The Telos Alliance Demos High-Quality MPX over a 320kbps Connection at NAB
CLEVELAND, OH & LAS VEGAS, NV, USA – 18 APRIL, 2016 (NAB BOOTH #N1934)
The Telos Alliance® announced today its latest innovation, µMPX™—a groundbreaking composite FM Codec that enables high-quality MPX over a 320kbps IP connection. The Telos Alliance partnered with Nautel and Moseley to demonstrate the technology today at NAB 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
μMPX (“micro” MPX) is a specially designed audio codec purpose-built for FM radio that is able to transport high-quality Multiplexed FM signals over a relatively small 320kbps data pipe. While some companies have full-bandwidth “linear” MPX over IP offerings, distribution of such streams requires extremely high dedicated bandwidth, typically 2 megabits (Mb) or more. μMPX slashes the amount of bandwidth needed for distribution by nearly 84% to a remarkable 320kbps. By reducing data requirements, high-quality multiplexed audio can be economically routed from an audio processor, over IP, and directly into an exciter.
With µMPX, lower bandwidth IP connections and narrow band STL channels can now be used to transport MPX signals. μMPX will create new audio distribution options and cut equipment needs and costs, as it leverages advances in the world’s ever-growing IP infrastructure. Sound quality will also benefit as this purpose-built codec makes its way into more places. As with all new groundbreaking technologies, potential applications for µMPX will only grow as creative radio engineers begin utilizing it.
The Telos Alliance, Moseley, and Nautel live demo of μMPX™ at NAB transported an encoded MPX signal over IP from the Telos Alliance booth, through a Moseley Starlink STL, and directly into a μMPX decoder feeding a Nautel transmitter.
“The core technology is pretty far along in development. We wanted to share µMPX with the industry so we could broaden the conversation,” says Frank Foti, CEO of the Telos Alliance. “We think μMPX will be good for all of Radio, and our intention is to make it available under license to a wide variety of interested parties.”
As master licensor, the Telos Alliance intends to make this new technology accessible, affordable, and attainable to the widest variety of broadcast equipment makers for the good of the entire industry.