Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) and the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) have developed MPEG4-SLS (scalable-to-lossless coding), the world’s first adaptive audio streaming technology using the MPEG-4 SLS audio standard. The technology was unveiled at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by Exploit Technologies, the commercialization arm of A*STAR. MPEG-4 SLS is being test-bedded online at www.songsofcampus.com. “Our research team developed this technology to answer the needs of a new generation consumers who want hi-fidelity music entertainment at the appropriate quality and on demand — anywhere, anytime,” says Lye Kin Mun, PhD, I2R’s deputy executive director for research. “This is also in line with upcoming trends of moving away from traditional to new media in the infotainment world.”
SLS is a patented music coding format using an MPEG-4 audio standard that is capable of compressing music files, such as CD tracks, for playback without any loss in fidelity. It also allows for fine-grain pre-encoding of music files at different bit-rates so they can subsequently be streamed or played back at different quality, depending on the device type or available channel bandwidth. The technology allows for uninterrupted music streaming, regardless of bandwidth or internet traffic volume. MPEG-4 SLS’s scalability also means that a single encoded file can be played back in different environments with bit-rate cap determined by the service provider. SLS is particularly suited for use in broadcast and music production environments where its lossless performance allows multiple phases of the recording and editing process to be managed without signal loss. SLS also can ensure that the final production delivers a faithful and complete rendering of the uncompressed source material. The scalability of SLS gives users the ability to maximize sound quality during distribution, by matching the bit-rate to the available bandwidth.
Source: EurekAlert!