For audiences to take pleasure in content such as movies, sports video games and live events to the fullest, home TVs not just need excellent image quality but impressive sound quality also. Understanding this, industry leaders are pursuing 3D audio advancement to include a much deeper level of immersion to home entertainment experiences - bringing to life thrilling action scenes and catching the quietest information of ambient sound.

Simply put, 3D audio makes listeners feel as if they’re actually in the middle of the action. Typically only supported at specific venues such as cinema or taping studios, 3D audio is making its way into homes to offer viewers a new method to experience their favorite material.
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Samsung Electronics’ sophisticated research institute Samsung Research has actually been aiming to popularize 3D audio since 2020. To this end, Samsung dealt with Google to collectively establish Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF) - an advanced 3D spatial audio technology that was embraced by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM)1 in October 2023. Samsung Newsroom sat down with the group that established IAMF to hear the story of how the innovation came to life.

▲ The Visual Technology Team at Samsung Research led the development of a standard for audio technology. (From left) SungHee Hwang, JeongHoon Park and WooHyun Nam

A New Way To Enjoy 3D Audio at Home

Ambient sound exists everywhere - from the noise of shoes scraping on the pathway to the gentle hum of cars driving down the roadway. While this sound might seem unnecessary in media, it’s crucial in adding depth and a sense of authenticity. 3D audio works to flawlessly mix ambient noise with discussions and other sound effects to create a more vibrant and genuine home entertainment experience.

“3D audio makes you feel as if you’re really in the heart of the action by changing the strength, movement and vibrance of the noise,” said WooHyun Nam from the Visual Technology Team at Samsung Research. “In this way, audiences are able to take pleasure in a more full-bodied sound that captures the 3D aspects of the world around us.”

▲ SungHee Hwang from Samsung Research’s Visual Technology Team

Despite the advantages of 3D audio, it has been challenging to use the innovation to home audio devices due to technological constraints. “3D sound information from material can not be translated properly by home audio systems such as TV speakers or sound bars, resulting in a somewhat minimal audio experience that lacks information from the original content,” stated SungHee Hwang from the Visual Technology Team at Samsung Research.

To resolve this, Samsung worked vigilantly with Google to establish an audio option that would permit viewers to experience material audio as planned. “If the 3D audio information can be read by gadget makers, they can adjust the noise in audio devices - permitting immersive audio experiences with basic TV speakers or sound bars in the house,” stated Nam. “By changing the audio to match the home device environment, listeners can experience audio simply as the developer intended without any distortions or loss in quality.”

An uniform standard is needed to send out and get audio information efficiently in between developers and device producers. “Samsung and Google’s respective know-how in gadgets and content made the business ideal partners to produce IAMF innovation,” said JeongHoon Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Visual Technology Team at Samsung Research. “By coming together to establish this unmatched innovation, we are paving the method for customers to delight in 3D audio in their homes.”

Three Characteristics of IAMF Technology: Vertical Audio, AI-Based Audio and Customized Audio

IAMF technology offers three unique features that boost the audio experience.

▲ WooHyun Nam from Samsung Research’s Visual Technology Team

1. Ability To Express Sound Vertically

Previous open-source audio codecs only supported horizontal noise expression. With IAMF technology, audio can now be revealed vertically so that noise is increasingly multi-directional. “IAMF makes sound more realistic, by permitting listeners to hear audio in front, behind or to either side and also above or below them,” stated Nam. “As such, when IAMF innovation is applied to home TV speakers and sound bars, it enables listeners to hear noises such as birds flying over their head on their TVs in the house.”

2. AI-Based Scene Analysis and 3D Audio Effects

IAMF utilizes AI and deep-learning technology to examine scenes and emphasize specific aspects of the material - changing audio levels for more boosted noise throughout the viewing experience. “In TV and film, there are particular scenes where the soundtrack or background music is the main focus,” said Nam. “IAMF will stabilize the sound in these circumstances. Similarly, the technology will fine-tune audio when there is character dialogue to permit the listener to focus on the conversation.”

In addition, IAMF innovation supplies ideal noise regardless of changes in the device environment. “By adjusting the scene analysis audio data according to the gadget environment, IAMF technology enables listeners to enjoy the material’s original sound quality on basic home TVs,” Hwang added.

