AES Standards News Blog

 Project AES-X212, HRTF file format, has been initiated.

This project seeks to standardize a file format to exchange binaural listening parameters in the form of head related transfer functions (HRTF). The format will be scalable to match the available rendering process. The format will be designed to include source materials from different HRTF databases. 

Binaural listening is growing fast, because of growing sales in smartphones, tablets and other individual entertainment systems. The lack of a standard for HRTF exchange means each company's data is unreadable by others.

Interest in 3D audio is rising, and binaural listening could be the very first 3D audio vector with sufficient fidelity of HRTF.

With a standardized HRTF file format, each company could contribute its best algorithms, providing good personalized capture and/or rendering, allowing the consumer to choose its best combination of technologies for the best quality of experience.

http://www.aes.org/standards/meetings/init-projects/aes-x212-init.cfm