MPEG-4 aacPlus Confirmed Clear Winner in EBU Multi-Channel Listening Test
"Coding Technologies, the leading provider of audio compression for digital broadcasting, mobile media, and the Internet, today announced that the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) has chosen its MPEG-4 aacPlus audio codec as a clear winner in a recent multi-channel audio test. The EBU found that the codec is the only one capable of delivering superior surround audio across a wide range of bit rates; all broadcasting applications, including mobile, SD (Standard Definition), and HD (High Definition) TV. This is Coding Technologies’ second listening test victory with the highly regarded EBU. In a previous 2003 stereo comparison, aacPlus outperformed each and every other codec in the test field.
The multi-channel audio system and quality evaluation test carried out by EBU is a stringent, independently run blind listening test which compares the audio quality and performance of audio codecs across the market place.
The listening test determined that aacPlus, at bit rates between 128 and 192 kbps, outperformed all other surround sound codecs in terms of efficiency, while scoring overall audio quality results in the ‘excellent’ range. This remarkable level of audio quality was only reached by its competitors while operating at twice the bit rate and above. Additionally, a corresponding workshop held by the EBU revealed that aacPlus multi-channel audio encoding is now fully capable of handling and utilising Dolby metadata.
Coding Technologies’ aacPlus codec represents a breakthrough in audio compression efficiency that delivers high fidelity stereo and multi-channel audio at far lower bit rates than previously thought possible. Broadcasters deploying aacPlus achieve extremely high quality audio while gaining considerable reductions in bandwidth requirements. For example, HD broadcasters can deliver crystal clear 5.1 surround sound in as little as 160 kbps while SD broadcasters can deliver excellent quality stereo at 48 kbps.
aacPlus is an MPEG-4 standardised audio codec. It is the combination of the industry standards AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) and Coding Technologies’ SBR (Spectral Band Replication) and PS (parametric Stereo) compression methods."
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