JVET-AC0001 JVET AHG report: Project management (AHG1) [J.-R. Ohm (chair), G. J. Sullivan (vice-chair)]

The work of the JVET overall had proceeded well in the interim period with approximately 10% higher number of input documents (as compared to the previous meeting) submitted to the current meeting. Intense discussion had been carried out on the group email reflector, and all output documents from the preceding meeting had been produced.

Output documents from the preceding meeting had been made initially available at the JVET web site (https://jvet-experts.org/) or the ITU-based JVET site (http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2022_10_AB_Mainz/). It is noted that the previous document sites http://phenix.int-evry.fr/jvet/, http://phenix.int-evry.fr/jct/, and http://phenix.int-evry.fr/jct3v/ are still accessible, but were converted to read-only.

The list of documents produced included the following, particularly:

• The meeting report (JVET-AB1000) [Posted 2022-11-25, also submitted as WG 5 N 156]
• Errata report items for VVC, HEVC, AVC, Video CICP, and CP usage TR (JVET-AB1004) [Posted 2022-12-16]
• Additional colour type identifiers for AVC, HEVC and Video CICP (Draft 2) (JVET-AB1008) [Posted 2023-01-09, also submitted as WG 5 WD N 163]
• Overview of IT systems used in JVET (JVET-AB1012) [Posted 2023-01-10]
• Algorithm description for Versatile Video Coding and Test Model 18 (VTM 18) (JVET-AB2002) [Posted 2022-12-19, last update 2023-01-06, also submitted as WG 5 WD N 161]
• Additional SEI messages for VSEI (Draft 3) (JVET-AB2006) [Posted 2023-01-05, also submitted as WG 5 DAM N 158]
• VTM and HM common test conditions and software reference configurations for SDR 4:2:0 10 bit video (JVET-AB2010) [Posted 2022-12-19]
• Common Test Conditions and evaluation procedures for neural network-based video coding technology (JVET-AB2016) [Posted 2022-12-24]
• Description of algorithms and software in neural network-based video coding (NNVC) (JVET-AB2019) [Posted 2022-12-02, also submitted as WG 5 N 165]
• Film grain synthesis technology for video applications (Draft 3) (JVET-AB2020) [Posted 2022-12-29, also submitted as WG 5 WD N 159]
• Draft verification test plan for VVC multilayer coding (JVET-AB2021) [Posted 2022-11-22, last update 2022-12-16]
• Draft plan for subjective quality testing of FGC SEI message (JVET-AB2022) [Posted 2022-11-22, last update 2022-12-16]
• Exploration experiment on Neural Network-based Video Coding (EE1) (JVET-AB2023) [Posted 2022-10-27, last update 2022-11-29, also submitted as WG 5 N 164]
• Exploration experiment on Enhanced Compression beyond VVC capability (EE2) (JVET-AB2024) [Posted 2022-10-28, last update 2022-11-14, also submitted as WG 5 N 166]
• Algorithm description of Enhanced Compression Model 7 (ECM 7) (JVET-AB2025) [Posted 2022-12-22, also submitted as WG 5 N 167]
• SEI processing order SEI message in VVC (Draft 1) (JVET-AB2027) [Posted 2022-11-15, also submitted as WG 5 WD N 160]
• Additional conformance bitstreams for VVC multilayer configurations (JVET-AB2028) [Posted 2022-12-30]
• Visual quality comparison of ECM/VTM encoding (JVET-AB2029) [Posted 2022-12-23]

Furthermore, the following documents were submitted to the ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29 parent body on behalf of its WG 5:

• Recommendations of the 9^th WG 5 meeting (WG 5 N 155)
• Disposition of comments received on ISO/IEC 23002-7:202x (2nd Ed.) CDAM1 (WG 5 N 157)
• Text of ISO/IEC DIS 23091-2:202x Coding-independent code points - Part 2: Video (3rd edition) (WG 5 N 162)
• Request for ISO/IEC 23002-7:202x (2nd Ed.) Amd.1 Additional SEI messages (WG 5 N 125)
• Liaison statement to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 1 (JPEG) on JPEG AI and NNVC (WG 5 N 168)
• Liaison statement to SMPTE on ITP-PQ-C2 colour space (WG 5 N 169)
• List of AHGs established at the 9^th WG 5 meeting (WG 5 N 151)

The fifteen ad hoc groups had made progress, and reports from those activities had been submitted. Furthermore, two exploration experiments (EE) on neural network-based video coding and on enhanced compression beyond VVC capability were conducted.

The arrangements for the 29^th meeting had been announced in the JVET reflector, in the JVET logistics document (https://www.itu.int/wftp3/av-arch/jvet-site/2023_01_AC_Virtual/JVET-AC_Logistics.docx), and in the WG 5 calling notice (N 171) and agenda (N 172) for the 10^th WG 5 meeting.

Software integration was finalized approximately according to the plan.

Various problem reports relating to asserted bugs in the software, draft specification text, and reference encoder description had been submitted to an informal "bug tracking" system. That system is not intended as a replacement of our ordinary contribution submission process. However, the bug tracking system was considered to have been helpful to the software coordinators and text editors. The bug tracker reports had been automatically forwarded to the group email reflector, where the issues were discussed – and this is reported to have been helpful.

Roughly 165 input contributions (not counting the AHG reports, summary reports and crosschecks) had been registered for consideration at the current meeting.

It is further noted that, starting from the twentieth JVET meeting, work items which had originally been conducted by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) were continued to be conducted in JVET as a single joint team, as negotiated by the parent bodies. This particularly consists of work on

• High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) and its extensions, the development of associated conformance test sets, reference software, verification testing, and non-normative guidance information,
• Specification of Coding-independent Code Points (Video) (CICP), and associated technical report(s),
• Maintenance and minor enhancement work on the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) standard, associated conformance test sets and reference software.

To retain a consistent numbering scheme, the number range of output documents starting from 1001 was reserved for the previous JCT-VC topic items listed above, whereas the number range starting from 2001 was retained for VVC, VSEI and exploration activities.

A preliminary basis for the document subject allocation and meeting notes for the 29th meeting had been made publicly available on the ITU-hosted ftp site http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2023_01_AC_Virtual/.