Presentation from Sohail Larbi (Motion Spell) on GAPC Flute and the possibilities to use the library with other 5G-MAG Reference Tools. Information on the related Reference Tools project: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/lte-based-5g-broadcast/ VIDEO

Presentation from Johann Mika (ORS Group) about the Nakolos Core and opportunities for interoperability with other 5G-MAG Reference Tools Information on the related Reference Tools project: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/lte-based-5g-broadcast/ VIDEO

5G-MAG Workshop “5G Advanced: Media Distribution in 3GPP Release 18” 3rd June 2021 – 14:00 to 17:00 CEST, Virtual Event The 5G Media Action Group (5G-MAG) is organizing the workshop “ 5G Advanced: Media Distribution in 3GPP Release 18 ”. A new set of 5G standards under the name of "5G Advanced" is around the corner. This interactive workshop gets together 5G-MAG members to discuss the potential new areas of work and/or enhancements of the 5G specifications. Agenda will be communicated soon. Thursday 3rd June 2021 14:00 - 17:00 CEST 5G-MAG members-only event More information at: gimenez@5g-mag.com

5G-MAG Workshop “5G Broadcast: Developing Prototypes” 1st April 2021 – 14:00 to 16:00 CEST, Virtual Event The 5G Media Action Group (5G-MAG) is organizing the workshop “ 5G Broadcast: Developing Prototypes ”. This interactive workshop gets together developers working on the implementation of 5G Broadcast prototypes with an approach to the service provisioning, core network and RAN implementations as well as receiver and applications. Agenda: 1. Tour the table 2. SW Development and collaboration. Experience from DASH-IF 3. Network and Radio aspects - Open Air Interface - OBECA project and SRS-LTE - TU-BS platform 4. Virtualization - OAI MANO vRAN/OSM/Kubernetes 5. Applications and Media-related aspects - DASH/CMAF/ffmpeg 6. Discussion, collaboration and WF Thursday 1st April 2021 14:00 - 16:00 CEST 5G-MAG members-only event More information at: gimenez@5g-mag.com

Get an insight into one of the topics dealt with in the 5G Media Action Group: 5G Broadcast and its role in the future of media distribution. Join via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4XgRP_aBVo

The 5G Media Action Group (5G-MAG) elected its first Steering Group and Chair at the association's inaugural General Assembly on 16 October 2019. The EBU hosted the 5G-MAG General Assembly at its headquarters in Geneva. Since its announcement at IBC 2019 in Amsterdam, 5G-MAG gained the support of more than 60 organizations from across the media value chain, including media organizations, broadcast and mobile network operators, manufacturers and regulators. The 5G-MAG General Assembly approved the Statutes and Internal Rules, elected a Steering Board of 21 representatives and its first Chair Antonio Arcidiacono, EBU Director of Technology & Innovation. “We are proud to announce that 5G-MAG is now officially active and starting to globally represent the common voice of the media community. 5G-MAG aims to translate the standardization work of engineers in 3GPP, DVB and the EBU into operational services that are of value in media production and distribution”, said Antonio. Over the next weeks, 5G-MAG will initiate work on the various topics identified at the General Assembly and move to attract new members interested in shaping 5G deployments for the benefit of the media industry and the billions of consumers it serves.

Stakeholders from the media and telecommunications industries, satellite and terrestrial network operators, and academia, gathered today at IBC to announce a new association that will provide a framework for all relevant stakeholders to collaborate on a harmonious and market driven implementation of 5G solutions in production and distribution of audiovisual media content and services. ​As a new wireless communications technology, 5G has the potential to benefit the stakeholders in the media sector, both in content production and distribution. 5G-MAG will bring together the perspectives of all interested parties, including broadcasters, satellite, mobile and terrestrial broadcast network operators, content owners and service providers, network infrastructure vendors and manufacturers of consumer equipment, and indeed consumers. This initiative is already supported by more than 50 organisations, including ATEME, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Cyfrowy Polsat Group, EBU, ENENSYS, Eutelsat, ESA, France télévisions, Funke, Huawei, IRT, MBI, ORF/ORS, Rohde & Schwarz, RAI, and Technische Universität Braunschweig. Antonio Arcidiacono of the EBU, one of the main drivers of this initiative said: "5G is a global technology and media is important on all continents. 5G-MAG will match the technical capabilities of 5G, including 5G broadcast, with the needs of the media sector, from content creation and service provision to distribution. This goes far beyond the remit of the EBU itself and the public service media organisations." ​ He added: "The scope of 5G-MAG is fully in line with the 3GPP and other standardisation work. The real challenge is to get the functionality into the chipsets and devices aimed at bringing successful 5G services to the market to benefit consumers. This will require coordinated effort across the industry and involvement of the regulators." ​ While this initiative was facilitated by the EBU, 5G-MAG is an independent association with its own legal identity, funding, governance, and administrative rules. The seat of the association is in Geneva, Switzerland. ​At the 5G-MAG General Assembly, scheduled to take place on 16 October in Geneva, the founding members will elect the first Steering Group representatives.

