Texas Instruments is licensing the Low Delay AAC super wideband codec from the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS to enable high-definition (HD) VoIP.
Powered by TI’s high-performance digital signal processors (DSPs), the MPEG-4 AAC-LD super-wideband codec offers substantial benefits compared to earlier wideband audio technology, and has the performance capabilities to make ubiquitous HD voice a reality in global IP networks.
The super-wideband codec technology is able to transmit voice at a sample rate of up to 48 KHz, providing near-CD quality audio at data-rates of 48 – 64 kbps for better clarity with applications like IP-based voice and video, as well as transmission of music over the telephone.
TI predicts that just as HD television is revolutionizing the way we watch TV and HD radio enhances the daily commutes for millions of people each day, HD voice will deliver a uniquely crisp and clear communications experience. It will also be a critical enabling technology for a host of exciting applications in the future, such as improved speech recognition, real-time language translation, and appliance voice control.
With this new super-wideband technology, TI’s VoIP solutions can deliver CD-quality sound on both ends of a VoIP-enabled phone call, while supporting a full range of voice and music capabilities, including fidelity comparable to MP3 audio. http://www.ti.com/visionforvoice
| HD Voice: Can VoIP Do Better Than "Carrier Grade"? |
| Constrained by the limitations of analog transducers and network bandwidth in its early days, the public switched telephone network (PSTN) transports only a small slice of what people can hear. Even though the range of the ear extends from 20 Hz to 20 KHz, a typical analog phone call only transmits sound in the 200 Hz to 3.3 KHz range. As IP phones become more and more prevalent in homes, SMBs and global enterprises, wideband HD voice communication will become more common. A digital channel from end-to-end is needed for a wideband call, but this does not preclude a wired-to-wireless HD call. | |
