Thomson announces that Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, inventors of mp3, together with Thomson launch MP3 Surround.

MP3 Surround will enable 5.1 channels surround-quality sound for a broad spectrum of applications including web-based music distribution, broadcasting systems, PC-related audiovisual or gaming applications, consumer electronics and automotive systems.
The web site www.mp3surround-format.com provides users immediate download access to free mp3 surround evaluation software, demo samples and detailed technology information.

The evaluation encoder enables the creation of mp3 surround files out of 5 or 6-channel wav material. The Fraunhofer IIS mp3 surround player is capable of decoding and playing back the surround format’s files as well as stereo mp3 material.