26 TECHFEED Immersive Audio
AUGMENTING AUDIO AUDIENCES In terms of the immersive content that is going to be enjoyed over mobile devices, there is a broad consensus that VR/AR, sports and music are set to lead the charge. One company that can attest to the levels of interest in high quality immersive audio for VR and AR is Dirac. The Swedish company is a long-established specialist in digital audio optimisation solutions for mobile, automotive and home entertainment. Indeed, such is its faith in the sector that it recently created a VR/AR business unit, whose business director is Lars Isaksson. Developed through a process of modelling that, in contrast to the normal ‘plastic dummy head’ approach, shelled out for the heads of 20-25 human participants, the Dirac VR platform for VR and AR audio made its debut at CES 2017. Using Dynamic HRTFs (head-related transfer functions), Dirac VR has been developed to make it possible to de-liver “a great audio experience for the listener whatever the size
and shape of heads or ears,” says Isaksson. A second-generation Dirac VR system was introduced at Mobile World Congress 2018, during which Isaksson made an observation that bodes well for the future of immersive audio in mobile. “I noticed that for the first time a lot of the manufacturers were talking about, and marketing around, the audio capabilities of their phones,” he says. While VR and AR services are the initial focus of the platform, Isaksson says it has “great potential resonance” for sports and music/entertainment content too. Not surprisingly given its huge reach, sport has been a particular focus of immersive audio research, with Dolby continuing to work on optimising the Dolby Atmos experience for each of the main disciplines. Immersive audio for football is “fairly well-understood” at this point, says France, as is boxing. But there is still a considerable amount of work to be done in sports such as motor racing, where there are “multiple points of action” and each camera “needs to
have its own audio scene” to ensure that a consistent soundworld is maintained. “It’s worth taking time to understand each of these different sports, so that when [related services] are launched they are as good as they can be,” notes France. AN EAR FOR QUALITY There are few observers who expected the recent IBC2018 to be particularly rich in immersive audio-related service announcements, but the positive response to recent trials would suggest that 2019 is a fair bet in terms of mobile users accessing immersive content more readily. Like 4K/HDR in an age of fractured viewing habits, in which the main home TV holds reduced sway, consumers may reserve their greatest enthusiasm for immersive audio around major sports events or concert spectaculars. But its sheer accessibility compared to some predecessor technologies means that immersive is going to be much, much more than another 5.1.
A SOUND KICK-OFF
that you have the potential to reach many more end-users,” says Dolby’s Rob France. Russia’s Channel One was among the many national broadcasters to commit to delivering extensive coverage in Dolby Atmos, announcing in advance that a total of 27 matches would be shown live on air with Dolby Atmos support. MPEG-H also featured prominently during the World Cup, with South Korean TV and radio network company SBS transmitting more than 30 matches in UHD based on the ATSC 3.0 standard, utilising the features of Fraunhofer’s MPEG-H TV audio system, immersive audio and interactive audio.
If there was a single event this year that embodied the burgeoning possibilities of immersive audio, it was the FIFA World Cup in Russia. It was an occasion for broadcasters around the world to undertake immersive audio trials and schemes of various sizes and scopes, with Fraunhofer’s MPEG-H and Dolby Atmos heading the list of the most commonly- used technologies. The trial undertaken by China’s state TV broadcaster CCTV may prove particularly instructive, given that it centred around a mobile app using Dolby Atmos to deliver games in immersive audio. “At this early stage, doing everything in the app means
For a realistic user experience, the stadium atmosphere was transmitted in an immersive loudspeaker configuration of a 5.1 surround set-up accompanied by four height speakers. Meanwhile, the interactive element constituted a choice of three audio presets for each UHD-transmitted match – either a stadium atmosphere, or with Korean or English commentary added. It is likely to take a few more months for viewer feedback on the World Cup- related services to be fully assembled, but initial responses indicate a positive view that will surely be built upon at major forthcoming events – not least the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
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