EE5359 Multimedia Processing Project

Study and Comparison of AC3, AAC and HE-AAC Audio Codecs

Dhatchaini Rajendran Student ID: 1000636681 Date : 11-23-2010

Introduction
Analog Audio Input

Analog to Digital Conversion

Digital Signal Processing

Digital to Analog Conversion

Analog Audio Output

CD Audio:
16 bit encoding 2 Channels (Stereo) 44.1 kHz sampling rate Bit rate = 4.32 Mb/s taking into consideration the overhead due to synchronization, error correction

Digital Audio Compression

Need for Audio Compression Algorithms: Most of the internet and wireless applications are not compatible with high data rates as that of CD audio. Thus, the data rate must be reduced without increasing the quantization error. Objective of Audio Compression Algorithms: To minimize the number of bits representing the signal Efficient reproduction of the input signal Types of Audio Coding Techniques: Parametric Coding Waveform Coding Hybrid Coding

Perceptual Audio Coding

Incorporates psychoacoustic knowledge of the auditory system to compress the audio signal. Maximum compression is achieved by considering the following facts:
Insensitivity of the human ear to frequencies less than 20 kHz Redundancy in the audio signal

Perceptual audio coding

Digital Audio Input Analysis Filter Bank Quantization and Coding Encoding of Bitstream Encoded Output

Perceptual Model

Masking Thresholds

Block Diagram for Perceptual Audio Coding [2]

Psychoacoustic parameters
Absolute hearing thresholds Simultaneous masking Critical band frequency analysis Temporal masking Spread of masking along the basilar membrane

AC-3
It is an audio codec developed by Dolby laboratories Dolby AC-3 audio compression algorithm is a ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) standard for digital audio compression AC-3 is a lossy audio compression format and supports multi-channel format It is used in a variety of applications including digital television and DVD

AC-3 Contd.

There are 5 full range channels (3Hz- 20,000Hz). Three of them are in the front (left, right and centre) and the other two are surround channels. The sixth channel ranges from 3Hz-120Hz and is also known as Low frequencies Enhancement Channel. This set of channels is known as 5.1 channels

AC3 Encoder

Block Diagram of AC-3 Encoder [3]

AC3 Encoder

Block Diagram of AC-3 Encoder [2]

AC3 Decoder

Block Diagram of AC-3 Decoder [2]

Advanced Audio Coding

This scheme was a joint development by many companies mainly including Dolby, Fraunhofer, AT&T, Sony and Nokia. Motion Pictures Experts Group officially made AAC an international standard in 1997. It is a lossy digital compression scheme which improves quality at lower bit rates. AAC is the default iTunes codec which makes it very popular

AAC Profiles
Four profiles which can be chosen based on factors like complexity of bit stream to be encoded, desired performance and output.
Low complexity (LC) Main profile (MAIN) Sample-rate scalable (SRS) Long term prediction (LTP)

AAC

Block Diagram of MPEG 2 AAC [4]

AAC file formats

ADIF (audio data interchange format)
One header at the beginning followed by raw data blocks Simple local storing purposes

ADTS (audio data transport stream)

One header for each frame followed by a block of raw data Better error robustness

ADTS profile bits in header

Profile bits 00 (0) 01 (1) 10 (2) 11 (3) ID 1 (MPEG-2 profile) Main profile Low complexity profile (LC) Scalable sample rate profile (SSR) (reserved)

Profile bits in ADTS header[11]

HE-AAC
HE-AAC = AAC + SBR Spectral band replication is an add on to the audio coder. This scheme uses the fact that harmonic series in the higher band of frequencies is the same as that in the lower band. The higher frequencies are reconstructed using the lower frequency components.

