Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                        J. Lindsay
Request for Comments: 7310                                   H. Foerster
Category: Standards Track                                        APT Ltd
ISSN: 2070-1721                                                July 2014


   RTP Payload Format for Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X Codecs

Abstract

  This document specifies a scheme for packetizing Standard apt-X or
  Enhanced apt-X encoded audio data into Real-time Transport Protocol
  (RTP) packets.  The document describes a payload format that permits
  transmission of multiple related audio channels in a single RTP
  payload and a means of establishing Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X
  connections through the Session Description Protocol (SDP).

Status of This Memo

  This is an Internet Standards Track document.

  This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
  (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has
  received public review and has been approved for publication by the
  Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Further information on
  Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741.

  Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
  and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
  http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7310.

Copyright Notice

  Copyright (c) 2014 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
  document authors.  All rights reserved.

  This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
  Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
  (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
  publication of this document.  Please review these documents
  carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
  to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
  include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
  the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
  described in the Simplified BSD License.






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Table of Contents

  1. Introduction ....................................................2
  2. Conventions .....................................................3
  3. Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X Codecs ........................3
  4. Payload Format Capabilities .....................................5
     4.1. Use of Forward Error Correction (FEC) ......................5
  5. Payload Format ..................................................5
     5.1. RTP Header Usage ...........................................5
     5.2. Payload Structure ..........................................6
     5.3. Default Packetization Interval .............................7
     5.4. Implementation Considerations ..............................8
     5.5. Payload Example ............................................8
  6. Payload Format Parameters ......................................10
     6.1. Media Type Definition .....................................10
     6.2. Mapping to SDP ............................................12
          6.2.1. SDP Usage Examples .................................13
          6.2.2. Offer/Answer Considerations ........................14
  7. IANA Considerations ............................................14
  8. Security Considerations ........................................14
  9. Acknowledgements ...............................................14
  10. References ....................................................15
     10.1. Normative References .....................................15
     10.2. Informative References ...................................15

1.  Introduction

  This document specifies the payload format for packetization of audio
  data encoded with the Standard apt-X or Enhanced apt-X audio coding
  algorithms into the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) [RFC3550].

  The document outlines some conventions, a brief description of the
  operating principles of the audio codecs, and the payload format
  capabilities.  The RTP payload format is detailed, and a relevant
  example of the format is provided.  The media type, its mappings to
  SDP [RFC4566], and its usage in the SDP offer/answer model are also
  specified.  Finally, some security considerations are outlined.

  This document registers a media type (audio/aptx) for the RTP payload
  format for the Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X audio codecs.











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2.  Conventions

  This document uses the normal IETF bit-order representation.  Bit
  fields in figures are read left to right and then down.  The leftmost
  bit in each field is the most significant.  The numbering starts from
  0 and ascends, where bit 0 will be the most significant.

  The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
  "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
  document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].

3.  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X Codecs

  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X are proprietary audio coding
  algorithms, which can be licensed from CSR plc. and are widely
  deployed in a variety of audio processing equipment.  For commercial
  reasons, the detailed internal operations of these algorithms are not
  described in standards or reference documents.  However, the data
  interfaces to implementations of these algorithms are very simple and
  allow easy RTP packetization of data coded with the algorithms
  without detailed knowledge of the actual coded audio stream syntax.

  Both the Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X coding algorithms are
  based on Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation principles.
  They produce a constant coded bit rate that is scaled according to
  the sample frequency of the uncoded audio.  This constant rate is 1/4
  of the bit rate of the uncoded audio, irrespective of the resolution
  (number of bits) used to represent an uncoded audio sample.  For
  example, a 1.536-Mbit/s stereo audio stream composed of two channels
  of 16-bit Pulse Code Modulated (PCM) audio that is sampled at a
  frequency of 48 kHz is encoded at 384 kbit/s.

  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X do not enforce a coded frame
  structure, and the coded data forms a continuous coded sample stream
  with each coded sample capable of regenerating four PCM samples when
  decoded.  The Standard apt-X algorithm encodes four successive 16-bit
  PCM samples from each audio channel into a single 16-bit coded sample
  per audio channel.  The Enhanced apt-X algorithm encodes four
  successive 16-bit or 24-bit PCM samples from each audio channel and
  respectively produces a single 16-bit or 24-bit coded sample per
  channel.  The same RTP packetization rules apply for each of these
  algorithmic variations.

