New Nexus 7's 5.1 Surround Sound Provided by Fraunhofer's Cingo Technology

[Babyfacemagee]

During the introduction yesterday of the New Nexus 7 we were pleasantly surprised to hear the inclusion of 5.1 surround sound technology to enhance movie and video playback using the new tablet's stereo speakers.  Well the mysterious name mentioned along with the 5.1 news, Fraunhofer Cingo got us scratching our heads so of course we did what we always do on Nexus7Forum.com...we dig to find out what it's all about!   

Well it turns out that Fraunhofer is one of the largest audio research organizations in the world and the 'Cingo' technology they have licensed to Google and Asus for the New Nexus 7 uses a combination of technologies:  the innovative use of digital filters to customize the spatial sound impression, loudness optimization and equalization to turn ordinary stereo audio sources into 5.1 surround soundscapes.  Of course that's an oversimplification and there's more to it than that but you can get more info at the Fraunhofer Cingo Website.  Full Press Release Below.

Fraunhofer Innovation Enables Cinema-Quality
Surround Sound on Google Nexus Devices

Fraunhofer Cingo brings unrivaled surround sound experience to Nexus 7 and
Nexus 10 users

Theater quality surround sound in the palm of your hand is now a reality for Nexus 7
and Nexus 10 users thanks to Fraunhofer Cingo, the newest innovation from the world
renowned experts in audio and multimedia technologies. Fraunhofer IIS developed
Cingo to achieve significantly enhanced playback of stereo and surround sound on
mobile devices. With Cingo, built-in stereo speakers or headphones will deliver the
high-quality surround sound consumers have come to expect from their home theater
systems. The first device to natively integrate Cingo is Nexus 7, announced earlier today
at the Google press event. For the Nexus 10, Fraunhofer Cingo will be available
through a software update.

Cingo dramatically improves the entertainment experience on mobile devices. It allows
for a complete immersion into a film’s sound in the same way that multi-channel audio
systems do in cinemas. Furthermore, Cingo delivers natural and clear sound even in the
noisiest environments.

“Owners of the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 will be surprised that this improvement in
quality was possible on handheld devices without compromises to the form factor and
usability,” said Harald Popp, head of the business department at the Audio and
Multimedia division of Fraunhofer IIS. “When paired with HD video quality, Cingo
transforms mobile devices into personal movie theatres that fit into a pocket.”
The efficient delivery of surround sound to mobile devices is made possible by the High
Efficiency AAC (HE-AAC) audio codec technology. HE-AAC was co-developed by
Fraunhofer IIS and is today’s most efficient high-quality surround and stereo audio
codec. Android phones and tablets natively support HE-AAC Multichannel and in
combination with Cingo, they become true entertainment centers while on the move
or at home. To capitalize on the new capability, Google will now offer feature films
with surround sound on the Nexus 7 using HE-AAC Multichannel. These titles can be
played using Cingo via headphones, internal stereo speakers or with an HDMI output
to home theater surround systems.

Cingo is available from Fraunhofer as a product-ready software implementation for
mobile device manufacturers, chip set vendors and providers of multimedia services.
Fraunhofer IIS will demonstrate Cingo and HE-AAC on the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 at
IFA, hall 11.1, in Berlin, September 6 -11, and at IBC, booth 8.B80, in Amsterdam,
September 13-17.
For more information about Fraunhofer Cingo, please visit www.fraunhofer-cingo.com.


About Cingo

Fraunhofer Cingo creates a realistic surround sound impression when listening to
surround content over stereo speakers or headphones. Based on the latest
developments in audio technology, Fraunhofer Cingo contains a complete set of tools
to deliver an exceptional level of audio quality, unmatched on mobile devices.
With the virtual surround sound mode each audio channel is presented as a virtual
sound source in such a way that it is heard from a specific location and distance, for
example a loudspeaker of a 5.1 surround setup in a living room. This enables the
playback of stereo or surround sound over the built-in speakers or any type of
headphones with an authentic surround effect.

The loudness optimization feature of Cingo delivers a natural and clear sound even in
the most challenging situations. Together with the equalizing algorithm, which
compensates for the common audio quality deficiencies often encountered with
smartphones and tablets, Fraunhofer Cingo ensures significantly improved audio
quality in any listening situation.