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Thomson, Fraunhofer Developing Enhanced MP3 Codec Called mp3PRO
Jan. 7, 2001
By Joseph Palenchar
Las Vegas -- Thomson and the Fraunhofer Institute, the co-developers of MP3,
are working with a third company to develop an improved MP3 codec intended
to deliver 128-Kbps MP3 performance at a 64-Kbps data rate.
The new codec, dubbed mp3PRO, would almost double the music-storage capacity
of MP3.
Thomson announced the plans during the Consumer Electronics Show, here,
where the company demonstrated a beta version of the codec -- which it
believes will be finalized in about 90 days and available in products during
the second half.
Content encoded in mp3PRO can be played back in a traditional MP3 player but
without the quality enhancement. The format can also be used for streaming
Web audio.
Like MP3, mp3PRO will be open and available for licensing. "We expect this
to be the new MP3," said Rocky Caldwell, strategic business development and
product planning manager for audio.
The company acknowledged that the primary driver behind the upgrade was
competition from other codecs, including Windows Media Audio, that purport
to offer equivalent or better sound quality at half the MP3 data rate.
In the second half, Thomson plans to offer a firmware upgrade to add mp3PRO
to its existing two Lyra portable players, said Caldwell. It might also be
included in the planned Lyra III, the smallest Lyra yet, when it ships in
late Q3, said Tim DiGioia, audio marketing director for the Americas. If
not, it will be available later as a firmware upgrade.
Thomson also hopes to include an mp3PRO decoder in a trio of CD-based
products due later in the year, but they might ship only with MP3. One is a
shelf system due in the third quarter, complementing a $399-suggested
five-disc shelf system due in January with MP3 decoding.
Mp3PRO might also be in a CD boombox due in September to complement an
MP3-CD boombox due in July at a suggested $179. The third product would be a
$179-suggested headphone CD player due in Q4, replacing a larger $170 MP3
version due in February.
The codec might be offered in PCs available in the second half, said Marc
Redmond, worldwide audio VP. "You might see mp3PRO from other companies at
the end of the year," Caldwell added.
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