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Latest MPEG-4 Audio / Video Evaluation Software Available for Download

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09.09.2004

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS announces its latest MPEG-4 AV solutions – now available as free evaluation software. At IBC 2004, Fraunhofer IIS will present "DSL-TV", a combination of MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding and the most advanced low bit-rate multi-channel audio coding scheme.

To introduce recent developments within the open multimedia standard MPEG-4 to the public, Fraunhofer IIS offers a public download of an MPEG-4 AV evaluation software suite today. The download will prove the efficiency of the Fraunhofer implementation comprising encoder, streaming server and player. The software uses Advanced Video Coding AVC and High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding HE-AAC, the two most efficient multimedia codecs within MPEG-4. This combination enables digital video in high quality at data rates far below those used for example on video DVDs. It complies with the upcoming specification ISMA 2.0 of the Internet Streaming Media Alliance.

Available until January 1st, 2005, the use of the evaluation MPEG-4 encoder and streaming server is limited to 30 days after installation. The MPEG-4 player will keep all its functions. The Fraunhofer IIS MPEG-4 software suite is only intended for personal, non-commercial purposes. Both Fraunhofer MPEG-4 player as well as MPEG-4 encoder and streaming server are software-only solutions that do not need special hardware. Thus a standard PC with at least an 1.3 GHz processor is able to create, stream and play back ".mp4" files using the Fraunhofer MPEG-4 software.

At IBC 2004 in Amsterdam, Fraunhofer IIS will present an extended version of the software featuring HE-AAC Surround. This very efficient multi-channel extension of HE-AAC bases on recent research in the area of perceptual spatial audio coding. That way »DSL-TV« with surround sound at data rates of less than 1 Mbit/s becomes reality.

Fraunhofer IIS is a sustaining member of the MPEG Industry Forum (MPEGIF) and the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA).

Free download: www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/download/mpeg4/

What is MPEG-4?

MPEG-4 is a multimedia toolbox developed by the Moving Pictures Expert Group MPEG for the need of a non-proprietary universal open multimedia standard. Its coding algorithms for natural sound and video, successors of the renowned codecs MPEG-2 (DVD codec) and MPEG-1 Layer-3 (MP3), are among the most effective available video and audio coding schemes. Additionally, MPEG-4 defines methods for representing artificial multimedia objects such as animated graphics or computer-generated speech and allows the free spatial and temporal arrangement of multimedia objects in so-called "scenes". MPEG-4 can be fitted to a wide range of transmission modes and bandwidths so it can be used for most multimedia applications on nearly all transport media.

Stefan Geyersberger | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.iis.fraunhofer.de
www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/download/mpeg4/

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