JVET-AK0001 JVET AHG report: Project Management (AHG1) [J.-R. Ohm (chair), G. J. Sullivan (vice chair)]

The reflector used for discussions by the JVET and all of its AHGs is the JVET reflector:
jvet@lists.rwth-aachen.de. For subscription to this list, see
https://lists.rwth-aachen.de/postorius/lists/jvet.lists.rwth-aachen.de/.

The number of subscribers (on the day before the beginning of the current meeting) was 1277 (compared to 1270 by the time of the previous meeting). Furthermore, the previous lists of joint teams (which were still kept open as archives) had the following number of subscribers:

• JCT-VC – 1158 subscribers
• JCT-3V – 680 subscribers
• JVT-experts – 2072 subscribers

It is likely that many subscriptions of these three reflectors have become obsolete, as no emails are being sent over them, and therefore automatic removal of participants causing permanent bounces through invalid email addresses (as with the main JVET reflector) cannot be executed by the Postorius management system.

1. Goals and activity

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 ftp site (http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2024_11_AJ_Kemer/). 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 JCT-VC and JCT-3V documents can now be accessed directly via the JVET site. During or shortly after the 37th meeting, all documents of JCT-VC, JCT-3V and JVET will also be made available from the ITU-based ftp site, where sub-folders ‘./documents/’ are planned to be created in the folders of the respective meetings. This will provide the files with the original time stamps when the original versions of documents were uploaded.

The list of output documents produced since the last meeting included the following, particularly:

• JVET-AJ1004 Errata report items for VVC, VSEI, HEVC, AVC, and Video CICP [Posted 2025-01-06]
• JVET-AJ1006 HEVC extensions and corrections [Posted 2024-12-02]
• JVET-AJ1011 HEVC white paper, also issued as AG 3 N 174 [Posted 2025-01-20]
• JVET-AJ1012 Overview of IT systems used in JVET [Posted 2025-01-06]
• JVET-AJ2003 Guidelines for VTM-based software development [Posted 2025-01-12]
• JVET-AJ2005 Additions and corrections for VVC version 4 (Draft 10), also issued as WG 5 preliminary DAM N 330 [Posted 2024-11-26, last update 2024-12-30]
• JVET-AJ2006 Additional SEI messages for VSEI version 4 (Draft 4), also issued as WG 5 preliminary DAM N 319 [Posted 2025-12-07, last update 2024-12-18]
• JVET-AJ2007 Guidelines for NNVC software development [Posted 2024-12-04]
• JVET-AJ2009 Reference software for versatile video coding 2^nd edition (Draft 2), also issued as WG 5 DIS N 322 [Posted 2024-12-30]
• JVET-AJ2016 Common test conditions and evaluation procedures for neural network-based video coding technology [Posted 2024-12-04]
• JVET-AJ2019 Description of algorithms version 9 and software version 11 in neural network-based video coding (NNVC) [Posted 2025-01-08]
• JVET-AJ2020 Film grain synthesis technology for video applications ed. 2 (Draft 1) [Posted 2025-01-18]
• JVET-AJ2021 Verification test plan for VVC multilayer coding (update 5) [Posted 2025-01-13]
• JVET-AJ2022 Plan for subjective quality testing of the FGC SEI message (update 4) [Posted 2025-01-13]
• JVET-AJ2023 Exploration experiment on neural network-based video coding (EE1) [Posted 2024-11-08, last update 2024-12-12]
• JVET-AJ2024 Exploration experiment on enhanced compression beyond VVC capability (EE2) [Posted 2024-11-08, last update 2024-12-11]
• JVET-AJ2025 Algorithm description of Enhanced Compression Model 15 (ECM 15) [Posted 2025-01-09]
• JVET-AJ2026 Testing of video coding technology beyond conditions of exploration experiments [Posted 2024-12-03]
• JVET-AJ2027 Common test conditions for gaming applications [Posted 2024-11-22]
• JVET-AJ2030 Optimization of encoders and receiving systems for machine analysis of coded video content (draft 7), also issued as WG 5 CDTR N 323 [Posted 2024-12-31]
• JVET-AJ2032 Technologies under consideration for future extensions of VSEI (version 6) [Posted 2024-12-06, last update 2024-12-07]
• JVET-AJ2035 Test conditions and evaluation procedures for generative face video coding [Posted 2024-11-26, last update 2024-12-09]
• JVET-AJ2037 Report on subjective quality testing of the FGC SEI message, also issued as AG 5 N 140 [Posted 2025-01-14]

The seventeen 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 37^th meeting had been announced in the JVET reflector, in the JVET logistics document (https://www.itu.int/wftp3/av-arch/jvet-site/2025_01_AK_Geneva/JVET-AK_Logistics.docx), and in the WG 5 calling notice (N 331) and agenda (N 332) for the 18^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 205 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 37^h meeting had been made publicly available on the ITU-hosted ftp site as http://wftp3.itu.int/av-arch/jvet-site/2025_01_AK_Geneva/JVET-AK_notes_d0.docx.

Recommendations

• The AHG recommended its continuation.
• The AHG recommended communication between JVET’s parent bodies about appointment of an extended management support team.