MPEG Surround: High Quality Multi-Channel Audio Combines Highest Efficiency and Backwards Compatibility

MPEG Surround: High Quality Multi-Channel Audio Combines Highest Efficiency and Backwards Compatibility

PARIS, May 18/PRNewswire/ --

- Development Parties Jointly Showcase the Full Potential of MPEG
Surround at Audio Engineering Society Pro Audio Expo in Paris

Agere Systems, Coding Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated
Ciruits IIS and Philips, the inventors behind the groundbreaking MPEG
Surround technique, jointly demonstrate the full potential of the new
Surround Sound system at AES (Audio Engineering Society) Pro Audio Expo in
Paris. Combined with an underlying audio codec such as MPEG-1 Layer-2, MPEG-4
AAC or MPEG-4 HE-AAC (aka aacPlus), MPEG Surround fundamentally reduces bit
rate requirements for high quality multi-channel audio compression and
maintains backwards compatibility to existing stereo equipment at the same
time.

MPEG Surround comprises a full set of tools enabling the representation,
reproduction and rendering of multi-channel audio for a broad spectrum of
applications, from digital broadcasting, to mobile entertainment, to Internet
music distribution. In the past month, already a number of real-world
demonstrations have been showcased by the developing parties, such as 5.1
surround audio for digital radio and TV via DVB-T, DAB, or HD Radio. The MPEG
Surround demonstration at the AES Pro Audio Expo will be the first joint
presentation by all four parties, showing the full potential of MPEG Surround
across various application fields. The new MPEG Surround standard will be
frozen in July this year.

"We are excited to be jointly demonstrating the MPEG Surround technique.
After mono and stereo, MPEG Surround is the next step for sound quality in
today's media entertainment", commented Dr. Peter Kroon, Chief Multimedia
Architect of Agere Systems Mobility Division. "It brings true surround sound
to any media system at next to no overhead in transportation and storage, and
preserves consumers' investment as existing home stereo equipment can stay in
use. This level of flexibility will be the key for MPEG Surround to be
deployed on a global scale."

"It has been the goal of MPEG to design something really outstanding in
the multi-channel space, and thanks to the deep expertise of all four parties
a system is available now that fits all needs and provides a remarkable
performance", says Martin Dietz, CEO and President of Coding Technologies.
"Asked two years ago, not many experts would have expected this enormous
accomplishment, and today it's reality."

"The surround sound world has been waiting for a technical solution to
smoothly integrate multi-channel and stereo audio into present and future
systems," says Juergen Herre, Chief Scientist at Fraunhofer IIS. "MPEG
Surround does even more than this: it easily outperforms any conventional
technique with regards to features, performance, and flexibility. We are
proud of our contribution to this exciting new standard."

"MPEG Surround is a great example how innovatively engineered solutions
directly cater to the requirements of the market," says Leon van de Kerkhof,
Program Manager Audio, of Philips Applied Technologies. "Surround sound has
proven to be a huge success in packaged media, and has an even stronger
potential in new entertainment services. MPEG Surround creates added value
and new opportunities for all parties across the chain, from content
providers, to device manufacturers, to consumers."

MPEG Surround will be demonstrated in the MPEG Surround demo room 'Asie'
at AES Pro Audio Expo in Paris, May 20-23, 2006

Agere Systems

Agere Systems is a global leader in semiconductors for storage, wireless
data, and public and enterprise networks. The company's chips and software
power a broad range of computing and communications applications, from cell
phones, PCs, PDAs, hard disk drives and gaming devices to the world's most
sophisticated wireless and wireline networks. Agere's customers include top
manufacturers of consumer electronics, communications and computing
equipment. Agere's products connect people to information and entertainment
at home, at work and on the road-enabling the connected lifestyle.

More information about Agere Systems is available from its web site at
http://www.agere.com.

Agere, Agere Systems and the Agere Systems logo are registered trademarks
of Agere Systems Inc.

Coding Technologies

Coding Technologies provides the best audio compression for mobile,
broadcasting, and Internet. SBR(TM) (Spectral Band Replication) from Coding
Technologies is a backward and forward compatible method to enhance the
efficiency of any audio codec; putting the "PRO" in mp3PRO and the "Plus" in
aacPlus. Parametric Stereo from Coding Technologies and Philips again
significantly increases the efficiency of audio codecs for stereo signals at
low bit rates. Products from Coding Technologies are fundamental enablers of
open standards such as 3GPP, 3GPP2, MPEG, DVB, Digital Radio Mondiale, HD
Radio, and the DVD Forum.

Coding Technologies is a privately held company with offices in Sweden,
Germany, and Silicon Valley. Founded in 1997 in Stockholm, the company later
merged with a spin-off of the renowned Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, the
inventor of MP3. Coding Technologies' customers include America Online, EMP,
iBiquity Digital, KDDI, mmO2, Nokia, Orange, RealNetworks, SK Telecom,
Sprint, T-Mobile, Thomson, Texas Instruments, Vodafone, and XM Satellite
Radio.

For more information, visit www.codingtechnologies.com.

Fraunhofer IIS

Founded in 1985 the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in
Erlangen, today with 450 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 52 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/amm.

Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one
of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales
of $37.7 billion (EUR 30.4 billion) in 2005. With activities in the three
interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 159,200
employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in
medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets,
electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions.

News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Source: Coding Technologies

Press contact Agere, Jenny Austin, Agere Systems, EMEA Communcations, King Ride, Ascot Berkshire, SL5 8AD, UK, Tel +44-1344-296-154, austin@agere.com, www.agere.com; Press contact Coding Technologies, Gerald Moser, Coding Technologies GmbH, Deutschherrnstrasse 15-19, 90429 Nuernberg - Germany, Tel +49-911-928-91-14, Fax +49-911-928-91-99, press@codingtechnologies.com, www.codingtechnologies.com; PR agency Europe, Anne Klein, Axicom GmbH, Junkersstrasse 1, 82178 Puchheim - Germany, Tel +49-89-800-908-23, Fax +49-89-800-908-10, anne.klein@axicom.de, www.axicom.de; PR agency USA, Karen DeMarco, mPRm Communications, 5670 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 2500, Los Angeles, CA 90036, Tel +1-323-933-3399, +1-323-939-7211, kdemarco@mprm.com, www.mprm.com; Press and Public Relations, Marc Briele, Tel +49-91-317-761-30, Fax +49-91-317-761-39, presse@iis.fraunhofer.de, www.iis.fraunhofer.de; Press contact Philips Applied Technologies, Joost Maltha, High Tech Campus 5, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Tel +31-40-274-8882, joost.maltha@philips.com, www.apptech.philips.com; Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits II, Am Wolfsmantel 33, 91058 Erlangen, Germany, Director, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinz Gerhäuser, Contact - Stefan Geyersberger, Tel +49-91-317-763-16, Fax +49-91-317-763-98, amm-info@iis.fraunhofer.de

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