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4.2MPEG Frame-Compatible Stereo Enhancement for AVC (MFC)

The current popularity of stereoscopic video makes distribution using a frame-compatible stereoscopic 3D video service over AVC desirable. However, these solutions provide only half of the full spatial resolution for each channel. Transmission of an enhancement layer to achieve full resolution 3D video might be a solution to this issue. While there was a significant push and effort during the meeting to issue a CfP at the next meeting, even more significant issues are still to be solved: At this point, there are no test sequences available. As anchor, SVC bit streams need to be created. Furthermore, there is currently no evidence that there exists a solution superior to SVC. From a formal point of view, MPEG progressed this matter by issuing N11681 Requirements for MPEG Frame-Compatible Enhancement (MFC) and N11682 Test Conditions and Evaluation Process for MFC. MPEG hopes that members provide test sequences at the 95^th meeting such that evidence may be evaluated at the 96^th meeting. The adhoc group N11684 AHG on scalable resolution enhancement of frame-compatible stereoscopic 3D video works on this activity.
Several members of the group assume that a similar solution based on MPEG-2 will not be required by the market.
A liaison statement N11683 Liaison statement template on MPEG frame-compatible activities will be sent to several interested organisations.

4.3Audio

As in several previous meetings, MPEG had a brainstorming session on future audio activities. At this meeting, the potential work areas were driven by potential HEVC application scenarios. The main aspects are large screen, small viewing distances and hence near field audio perception. They include home cinema requiring to render a multi-channel audio program onto a different number of speakers or to define wavefield synthesis. Other applications include real-time communications, camcorders, storage (random access issues), 3D video and telepresence as well as personal 3D video. Requirements might focus on resolution of sound source localization and enhanced spatial audio for stereo displays. Results of the current discussion are summarized in N11661 Audio for High Efficiency Video Coding. Members are encouraged to further elaborate their ideas.
The audio group is encouraged to enlist more universities in their activities.

4.4Leightweight Video Coding

At the 90^th meeting, MPEG reviewed requirements on Low Complexity Video Coding as described in N17005 What can we do about Interlace?. Following input from the US National Body at the 92^nd meeting, the Requirements Group issued a resolution encouraging its members to provide further input on this topic. In response to this resolution, one document was submitted describing the low complexity video coding algorithm VC2 which is already standardized. Despite this rather limited response and due to the potential relevance of the topic especially for mobile and UHDTV devices, MPEG updated the output document N11673 Low-Complexity Video Coding – Draft Problem Statement. Spatial random access is a functionality currently not provided by standardized solutions. The adhoc group N11686 AHG on Lightweight Video Coding will progress this matter.
In order to decide whether there is room for another standard, MPEG encourages its members to provide high-quality, high-bit depth and high-rate 4:4:4 video signals.
JPEG might issue a call on this leightweight video coding.

4.5MMT

The area of work for MMT (Figure 2) might include adaptive progressive transport (download/stream), cross layer optimization, hybrid delivery and conversational services. It is foreseen that MMT will also provide adaptive streaming support for mp4 files. Naturally, MMT will provide some kind of interworking with DASH.

Since the CfP was issued at the 93^rd meeting and responses are due prior to the 95^th meeting, no activity took place at this meeting. However, N11689 AHG on MPEG Media Transport (MMT) was established in order to evaluate the responses.
The Systems subgroup and its members working on MMT are encouraged to define test beds and software environments such that the development of the MMT standard can be guided by the outcome of core experiments.

Figure 2 - Networks of interest in the context of MPEG Media Transport.

4.63D Video Coding

Dolby Labs and Sun-Yat Sen University provided new test material. The selection of test sequences for the envisioned CfP is now finalized. The next steps related to test material include definition of rates for anchors based on MVC. The test procedure including instructions of subjects, evaluation of subjects and selection of displays needs to be defined. The current plan foresees the use of consumer 3D displays.
A CfP will be issued at the 95^th or 96^th meeting. Evaluation is planned to be carried out prior to the 98^th meeting. The call will be open to all technologies including AVC, MVC, HEVC and others. MPEG will decide on the use of the proposed techniques, i.e. technology proposed based on AVC might be used in the standard in order to adapt HEVC to 3DV. The following documents were updated: N11678 Applications and Requirements on 3D Video Coding, N11679 Draft Call for Proposals on 3D Video Coding Technology, N11630 Description of Exploration Experiments in 3D Video Coding. The adhoc group working on 3DV is N11687 AHG on 3D Video Coding.
MPEG made publicly available N11631 Report on Experimental Framework for 3D Video Coding. The purpose of the document is to provide a high-level overview of the experimental framework that is developed by MPEG to support the envisioned 3D video applications (Figure 3). This document also aims to indicate assumptions on the input data as well as supplementary data derived from the input data.

Figure 3 – Auto-stereoscopic output with 3-view configuration as an example for 3DV.