This regular XCHANGE with 3GPP SA4 members will go through the open issues identified in the 3GPP specifications related to multimedia codecs, systems and services . An agenda is available at: https://5g-mag.github.io/Standards/pages/3gppsa4xchange.html See Kanban board for overview of open issues: https://github.com/5G-MAG/Standards/projects/2 As the agenda is packed we will have a pre-meeting within 5G-MAG members beforehand to agree and adopt as many of the new issues as possible before the exchange with SA4.

5G-MAG work will be presented at the upcoming Volumetric Media Interoperability (VMI) Working Group Town Hall organized by the Metaverse Standards Forum on November 26, 2024, at 7 AM PT. This online event will gather industry experts to discuss the current state and future potential of volumetric media, with a particular focus on how standards can elevate the ecosystem. Speakers from leading organizations, including  Volucap ,  4Dviews ,  XD Productions ,  Accenture , Trickshot,  Evercoast ,  KDDI Corporation , VFA,  MPEG ,  Arcturus , DVB,  5G-MAG MEDIA ACTION GROUP , and  SVTA , will present their insights on key topics such as volumetric media capture, market insights, vertical solutions, and the role of standards. Following the presentations, a panel discussion will analyze the future of volumetric media and the necessary steps to create a more interoperable ecosystem. EVENT: Volumetric Media Interoperability Town Hall DATE: November 26 at 7AM PT (15:00 CET) LOCATION: ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT AND REGISTRATION: https://metaverse-standards.org/event/volumetric-media-interoperability-town-hall/

In the dynamic landscape of communication technology, the convergence of open source software, standardization, and cutting-edge research stands as a cornerstone for building resilient and sustainable networks. This event, spanning a 1.5-day conference supplemented by 3 half-day Hackfests, will explore the synergies between these complementary tracks, shaping the future of communication infrastructure and services. With a multidisciplinary approach, this gathering will highlight the relationships between open source initiatives, industry standards, and academic research in driving innovation, fostering interoperability, and ensuring the long-term viability of communication networks. Through a series of engaging talks, panel discussions, and interactive workshops, participants will delve into the collaborative frameworks essential for harnessing the collective strengths of these pillars. 5G-MAG MEDIA ACTION GROUP is present at the event with our latest reference implementations of 3GPP and MPEG specifications, and a presentation by Jordi J. Gimenez. EVENT: ETSI SNS4SNS DATE: 12-14 November 2024 LOCATION: SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS, FRANCE DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT: Demonstrators powered by 5G-MAG Reference Tools ON 13 NOVEMBER AT 12:00 - 12:20: 5G-MAG Reference Tools - Building an Open Software Ecosystem for Multimedia Applications INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT AND REGISTRATION: https://www.etsi.org/events/2407-etsi-sns4sns-event

Time for a new edition of the OSMART WORKSHOP gathering multiple organizations running software projects and developing reference implementations in the context of media applications. We aim at: detecting opportunities for cooperation update each other on the progress of the projects and availability of tools gather information about how to use the tools for testing and in production exchange information about challenges, opportunitities, methodology of work, etc. Join us on Thursday 5 December, 16:00-18:30 CET (15:00 to 17:30 UTC) The agenda for the workshop and the organizations participating will be available in this page ( https://osmart-community.github.io/pages/osmart-workshop-3.html ). EVENT: OSMART WORKSHOP #3 DATE: 5 December 2024 at 16:00 to 18:30 CET (15:00 to 17:30 UTC) LOCATION: ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT: https://osmart-community.github.io/pages/osmart-workshop-3.html REGISTRATION: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpde-hqjgjH9Q7i_au6ixY2__3vWIybWvm#/registration

