MainConcept, a global leader in professional codec technology, today announced the launch of the MainConcept MPEG-H Encoder SDK, developed in close collaboration with Fraunhofer IIS, to enable object-based MPEG-H Audio contribution and emission encoding for TV broadcast and OTT streaming services or products.
As an object-based next-generation audio (NGA) codec, MPEG-H enables the creation of personalized immersive audio experiences. Developed by Fraunhofer IIS as the main contributor, MPEG-H Audio has been selected as the mandatory format in the TTA (South Korea, ATSC 3.0) and SBTVD DTV+ (Brazil, ATSC 3.0) specifications for their terrestrial UHD TV services. MPEG-H Audio has been adopted by ARIB in Japan for delivery of immersive and object-based audio over the Advanced ISDB-T system, and used in live broadcast tests by NHK across Japan.
MPEG-H is suitable for both live and VOD events like sports or concerts where the immersive audio codec deals with individual sound elements, including dialog, commentary, music, and sound effects, as separate audio objects. Each object is accompanied by metadata that defines the audio element’s purpose, where it is located, when it is active over time, how it should be rendered on different playback devices, what user interactivity is permitted, and its loudness characteristics.
The MainConcept MPEG-H Encoder SDK
MainConcept has offered MPEG-H Audio support for many years, first made available as an FFmpeg plugin. Introducing it in an SDK is the next logical step for those wanting even more control of their audio. The MainConcept MPEG-H Encoder SDK provides a high-level API for contribution and emission encoding to generate this immersive NGA format. Various source options make the MPEG-H library highly flexible.
In production, the signal consists of 16 PCM audio channels. The last of them is a Control Track that carries the necessary metadata to configure all audio objects and channels in the encoder for delivering a proper MPEG-H Audio soundscape. This prompts all MPEG-H Audio enabled devices, like TV sets, set-top boxes, or soundbars, to play back a customizable sound experience. In addition, the MainConcept MPEG-H Audio Encoder supports S-ADM (Serialized Audio Definition Model) for real-time scene-based workflows and setting a PMD (Production Metadata) preset that applies predefined metadata for basic channel layouts.
The MPEG-H Encoder SDK is a powerful supplement to MainConcept’s next-gen video codec portfolio, such as VVC/H.266, HEVC/H.265 and AVC/H.264, targeting TV broadcast or adaptive bitrate streaming workflows.
“The TV broadcast market as well as the major OTT streaming service providers are not only striving for next-gen video codecs but also for NGA formats to enable a full immersive experience for their audience,” said Frank Schönberger, Director, Strategic Development, MainConcept. “The MainConcept MPEG-H Encoder SDK will become the driving force behind NGA production workflows on-prem or in the cloud worldwide. Thanks to the close collaboration with the Fraunhofer IIS team, our customers can stick to the existing MainConcept API for easy integration into their products or services.”
“Our long-standing collaboration with MainConcept reflects a shared commitment to advancing next-generation audio technologies,” said Marc Gayer, Head of Business Department & Deputy Division Director Audio and Media Technologies at Fraunhofer IIS. “The MainConcept MPEG-H Encoder SDK is a strong implementation that enables developers to fully leverage MPEG-H Audio and accelerate its adoption across broadcast and streaming ecosystems, in both contribution and emission environments.”
Availability
The MainConcept MPEG-H Encoder SDK is available with MainConcept SDK 16.2. A free evaluation version can be downloaded from the MainConcept website.
For more information about the new MPEG-H Encoder SDK, visit www.mainconcept.com/mpeg-h.
About MainConcept
Since 1993, MainConcept has provided best-of-breed video and audio codec solutions that fuel creativity and business globally for professional video production, broadcast, medical, surveillance and more. The company’s software development kits and plugins are designed to meet an ever-expanding list of use cases. MainConcept codecs are used by the likes of Adobe, AVID, Autodesk, Corel, Dalet, Grass Valley, Nikon, PlayBox Neo, Ross, Sony, Techex, Telestream, and Wowza.
