While much of the NAB talk about APT focused on the recent acquisition of its codec hardware business by the Audemat Group, the company’s licensing business is also very much still a presence.
APTX promoted a new codec algorithm at the NAB Show called apt-X Lossless, aimed at “immersive, high-definition, digital entertainment applications” and expected to be available in July.
Built on the company’s apt-X algorithm, it will be scalable and offer a lossy hybrid mode for jobs requiring tighter specs. As with apt-X, latency should be minimal. Computational power and energy consumption are expected to be kept low.
Designed to handle audio up to 24-bit/96 kHz, prospective applications include broadcast, IP audio distribution and handling of material aimed for playback in consumer electronic devices.
Jonny McClintock, APTX’s sales and marketing president said: “It’s becoming increasingly apparent that designers of high-definition systems for digital entertainment markets are becoming constrained by the shortcomings in the performance of first-generation lossless and lossy audio compression technology, especially in rapid-evolving areas where the delivery of multichannel surround sound contributes greatly to the immersive user experience … apt-X Lossless addresses the needs of emerging high-definition audio applications and presents developers with a much needed alternative source of codec technology.”