AAC Codec with SBR technology

Block Diagram of HE-AAC [5]

Audio Files
Original File Size : 8.23 MB AAC encoded file Size: 385 KB HE-AAC encoded file Size: 272 KB

AC-3 encoded file Size: 264 KB

Performance of AAC codec

Results: File format

Bit rate after encoding (kbps)

Encoding time (seconds)

Decoding time (seconds)

Original Size (MB)

Compressed Size (kB)

Compression Ratio

ADTS ADIF

64.2 64.2

8.7 8.7

3.09 3.51

8.23 8.23

353 353

23:1 23:1

Tested at bit rate = 64.2 kbps

Performance of HE-AAC codec

Bit rate after encoding (kbps)

Encoding time (seconds)

Decoding time (seconds)

Original Size (MB)

Compressed Size (kB)

Compression Ratio

48 32 24

3.0 3.0 3.0

2.0 2.0 2.0

8.23 8.23 8.23

272 184 140

30:1 45:1 59:1

Performance of AC-3 codec

Bit rate after encoding (kbps)

Encoding time (seconds)

Original Size (MB)

Compressed Size (kB)

Compression Ratio

32 48

0.53 0.41

8.23 8.23

175 263

47:1 31:1

Comparison of the codecs

AC-3 Audio compression format Forward transform Lossy Time division aliasing cancelling filter banks by Princen and Bradley 6 AAC Lossy MDCT HE-AAC lossy MDCT

Number of channels

Perceptual audio coding

Sampling rates

Yes
Upto 48kHz

Yes
8-96 kHz

Yes
24 96 kHz

Profiles
File formats Applications

AC-3
.ac3 Digital television, DVD

LC, Main, SSR,LTP

.adts, .adif, .aac,.mp4,etc. iTunes codec

AAC-LC + SBR
.aac, .3gp, .mp4, etc. Digital radio

MUSHRA test
Multiple stimuli with hidden reference and anchor Defined by international telecommunication union (ITU) Subjective evaluation of audio quality. It is used to evaluate the perceived quality of the output from lossy audio compression algorithms. The listener is presented with a certain number of test samples , a hidden version of the reference and one or more anchors.

Conclusion
The performance of AC-3, AAC and HE-AAC can be compared at low bit rates. AAC has better performance than AC-3 at low bit rates HE-AAC has been tested to have excellent quality at 48 kbps by the European broadcasting union with considerable performance upto 24 kbps

References:
[1] K. Brandenburg and M. Bosi, Overview of MPEG audio: current and future standards for low-bit-rate audio coding, JAES, vol.45, pp.4-21, Jan./Feb. 1997. [2] A/52 B ATSC Digital Audio Compression Standard: http://www.atsc.org/cms/standards/a_52b.pdf [3] D.Meares, K. Watanabe and E.Scheirer, Report on the MPEG-2 AAC Stereo Verification Tests, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11, Feb.1998. [4] M. Dietz, L. Liljeryd and K. Kjrling, Spectral band replication, a novel approach in audio coding, in 112th AES Convention, Munich, May 2002. [5] F. Henn , R. Bhm and S. Meltzer, Spectral band replication technology and its application in broadcasting, International Broadcasting Convention, 2003. [6] M. Dietz and S. Meltzer, CT-aacplus a state of the art audio coding scheme, Coding Tecnologies, EBU Technical review, Jul. 2002.

[7]P. Ekstrand, Bandwidth extension of audio signals by spectral band replication, IEEE Benelux Workshop on Model based Processing and Coding of Audio (MPCA-2002), Nov.15, 2002. [8] AAC codec download: www.audiocoding.com [9] ISO/IEC IS 13818-7, Information technology Generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information Part 7: advanced audio coding (AAC), 1997. [10] M. Bosi and R.E. Goldberg, Introduction to digital audio coding standards, Norwell. MA: Kluwer, 2003. [11] H. Kalva et al. Implementing multiplexing, streaming and server interaction for MPEG-4, IEEE Transactions on circuits and systems for video technology, vol. 9, No.8, pp 1299-1311,Dec. 1999. [12] C.C.Todd, G.A. Davidson, M.F. Davis et. al, AC-3: Flexible perceptual coding for audio transmission and storage, Dolby laboratories. http://www.dolby.com/uploadedFiles/English_(US)/Professional/Technical _Library/Technologies/Dolby_Digital_(AC-3)/37_ac3-flex.pdf

Thank You!