Beyond 2D Video covers media formats that go past a flat single-camera picture, such as stereoscopic 3D, multiview, depth-enhanced and volumetric video. 3GPP studied how these formats and their codecs perform over 5G in the feasibility study FS_Beyond2D, captured in TR 26.956. 5G-MAG tracks this work because it sets the evaluation baseline for delivering richer-than-2D experiences. This page lists the related 3GPP work item and technical report, and is for anyone assessing how immersive and 3D video will be carried over 5G. This tracking looks ahead to any later normative SA4 work that might follow.
- The study: FS_Beyond2D, captured in TR 26.956, is a feasibility and characterisation study, not a normative specification.
- Format families: stereoscopic video, multiview and multi-view plus depth, dense dynamic point clouds and dynamic meshes.
- Delivery: TR 26.956 assumes ISO BMFF based distribution, including streaming with DASH (clause 7.2.2.4); 5G Media Streaming is specified in TS 26.501 and TS 26.512.
- Release 20: the work plan of 28 September 2026 lists the studies FS_3DGS_MED (TR 26.958) and FS_AVFOPS_MED (TR 26.966); it does not state their relation to this study.
Specifications
The work item that drove the Beyond 2D Video feasibility study, the technical report it produced, and the related 5G Media Streaming specifications. The work-item link downloads a .zip contribution package.
| Specification | Title | Layer |
|---|---|---|
| FS_Beyond2D | Feasibility Study on Beyond 2D Video (FS_Beyond2D)the work item that drove the study; the link downloads a .zip contribution package | Work item |
| TR 26.956 | Evaluation and Characterization of Beyond 2D Video Formats and Codecsthe output of FS_Beyond2D, giving the evaluation and characterisation of the formats and codecs in scope; published as V19.0.1, October 2025 | Technical report |
| ISO/IEC 23090-9:2023 | Information technology - Coded representation of immersive media - Part 9: Geometry-based point cloud compressionG-PCC, named for comparison alongside V-PCC in the shared tech deep-dive page; Edition 1, March 2023 | Format |
| TS 26.501 | 5G Media Streaming (5GMS); General description and architecturerelated specification: the 5G Media Streaming architecture | Delivery framework |
| TS 26.512 | 5G Media Streaming (5GMS); Protocolsrelated specification: the 5G Media Streaming protocols | Delivery framework |
| ISO/IEC 23000-19 | Multimedia application format (MPEG-A) - Part 19: Common media application format (CMAF) for segmented mediaused for delivery evaluation alongside the 5GMS framework above | Delivery framework |
| ISO/IEC 23090-29 | Coded representation of immersive media - Part 29: Video-based dynamic mesh coding (V-DMC)V3C-related; the cover of the ISO preview reads "First edition, 2026-07" (ISO/IEC 23090-29:2026) -- confirm current status on the ISO catalogue page before relying on it | Format |
What the study covers
FS_Beyond2D is a feasibility and characterisation study, not a normative specification. It covers four format families:
- Stereoscopic video, a left and right view giving a fixed 3D effect without free viewpoint, with extensions for depth and alpha metadata;
- Multiview and multi-view plus depth (MV+D), several camera views (with depth) that support a limited change of viewpoint;
- Dense dynamic point clouds, a volumetric representation of an object or person captured in 3D;
- Dynamic meshes, a volumetric representation using time-varying textured 3D meshes.
The report also surveys formats under research (neural radiance fields, light fields, 3D Gaussian splatting) without evaluating them.
See the Technology page for the per-family and per-scenario detail.
Codecs and how they map to the formats
The study evaluates each format with the codecs that are practical for it today; for stereoscopic video, simulcast/frame-compatible HEVC serves as the anchor against MV-HEVC:
| Format family | Coding approaches evaluated | Relation to V3C |
|---|---|---|
| Stereoscopic | MV-HEVC; simulcast/frame-compatible HEVC as the anchor | Not V3C-based |
| Multi-view plus depth | The MIV profile of V3C; the report also notes MV-HEVC as a coding option | MIV is ISO/IEC 23090-12 (a V3C profile) |
| Dense dynamic point cloud | V-PCC; no anchor codec exists for the format, G-PCC is noted as a related technology | V-PCC is part of ISO/IEC 23090-5 |
| Dynamic mesh | V-DMC, described alongside V-PCC for the volumetric scenario | V-DMC is ISO/IEC 23090-29 (video-based, V3C-related) |
This connects to the Volumetric Video Experiences topic: the volumetric and multi-view-plus-depth scenarios are the cases where V3C (V-PCC and MIV) is one of the coding approaches under evaluation.
Relationship to 5G Media Streaming
TR 26.956 V19.0.1 assumes ISO BMFF based distribution, including streaming with DASH (clause 7.2.2.4). 5G Media Streaming is specified in TS 26.501 (architecture) and TS 26.512 (protocols and APIs); TR 26.956 does not refer to either of them. See the Technology page for the detailed analysis.
For the release-by-release history behind these specifications, see Release history. Release 20 (work plan of 28 September 2026) lists the studies FS_3DGS_MED, Study on 3D Gaussian splats (TR 26.958, 60%, planned 3 March 2027), and FS_AVFOPS_MED, Study of Advanced Video Formats and Operation Points (TR 26.966, 100%); the work plan does not state their relation to this study.
Related
- Beyond 2D Video Experiences: Release history
- Beyond 2D Video Experiences: Technology
- Volumetric Video Experiences: Specifications
- XR Media & 3D Scenes: Specifications
- Standardisation: how 5G-MAG submits feedback and requirements to SDOs