The latest version of MPEG-H Dialog+ lands at ARTE to solve audio management in musical performances

The Franco-German chain ART has released the improved version of the MPEG-H Dialog+ tool from Fraunhofer IIS, which allows you to take advantage of the advantages of improved dialogue without affecting musical performances.

Music, often accompanied by singing elements, is an important part of television content, whether in television series or live concert broadcasts. In many cases, the music and dialogue are produce at the same time. This specific situation is one of the biggest challenges of improving dialogues, given that technologies have difficulties to detect the song in the music of a film.

In the case of music, this usually causes a unwanted improvement of canto and one attenuation of other musical elements. It can even lead to unwanted artifacts, to a decrease in musical quality and a reduction in the intelligibility of dialogue and singing. Fraunhofer IIS has solved this problem with the latest MPEG-H Dialog+, which allows preserving the original quality of the musical sequences and, at the same time, customize dialogue passages.

One of the first stations to integrate this option has been the public channel ART. Now, users of the arte.tv streaming service can switch between the audio of the original production and the version “Klare Sprache” (German) “and “Confort Audio” French. According to Kemal Görgülütz, technical director of ARTE, this development by Fraunhofer allows us to offer “the best possible audio and video content to our viewers.” "With the option to select 'Comfort Audio', users can now choose their preferred audio version. This improves accessibility and offers personalized streaming experiences," he explains.

Marc Gayer, director of audio and media technologies business department Fraunhofer IIS, celebrates the agreement and highlights: "MPEG-H Dialog+ is the perfect solution for content providers such as television networks, as it allows audio material to be improved when only the final audio mix is ​​available. The public can enjoy their preferred version by switching between the original mix and the version with enhanced dialogue."