  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X coded data streams can optionally
  carry synchronization information and an auxiliary data channel
  within the coded audio data without additional overhead.  These
  mechanisms can, for instance, be used when the IP system is cascaded
  with another transportation system and the decoder is acting as a



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  simple bridge between the two systems.  Since auxiliary data channel
  and synchronization information are carried within the coded audio
  data without additional overhead, RTP payload format rules do not
  change if they are present.  Out-of-band signaling is required,
  however, to notify the receiver end when autosync and auxiliary data
  have been embedded in the apt-X stream.

  Embedded auxiliary data is typically used to transport non-audio data
  and timecode information for synchronization with video.  The bit
  rate of the auxiliary data channel is 1/4 of the sample frequency.
  For example, with a single audio channel encoded at Fs = 48 kHz, an
  auxiliary data bit rate of 12 kbit/s can be embedded.

  apt-X further provides a means of stereo-pairing apt-X channels so
  that the embedded autosync and auxiliary data channel can be shared
  across the channel pair.  In the case of a 1.536-Mbit/s stereo audio
  stream composed of two channels of 16-bit PCM audio that is sampled
  at 48 kHz, a byte of auxiliary data would typically be fed into the
  Standard apt-X or Enhanced apt-X encoder once every 32 uncoded left
  channel samples.  By default, apt-X channel-pairing is not enabled.
  Out-of-band signaling is required to notify the receiver when the
  option is being used.

  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X decoders that have not been set up
  with the correct embedded autosync, auxiliary data, and
  stereo-pairing information will play out uncoded PCM samples with a
  loss of decoding quality.  In the case of Standard apt-X, the loss of
  quality can be significant.

  Further details on the algorithm operation can be obtained from
  CSR plc.

     Corporate HQ
     Churchill House
     Cambridge Business Park
     Cowley Road
     Cambridge
     CB4 0WZ
     UK
     Tel: +44 1223 692000
     Fax: +44 1223 692001
     <http://www.csr.com>









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4.  Payload Format Capabilities

  This RTP payload format carries an integer number of Standard apt-X
  or Enhanced apt-X coded audio samples.  When multiple related audio
  channels are being conveyed within the payload, each channel
  contributes the same integer number of apt-X coded audio samples to
  the total carried by the payload.

4.1.  Use of Forward Error Correction (FEC)

  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X do not inherently provide any
  mechanism for adding redundancy or error-control coding into the
  coded audio stream.  Generic schemes for RTP, such as forward error
  correction as described in RFC 5109 [RFC5109] and RFC 2733 [RFC2733],
  can be used to add redundant information to Standard apt-X and
  Enhanced apt-X RTP packet streams, making them more resilient to
  packet losses at the expense of a higher bit rate.

5.  Payload Format

  The Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X algorithms encode four
  successive PCM samples from each audio channel and produce a single
  compressed sample for each audio channel.  The encoder MUST be
  presented with an integer number S of input audio samples, where S is
  an arbitrary multiple of 4.  The encoder will produce exactly S/4
  coded audio samples.  Since each coded audio sample is either 16 or
  24 bits, the amount of coded audio data produced upon each invocation
  of the encoding process will be an integer number of bytes.  RTP
  packetization of the encoded data SHALL be on a byte-by-byte basis.

5.1.  RTP Header Usage

  Utilization of the Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X coding
  algorithms does not create any special requirements with respect to
  the contents of the RTP packet header.  Other RTP packet header
  fields are defined as follows.

  o  V - As per [RFC3550]

  o  P - As per [RFC3550]

  o  X - As per [RFC3550]

  o  CC - As per [RFC3550]

  o  M - As per [RFC3550] and [RFC3551] Section 4.1





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  o  PT - A dynamic payload type; MUST be used [RFC3551]

  o  SN (sequence number) - As per [RFC3550]

  o  Timestamp - As per [RFC3550].  The RTP timestamp reflects the
     instant at which the first audio sample in the packet was sampled,
     that is, the oldest information in the packet.

