scope:

The present document investigates the potential user experience benefits of surround audio in 3GPP services. The investigation will be performed as follows:

• Identify and document relevant use cases for surround sound in 3GPP.

• Define design constraints that would need to be met by a surround audio codec extension method for adoption by 3GPP.

• Identify suitable testing methodology for surround sound in relevant use cases of the PSS and MBMS services.

• Define subjective minimum performance criteria that would need to be met in order to motivate the consideration of a surround audio coding extension for adoption by 3GPP.

• Validate the user benefits and the feasibility of the deployment of surround sound for the PSS and MBMS services according to the defined minimum performance criteria, bit rate and design constraints for all the use cases (such as surround sound speaker set-up and headphone decoding mode) through evaluation of at least one example of surround sound coding methods which may be MPS.