MediaTek and Ceva Collaborate for More Immersive Spatial Audio Mobile Entertainment Experience

Rhea-AI Summary

Ceva and MediaTek have announced a partnership to integrate Ceva-RealSpace Elevate multi-channel spatial audio with head tracking into MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 flagship 5G smartphone chip. The solution will enhance mobile entertainment experiences through Bluetooth LE Audio.

The collaboration aims to deliver immersive three-dimensional sound environments that replicate natural hearing. The technology will be compatible with True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds and headphones, offering features like stereo content spatialization and precise head tracking. The solution leverages Dimensity 9400's Bluetooth LE Audio capabilities for low latency streaming and improved battery life.

Ceva-RealSpace Elevate, available for licensing to smartphone OEMs, will be demonstrated at CES 2025. The solution supports various audio formats and includes a high-quality microphone array for spatial audio recording.

Positive

• Partnership with major semiconductor company MediaTek expands market reach
• Integration into flagship 5G smartphone chip enables new revenue opportunities
• Technology already available for licensing to smartphone OEMs

Negative

• None.

Insights

Technology Analyst

The partnership between MediaTek and Ceva represents a strategic advancement in mobile audio technology. The integration of Ceva-RealSpace Elevate into MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 flagship chip is particularly noteworthy as it addresses a significant gap in Android's native capabilities by enabling stereo content spatialization. The implementation of Bluetooth LE Audio brings tangible benefits through reduced power consumption and lower latency, which are important for mobile devices.

The market implications are substantial - this collaboration positions both companies advantageously in the premium smartphone segment, where immersive audio features are increasingly becoming a key differentiator. For Ceva, this could drive significant licensing revenue as smartphone OEMs adopt the technology. The timing aligns perfectly with the growing demand for spatial audio in mobile gaming, streaming and content creation.

Audio Engineering Expert

The technical architecture of Ceva-RealSpace Elevate introduces several compelling innovations. The solution's ability to maintain a fixed sound stage during head movement is particularly sophisticated, requiring complex real-time processing that few competitors can match. The integration with Dimensity 9400's microphone array for spatial audio recording adds significant value, potentially opening new revenue streams in content creation markets.

Key technical advantages include:

• Multi-format support spanning mono to object-based audio
• Advanced head tracking implementation
• Integration with LE Audio for optimized battery life

These features position the solution uniquely in the mobile audio space, with potential for expanded applications beyond entertainment.

-Companies partner to bring Ceva-RealSpace Elevate multi-channel spatial audio solution with head tracking to the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 flagship 5G smartphone chip, delivering immersive audio experiences to True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds and headphones using Bluetooth® LE Audio

-At CES 2025, Ceva will demonstrate the groundbreaking spatial audio solution, creating a true-to-life listening experience beyond traditional stereo and surround sound systems

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP that enables Smart Edge devices to connect, sense and infer data more reliably and efficiently, and MediaTek, a global leader in semiconductors today announced a partnership to enhance the mobile entertainment experience, bringing the Ceva-RealSpace Elevate multi-channel spatial audio with head tracking solution to the recently introduced MediaTek Dimensity 9400 flagship 5G smartphone chip using Bluetooth® LE Audio. Ceva-RealSpace Elevate is Ceva's premium spatial audio software offering for Android and Windows devices, providing an immersive spatial audio experience for multi-channel and ambisonics content. Ceva-RealSpace Elevate is already available for licensing to smartphone OEMs for use on the Dimensity 9400 SoC. Ceva will demonstrate the solution at its booth during CES 2025, taking place January 7-10, 2025, in Las Vegas, NV.

Spatial audio revolutionizes the listening experience by delivering a three-dimensional sound environment that replicates natural hearing, with audio emanating from all directions. This immersive technology enhances sound localization, making it simpler to pinpoint the origin of each sound, thereby enriching the realism and engagement of music, movies, games, and conference calls. Ceva-RealSpace Elevate features a powerful spatial audio renderer capable of spatializing a wide range of audio content, from mono and stereo to multi-channel and object-based audio.

Deployed on the Dimensity 9400 chipset running Android 15, the Ceva-RealSpace Elevate solution enables the spatialization of stereo content, which is not generally supported by Android. The solution also includes precise head tracking, with the sound stage remaining fixed while the head moves, allowing listeners to experience sounds as if they are coming from the room around them.

