October 25, 2022
Fraunhofer HHI and IIS cooperate with the German public broadcaster WDR to present the latest generation of high-performing video and audio codecs at the 29th FKTG symposium in Erfurt.
Fraunhofer HHI encoded an episode called “Hubertys Rache” of the popular crime series “Tatort”, which was produced by WDR, with the latest Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard. Fraunhofer HHI played a crucial role in the development of the technology. One major advantage offered by VVC is its significantly higher compression efficiency than previously available video coding standards. Thus, with the help of VVC, “Tatort” can be transmitted with the same subjective picture quality at a 75% reduced data rate in comparison to the AVC standard currently used for the WDR VoD Service.
Fraunhofer IIS optimized the film’s sound with the MPEG-H Audio Technology Dialog+. This enables the use of presets and the easy adaptation of the audio to personal preferences. In addition to the “Tatort”, WDR contributed valuable insights and requirements from extensive testing to the Next Generation Video and Audio encodings. Fraunhofer HHI will demonstrate the result of this successful cooperation between WDR and the two Fraunhofer Institutes in Erfurt at the shared booth 1.3. The movies encoded with VVC and MPEG-H Audio will be played on a standard tablet.
Versatile Video Coding (VVC)
VVC standardization work began in April 2018 and was completed in July 2020. Fraunhofer HHI played a key role in the preliminary research for VVC and its standardization. Building upon substantially increased compression efficiency, the VVC standard offers increased versatility in terms of its usability for diverse applications compared to its predecessor standards. For instance, VVC already supports High Dynamic Range (HDR), Wide Color Gamut (WCG), resolution- and rate-adaptive streaming, 360-degree immersive video, scalability, and efficient encoding of screen content in its first version. Fraunhofer HHI has developed open-source and efficient software solutions for encoding and decoding with VVC, VVenC and VVdeC, which are used in the showcase as well.
MPEG-H Audio
MPEG-H Audio is a Next-Generation Audio technology that creates a unique experience by immersing listeners in sound. Comprehensive personalization features enable the customization of MPEG-H Audio content to individual preferences and ensure a high level of accessibility. The audio system optimizes the sound quality for any playback device and creates the optimum experience in all environments. Fraunhofer IIS demonstrates a wide range of personalization options at the FKTG booth with another “Tatort” episode.