  Header field abbreviations are defined as follows.

  o  V - Version Number

  o  P - Padding

  o  X - Extensions

  o  CC - Count of contributing sources

  o  M - Marker

  o  PT - Payload Type

  o  PS - Payload Structure

5.2.  Payload Structure

  The RTP payload data for Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X MUST be
  structured as follows.

  Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X coded samples are packed
  contiguously into payload octets in "network byte order", also known
  as big-endian order, and starting with the most significant bit.
  Coded samples are packed into the packet in time sequence, beginning
  with the oldest coded sample.  An integer number of coded samples
  MUST be within the same packet.

  When multiple channels of Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X coded
  audio, such as in a stereo program, are multiplexed into a single RTP
  stream, the coded samples from each channel, at a single sampling
  instant, are interleaved into a coded sample block according to the
  following standard audio channel ordering [RFC3551].  Coded sample
  blocks are then packed into the packet in time sequence beginning
  with the oldest coded sample block.








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     l left
     r right
     c center
     S surround
     F front
     R rear

     channels   description     channel
                                1   2   3   4   5   6
     ___________________________________________________
     2          stereo          l   r
     3                          l   r   c
     4                          l   c   r   S
     5                          Fl  Fr  Fc  Sl  Sr
     6                          l   lc  c   r   rc  S

  For the two-channel encoding example, the sample sequence is (left
  channel, first sample), (right channel, first sample), (left channel,
  second sample), (right channel, second sample).  Coded samples for
  all channels, belonging to a single coded sampling instant, MUST be
  contained in the same packet.  All channels in the same RTP stream
  MUST be sampled at the same frequency.

5.3.  Default Packetization Interval

  The default packetization interval MUST have a duration of
  4 milliseconds.  When an integer number of coded samples per channel
  cannot be contained within this 4-millisecond interval, the default
  packet interval MUST be rounded down to the nearest packet interval
  that can contain a complete integer set of coded samples.  For
  example, when encoding audio with either Standard apt-X or Enhanced
  apt-X, sampled at 11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, or 44100 Hz, the packetization
  interval MUST be rounded down to 3.99 milliseconds.

  The packetization interval sets limits on the end-to-end delay;
  shorter packets minimize the audio delay through a system at the
  expense of increased bandwidth, while longer packets introduce less
  header overhead but increase delay and make packet loss more
  noticeable.  A default packet interval of 4 milliseconds maintains an
  acceptable ratio of payload to header bytes and minimizes the
  end-to-end delay to allow viable interactive applications based on
  apt-X.  All implementations MUST support this default packetization
  interval.








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5.4.  Implementation Considerations

  An application implementing this payload format MUST understand all
  the payload parameters that are defined in this specification.  Any
  mapping of these parameters to a signaling protocol MUST support all
  parameters.  Implementations can always decide whether they are
  capable of communicating based on the entities defined in this
  specification.

5.5.  Payload Example

  As an example payload format, consider the transmission of an
  arbitrary 5.1 audio signal consisting of six channels of 24-bit PCM
  data, sampled at a rate of 48 kHz and packetized on an RTP packet
  interval of 4 milliseconds.  The total bit rate before audio coding
  is 6 * 24 * 48000 = 6.912 Mbit/s.  Applying Enhanced apt-X coding
  with a coded sample size of 24 bits results in a transmitted coded
  bit rate of 1/4 of the uncoded bit rate, i.e., 1.728 Mbit/s.  On
  packet intervals of 4 milliseconds, packets contain 864 bytes of
  encoded data that contain 48 Enhanced apt-X coded samples per
  channel.

  For the example format, the diagram below shows how coded samples
  from each channel are packed into a sample block and how sample
  blocks 1, 2, and 48 are subsequently packed into the RTP packet.

     C:
     Channel index: Left (l) = 1, left center (lc) = 2,
     center (c) = 3, right (r) = 4, right center (rc) = 5,
     and surround (S) = 6.

