JVET-AG0001 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 a 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 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_10_AF_Hannover/). 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:

a) JVET documents

• The meeting report (JVET-AF1000) [Posted 2023-11-18, also submitted as WG 5 N 239]
• JVET-AF1004 Errata report items for VVC, VSEI, HEVC, AVC, and Video CICP [Posted 2023-12-21]
• JVET-AF1006 New profiles, colour decriptors, and SEI messages for HEVC (draft 2) [Posted 2023-11-03, last update 2023-12-21, also issued as WG 5 DAM N 244]
• JVET-AF1016 AVC with extensions and corrections (draft 2) [JVET document to be posted, was already issued as WG 5 DIS of AVC 11^th edition N 241]
• JVET-AF2002 Algorithm description for Versatile Video Coding and Test Model 21 (VTM 21) [Posted 2023-12-06, also issued as WG 5 N 245]
• JVET-AF2016 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for neural network-based video coding technology [Posted 2024-11-04]
• JVET-AF2017 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for enhanced compression tool testing [Posted 2023-10-30]
• JVET-AF2019 Description of algorithms and software in neural network-based video coding (NNVC) version 5 [Posted 2023-12-15, also issued as WG 5 N 248]
• JVET-AF2021 Verification test plan for VVC multilayer coding (update 2) [Posted 2024-01-17]
• JVET-AF2023 Exploration experiment on neural network-based video coding (EE1) [Posted 2023-10-20, last update 2023-11-06, also issued as WG 5 N 247]
• JVET-AF2024 Exploration experiment on enhanced compression beyond VVC capability (EE2) [Posted 2023-10-20, last update 2023-11-20, also issued as WG 5 N 249]
• JVET-AF2025 Algorithm description of Enhanced Compression Model 11 (ECM 11) [Posted 2023-12-28, also issued as WG 5 N 250]
• JVET-AF2027 SEI processing order and processing order nesting SEI messages in VVC (Draft 6) [Posted 2023-12-02, also issued as WG 5 preliminary WD N 246]
• JVET-AF2031 Common test conditions for optimization of encoders and receiving systems for machine analysis of coded video content [Posted 2023-11-10]
• JVET-AF2032 Technologies under consideration for future extensions of VSEI (draft 2) [Posted 2023-12-02, last update 2024-01-16, also issued as WG 5 N 242]
• JVET-AF2033 Report of verification test on VVC multi-layer coding: Content layering [Posted 2024-01-16, also issued as AG 5 N 105]

b) documents produced as WG 5 documents only:

• WG 5 N 240 Disposition of comments received on ISO/IEC CD 14496-10:202x
• WG 5 N 243 Disposition of comments received on ISO/IEC 23008-2:2023 (5th ed.) CDAM 1
• WG 5 N 251 Liaison statement to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 1 (JPEG) on JPEG AI and explorations on video coding
• WG 5 N 252 Liaison response to 3GPP on feasibility study on film grain synthesis

The sixteen 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 33^rd meeting had been announced in the JVET reflector, in the JVET logistics document (https://www.itu.int/wftp3/av-arch/jvet-site/2024_01_AG_Virtual/JVET-AG_Logistics.docx), and in the WG 5 calling notice (N 254) and agenda (N 255) for the 14^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 170 input contributions (not counting the AHG reports, summary reports and crosschecks) had been registered for consideration at the current meeting at the time of preparation of this AHG report.

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 33nd meeting had been made publicly available on the ITU-hosted ftp site as http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2024_01_AG_Virtual/JVET-AG_notes_d0.docx.