All 3 ATSC 3.0 Audio Proponents Delivered Detailed Technical Proposals on Deadline, ATSC Says

All three ATSC 3.0 audio system proponents delivered detailed system proposals on time by the Monday deadline, marking the formal beginning of the review, ATSC said Tuesday. The three proponents are Dolby Labs, DTS and the MPEG-H audio consortium of Fraunhofer, Qualcomm and Technicolor. Their systems will be tested "discretely and in their entirety" this summer "as comprehensive, end-to-end systems" for use as the audio layer for the ATSC 3.0 signal, with the goal to complete a candidate standard for ATSC 3.0's audio component this fall, ATSC said.Though DTS has yet to formally introduce its DTS:X object-based surround technology, the ATSC released the most comprehensive summary of the technology disclosed so far. "DTS:X is the next-generation object-based codec technology from DTS," said the summary submitted to and released by ATSC. "This release is the successor to DTS-HD and marks another milestone in DTS's long line of industry-leading sound innovations. DTS:X delivers the ultimate in flexibility, immersion and interactivity to listeners of all forms of entertainment. The DTS:X solution for ATSC 3.0 is an end-to-end broadcast chain that includes support for key elements including both audio channels and objects, advanced loudness and dynamics management, device and environmental playback processing, and is integrated with DTS's Headphone:X technology." DTS:X will be delivered "with the industry support and certification that has made DTS the trusted partner for industry professionals all over the world," the summary said. "Manufacturers representing nearly 90 percent of the home AV receiver and surround processor market, as well as several integrated circuit providers, have agreed to launch products supporting DTS:X in 2015. DTS is also working with a wide range of infrastructure partners to ensure broadcasters have choices when building a complete system." Much more has been disclosed about the Dolby and MPEG-H technologies, though the ATSC-released summary of Dolby's proposal offered the first confirmation that the Dolby AC-4 codec is at the heart of its ATSC 3.0 audio proposal (see 1501210023). "Rooted in generations of broadcast audio experience, Dolby AC-4 provides the content and device industries a strong foundation to collaboratively build leading-edge audio experiences that meet the needs of consumers of varied interests and abilities," Dolby's summary said.