3. Highly Customized Audio

Users will have the ability to freely change sound according to their choices with IAMF technology. Whether audiences are seeking to magnify sound impacts from an action scene or improve discussion, IAMF provides the versatility to tailor content audio for a more personalized experience.

▲ IAMF analyzes information from material and allows viewers to change and personalize audio settings. When viewing a sports video game, users can directly pick whether to emphasize the analyst’s voice or the noises of the video game itself.

3D Audio Across the Industry With Open-Source IAMF

Open source is vital to creating a unified requirement across the industry. IAMF is the very first open source-based audio innovation basic adopted by AOM - meaning both corporate and independent material creators across the industry can access the innovation and expand its usage.

“In order to enable people to freely produce material with 3D audio innovation, related technology requires to be open up to all,” stated Nam. “Providing a complete open-source structure for 3D audio, from creation to delivery and playback, will permit even more diverse audio content experiences in the future.”

Similarly, Park highlighted how IAMF innovation will have a big effect on the audio landscape progressing. “Because we reside in a period dominated by content development, IAMF will assist lead, broaden and transform the 3D audio ecosystem,” he said.

Success Accomplished Through Cooperation

Research on IAMF started in 2020 and took nearly four years to finish. Through a combination of perseverance and effort, the team was able to achieve success.

“The job involved numerous days of nonstop work, and there were times when we needed to operate at night due to the time difference between our workplace and Google’s,” stated Hwang. “Despite these challenges, I was proud in the end. It was an excellent chance to deal with developers from other nations.”

The groups established a sense of friendship along the way and built a solid structure of trust and understanding. “A Google worker discussed how this collaboration with Samsung has been the most satisfying partnership he had finished up until now,” Park remembered. “We were able to accomplish this job because our groups relied on each other. I’m really pleased with and appreciative for our team members’ efforts and their cooperation.”

▲ JeongHoon Park, Corporate EVP and Head of the Visual Technology Team at Samsung Research

Additionally, Park praised each employee’s special skills and expertise which assisted contribute to the production of IAMF. “WooHyun Nam contributed in proposing the technology development concepts while SungHee Hwang arranged and documented our team’s concepts in a well-defined way,” he said.

A Vision for ‘Samsung Sound’

Upon its release, the Samsung Research group realized that the standardization of 3D spatial audio marked a brand-new era of sound innovation.

“Thanks to IAMF, we can start investigating technologies that will open up a world of audio possibilities,” said Nam. In line with this, the Samsung Research team is currently developing a sophisticated variation of IAMF innovation that can be used to various sectors such as mobile phones, the metaverse, computer game and more.

▲ With their combined efforts and unrelenting determination, the Visual Technology Team at Samsung Research was able to successfully create a new standard for 3D audio.

Given the success of IAMF, the Samsung Research group is inspired to develop better audio technology for customers. Each of the group members shared their goals for the future of 3D audio.

Nam discussed his desire to create audio technology that is more immersive. “I want to develop a more innovative 3D audio technology that makes users feel like they are truly in the scene of a film, TV program or live event,” he stated. “I also intend to continue this research until 3D audio is applied to Samsung’s smartphones.”

More broadly, Hwang discussed how he hopes Samsung will have the ability to produce unparalleled audio technology that will position it among the ranks of other leading audio business. “My goal is to establish an innovation that consumers will be able to quickly differentiate as ‘Samsung Sound’ when they hear it,” he said. “I am optimistic that the IAMF requirement is a stepping stone towards this dream. “

“My hope is that Samsung’s sound technology will make it possible for customers to take pleasure in an updated audio experience that is on par with that of present visual experiences,” said Park. “I hope that content creators will utilize Samsung’s audio innovation to make 3D audio content available. Additionally, we aim to produce a helpful environment that allows researchers to take on strong and interesting difficulties such as broadening Samsung’s audio innovation.”
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such as IAMF will make home entertainment more immersive for viewers across the board. The Samsung Research group is paving the way for innovations that will change the future of audio.

1 A non-profit industry consortium formed to establish and share innovation for multimedia shipment, enabling creators to utilize the innovation without fretting about cost. It is operated by an alliance of 38 business including Samsung Electronics, Google, Amazon, Apple and Meta.