JVET-AJ0001 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 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/2024_07_AJ_Sapporo/). 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/ were shut down, but the most recent version of JCT-VC and JCT-3V documents can now be accessed directly via the JVET site.

The list of documents produced included the following, particularly:

• JVET-AI1004 Errata report items for VVC, VSEI, HEVC, AVC, and Video CICP [Posted 2024-09-27, last update 2024-10-23]
• JVET-AI1008 Conformance testing for HEVC multiview extended and monochrome profiles [Posted 2024-08-17]
• JVET-AI1011 HEVC white paper [Posted 2024-10-19]
• JVET-AI2005 Additions and corrections for VVC version 4 (Draft 9), also issued as WG 5 updated CDAM N 306 [Posted 2024-10-11]
• JVET-AI2006 Additional SEI messages for VSEI version 4 (Draft 3), also issued as WG 5 updated CDAM N 304 [Posted 2024-08-13, last update 2024-09-26]
• JVET-AI2007 Guidelines for NNVC software development [Posted 2024-08-05]
• JVET-AI2016 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for neural network-based video coding technology [Posted 2024-08-09]
• JVET-AI2017 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for enhanced compression tool testing [Posted 2024-08-05]
• JVET-AI2019 Description of algorithms version 8 and software version 10 in neural network-based video coding (NNVC), also issued as WG 5 N 309 [Posted 2024-10-11]
• JVET-AI2021 Verification test plan for VVC multilayer coding (update 4) [Posted 2024-10-31]
• JVET-AI2022 Plan for subjective quality testing of the FGC SEI message [Posted 2024-11-01]
• JVET-AI2023 Exploration experiment on neural network-based video coding (EE1), also issued as WG 5 N 308 [Posted 2024-07-18, last update 2024-08-09]
• JVET-AI2024 Exploration experiment on enhanced compression beyond VVC capability (EE2), also issued as WG 5 N 310 [Posted 2024-07-19, last update 2024-08-22]
• JVET-AI2025 Algorithm description of Enhanced Compression Model 14 (ECM 14), also issued as WG 5 N 311 [Posted 2024-10-21]
• JVET-AI2027 Draft CTC for gaming applications [Posted 2024-08-19, last update 2024-10-16]
• JVET-AI2028 Additional conformance bitstreams for VVC multilayer configurations [Posted 2024-08-02]
• JVET-AI2030 Optimization of encoders and receiving systems for machine analysis of coded video content (draft 6), also issued as WG 5 updated CDTR N 307 (not yet submitted for NB consultation) [Posted 2024-08-30]
• JVET-AI2031 Common test conditions for optimization of encoders and receiving systems for machine analysis of coded video content [Posted 2024-08-17, last update 2024-08-28]
• JVET-AI2032 Technologies under consideration for future extensions of VSEI (version 5), also issued as WG 5 N 305 [Posted 2024-07-19, last update 2024-08-16]
• JVET-AI2034 Call for new HDR materials for future video coding development, also issued as WG 5 N 312 [Posted 2024-09-24]

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 36^th meeting had been announced in the JVET reflector, in the JVET logistics document (https://www.itu.int/wftp3/av-arch/jvet-site/2024_10_AJ_Kemer/JVET-AJ_Logistics.docx), and in the WG 5 calling notice (N 314) and agenda (N 315) for the 17^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.

Since the last meeting, a new system was installed for hosting the JVET test sequences. The service is provided using NextCloud. The site can be reached via the web interface or using WebDAV.

The new login information is

https://vqa.lfb.rwth-aachen.de/

Login: jvet-dl

The Zoom password of the respective previous JVET meeting is used as the password for this site. The plan is to update this password frequently in the same manner after each JVET meeting. Please note that a mirror with the same login information is available at https://datacloud.hhi.fraunhofer.de. The mirror site is synchronized on a daily basis.

The ftp server at RWTH (ftp.ient.rwth-aachen.de) is not active anymore. The existing mirror ftp site at HHI (ftp.hhi.fraunhofer.de) will be kept open for a while.

Roughly 220 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 36^th meeting had been made publicly available on the ITU-hosted ftp site as http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2024_10_AJ_Kemer/JVET-AJ_notes_d0.docx.

Recommendations

• The AHG recommended its continuation.