5G-MAG members are invited to join this Workshop on “Advanced Media Delivery” Introductory session on the 18th April 2024 – 14:00 CEST Main Session with 3GPP SA4 on the 2nd May 2024 - 15:30 CEST 3GPP is kicking off a Feasibility Study on Advanced Media Delivery in the context of potential improvements and extensions involving, among others, Common Client Metadata, Common Server-and Network-Assisted Streaming, Multi-CDN and Multi-Access Media Delivery, Modem Usage Optimized Media Streaming, DRM and Conditional Access, In-session Unicast Repair for MBS Object Distribution, MBS User Service and Delivery Protocols for eMBMS, Selected MBMS Functionalities not supported in MBS, DASH/HLS Interoperability, Further harmonization of RTC and Streaming for Advanced Media Delivery, Improved QoS support, Impacts and opportunities of QUIC for segmented content delivery. In addition, issues coming from the implementation of specifications under the 5G-MAG Reference Tools are also expected to be shared. Additional information can be found in: https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/meetings_3gpp_sync/SA4/Inbox/S4-240518.zip Introductory session on the 18th April at 14:00 CEST: https://member.5g-mag.com/wg/CD-T/calendar/event/246/2024-04-18 Main Session with 3GPP SA4 on the 2nd May at 15:30 CEST: https://member.5g-mag.com/wg/CD-T/calendar/event/247/2024-05-02 Some more background on the issues under discussion: Common Client Metadata: While 3GPP and MPEG in DASH support DASH metrics, the reporting is not common to any player, for example all DASH players as well as HLS players. As an example, CTA WAVE has developed: CTA-5004: Web Application Video Ecosystem Common-Media-Client-Data (CMCD) with an excellent overview here: https://ottverse.com/common-media-client-data-cmcd/ . It is worthwhile to study the benefits of integrating commonly supported metrics and client data reporting in 5GMS workflows. The focus is the integration of already defined metrics rather than developing new metrics. Examples of study include support of specific metric keys, player APIs, sending options from client to server (user plane, M5 reference point, EVEX), M3 reference point impact, as well as usage of the data in operations. A study of creating a common harmonized reporting framework and studying the interaction of different frameworks may be included. Common Server-and Network-Assisted Streaming: MPEG-DASH supports Server and Network Assisted DASH (SAND). Certain profiles of SAND were adopted in TS 26.247, but the industry has generalized the concepts in SAND in efforts such as Content Steering (see ETSI TS 103 998), Web Application Video Ecosystem (WAVE) specification for Common Media Server Data (CMSD), or Addressable Resource Index (ARI) Tracks in MPEG. The study and integration of these technologies into the Media Delivery System and MBS/MBMS workflows is of significant interest, in particular also in combination with existing QoS mechanisms. Multi-CDN and Multi-Access Media Delivery: Content distributors often use multiple Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to distribute their content to tend-users. As an example, they may upload a copy of their catalogue to each CDN, or more commonly have all CDNs pull the content from a common origin. In advanced deployments, technologies such as Coded Multisource Media Format (CMMF) use Application Layer FEC techniques to stripe different subsets of content across multiple CDNs. Different client implementations may then beneficially use the content on multiple CDNs, potentially guided by the service or network provider. In addition, formats and techniques for generating content for multiple CDN delivery such as MPEG-DASH Part 9 (ReAP) may be taken into account. Further extensions include the ability for a client to use multiple access networks at the same time to support media delivery. Study of integration of different technologies into the Media Delivery System is of relevance to address content provisioning, content hosting, impacts on user plane reference points M2 and M4, and on media session handling at reference point M5 as well as potential benefits in terms of quality and resource usage. Modem Usage Optimized Media Streaming: In Rel-18, basic support for Background Data Transfer is added. UE power resources are constrained, and media delivery typically also results in power consumption if the radio is always connected. In order to better support streaming services, requests and access to the modem and the resources should be well balanced. Enhancements to Background Data Transfer to support preload as well as functionality of what is defined in W3C Managed Media Source Extension to minimize active network connections are relevant topics to study with the aim of limiting battery consumption in the UE resulting from media delivery. DRM and Conditional Access: DRM and Conditional Access are commonly used by third-party streaming services. However, in case streaming is done through MBS or MBMS, a more careful management of the keys needs to be checked. Scalability of key delivery is an issue. The support for -encrypted content in Unicast/Multicast and Broadcast is relevant. Integration of Content Protection interfaces in the provisioning, for example using CPIX back-end