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Standards

Video Operation Points

TS 26.265 V19.3.0, Introduction: "The present document defines service-independent video operation points and capabilities." It adds: "These may be referenced in 3GPP service specifications or in third-party services."

TS 26.265 V19.3.0, clause 4.2: "The combination of video coding format and a specific representation format is referred to as Operation Point." The VOPS Conformance Validator holds the conformance validator of annex B.2.3 and is part of the Video Operation Points project.

At a glance
  • Specification: TS 26.265 V19.3.0 (September 2026), created in Release 19 by the VOPS work item.
  • Operation points: table 6.1-1 lists seven, from 3GPP-AVC-HD to 3GPP-MV-HEVC-Ext-Stereo, each with a video format and a decoding capability.
  • Conformance: annex B; the VOPS Conformance Validator is built against V19.2.0.
  • Release 20: the work plan of 28 September 2026 lists no work item for TS 26.265.

Specifications​

SpecificationTitleLayer
TS 26.265Media Delivery: Video Capabilities and Operation Pointsdefines the video operation points the validator checks bitstreams against; the validator is built against V19.2.0 (March 2026); V19.3.0 (September 2026) is the latest versionSpecification

What the specification defines​

  • Capabilities. TS 26.265 V19.3.0, clause 4.3 defines a video decoding capability and a video encoding capability. It states: "While not explicitly stated in the capabilities, it is a requirement for decoders and receivers to process the data in real-time."
  • Codecs. Clause 5.2.1 lists AVC/H.264 Progressive High Profile, HEVC/H.265 Main and Main-10 Profile Main Tier, and HEVC/H.265 Multiview Main 10 and Multiview Extended 10 Main Tier.
  • Requirement level. Clause 5.1, NOTE: "These clause does not specify whether these capabilities are required, recommended or suggested to be supported." Service specifications or external specifications decide that.
  • Operation points. Clause 6.1: "For each Video Operation Point, requirements for the Bitstream and for the Receiver are defined." Table 6.1-1 lists seven: 3GPP-AVC-HD, 3GPP-HEVC-HD, 3GPP-HEVC-HD-HDR, 3GPP-HEVC-UHD-HDR, 3GPP-HEVC-Stereo, 3GPP-MV-HEVC-Main-Stereo and 3GPP-MV-HEVC-Ext-Stereo.
  • System integration. Clauses 7.2.2 (AVC) and 7.2.3 (HEVC) state: "The definitions for AVC are for further study." and "The definitions for HEVC are for further study."

Conformance annex​

TS 26.265 V19.3.0, annex B.1 lists five conformance functions: annotated video test signals, reference encoders with configurations, a conformance validator, conforming decoders, and conformance bitstreams. Annex B.3: "the conformance validator may be used to test bitstreams claiming to be conformant to an operation point indeed are conforming, or if not, which test assertions are not fulfilled."

Clause B.2.3: "The detailed semantics and the format of the report is for further study."

Versions​

5G-MAG's validator is built against V19.2.0 (2026-03). This page quotes V19.3.0 (2026-09), the latest version. The clauses quoted on this page are the same in V19.2.0, except that clause 5.2.1 gains a note in V19.3.0. In V19.3.0, clause 5.3.3 is renamed from "Multi-layer HEVC Decoding Capabilities" to "Dual-layer HEVC Decoding Capabilities" and now defines the two-layer cases through output layer sets, with a new table 5.3.3-1 of supported profile combinations. The 3GPP Change Request database lists one change request implemented in V19.3.0, CR 0006 revision 6 (SP-260783), "[VOPS] MV-HEVC profile and OLS handling". The change history of the specification lists the same CR under the title "[VOPS] VPS Profile-Tier-Level Assignment". The baseline remains V19.2.0 until the validator is rebuilt against V19.3.0.

Open points in the specification​

  • Annex A.2.3: "This work is for further study." (mapping of operation points to an encoder API).
  • Operation point names are not used consistently. Table 6.1-1 uses "3GPP-HEVC-HD-HDR" and "3GPP-HEVC-UHD-HDR"; table A.2.2-1 lists "3GPP-HEVC-3DTV" and "3GPP-MV-HEVC-3DTV", names that do not appear in table 6.1-1.

Release by release​

For the work-item and change request history behind this specification, see the Release history.

TS 26.265 is created in Release 19 by the VOPS work item, which TR 21.919 clause 11.5 describes as consolidating video operation points and capabilities previously scattered across several SA4 specifications and adding MV-HEVC stereo operation points. The release history lists the earlier work in Release 15 to 18 (HDR, VRStream, HLG_HDR, 8K_TV_5G) and notes that the work plan of 28 September 2026 lists no Release 20 work item for TS 26.265. It lists the study FS_AVFOPS_MED, Study of Advanced Video Formats and Operation Points (TR 26.966, 100%, finish 9 September 2026), whose relation to TS 26.265 it does not state.

Sources for this page​

All quotations are from 3GPP TS 26.265 V19.3.0 (2026-09), Release 19. The release statements draw on 3GPP TR 21.915, TR 21.917, TR 21.918 and TR 21.919. The V19.2.0 comparison draws on V19.2.0 (2026-03) (clause 5.3.3 heading).