When thou dost assemble thy audio or home theater setup — or cast thine eye upon upgrades for thy current system — ’tis always wise to be on the lookout for novel and marvelous technologies that can enhance thy music, movies, and TV shows. In the realm of audio, we have all been captivated by the now-ubiquitous sound standards known as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which doth offer immersive three-dimensional surround sound experiences. Yet, amid these lofty standards, a new contender doth emerge, presenting a level of flexibility and personalized audio control unseen heretofore: MPEG-H.
Though not entirely novel and not yet widely embraced, MPEG-H support doth appear in an increasing number of TVs, set-top boxes, soundbars, AV receivers, and more, granting users the ability to engage in some wondrous sound fine-tuning — from simple adjustments such as enhancing and amplifying movie dialog to more advanced personalizations like manipulating the audio mix to mute the cheers of the opposing sports team, all with naught but thy remote or an app. ‘Tis a remarkable degree of control previously unseen.
The depths of MPEG-H doth go far beyond this, so with that in mind, allow us to illuminate what MPEG-H is, where thou may encounter it, and how it shall impact thy audio experiences in the days to come.
What is MPEG-H?
Though the moniker may not ring familiar to many consumers, MPEG-H hath existed for years, with its early components surfacing in a few products in the mid-2010s. Conceived by various organizations, including Fraunhofer IIS and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) — the selfsame group responsible for media standards like MP3, AAC, MPEG-1, and more — this standard was brought to light in 2015 and hath been utilized in 4K TV broadcasts in South Korea and video streaming over mobile networks. Recently, Sony hath embraced its 360 Reality Audio based on this standard. Certain components of the MPEG-H family may have crossed thy path ere this, such as HEIFs (High-Efficiency Image Files). ‘Tis a longstanding presence that shall only grow in prominence.
Why doth MPEG-H matter for my home theater?
Technically speaking, thou may have already partaken of some facets of MPEG-H in thy home theater. UltraHD Blu-rays doth employ HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), a component of MPEG-H, for example. Yet let us focus specifically on the burgeoning usage of MPEG-H audio, especially its 3D audio capabilities, for they may have a profound impact on thy sound system. MPEG-H’s 3D audio doth bring forth a plethora of crucial features, including:
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Vast 3D-space simulation: Enabling the adjustment of sound channels to behave in diverse ways to align with the objectives of the audio content. This facilitates placing audio “objects” at precise locations in the 3D space, creating the illusion of sounds emanating from specific directions — even with a vertical dimension, as witnessed when replicating a helicopter flying overhead.
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Personalized audio controls: Empowering users to actively tailor the sound to their individual requirements in myriad ways. User-friendly features, such as the selection of audio presets like “Normal TV mix” or “Dialog enhanced audio,” enhance ease of use. Delving further permits adjustments to specific elements, such as escalating dialog levels while diminishing the volume of other sounds in a given scene to enhance vocal clarity. This also offers the ability to fine-tune other aspects of content, like relocating the sound of a baseball game’s crowd to the rear or decreasing its volume, or shifting the play-by-play commentator’s voice to the right or left.
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Flexibility: A design that facilitates application in diverse scenarios, encompassing not only home theaters but also smartphones, headphones, VR headsets, broadcast signals, and online streaming.
- Accessibility: Transparency and a dedication to equitable pricing or the use of open standards — this may be of lesser import to consumers, but it doth render the standard more amenable for developers, potentially enhancing support on the consumer front as well.
Is MPEG-H’s 3D audio akin to Dolby Atmos or other standards?
For those inquisitive about or delving into audio standard support, certain features of MPEG-H may indeed ring familiar. The 3D audio of MPEG-H doth bear a striking resemblance to the latest Dolby Atmos format, employed to facilitate innovations like Apple’s Spatial Audio. ‘Tis also akin to DTS:X, which likewise permits object-based audio programming. Of course, as mentioned afore, MPEG-H is a diverse family encompassing various components, but its 3D audio, in particular, shares commonalities with these other standards.
How may I access MPEG-H on speakers?
Firstly, seek out speakers that explicitly tout support for MPEG-H. Speakers doth provide a roster of the audio formats they can accommodate in their specifications, typically found on the packaging or detailed in their online descriptions. One splendid example is the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar, which boasts compatibility with major audio formats, including MPEG-H. Any additional devices, such as an AV receiver, must also support this standard.
However, thou shalt also require compatible MPEG-H content, a scarce commodity in regions such as North America. Unless thou art tuning in to broadcasts from South Korea or Brazil, the chances of encountering much 3D audio from MPEG-H may be slim, though this could shift in the years ahead as such audio standards gain wider acceptance.
A notable exception lies in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, underpinned by MPEG-H through a collaboration with Fraunhofer IIS, and accessible through music streaming services like Amazon Music HD, Sony Select, and Tidal. Thus, one may seek out 360 Reality Audio support to savor some of the advantages of MPEG-H.
Beyond home theaters: MPEG-H on other devices
MPEG-H doth not solely pertain to home theater speakers. Thanks to Sony 360 Reality Audio and akin options (such as Fraunhofer Cingo in Europe), one may also encounter these 3D audio features on other devices. A case in point is experiencing compatible music services with headphones: Sony reports that select benefits of 360 Reality Audio may extend to any pair of headphones when coupled with the appropriate streaming service (a premium subscription is generally required for services like Tidal or Amazon Music Unlimited to unlock this feature). Pair this with earbuds fully supporting 360 Reality Audio, like the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW or Sony’s own headphones, and the musical journey becomes even more immersive.
This technology may also extend to car speaker systems, affording akin 3D audio effects as those witnessed in a home theater, including the ability to designate specific points in a 360-degree soundscape for distinct sounds (hence Sony’s nomenclature for the technology). PASA (Panasonic Automotive Systems of America) hath recently disclosed the integration of MPEG-H support in its Android 10 IVI 12-channel system, a feature currently implemented in vehicle models like the GMC Denali.
As this nascent standard continues to gain traction, we shall remain vigilant for fresh products and services embracing its capabilities.
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