"The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 is designed to provide an exceptional mobile experience, and this collaboration with Ceva-RealSpace Elevate enables us to take audio immersion to the next level," said Will Chen, Wireless Business Group, Assistant General Manager from MediaTek. "Users can experience high-quality audio that matches the visual clarity of 4K streaming video and gaming, all while benefiting from better performance, enhanced AI and improved battery life."

The immersive spatial audio solution leverages the Dimensity 9400's Bluetooth LE Audio capabilities to deliver low latency audio streaming to TWS earbuds and headphones, enhancing the realism and quality of the listening experience. This is particularly valuable for streaming movies and TV shows with multi-channel audio spatialized by RealSpace. Additionally, LE Audio offers longer listening times due to its lower power consumption compared to classic Bluetooth. The Dimensity 9400 also supports a high-quality microphone array, perfect for recording spatial audio and enabling users to create truly immersive content. When played back using Ceva-RealSpace, listeners can experience sound as it was recorded in the real world.

"The integration of Ceva-RealSpace Elevate with the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset marks a significant advancement in delivering high-quality, immersive audio experiences," said Chad Lucien, vice president and general manager of the sensors and audio business unit at Ceva. "Our spatial audio software solution, combined with MediaTek's cutting-edge technology, provides users with a realistic and engaging listening experience, whether they are watching movies, playing games, or listening to music."

About Ceva-RealSpace Elevate
Ceva-RealSpace is a spatial audio solution combining precise 3D rendering and accurate, low-latency head tracking. RealSpace supports multiple system architectures, giving you the flexibility to render content directly on TWS earbuds, headphones, XR headsets, or speakers for the lowest latency. Or choose to render on mobile phones, gaming systems, or PCs and save BOM costs on the device. This means a great experience isn't tied to a particular device ecosystem, content provider, or codec. Ceva-RealSpace Elevate, the most feature rich solution designed for the Mobile and PC ecosystems, pairs spatial rendering on the host Android or Microsoft Windows device with head tracking on the headset for a complete system.

For more information about the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 flagship 5G SoC, please visit: https://www.mediatek.com/products/smartphones/mediatek-dimensity-9400.

For more information about the Ceva-RealSpace Elevate spatial audio and head tracking software solution, visit https://www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-realspace/, or connect with us in Ceva's Booth at CES in the Venetian Ballroom, Bassano 2709.

About Ceva, Inc.
At Ceva, we are passionate about bringing new levels of innovation to the smart edge. Our wireless communications, sensing and Edge AI technologies are at the heart of some of today's most advanced smart edge products. From wireless connectivity IPs (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB and 5G platform IP), to scalable Edge AI NPU IPs and sensor fusion solutions, we have the broadest portfolio of IP to connect, sense and infer data more reliably and efficiently. We deliver differentiated solutions that combine outstanding performance at ultra-low power within a very small silicon footprint. Our goal is simple – to deliver the silicon and software IP to enable a smarter, safer, and more interconnected world. This philosophy is in practice today, with Ceva powering more than 18 billion of the world's most innovative smart edge products from AI-infused smartwatches, IoT devices and wearables to autonomous vehicles and 5G mobile networks.

Our headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland with a global customer base supported by operations worldwide. Our employees are among the leading experts in their areas of specialty, consistently solving the most complex design challenges, enabling our customers to bring innovative smart edge products to market.

Ceva: Powering the Smart Edge™

Visit us at www.ceva-ip.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/74483/ceva__inc__logo.jpg

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SOURCE Ceva, Inc.

FAQ

What features does the Ceva-RealSpace Elevate spatial audio solution offer on MediaTek Dimensity 9400?

Ceva-RealSpace Elevate offers multi-channel spatial audio with head tracking, stereo content spatialization, and three-dimensional sound environment capabilities, supporting various audio formats from mono to object-based audio.

When will Ceva demonstrate the spatial audio solution with MediaTek?

Ceva will demonstrate the spatial audio solution at CES 2025, taking place January 7-10, 2025, in Las Vegas, NV.

How does the CEVA-MediaTek partnership improve battery life in audio devices?

The partnership utilizes Bluetooth LE Audio technology, which offers lower power consumption compared to classic Bluetooth, resulting in longer listening times.

What types of content will benefit from CEVA's spatial audio technology?

The technology enhances the audio experience for music, movies, games, and conference calls, with particular benefits for streaming movies and TV shows with multi-channel audio.