Resillion and Fraunhofer IIS have collaborated to create MPEG-H Audio Test Material packaged as ATSC 3.0 streams for receiver testing. MPEG-H Audio is in use in South Korea and the sole mandatory audio system selected by the Fórum Sistema Brasileiro TV Digital Terrestre (SBTVD Forum) in Brazil for their future TV 3.0 standard.

The material is part of a package of tests made available by Resillion on behalf of CTA as the ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN TV Test Suite release for 2024. This release represents a significant milestone of 400 Test Cases covering 520 Testable Requirements across a range of key use cases for ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN TV services.

This release will be used by receiver and component manufacturers to certify their devices meet the NEXTGEN TV Logo requirements for devices entering the market in the second half of 2024 and into 2025.

Highlights in this release include 22 new tests across multiple domains including: Watch TV, ESG, and A/344 APIs. Plus, 87 tests move from Recommended to Approved status.

The test material contributed by Fraunhofer IIS is available as of now. It ensures conformance to the A/342 Part 3, “MPEG-H System” specification and to Brazil’s TV 3.0 standard, which is currently being developed. MPEG-H Audio has been successfully deployed in South Korea and Brazil, as well as for streaming services worldwide, even though it is not used for broadcast in the U.S. It excels through Next Generation Audio capabilities such as personalized dialog enhancement and an immersive, realistic audio experience.

In Brazil, the ATSC 3.0 physical layer is one of two finalists still being evaluated for the new standard. Other ATSC 3.0 components have already been selected to become part of the TV 3.0 standard in addition to the mandatory MPEG-H Audio system. They include ROUTE/DASH transport, IMSC1 captioning, and Advanced Emergency Messaging, which are all covered by the NEXTGEN TV test suite.

Resillion also announced forthcoming updates of their Arreios for ATSC 3.0 Test Harness which supports automated playout and management of NEXTGEN TV testing and, new for 2024, multi-device support and tests covering CTA WAVE Web Media API Snapshot specification (WMAS) applicable under the latest version of A/344.

Adrian Murtaza, Senior Manager Technology and Standards at Fraunhofer IIS, said: “We are happy to contribute MPEG-H Audio items to the NEXTGEN TV test suite and to help ensure that devices carrying the NEXTGEN TV Logo can deliver the advanced personalization options of MPEG-H Audio. We look forward to seeing more devices with these unique benefits on the market going forward.”

Dr Bob Campbell, Director of Engineering at Resillion, said: “We’re pleased to have worked with so many important stakeholders in the evolution and deployment of ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN TV, so that the test suite continues to evolve to meet the needs of all involved and deliver a meaningful mark of conformance to devices that carry the NEXTGEN TV Logo. We are also excited about the prospects for ATSC 3.0 in other markets, having already seen adoption in the Caribbean, we’ll be watching the progress in Brazil and other regions closely. I think ATSC 3.0 offers a fantastic opportunity for traditional linear over-the-air broadcasters to link what they already do so well, to the over-the-top broadband world, and offer innovative services and novel commercial opportunities that bridge these two worlds in a hybrid way.”

Resillion will be attending NAB Show 2024 in Las Vegas from April 13 to 17. Contact [email protected] to arrange a meeting, find out more about NEXTGEN TV and how to obtain the logo.

About Fraunhofer:

For over 30 years, the Audio and Media Technologies division of Fraunhofer IIS has been shaping the globally deployed standards and technologies in the fields of audio and moving picture production. Starting with the creation of mp3 and continuing with the co-development of AAC and the Digital Cinema Initiative test plan, almost all consumer electronic devices, computers and mobile phones are equipped with systems and technologies from Erlangen today.

Meanwhile, a new generation of best-in-class media technologies – such as MPEG-H Audio, xHE-AAC, EVS, LC3/LC3plus, Symphoria, Sonamic and upHear – is elevating the user experience to new heights. Always taking into account the demands of the market, Fraunhofer IIS develops technology that makes memorable moments.