Last week, the Universal Access in Aviation (UAIA) conference was held in Seattle, Washington where stakeholders and enthusiasts from all over the world had a chance to learn from industry experts about the future of innovations for airports, airlines, airline service companies, suppliers, and more. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group’s (SIG) own Chuck Sabin, senior director of market development, was on hand to discuss key emerging use cases and upcoming enhancements to Bluetooth® technology like Auracast™ broadcast audio.
Auracast ™broadcast audio is a new Bluetooth capability that will deliver enhanced audio experiences to help your world sound better. Not a traditional Bluetooth paired experience, Auracast™ broadcast audio allows transmitters (e.g., smartphone, tablet, PC, public transmitter, etc.) to broadcast high-quality audio to an unlimited number of in-range receivers (e.g., headphones, earbuds, hearing aids, etc.). Auracast™ broadcast audio will let you share your audio with the people closest to you, unmute silent TVs in public spaces, and will let you hear your best wherever you go.
Sharing Your Audio
With Auracast™ broadcast audio, you will soon be able to invite friends and family around you to share in your personal Bluetooth audio experience. They will be able to search for your broadcast (much in the same way we search for available Wi-Fi networks now), enter the password provided by your smartphone, and join in.
“We’ve all been in a situation where we’re using our earbuds, headphones, or hearing device to listen to music on our smartphone or watch a movie on our laptop, and we want someone we’re with to hear what we’re hearing and watch along with us,” said Sabin. “Fortunately, smartphones, tablets, and laptops are already beginning to add Auracast™ broadcast audio to their list of capabilities, so you’ll soon be able to let others around you use their own hearing device or hearing instrument to join in and listen. The next time you’re watching a movie or listening to music while waiting for your flight at the airport, you’ll be able to share that experience with those you’re traveling with.”
Unmuting Silent TVs
Many TVs in public spaces are often silent; you can watch, but you cannot hear the audio that accompanies what you are seeing. Thanks to Auracast™ broadcast audio, you will soon be able to hear audio from silent TVs like those in airports, gymnasiums, waiting rooms, sports bars, transit centers, and others.
“Airport sports bars provide a good example of how Auracast™ broadcast audio can enhance your travel experience,” said Sabin. “You can watch the game, but you can’t hear what’s going on. Something is missing from that experience, and Auracast™ broadcast audio is going to change that by letting you tune in directly to the TV you want to hear. You’ll even be able to switch between multiple TV broadcasts without any delay or degradation in audio quality.”
FEATURED INFOGRAPHIC
The Perfect Fit for an Auracast™ Retrofit
Learn about Auracast™ broadcast audio retrofit solutions and opportunities.
Hearing Your Best
When visiting venues like conference centers, theaters, cinemas, lecture halls, places of worship, or airport terminals, Auracast™ broadcast audio will let you hear your best in these noisy public spaces. Locations like these will soon add Auracast™ broadcast audio to their existing public address systems so that visitors can hear high-quality audio using their personal listening devices.
“We’ve all experienced what it’s like to be waiting at the airport gate in a loud terminal, and it’s hard to hear the boarding announcements from the gate agent,” said Sabin. “This is especially true for hearing instrument users. Soon, we’ll be able to tune in directly to the airport’s PA system and hear announcements for our specific gate over our earbuds. This ability to receive direct-to-ear audio in public spaces is why we believe Auracast™ broadcast audio will usher in the next generation of audio accessibility and help people hear their best.”
Auracast™ Broadcast Audio in the Real World
Airports, sports bars, theaters, conference rooms and centers, and lecture halls are all great fits for Auracast™ broadcast audio, but the types of venues that could benefit from this audio innovation are endless. Any location with a public address or sound system can add Auracast™ broadcast audio to transmit to multiple listeners, enhancing the visitor experience for people with all levels of hearing health.
Representatives from various airports and airlines at UAIA were excited to understand the next steps for deploying Auracast™ broadcast audio. Every month, more and more Auracast™ devices are coming to market. However, it will take a little more time for Auracast™ broadcast audio to reach market saturation and become completely commonplace.
“I wish I could snap my fingers and see a global deployment of this amazing Bluetooth® innovation, but it will take time,” said Sabin. “That said, I’m encouraged by major brands and support across the market. We’ve already seen significant progress on new product availability.”
Learn more about how Auracast™ broadcast audio will deliver enhanced audio experiences to help your world sound better.
FEATURED EVENT
The Auracast™ Experience
The Auracast™ Experience is a global series of immersive demonstration events that allow visitors to experience some of the ways Auracast™ broadcast audio will help our world sound better.