xHE-AAC © Fotolia / Sensay

Triton Digital Renews Fraunhofer Licenses Including xHE-AAC Software

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, inventor of mp3 and primary developer of xHE-AAC and the MPEG-H Audio standard, announced today that Triton Digital, a global technology and services leader to the digital audio and podcast industry, renewed its license of the latest generation of Fraunhofer AAC software.

Through this license renewal, listeners of Triton streams will continue to enjoy uninterrupted streaming and optimized volume normalization in all listening environments.

  • Uninterrupted streaming: Designed for adaptive streaming over DASH or HLS, xHE-AAC provides maximum coding efficiency at usable bit rates from 12 kbit/s to 500 kbit/s and higher for stereo services. In other words: under good network conditions, the latest addition to the AAC codec family delivers transparent audio quality – and, if necessary, switches seamlessly to the bit rates and quality levels that a congested network provides.
  • Optimum loudness in any listening environment: The mandatory MPEG-D DRC loudness and dynamic range metadata ensures the correct loudness and dynamic range for any device and listening environment. The original audio content is not changed.

xHE-AAC available in more and more devices

xHE-AAC and MPEG-D DRC metadata are natively supported in Google’s Android 9 and 10 and Android TV 9; the first TV devices running this operating system are available from various manufacturers including Philips, Nvidia, Sony, TCL and Xiaomi. The Amazon Fire OS 7 operating system based on Android 9 Pie is also equipped with support for the latest AAC technology and thus the Fire TV Cube Gen 2, the Fire HD 10 tablet, and Fire OS 7 products from Grundig and JVC. xHE-AAC decoding and MPEG-D DRC are also natively supported in Apple’s iOS 13, macOS 10.15 Catalina, tvOS 13, iPadOS and watchOS 6, and also by Safari, Chrome and Firefox browsers on devices running iOS 13.

Fraunhofer IIS was instrumental in the development of xHE-AAC and the MPEG-D DRC standard and provides the default xHE-AAC codec implementation for the Android operating system (in the FDK2 AAC Codec Library). Professional xHE-AAC encoder software is available directly from Fraunhofer. xHE-AAC and MPEG-D DRC patents are included in Via Licensing’s AAC patent licensing program at no additional cost.

About Triton Digital

Triton Digital® is the global technology and services leader to the digital audio and podcast industry. Operating in more than 40 countries, Triton provides innovative technology that enables broadcasters, podcasters, and online music services to build their audience, maximize their revenue, and streamline their day-to-day operations. In addition, Triton powers the global online audio industry with Webcast Metrics®, the leading online audio measurement service and Podcast Metrics, one of the first IAB certified podcast measurement services in the industry. With unparalleled integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability, Triton remains committed to connecting audio, audience, and advertisers to continuously fuel the growth of the global online industry.  Triton Digital is a wholly owned subsidiary of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).  For more information, visit www.TritonDigital.com.

Header image: © Sensay – Fotolia

This post is also available in: Deutsch 汉语

Twitter – Fraunhofer IIS