Encoding / Decoding

DOBBIN utilizes encoder technology from Fraunhofer, Coding Technologies, Dolby, DTS, and Meridian - combining them with a state-of-the-art observer technology developed by Cube-Tec.

Supported Formats:

MPEG Layer 2 and Layer 3 (MP3)
aacPlus v2, AAC, eAAC, AAC+
Lossless Coding MLP, FLAC
DTS, Dolby Digital (AC3)
Microsoft WMA
M4A, MP4, 3GP - also with Hint information for streaming servers

HE-AAC Encoder / Decoder

The HE-AAC Encoder (aacPlus) supports all kind of codings that are needed in the mobile audio market. Full Track Music Download can easily be provided, using the DOBBIN system for the coding process. The aacPlus encoder delivers streaming and downloadable audio near CD-quality stereo at 32 kbps, excellent quality stereo at 24 kbps, and good quality for mixed content even below 16 kbps mono. This level of efficiency fundamentally enables new applications in the markets of mobile and digital broadcast.

Features

MP4 / M4A (MPEG 4 and MPEG 4 Audio)
3GPP / 3GP
ISMA compliant MP4 Hinting
3GPP Hinting
RTSP Streaming
3GP Streaming with Hint track
Meta Tagging - iTunes, ID3v2.3, 3GP
HE-AAC, AAC, AAC+, aacPlus

Example applications

3G and WiFi Audio and A/V services
Internet audio for streaming and download
Digital Radio
Digital Satellite and Cable
Portable players

Technical information

The HE-AAC codec family is fully standardized in MPEG-4 and delivers CD quality stereo at 48 kbps and 5.1 surround sound at 128 kbps.

MPEG-4 HE-AAC, is the combination of three MPEG technologies comprising Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), coupled with Coding Technologies Spectral Band Replication (SBR), and Parametric Stereo (PS) technologies. SBR is a unique bandwidth extension technique which enables audio codecs to deliver the same quality at half the bit rate. PS significantly increases the codec efficiency a second time for low bit rate stereo signals.

The left example illustrates how the HE-AAC Encoder can be used for different markets as the three encoders are set to produce different output formats. Encoder 1 is configured for M4A output, which best suits the use of the output material for websites, while Encoder 2 and 3 are configured to produce 3GP output files with different bandwidth settings, suited for the use in mobile markets.

DolbyDigital Encoder / Decoder

DOBBIN's Dolby Digital Encoder enables you to create multi-channel surround sound projects for mixdown. It can deliver from one channel (mono) to six channels (5.1), while efficiently and substantially reducing the data rate of the audio. The encoded result will be fully compatible with common Dolby Digital decoders such as DOBBIN's Dolby Digital Decoder and Dolby Digital authoring systems.

In addition to the actual audio data, the output from the encoder can also carry metadata information that serves to "instruct" various decoders (such as conventional DVD players) on how to play back the encoded audio data. This means that a multi-channel recording can be prepared for transfer to - and playback from digital media, such as DVD, Laserdisc and DTV, while the various parameters allow for a complete tailoring in order to produce the best possible result with respect to any possible playback system, its number of output channels, and the number of speakers connected to it.

FLAC Encoder / Decoder

FLAC stands for "Free Lossless Audio Codec". FLAC can reduce the original file size without compromising sound quality. The degree of compression is dependent on the source material, but generally the compression ratio is somewhere between 30% and 80%.

Because of user friendliness considerations, Cube-Tec's FLAC Encoder automatically encodes with the highest level of compression. This leads to a longer encoding time, but if one is encoding thousands of RIFF Wave files to the FLAC format, he is usually doing it for storage reasons.