The Ideal HE AAC Codec for Broadcast
Assures content creators that consumers receive consistent content precisely as intended
Delivers high-quality stereo and 5.1-channel audio at the lowest data rates
Provides full compatibility through the complete broadcast chain
Supports industry-standardized Dolby metadata to ensure consistent audio delivery
Meets Dolby’s high testing standards
Dolby® Pulse is an ideal broadcast codec, combining the audio coding efficiency of High-Efficiency AAC (HE AAC) with Dolby’s proven quality and broadcast expertise. And with Dolby Pulse set for implementation in professional hardware, OEM products, and licensed encoder and decoder products, you’re assured of compatibility throughout your next-generation broadcast chain.
The Dolby Pulse system adds Dolby metadata capability to the optimum-efficiency HE AAC v.2 core. With metadata parameters that match those in Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, broadcasters and content creators can be assured that their content will deliver a reliable, consistent experience on every consumer device. And upstream Dolby products and technologies will fully support Dolby Pulse.
Dolby Pulse lets broadcasters deliver stereo and 5.1-channel audio at the lowest bandwidth rates while maintaining high audio quality. That makes Dolby Pulse perfect for applications where there are significant bandwidth constraints. Because it includes Dolby metadata, Dolby Pulse is also the one HE AAC solution that eliminates the need for a stereo simulcast within a 5.1 broadcast, further reducing bandwidth.
Finally, Dolby Pulse helps manufacturers meet the requirements for HE AAC in HD receivers, as specified by major European standards bodies including EICTA; the French, Spanish, and UK HD forums; and NorDig.
Why Dolby
As broadcast content evolves over the next five to ten years, it will be transmitted via a mix of legacy MPEG and Dolby Digital codecs, together with next-generation HE AAC and Dolby Digital Plus audio coding.
Dolby Pulse joins Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus technologies to provide a complete end-to-end broadcast solution for today and into the future, ensuring maximum efficiency, consistency, and compatibility.
Provides optimum bandwidth savings
Enables one audio bitstream for any broadcast device (TV or set-top box)
Ensures programs can be accurately delivered throughout the broadcast chain, so consumers receive content as it was intended
Delivers higher quality stereo and 5.1-channel audio at the lowest data rates, with a 5.1-channel audio signal as low as 160 kbps
Dolby® Pulse integrates all metadata parameters required to allow broadcast audio system functionality, as in Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, and offers a number of other significant improvements.
Decoder stability: offers highly optimized switching times between channel configurations and improved reliability when used in a system with Dolby Pulse encoders, compared to generic HE AAC implementations
Error concealment: provides sophisticated error concealment mechanisms to ensure a reliable broadcast
audio performance
Decoder requirements (memory and computational complexity): includes an integrated combined code base that is optimized for H.264 system-on-chip architectures within the Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder platform
Encoder audio quality: offers superior audio quality compared to other parametric audio codecs
Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder
The Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder provides a single-license, cost-effective solution for decoding all the audio formats required to match broadcast standards worldwide. To learn more details, read the MS10 Multistream Decoder Technical Paper.
European HDTV Receiver Specifications
As DVB does not specify which audio coder should be used for next-generation broadcasts, various broadcaster/manufacturer groups have recently worked collaboratively to gain consensus on the formats desired by broadcasters, which will then be included in European receivers. View the key outcomes for multichannel format requirements.
