THX Spatial Audio Platform
With the proliferation of next-generation audio standards like MPEG-H, and video formats including Ultra-High Definition (UHD) for broadcasting and video streaming, there is a growing need to deliver high-fidelity, immersive entertainment experiences. The THX Spatial Audio Platform provides consumers with immersive sound while watching movies, listening to music, or playing games on mobile devices, personal computers, and other consumer electronic devices.
Platform Capabilities
The THX Spatial Audio Platform is an end-to-end positional audio solution built with the flexibility to support legacy entertainment content, open standards like Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA), and emerging formats for XR and 360° video.
Seamless integration into existing content creation tools, distribution workflows, applications, and playback devices
Optimized audio playback optimization by device (mobile, PC, CE), content type (music, movies, games) and listening mode (headphones and speakers)
Planned support for decoding and rendering of content transmitted using the MPEG-H audio standard
Personalized audio experience using the Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF), or hearing physics, of each individual user
Open and flexible rendering engine with support for legacy channel content, ambisonics, and objects
Features available for implementation independently, or as a complete end-to-end solution to ensure maximum flexibility
Driving High-Fidelity Audio from Content Creation to Playback
THX is working with partners, content creators, and content distributors to deliver a comprehensive set of tools and features to provide a THX Spatial Audio experience for consumers across a broad range of devices and use cases.
CAPTURE |
CONTENT CREATION |
RENDERING |
LISTENING MODE |
Tools and Features
Content Creation
Content creation plugins support ambisonics, object-based, and legacy formats.
- THX Spatial Audio content creation plugins seamlessly integrate into industry standard audio design tools and eliminate the need to learn new tools or master new proprietary audio formats
MPEG-H Encoding and Decoding
Planned support for the encoding, decoding and transport of audio technology for next-generation television broadcasts and streaming video.
- MPEG-H scene-based audio format uses ambisonics and objects to encode and decode complex sound scenes in a single scalable format
- The THX Spatial Audio Platform supports scene-based and object-based audio using MPEG-H with Qualcomm, and rendering of legacy content to provide a cost effective and flexible solution for the industry
Rendering Engine
Spatializes legacy movie, music and gaming channel content, ambisonics, and object-based content through headphones and speakers across all consumer devices.
- Headphone rendering engine optimizes playback of ambisonics, object and channel-based content
- Cross-talk cancellation technology enables realistic, immersive playback of binaurally-processed audio over speakers
- Advanced processing algorithms ensure minimal impact on battery life by utilizing a device’s DSP
- Specially designed content modes (Music, Movies, Game, Podcast) reproduce the size, reflections and depth of virtual rooms to enable custom spatialization of audio content
Tuning and Device Optimization
Measures and calibrates audio playback to deliver the highest fidelity audio experience over headphones and speakers.
- Spatialization filters provide a neutral frequency response to compensate for non-linearity in individual models of headphones
- Stereo filters adjust individual headphone models to match the THX Certified frequency response curve
- THX Loudness Plus technology maintains a consistent audible tonal balance as the listener adjusts the volume
Personalization
Delivers personalized audio profiles using Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) that are optimized for a listener’s unique hearing physics.
- 2D Ear-image capture process rapidly analyzes tens of thousands of data points derived from an image of the user’s ear
- Cloud-based deep learning system generates and applies a personalized HRTF based on the user’s unique hearing anatomy
- Download and delivery system for applying the personalized HRTF to a wide range of consumer devices, systems, and applications