Fraunhofer HE-AAC v2 and other MPEG audio codecs available for the iPhone

Fraunhofer IIS is to introduce a broad range of MPEG audio codecs such as MPEG-4 HE-AAC v2 suitable for ­implementation with multimedia applications on Apple’s iPhone® and other new generation mobile devices at the 2009 International CES (Las Vegas, January 8-11).

Based in Erlangen, Germany, Fraunhofer IIS has more than 20 years of experience in the development and implementation of MPEG audio codecs. In line with its continuing focus on new audio technologies, Fraunhofer is now able to offer a comprehensive range of codecs for mobile multimedia products on Apple’s highly successful iPhone.

Technologies include the MPEG-4 HE-AAC and HE-AAC v2 standards, which are the codecs of choice for any mobile multimedia application including Internet radio streaming over 3G or WiFi connections. Also available is MPEG Surround, a new standard for fully backwards-compatible surround sound services on portable devices which then can even play back 5.1 sound over stereo headphones. Fraunhofer’s MPEG audio software portfolio for the iPhone is completed by offerings including an MPEG AAC-LC and HE-AAC v2 encoder and the HD-AAC and AAC-ELD codecs. All software libraries are specifically optimized for low resource consumption on the iPhone.

“The phenomenal development of mobile multimedia services places new demands on the providers of complementary audio technologies,” says Harald Popp, head of the Multimedia Realtime Systems department, Fraunhofer IIS. “From HE-AACv2 to the new MPEG Surround and beyond, Fraunhofer IIS offers a wealth of audio codecs that can enable the effective realisation of these exciting new services.”

Fraunhofer’s roll-call of satisfied customers includes the Netherlands-based leading mobile streaming radio specialist Mobilaria. The company recently licensed Fraunhofer’s HE-AAC v2 decoder to implement a mobile web-based radio service (Tunin.FM) on the iPhone that allows users to receive radio stations on the mobile handset, access news items and short audio clips on demand, and in the near future purchase ring tones and full tracks, combine audio with full pictures, and compile personal playlists.

Wanjo Temkov, Managing Director of Mobilaria: “The Tunin.FM player for the iPhone is the first and only digital mobile radio player that plays radio and music in excellent quality, anywhere over cell phone networks, even over GPRS/2.5G. This excellent quality remains while on the move, be it in the car, in the bus or in the train, thus ensuring a large audience. Until now, Wi-Fi/WLAN has been the only stable way to stream audio in good quality. Tunin.FM makes streaming audio on the iPhone truly mobile without overtaxing the cellular networks. We are very pleased by the way our colleagues at Fraunhofer Institute established our cooperation and helped us implement our innovative service.”