Fraunhofer IIS Licenses Most Advanced MPEG-4 Audio Codec to NXP Semiconductors.

ERLANGEN, Germany -- Fraunhofer IIS, the leading research laboratory in the field of high quality low bitrate audio coding, has licensed an implementation of the most modern audio compression technology standardized in MPEG-4 to NXP Semiconductors: High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding v2 (MPEG-4 HE-AACv2). NXP will incorporate the codec in its Nexperia multimedia system solutions to raise the bar for audio quality in home entertainment applications such as its set-top box reference designs.

MPEG-4 HE-AACv2 is very relevant for IP-based applications, since it enables delivery of high quality stereo sound in the range from 32 kbit/s to 64 kbit/s and below. The codec is already widely used in mobile multimedia broadcasting and is the de-facto standard for music download services on mobile phones.

"The MPEG-4 HE-AACv2 audio compression technology from Fraunhofer IIS is complementary to the finest video quality provided by NXP's Nexperia system solutions to create a rich multimedia experience for consumers," said Menno Kleingeld, Senior Marketing Director NXP Semiconductors, BU Home, BL-STB & Home Media Devices, NXP Semiconductors. "Once incorporated, NXP IP set-top box reference designs will provide high quality stereo and multi-channel surround sound, enabling a life-like TV viewing experience at low bit-rates required for video IP services." Harald Popp, head of the Multimedia Realtime Systems department at Fraunhofer IIS, says: "We are proud that NXP Semiconductors chose our highly optimized HE-AAC implementation. This is again a proof for the outstanding performance of our software."

The latest NXP Nexperia PNX8935 multi format source decoder incorporates MPEG-4 HE-AACv2 audio compression to deliver advanced HD AV processing. Built into the NXP STB IP set-top box reference design, the PNX8935 can handle the latest HD video formats with ease, while maintaining a degree of flexibility for the future.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft founded in 1949 is one of the leading organizations of applied research in Europe. It operates 57 national research establishments and numerous international centers. The headquarters are located in Munich, Germany. Most of the 12 700 staff members are scientists and engineers. Founded in 1985 the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, today with 470 staff members, ranks first among the Fraunhofer Institutes concerning headcount and revenues. With the development of the audio coding method MP3, Fraunhofer IIS has reached worldwide recognition. It provides research services on contract basis and technology licensing. The research topics are: Audio and video source coding, multimedia realtime systems, digital radio broadcasting and digital cinema systems, integrated circuits and sensor systems, design automation, wireless, wired and optical networks, localization and navigation, imaging systems and nanofocus X-ray technology, high-speed cameras, medical sensor solutions and communications technology in transport and logistics. The budget of 58 million Euro is mainly financed by projects from industry, the service sector and public authorities. Less than 20 percent of the budget is subsidized by federal and state funds.

For more information visit www.iis.fraunhofer.de.