JVET-AE0001 JVET AHG report: Project Management (AHG1) [J.-R. Ohm (chair), G. J. Sullivan (vice-chair)]

Goals and activity

The work of the JVET overall had proceeded well in the interim period with lower 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 most output documents from the preceding meeting had been produced as planned.

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/2023_04_AD_Antalya/). 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-AD1000) [Posted 2023-05-26, also submitted as WG 5 N 196]
• JVET-AD1003 Coding-independent code points for video signal type identification (Draft 2 of 3^rd edition) [Posted 2023-07-10, also issued as WG 5 preliminary FDIS N 206]
• JVET-AD1004 Errata report items for VVC, VSEI, HEVC, AVC, and Video CICP [Posted 2023-07-04]
• JVET-AD1008 Additional colour type identifiers for AVC and HEVC (Draft 4) [Posted 2023-07-10, also issued as WG 5 preliminary WD N 200]
• JVET-AD1012 Overview of IT systems used in JVET [Posted 2023-06-12]
• JVET-AD2002 Algorithm description for Versatile Video Coding and Test Model 20 (VTM 20) [Posted 2023-06-29]
• JVET-AD2005 New level and systems-related supplemental enhancement information for VVC (Draft 5) [Posted 2023-06-02]
• JVET-AD2006 Additional SEI messages for VSEI (Draft 4) [Posted 2023-05-29]
• JVET-AD2007 Guidelines for NNVC software development [Posted 2023-05-29]
• JVET-AD2016 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for neural network-based video coding technology [Posted 2023-05-12]
• JVET-AD2017 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for enhanced compression tool testing [Posted 2023-05-10, last update 2023-06-15]
• JVET-AD2019 Description of algorithms and software in neural network-based video coding (NNVC) version 3 [Posted 2023-05-29]
• JVET-AD2021 Verification test plan for VVC multilayer coding [Posted 2023-06-12]
• JVET-AD2022 Draft plan for subjective quality testing of FGC SEI message [Posted 2023-06-24]
• JVET-AD2023 Exploration experiment on neural network-based video coding (EE1) [Posted 2023-04-28, last update 2023-05-15]
• JVET-AD2024 Exploration experiment on enhanced compression beyond VVC capability (EE2) [Posted 2023-04-28, last update 2023-05-29]
• JVET-AD2025 Algorithm description of Enhanced Compression Model 9 (ECM 9) [Posted 2023-07-03]
• JVET-AD2027 SEI processing order SEI message in VVC (Draft 4) [Posted 2023-05-19, also issued as WG 5 preliminary WD N 203]
• JVET-AD2028 Additional conformance bitstreams for VVC multilayer configurations [Posted 2023-05-26]
• JVET-AD2030 Optimization of encoders and receiving systems for machine analysis of coded video content (draft 2) [Posted 2023-06-07, also issued as WG 5 preliminary WD N 199]
• JVET-AD2031 Common test conditions for optimization of encoders and receiving systems for machine analysis of coded video content [Posted 2023-05-11]

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

• Recommendations of the 11^th WG 5 meeting (WG 5 N 195)
• Draft disposition of comments received on ISO/IEC 23002-7:2022 DAM 1 (WG 5 N 197)
• Preliminary text of ISO/IEC FDIS 23002-7:202x Versatile supplemental enhancement information messages for coded video bitstreams (3rd edition) (WG 5 N 198)
• Draft disposition of comments received on ISO/IEC 23090-3:2022 DAM 1 (WG 5 N 201)
• Preliminary text of ISO/IEC FDIS 23090-3:202x Versatile video coding (3rd edition) (WG 5 N 202)
• Draft disposition of comments received on ISO/IEC DIS 23091-2:202X (WG 5 N 205)
• Liaison statement to SC 29/WG 1 (JPEG) on JPEG AI and neural network-based video coding (WG 5 N 211)
• List of AHGs established at the 11^th WG 5 meeting (WG 5 N 212)

In a few cases, the corresponding WG 5 N-numbered documents corresponding to the JVET documents had not yet been uploaded, and this was requested to be done as soon as possible.

It is noted that documents JVET-AC2026 Conformance testing for VVC operation range extensions (Draft 4), and the corresponding FDIS 23090-15 as WG 5 N 185 (VVC conformance 2^nd ed.) had still not been delivered yet as outputs from the 29^th JVET (10^th WG 5) meeting of January 2023.

The fourteen 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 31^st meeting had been announced in the JVET reflector, in the JVET logistics document (https://www.itu.int/wftp3/av-arch/jvet-site/2023_07_AE_Geneva/JVET-AE_Logistics.docx), and in the WG 5 calling notice (N 213) and agenda (N 214) for the 12^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 160 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 31st meeting had been made publicly available on the ITU-hosted ftp site as http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2023_07_AE_Geneva/JVET-AE_notes_d0.docx.

Recommendations

The AHG recommended its continuation.