AURO TECHNOLOGIES SOLUTIONS TO BECOME PART OF THE CHINESE 3D AUDIO STANDARD (C3DA)

March 20, 2019

Belgium March 20, 2019 

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), have both requested accelerated development of 4K UHD and 3D audio related standards and to integrate the newest technology into the existing broadcast system. Auro Technologies participated in the standardisation process and key elements of the Auro-3D format and technology suite have been selected to become part of the upcoming Chinese 3D Audio Standard (C3DA), driving the immersive and interactive experience for the broadcast world.

Auro Technologies introduced “Immersive Sound” and revolutionised the audio industry with the Auro-3D Format, after its inventor Wilfried Van Baelen presented its 3D speaker layouts in 2006 at the AES convention. These speaker layouts (Auro 9.1 up to Auro 13.1) were adopted by various standards such as ITU-R BS.2051, which is also used by the new Chinese 3D Audio Standard.  Although the naming uses a different numbering system, Auro 9.1, or 5.1.4 (5.1 + 4 Height speakers), it still remains the most efficient speaker layout to reproduce a 3D sound field whilst maintaining backwards compatibility with 5.1 Surround.

With the introduction of object-based audio in the broadcast world, new interactive experiences will be brought to the consumer, such as the selection of multiple spoken language tracks, additional commentary etc., but also the ability to control the levels of different elements, e.g. the dialogue in the audio mix.

With the adoption of the Auro-3D channel-based configurations, C3DA can already provide a truly immersive experience in the most efficient way.  In addition to this, dynamic objects will be rendered using the Auro-3D Object Renderer.  “We are proud that our key technology becomes part of the Broadcast Standard for China 3D Audio” says Rudy Van Duppen, CEO of Auro Technologies. “Being selected for the rendering in C3DA for both production tools as decoders for the end-user equipment, based on our audio format Auro 9.1, proves Auro Technologies knowledge and capabilities in the 3D audio world”.  The full immersive experience can be rendered on a standard pair of headphones, with the inclusion of Auro’s headphone rendering technology e.g. on mobile devices.  Auro Technologies and its global partners, supported by Beijing Jetsen (a leading AV Company in China), will bring the ultimate immersive audio experience to CE devices in China.

To enable the new creative possibilities when adding the third dimension in sound (height), Auro Technologies has updated the Auro-3D Creative Tool Suite with multiple new ways to create content for this new C3DA standard. The plug-in suite for Pro Tools is the first one on the market to fully support the post-production workflow for the new Chinese 3D audio standard.

Since the natural way for humans to perceive sound is in 3D, Immersive sound (or 3D audio) brings the listener automatically closer to the story and action on the screen.  A new era of immersive experiences for broadcast is on the horizon, especially for movies, sports and games.

The more you hear, the more you feel….and China is ready for it!