Digital Audio Interface Standard IEC 61937-17:2025 Officially Released — A Major Boost for the International Promotion of Audio Vivid
On July 3, 2025, the digital audio interface standard IEC 61937-17:2025 was officially released. Led by the China Electronics Standardization Institute, the chairing organization of the Standards Working Group of the UHD World Association (UWA), the standard was developed over a three-year period. This process included technical proposals, two rounds of national committee voting, project approval, standard drafting, and multiple revisions, ultimately resulting in its formal release.
This standard defines the encapsulation and transmission of Audio Vivid digital audio interfaces compliant with the IEC 60958 specification. Audio Vivid, known in Chinese as 菁彩声, now has a formalized standard framework for transmission via HDMI/GPMI interfaces. The publication of IEC 61937-17 lays a solid foundation for the broader ecosystem implementation of Audio Vivid digital audio technology, promoting seamless connectivity between audio devices and efficient data transmission. It marks a key milestone in the internationalization of the Audio Vivid standard.
Building upon IEC 61937-17, the Audio Standards Subgroup under the UWA Standards Working Group is currently developing the “3D Audio Technical Specification Part 2-1: Application Guide – System Integration”. This forthcoming guideline aims to provide actionable technical specifications to support interoperability among Audio Vivid-compatible terminal devices. Meanwhile, member companies of the alliance are actively developing products compliant with the standard, with commercial launches expected to begin by the end of 2025.
Introduction to the IEC 61937 Series of Standards:
The IEC 61937 series is developed and published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) / Technical Committee 100 (TC100) for audio, video, and multimedia systems and equipment. These standards define the interface specifications for transmitting non-linear PCM encoded audio bitstreams over digital audio systems, ensuring compatibility and interoperability across various devices and platforms.
Applicable to a wide range of digital audio equipment—such as DVD players, Blu-ray players, digital TV receivers, and audio decoders—the series specifies the encapsulation formats, transmission protocols, and clock synchronization mechanisms required for sending different types of audio streams to terminal devices via the IEC 60958 interface. The standards ensure high-quality and low-latency audio transmission.
Currently, the IEC 61937 series supports a variety of audio codecs, including Audio Vivid, AVSA, AC-4, MPEG-H, DTS, and AAC. Under the guidance of these standards, manufacturers can ensure that their products are globally compatible while delivering an outstanding audio experience to end users.