How is IDEA’s vision different than other standards currently in use or under development?
Currently, there is no existing standard nor formal specification that addresses the wide variety of display formats available now and in the near future — from XR headsets to advanced light field panels. This is the gap that IDEA intends to fill with its media format. IDEA’s specifications will also provide for interface with proven content creation technologies, including 3D modelling tools. Further, IDEA’s specifications will support immersive media distribution over commercial networks, which currently is not supported by legacy standards or specifications.
Will IDEA be developing formal accredited standards?
No. We acknowledge and appreciate the important work done by accredited standards organizations, but the specifications developed by IDEA will not (at least initially) be accredited by formal standards bodies. Rather, IDEA will develop interoperable industry specifications that meet the immediate needs of the rapidly growing immersive ecosystem. Where appropriate, IDEA may contribute its specifications to formal standards organizations. IDEA will focus on:
- Gathering marketplace and technical requirements, which are required to define and support immersive media.
- Identifying where interchange, mezzanine, streaming, archive or other formats may be needed in support of immersive media applications, and drafting these specifications.
- Facilitate interoperability testing and demonstrations, in order to gain feedback from all segments of the ecosystem
- Produce educational events and materials to help the community understand the opportunities and challenges of next-generation immersive media, and exchange ideas
- Provide a unique forum to exchange information – where filmmakers can work with equipment manufacturers, network operators, technologists and visionaries to influence the best course for adoption of immersive media.
What are the specifications that will IDEA be working on?
We plan to start with an interchange format that will enable high-quality conveyance of complex image scenes to an immersive display, including six degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) for viewing. This will be called the Immersive Technology Media Format (ITMF). ITMF will be based on a scene graph, which is a well-established data structure used in advanced computer animation and computer games. Other specifications may include network streaming for ITMF and transcoding ITMF for specific displays, archiving and/or applications.
Will these Immersive Experiences be distributed to the home? How?
Lower quality experiences such as 360 video are already being delivered to the home from the network. However, in order to stream fully immersive experiences, we envision that the network itself can play a role in processing and computation. With the availability of light-field displays in the future, the network can be prepared deliver delightful immersive experiences using a multitude of displays.
IDEA will not only develop specifications for the Immersive Technologies Media Format, but it will also develop specifications to distribute ITMF over commercial networks, leveraging state-of-the-art IP networks (e.g. Cable 10G, WiFi 6, and 5G) for their speed, low-latency, and in-network compute functionalities.
How will IDEA promote established technologies already embraced by content creators?
The ITMF standard is based on the ORBX format, launched five years ago by Otoy, and now supported by in over a dozen software systems used in 3D animation, and has already been used in many productions, including major Hollywood films. Starting with the ORBX Scene Graph format, IDEA will provide extensions to expand the capabilities of ORBX for light field photographic camera arrays, live events and other applications. IDEA will preserve backwards-compatibility on the existing ORBX format.
How will these requirements specifications be created?
IDEA is off to a good start with the contributions from Otoy on the ORBX format, and inputs from other members. IDEA is forming Working Groups to focus on specific deliverables. The Working Groups will consist of all IDEA members with expertise and interest in the particular area.