     T:
     Sample Block time index: The first sample block is 1; the final
     sample is 48.

     S(C)(T):
     The Tth sample from channel C.














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   0                   1                   2                   3
   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(1)(1)                    |    S(2)(1)    |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(2)(1)    |            S(3)(1)            |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |    S(3)(1)    |                   S(4)(1)                     |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(5)(1)                    |    S(6)(1)    |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(6)(1)    |            S(1)(2)            |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |    S(2)(2)    |                   S(3)(2)                     |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(4)(2)                    |    S(5)(2)    |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(5)(2)    |            S(6)(2)            |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |    S(6)(2)    |                   S(1)(3)                     |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+


  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |            S(6)(47)           |            S(1)(48)           |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |    S(1)(48)   |                   S(2)(48)                    |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                    S(3)(48)                   |    S(4)(48)   |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |                   S(4)(48)    |           S(5)(48)            |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |    S(5)(48)   |                   S(6)(48)                    |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  For the example format, the diagram below indicates the order that
  coded bytes are packed into the packet payload in terms of sample
  byte significance.  The following abbreviations are used.

     MSB:
     Most Significant Byte of a 24-bit coded sample

     MB:
     Middle Byte of a 24-bit coded sample

     LSB:
     Least Significant Byte of a 24-bit coded sample




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   0                   1                   2                   3
   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
  |      MSB      |       MB      |      LSB      |               |
  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

6.  Payload Format Parameters

  This RTP payload format is identified using the media type
  audio/aptx, which is registered in accordance with RFC 4855 [RFC4855]
  and using the template of RFC 6838 [RFC6838].

6.1.  Media Type Definition

  Type name: audio

  Subtype name: aptx

  Required parameters:

     rate:
     RTP timestamp clock rate, which is equal to the sampling rate
     in Hz.  RECOMMENDED values for rate are 8000, 11025, 16000,
     22050, 24000, 32000, 44100, and 48000 samples per second.  Other
     values are permissible.

     channels:
     The number of logical audio channels that are present in the
     audio stream.

     variant:
     The variant of apt-X (i.e., Standard or Enhanced) that is being
     used.  The following variants can be signaled:

        variant=standard
        variant=enhanced

     bitresolution:
     The number of bits used by the algorithm to encode four PCM
     samples.  This value MAY only be set to 16 for Standard apt-X
     and 16 or 24 for Enhanced apt-X.










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  Optional parameters:

     ptime:
     The recommended length of time (in milliseconds) represented by
     the media in a packet.  Defaults to 4 milliseconds.
     See Section 6 of [RFC4566].

     maxptime:
     The maximum amount of media that can be encapsulated in each
     packet, expressed as time in milliseconds.  See Section 6 of
     [RFC4566].

     stereo-channel-pairs:
     Defines audio channels that are stereo paired in the stream.
     See Section 3.  Each pair of audio channels is defined as two
     comma-separated values that correspond to channel numbers in
     the range 1..channels.  Each stereo channel pair is preceded
     by a '{' and followed by a '}'.  Pairs of audio channels are
     separated by a comma.  A channel MUST NOT be paired with more
     than one other channel.  The absence of this parameter signals
     that each channel has been independently encoded.

     embedded-autosync-channels:
     Defines channels that carry embedded autosync.
     Embedded-autosync-channels is defined as a list of
     comma-separated values that correspond to channel numbers in
     the range 1..channels.  When a channel is stereo paired, embedded
     autosync is shared across channels in the pair.  The first channel
     as defined in stereo-channel-pairs MUST be specified in the
     embedded-autosync-channels list.

     embedded-aux-channels:
     Defines channels that carry embedded auxiliary data.
     Embedded-aux-channels is defined as a list of comma-separated
     values that correspond to channel numbers in the range
     1..channels.  When a channel is stereo paired, embedded auxiliary
     data is shared across channels in the pair.  The second channel
     as defined in stereo-channel-pairs MUST be specified in the
     embedded-aux-channels list.

  Encoding considerations: This media type is framed in RTP and
     contains binary data; see Section 4.8 of [RFC6838].

  Security considerations: See Section 5 of [RFC4855] and Section 4
     of [RFC4856].

