The 5G-MAG Steering Group has approved a new Work Item on "Advanced Media Services over 5G" which tasks will be carried out under the WG Use Cases, Requirements and Opportunities.
4G is well-known for being able to distribute traditional video services primarily to smartphones, and to some extent to Set-Top boxes (STBs) via Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) access. This predominantly includes streaming live and and on-demand 2D services to apps and browsers, including the ability to provide a certain amount of interactivity provided by apps and browsers.
However, broadcasters and content providers are experimenting with and trialing an increasing number of advanced media services. These include audio and video components and offer more advanced interactivity, quality, functionality and immersiveness. Such services and experiences may include, but are not limited to:
Interactive video services
In-stadium multiview services
Virtual Reality Experiences:
3D Scene-based media
Volumetric videos
Free viewpoint video
This above advanced media services only serve as examples for potential candidates. More details need to be documented in the course of the work item.
“Advanced Media Services” may result in special requirements in terms of capturing, contribution, production, encoding, distribution, decoding, rendering, security and user interfaces. Generally, it is expected that the services will be developed independently of the distribution network and will heavily rely on an IP/cloud/CDN-based delivery system. Additional aspects relevant for such “Advanced Media Services” include high volumes of data, complex decoding and rendering, and requirements to stay within interactive and the immersive limits, such as regarding motion-to-photon and motion-to-sound latencies. Split-compute and split-rendering distribution architectures are expected to be relevant to make such services feasible and scalable on existing and emerging end devices including TVs, phones, tablets, HMDs, AR glasses and other type of advanced end points.
This WI covers the following objectives:
Collection of “Advanced Media Services” use cases including reference to existing trials, prototypes and experimental services.
Mapping of these use cases to one or several contribution architectures (if appropriate) and distribution architectures, addressing different service scenarios
Definition of Quality-of-Experience metrics associated to each of the “Advanced Media Services”
Collection of relevant network and service requirements on the “Advanced Media Services”
Mapping of existing 5G specifications against these requirements and identification of potential gaps, possibly supported by early prototyping
Potential input to 3GPP standardization processes
A full work item description is available to members under the Member's platform.
The work has been kicked-off by HUAWEI, ATEME, UPV, ABP, BBC and QUALCOMM. All 5G-MAG members are invited to contribute to the work item, which starts now and is expected to be carried out during 2023.