Technicolor and Fraunhofer Announce MPEG-H Licensing Program

PARIS & ERLANGEN, GERMANY—Technicolor and German-based Fraunhofer IIS have announced a new licensing program as part of the market introduction of the next-generation TV audio system developed by the MPEG-H Audio Alliance, which is also under consideration for the ATSC 3.0 standard.

The MPEG-H Audio Alliance TV system enables TV broadcasters to capture and deliver next generation audio and allows consumers to customize content experiences. The MPEG-H Audio Alliance uses a subset of the MPEG-H 3D audio standard, according to Manuele Wahl, head of technology and trademark licensing, Technicolor.

The licensing program will focus on a per-unit royalty, with annual volume discounts for manufacturers of both professional and consumer hardware and software. No patent royalty will accrue for producing , transmitting or distributing content under this licensing program.

Technicolor will administer the licensing program of the standard essential patents for the MPEG-H Audio Alliance TV system. The program builds upon Technicolor’s MP3 licensing program, as well as the company’s experience managing 1,100 licensing agreements across 15 licensing programs.