  Interoperability considerations: none




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  Published specification: RFC 7310

  Applications which use this media type: Audio streaming

  Fragment identifier considerations: None

  Additional information: none

  Person & email address to contact for further information:
     John Lindsay <[email protected]>

  Intended usage: COMMON

  Restrictions on usage: This media type depends on RTP framing,
     and hence is only defined for transfer via RTP [RFC3550].

  Author/Change controller: IETF Payload Working Group delegated
     from the IESG.

6.2.  Mapping to SDP

  The information carried in the media type specification has a
  specific mapping to fields in the Session Description Protocol (SDP)
  [RFC4566] that is commonly used to describe RTP sessions.  When SDP
  is used to describe sessions, the media type mappings are as follows.

  o  The type name ("audio") goes in SDP "m=" as the media name.

  o  The subtype name ("aptx") goes in SDP "a=rtpmap" as the encoding
     name.

  o  The parameter "rate" also goes in "a=rtpmap" as the clock rate.

  o  The parameter "channels" also goes in "a=rtpmap" as the channel
     count.

  o  The parameter "maxptime", when present, MUST be included in the
     SDP "a=maxptime" attribute.

  o  The required parameters "variant" and "bitresolution" MUST be
     included in the SDP "a=fmtp" attribute.

  o  The optional parameters "stereo-channel-pairs",
     "embedded-autosync-channels", and "embedded-aux-channels", when
     present, MUST be included in the SDP "a=fmtp" attribute.






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  o  The parameter "ptime", when present, goes in a separate SDP
     attribute field and is signaled as "a=ptime:<value>", where
     <value> is the number of milliseconds of audio represented by
     one RTP packet.  See Section 6 of [RFC4566].

6.2.1.  SDP Usage Examples

  Some example SDP session descriptions utilizing apt-X encodings
  follow.  In these examples, long "a=fmtp" lines are folded to meet
  the column width constraints of this document.

  Example 1: A Standard apt-X stream that encodes two independent
  44.1-kHz 16-bit PCM channels into a 4-millisecond RTP packet.

     m=audio 5004 RTP/AVP 98
     a=rtpmap:98 aptx/44100/2
     a=fmtp:98 variant=standard; bitresolution=16;
     a=ptime:4

  Example 2: An Enhanced apt-X stream that encodes two 48-kHz 24-bit
  stereo channels into a 4-millisecond RTP packet and carries both an
  embedded autosync and auxiliary data channel.

     m=audio 5004 RTP/AVP 98
     a=rtpmap:98 aptx/48000/2
     a=fmtp:98 variant=enhanced; bitresolution=24;
     stereo-channel-pairs={1,2}; embedded-autosync-channels=1;
     embedded-aux-channels=2
     a=ptime:4

  Example 3: An Enhanced apt-X stream that encodes six 44.1-kHz 24-bit
  channels into a 6-millisecond RTP packet.  Channels 1,2 and 3,4 are
  stereo pairs.  Both stereo pairs carry both an embedded autosync and
  auxiliary data channel.

     m=audio 5004 RTP/AVP 98
     a=rtpmap:98 aptx/44100/6
     a=fmtp:98 variant=enhanced; bitresolution=24;
     stereo-channel-pairs={1,2},{3,4}; embedded-autosync-channels=1,3;
     embedded-aux-channels=2,4
     a=ptime:6










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RFC 7310                    apt-X RTP Format                   July 2014


6.2.2.  Offer/Answer Considerations

  The only negotiable parameter is the delivery method.  All other
  parameters are declarative.  The offer, as described in [RFC3264],
  may contain a large number of delivery methods per single fmtp
  attribute.  The answerer MUST remove every delivery method and
  configuration URI that is not supported.  Apart from this exceptional
  case, all parameters MUST NOT be altered on answer.

7.  IANA Considerations

  One media type (audio/aptx) has been registered in the "Media Types"
  registry.  See Section 6.1.

