colleagues, MPEG surround—the ISO/MPEG standard for efficient and compatible multi-channel audio coding

In 2004 the ISO/MPEG Audio standardization group started a new work item on efficient and backward-compatible coding of high-quality multichannel sound using parametric coding techniques. Finalized in the fall of 2006, the resulting MPEG Surround specification allows the transmission of surround sound at bit rates that have been commonly used for coding of mono or stereo sound. The results of the standardization process are summarized by describ-ing the underlying ideas and providing an overview of the MPEG Surround technology. The performance of the scheme is characterized by the results of recent verification tests. These tests include several operation modes as they would be used in typical application scenarios to introduce multichannel audio into existing audio services.