Presenting ORPHEUS results at the Munich workshop: Dr. Andreas Silzle, coordinator of ORPHEUS (photo: Johann Dafelmaier/IRT).
The ORPHEUS project has created a full set of tools and applications for all stages of the complete broadcast workflow. Our goals were:
- To provide the end-users with a future-proof radio service which exceeds their expectations.
- To support the industry to master the technical challenges in object-based audio and IP-based delivery.
- To help the (public) broadcasters to lead this transition phase and to survive in the global internet world.
The consortium ran two successful pilots to demonstrate the key features and benefits of object-based broadcasting:
- Foreground/ background control
- Language selection
- Immersive sound
- Enhanced programme services
Pilot 1 was the first ever live object-based interactive radio drama, and was produced using the BBC’s IP Studio platform in the ORPHEUS studio in BBC Broadcasting House. Pilot 2 premiered the introduction of variable-length functionality for audio. With this the listener decides about the length he likes to listen to a podcast or program and the broadcaster decides on a meaningful shortening by setting priority level markers for program sections. These pilots have proven the advantages of object-based media as a universal, innovative approach for media production and its applicability in real-world broadcast environments.
ORPHEUS project coordinator Andreas Silzle from Fraunhofer IIS said: “It is not possible to fulfill such a huge task with one research institute, one company or one broadcaster. Here, a powerful team is necessary with experts along the complete broadcast chain. We have had a team of four research institutes, three industry companies, two public broadcasters and one consulting company, fulfilling all the necessary expertise and long year experience requirements. Thanks to all these professional inputs, we could achieve our great results.”
All our results are published in quite a number of Conference and Journal Papers. For more details see also our Public Deliverables and the new or updated International Standards we have contributed to.
To sum up:
- OBA is an advanced approach for creating and deploying interactive, personalised, scalable and immersive content.
- OBA is responsive to the user needs as well as to environmental and platform-specific factors.
- OBA reduces the necessary transport capacity to the end-user.
- OBA is an essential component for Radio/TV/Online cross-media demands.
- No one who has used the benefits on the production or reproduction side would like to step back to the old ‘static’ production.
In conclusion, Andreas Silzle said: “OBA is a major step forward for audio broadcasting, and ORPHEUS is proud of having pioneered this important development.”