrum sports 24 RF channels — all monitored continuously to avoid interference. WiSA HT also delivers uncompressed, 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio for up to eight channels of 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos for truly immersive audio, with a very low fixed latency of only 2.6 ms at 96kHz, and an unparalleled synchronization time of ±2 µs that no Wi-Fi based technology can match.
WiSA HT is precisely the focus of the excellent demonstrations that Hansong - WiSA's main OEM/ODM partner - has been promoting in the latest industry events, in partnership with its own house-brand Platin Audio. With the recent launch of the new control app and more importably the new WiSA Atmos HTX transmitter and Hub with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth streaming, Hansong is in a position to support all brands that wish to bring high-quality, wireless audio immersive audio solutions to the market.
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