Rationale for Standardisation Activities of ORPHEUS. XXXXXXX had decided from the start that contributions to standardisation would be one of the key paths for generating innovative impact. In a new area like object-based broadcasting, it is necessary to set new standards, fill the missing gaps and define the standards in a way fitting the object-base audio concept and architecture envisioned by XXXXXXX. Such standards will enable the project to achieve broader recognition of its results by a wide industry community. They also stimulate higher levels of interoperability and thus contribute to establish economies of scale for ORPHEUS devices and applications. Moreover, close coordination between our research project and standardisation organisations is an important mechanism to exploit results and to stimulate innovation. Standardisation of selected ORPHEUS results can help to maximise compatibility, interoperability, and quality of novel object-based audio solutions. There are quite a number of good reasons for our decision to use open international standards. They relate to knowledge diffusion, market development and interoperability. In regard to knowledge diffusion, the following reasons are pertinent: The know-how of experts from all over the world is combined to develop the potentially best possible system. Systems get tested, documented and made available for everyone, including every manufacturer. In regard to market development, the following arguments are relevant: Standards enable economies of scale, i.e. broadly accepted standards allow for cost-efficient production by a large number of vendors for a large market. Standards are essential for the broadcasting sector. They ensure that the user, i.e. the broadcaster, is not bound to one manufacturer. The main argument related to interoperability is that compatibility between different systems and manufacturers, e.g. units, plugs, or software interfaces, is a pre-condition for effective production systems.
