Fraunhofer IIS offers technologies and applications for the entire chain of the global digital radio standards DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting), from the studio to the receiver. At IBC 2019, visitors can get to know the new DAB/DRM ContentServer R7 and are invited to experience a special hybrid radio demonstration at the Fraunhofer booth B.80 in Hall 8 at RAI Exhibition Center in Amsterdam.
At IBC 2019, Fraunhofer IIS is introducing the latest edition (R7) of its ContentServer professional broadcasting technology for Digital Radio DAB+ and DRM: Now readily available from Fraunhofer’s OEM partners, the new DAB/DRM ContentServer R7 comes with major new features such as additional IP-based audio streaming source interfaces, automatic loudness normalization and monitoring (based on Fraunhofer’s Sonamic Loudness Technology) and full CAP compliance for automatic EWF (Emergency Warning Functionality) processing. The on-site demo will showcase the generation of multiplexes by the ContentServer, which will then be played back via a Fraunhofer DAB+/DRM MultimediaPlayer radio app. What’s more, the standardized DAB+ and DRM data application Journaline and EWF will be part of the ContentServer R7 demonstration, too.
On the receiving side, Fraunhofer IIS offers a diverse set of technologies to decode and present digital radio services as part of its SDR Software Defined Radio solutions. Fraunhofer’s baseband software libraries support multiple broadcasting standards and are an efficient means of expanding radio platforms to include the full DAB+ and DRM feature set in combination with FM and AM decoding. On display at IBC 2019 will be Fraunhofer IIS’ hybrid radio receiver solution, which offers the best of both worlds by combining the benefits of radio broadcasting (digital as well as analogue) with the additional capabilities of an Internet connection. By always looking for the best way to receive a radio program, hybrid radio lets users enjoy uninterrupted listening while traveling and also provides them with an easy way to enjoy their favorite local shows outside of the respective broadcast areas. In order to guarantee a seamless transition when switching sources, the solution uses Fraunhofer’s Sonamic TimeScaling technology to synchronize the various audio streams.
Included in the ContentServer demo, but also shown in separate video and Internet radio streaming applications, is the xHE-AAC audio codec, a mandatory part of the DRM digital radio standard. xHE-AAC is the ideal solution not only for digital radio broadcasting, but also for adaptive audio and video streaming services over the Internet, thanks to its coding efficiency (with a bit rate range spanning from 12 kbit/s up to 500 kbit/s and above for stereo services) combined with seamless bit rate switching over DASH and HLS as well as mandatory MPEG-D DRC loudness and dynamic range control. The codec is natively supported by the recently launched Android 10 operating system, as well as by its predecessor Android 9 Pie.
All these technologies can be explored at Fraunhofer’s IBC booth B80 in Hall 8.
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