8.  Security Considerations

  RTP packets using the payload format defined in this specification
  are subject to the security considerations discussed in the RTP
  specification [RFC3550] and any appropriate RTP profile (for example,
  [RFC3551]).  This implies that confidentiality of the media streams
  is achieved by encryption.  Because the audio coding used with this
  payload format is applied end to end, encryption may be performed
  after audio coding so there is no conflict between the two
  operations.  A potential denial-of-service threat exists for audio
  coding techniques that have non-uniform receiver-end computational
  load.  The attacker can inject pathological datagrams into the stream
  that are complex to decode and cause the receiver to be overloaded.
  However, the Standard apt-X and Enhanced apt-X audio coding
  algorithms do not exhibit any significant non-uniformity.  As with
  any IP-based protocol, in some circumstances a receiver may be
  overloaded simply by the receipt of too many packets, either desired
  or undesired.  Network-layer authentication may be used to discard
  packets from undesired sources, but the processing cost of the
  authentication itself may be too high.  In a multicast environment,
  pruning of specific sources may be implemented in future versions of
  IGMP [RFC3376] and in multicast routing protocols to allow a receiver
  to select which sources are allowed to reach it.  [RFC6562] has
  highlighted potential security vulnerabilities of Variable Bit Rate
  (VBR) codecs using Secure RTP transmission methods.  As the Standard
  apt-X and Enhanced apt-X codecs are Constant Bit Rate (CBR) codecs,
  this security vulnerability is therefore not applicable.

9.  Acknowledgements

  This specification was facilitated by earlier documents produced by
  Greg Massey, David Trainer, James Hunter, and Derrick Rea, along with
  practical tests carried out by Paul McCambridge of APT Ltd.




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RFC 7310                    apt-X RTP Format                   July 2014


10.  References

10.1.  Normative References

  [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
             Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

  [RFC3264]  Rosenberg, J. and H. Schulzrinne, "An Offer/Answer Model
             with Session Description Protocol (SDP)", RFC 3264,
             June 2002.

  [RFC3550]  Schulzrinne, H., Casner, S., Frederick, R., and V.
             Jacobson, "RTP: A Transport Protocol for Real-Time
             Applications", STD 64, RFC 3550, July 2003.

  [RFC3551]  Schulzrinne, H. and S. Casner, "RTP Profile for Audio and
             Video Conferences with Minimal Control", STD 65, RFC 3551,
             July 2003.

  [RFC4566]  Handley, M., Jacobson, V., and C. Perkins, "SDP: Session
             Description Protocol", RFC 4566, July 2006.

10.2.  Informative References

  [RFC2733]  Rosenberg, J. and H. Schulzrinne, "An RTP Payload Format
             for Generic Forward Error Correction", RFC 2733,
             December 1999.

  [RFC3376]  Cain, B., Deering, S., Kouvelas, I., Fenner, B., and A.
             Thyagarajan, "Internet Group Management Protocol,
             Version 3", RFC 3376, October 2002.

  [RFC4855]  Casner, S., "Media Type Registration of RTP Payload
             Formats", RFC 4855, February 2007.

  [RFC4856]  Casner, S., "Media Type Registration of Payload Formats in
             the RTP Profile for Audio and Video Conferences",
             RFC 4856, February 2007.

  [RFC5109]  Li, A., Ed., "RTP Payload Format for Generic Forward Error
             Correction", RFC 5109, December 2007.










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RFC 7310                    apt-X RTP Format                   July 2014


  [RFC6562]  Perkins, C. and JM. Valin, "Guidelines for the Use of
             Variable Bit Rate Audio with Secure RTP", RFC 6562,
             March 2012.

  [RFC6838]  Freed, N., Klensin, J., and T. Hansen, "Media Type
             Specifications and Registration Procedures", BCP 13,
             RFC 6838, January 2013.

Authors' Addresses

  John Lindsay
  APT Ltd
  729 Springfield Road
  Belfast
  Northern Ireland
  BT12 7FP
  UK

  Phone: +44 2890 677200
  EMail: [email protected]


  Hartmut Foerster
  APT Ltd
  729 Springfield Road
  Belfast
  Northern Ireland
  BT12 7FP
  UK

  Phone: +44 2890 677200
  EMail: [email protected]



















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