Fraunhofer IIS, a major contributor to the MPEG-H audio standard, recently announced that Sony Corporation has licensed the MPEG-H Audio Basic Profile Decoder software and joined the MPEG-H trademark program.

MPEG-H 3D Sound is the next generation audio system for broadcast television and immersive music streaming. The technology is now incorporated into the ATSC 3.0 and DVB broadcast TV standards, and has been successfully commercialized for terrestrial UHD TV services in Korea since May 2017. In addition, MPEG-H 3D sound has been selected to enhance the ISDB-Tb broadcasting system in Brazil, and the evaluation and testing work related to the draft 3D sound standard for Chinese radio and television has been completed. Many European countries and regions based on DVB digital television system have adopted MPEG-H three-dimensional sound in their major sports events and music programs.

The MPEG-H 3D Sound Basic Profile is designed for next-generation broadcast, streaming, and high-quality immersive music delivery, and is ideal for meeting industry needs. It provides users with a truly immersive experience and unparalleled next-generation audio capabilities, such as interactive and advanced accessibility features. As a subset of the MPEG-H 3D Acoustic Low-Complexity Profile, the Basic Profile enables maximum interoperability with devices that have integrated a specific configuration, significantly reducing implementation and testing effort.

Sony 360 Reality Audio is a new immersive music listening experience based on MPEG-H 3D sound and using Sony’s object-based 360 spatial audio technology. Users can listen to devices that have integrated MPEG-H base profile decoders. Individual sound sources such as vocals, chorus, piano, guitar, bass, and even the voice of a live audience can be placed in a 360-degree spherical sound field, giving artists and creators new expressions of creativity.

Shinji Okazaki, General Manager of Sony Corporation, said: “The cooperation with Fraunhofer on MPEG-H 3D sound enables us to enable 360 ​​Reality Audio in various Sony products. Together with Fraunhofer, we hope to expand the 360 ​​Reality Audio ecosystem.”

“We look forward to more Sony consumer products supporting MPEG-H 3D audio content from other content service platforms,” ​​said Marc Gayer, Fraunhofer IIS Business Unit Director and Deputy Director of Audio and Media Technology.

Currently, Sony has joined the MPEG-H Audio System trademark program run by Fraunhofer and is a licensed end-product manufacturer. The intent of the program is to demonstrate to consumers that the MPEG-H product has been validated for interoperability between devices and supports all necessary MPEG-H audio features.