In the Bavarian research project 5G TODAY the project partners IRT, Rohde & Schwarz and Kathrein Broadcast have implemented the FeMBMS (Further Evolved Multicast Broadcast Mobile Service) specification and set up an “LTE-based 5G Broadcast” test field in the Bavarian Alpine region with the transmitters Wendelstein and Ismaning. This technology enables highly efficient live and …
On television, language barriers are reconciled by translations or subtitles. Thanks to artificial intelligence, audio tracks can now even be converted into foreign languages largely automatically and with much less effort. New features co-developed by IRT make it possible to offer viewers individual language versions via the TV speakers or via smartphones and headphones. A …
The weConnect project aims at establishing seamless networking amongst all ARD radio stations. Mainly affected by this change are editorial, production and scheduling systems. Until now, all these individual systems were separate solutions that enabled flawless and structured work, but used their own “language”, which made interoperability between these systems impossible. Now weConnect intends …
In the EU-funded R&D project 5G-VICTORI we aim to improve the availability and quality of video-on-demand (VoD) streaming services (such as “Mediathek”) for train passengers. In a series of articles we want to keep you informed about our activities in this area. In this article we explain the technical approaches we are investigating. How can …
DAB-Z is a wide-spread radio application for retrofit Android car head units. Affordable Android car head units are being successfully sold worldwide and can be purchased on shopping sites like Amazon, eBay or AliExpress. Prices typically vary between 180€ and 450€ depending on features and specifications such as RAM or flash memory. These units are …
In our earlier post on accessibility services in 360° environments (here) we have described how these services can enhance user experiences and make 360° videos more accessible. In the EU-funded Immersive Accessibility project ImAc subtitles are extended with guiding cues to support easier speaker identification within the 360° space to enhance the user experience and …
“Hey Alexa/Siri/Google, change the program language to English and increase the dialogue level.” The widespread use of smart speakers offers a great potential for many Next Generation Audio (NGA)-related applications. Smart speakers by itself offer a broad set of possibilities to gain information or to interact with the voice assistant, but also to listen to …
People with visual impairments often need audio description when watching TV in order to understand what is happening visually. This can be problematic in certain group settings, where it is not possible to enable audio description e.g. public viewing events. In a group setting, as of now, everybody listens to the same broadcast sound together …
We’ve recently teamed up with colleagues from SWR.Online to implement alternative audio tracks in the “ARD Player” for mobile and desktop Internet browsers. This allows ARD broadcasters now to distribute alternative audio versions in addition to the default mix in an efficient manner without extra bandwidth usage. Such alternatives can be for example a “Dialog+” …
More creative than current broadcast subtitles, but with measure and goal – that’s how subtitles should be. The IRT is researching its design and mechanics. So far, the display options of television subtitles have been very limited. This is due in particular to Teletext technology, which is still an essential part of the subtitle workflow. …
