APTX Licenses Enhanced Apt-X To Qbit

The developer and licensor of apt-X audio compression technology, APTX, has announced that following the signing of a multi-year intellectual property licensing agreement, broadcast audio systems specialist Qbit GmbH (Bruchsal, Germany) intends to feature Enhanced apt-X encoding/decoding for multi-channel audio streams in the company's latest IP Audio Codec product, the Qbit Q560.
Designed for world markets and based on the Texas Instruments DSP processor architecture, the high-specification Qbit Q560 IP Audio Codec will include Enhanced apt-X capability for up to eight stereo audio channels. Qbit presently serves the majority of leading broadcaster clients throughout Germany with a growing range of high-performance digital signal processing systems for audio reception, multiplexing and distribution in digital terrestrial, satellite and radio networks.
Jonny McClintock, Sales President of APTX, said: "APTX is delighted to have Qbit on board as yet another broadcast licensee of apt-X technology. Qbit now features the must-have codec that makes the Q560 a very attractive purchase to potential clients outside Germany's broadcast industry.
"The merits of Enhanced apt-X are well-known to radio broadcast engineers, and apt-X Live is now extending its application reach into multi-program surround-sound audio for HDTV."
McClintock stated that APTX has previously licensed apt-X technology to various other leading manufacturers of audio codec hardware for ISDN, IP and 3G, including Harris, Linear Acoustic, MAYAH, Prodys and Audemat-owned APT (teh former broadcast hardware division of APTX).
Michael Bläsi, CEO of Qbit GmbH, added: "This is a good move for Qbit. The target markets for the new Q560 are not just here in Europe, but also broadcasters in other countries around the world. Every broadcaster needs to have Enhanced apt-X to cover important scenarios. With Enhanced apt-X in the Q560, they are now assured."
The new Qbit Q560 featuring Enhanced apt-X is available from May 2009 and can be pre-configured according to individual client requirements.
The Qbit Q560 is a high specification, channel-expandable IP Audio Codec based on the C64x DSP processor family from Texas Instruments.
The Q560 offers low-latency Enhanced apt-X encode-decode of up to 8 stereo channels (encoder, decoder or mixed) of elementary streams over IP and E1 networks, or the generation of DVB-compliant MPEG-2 transport streams over IP or ASI. The unit is boxed in a compact 19-inch 1U housing and consumes <2W per stereo channel.
(KMcA/BMcC)