interfaces is of high relevance for the industry and should accordingly be studied. The impacts of these on media plane (reference points M2 and M4) as well as the media session handling APIs (reference points M3, M5) should also be studied. In-session Unicast Repair for MBS Object Distribution: For live and low-latency live services using the Object Distribution Method in MBS, in certain cases the transmission of an object is not successful. In this case, unicast repair for individual MBS Clients can improve the service quality. However, the timing of such requests needs to be carefully studied in order to avoid network overloads or significant latencies in the delivery. A study to extend MBS User Services and object streaming to address in-session repair is of relevance. MBS User Service and Delivery Protocols for eMBMS: The MBS User Service architecture and protocol follows the modern design philosophies of the 5G System with separation of user services from transport, a service-based architecture and RESTful APIs. At the same time, eMBMS and enTV as used for LTE-based 5G Broadcast support a transparent delivery mode. While interworking in between MBMS and MBS is addressed in TS 23.247, interworking between these two systems at the User Service level is not addressed. In order for MBMS and LTE-based 5G broadcast to leverage MBS User Service technologies, a study is warranted to identify the gaps to fully support this functionality. Selected MBMS Functionalities not supported in MBS: In completing TS 26.502 and TS 26.517, it is obvious that only a subset of the MBMS functionalities is supported in Rel-17. While many MBMS functionalities are likely not important to be supported for MBS, a systematic analysis of MBMS User Services features and their potential relevance for MBS should be completed and recommendations made on which ones to migrate to MBS User Services specifications and how best to achieve this. DASH/HLS Interoperability: DASH/HLS interoperability is a key issue to support highly scalable distribution systems for CDN-based distribution as well as for MBS/MBMS distribution. Offering common CMAF segments that can be consumed by both DASH and HLS media players promises to address these issues. However, detailed nuances need to be identified to ensure optimized delivery and CTA WAVE has provided detailed guidelines in CTA-5005-A to support this matter. Studying these guidelines and understanding the impacts on the 5GMS System as well as MBS/MBMS distribution is of relevance. In addition, formats and techniques supporting DASH/HLS interoperability such as MPEG-DASH part 9 (ReAP) may be taken into account. Further harmonization of RTC and Streaming for Advanced Media Delivery: With the creation of TS 26.510 in Rel-18, Media delivery across the 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) System and the Real-time media Communication (RTC) System was harmonized. However, not all functionalities from TS 26.512 are yet commonly available for RTC as well. Study of further harmonization is encouraged to fully implement common Media Delivery functions. Issues identified by Market Representation Partners, in particular 5G-MAG: Through the development in 5G-MAG of reference implementations for MBMS, 5GMS and MBS, 5G-MAG is identifying specific problems which are collected in https://github.com/5G-MAG/Standards/issues . While some of the issues are purely related to bug fixes, some of the issues may require study by SA4 and the development of new functionalities in the relevant technical specifications. It is vital to support the industry and MRPs in deploying 3GPP technologies. Improved QoS support: In Rel-18, SA2 has defined a number of new features in the 5G System, especially in the PCF, from which media delivery may benefit. Examples documented in TS 23.501 include the use of Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) to support Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable Throughput (L4S) services (clause 5.37.3), PDU Set handling (clause 5.37.5) and QoS Monitoring (clause 5.45), and there are likely others. The impact and usefulness of selected features is preferably studied. The functions identified in this context may be studied in one or more of the above work topics. Impacts and opportunities of QUIC for segmented content delivery: Since the finalisation of the QUIC protocol by the IETF in May 2021, there has been significant deployments of QUIC driven by the usage of HTTP/3 for streaming services. In the IETF, the working group on Media Over QUIC (MOQ) is working towards an extensible protocol for publishing media for ingest and distribution. While QUIC is mostly used today as the underlying protocol of HTTP/3, there is still open questions as to how media segments are delivered over QUIC streams when using HTTP/3 but also considering other QUIC-based protocols such as MOQ. Considering different types of media application, e.g. multi-stream use cases, will be of interest. Studying the various strategies for delivering segmented content over QUIC streams will also bring insights for the network management aspects. For instance, findings in this domain may be relevant to WT#2.1 in the ongoing study in SA2 called FS_XRM_Ph2 (SP-231671) whose deliverable is available as TR 23.700-70.