ISO/IEC 23090-15:2024

Overview

ISO/IEC 23090-15:2024 - "Information technology - Coded representation of immersive media - Part 15: Conformance testing for versatile video coding" specifies a normative test suite and procedures to determine whether VVC (Versatile Video Coding) encoders and decoders comply with the syntax and decoding requirements of Rec. ITU‑T H.266 / ISO/IEC 23090‑3. The document defines bitstream conformance, decoder conformance, test bitstream contents, and static and dynamic test procedures. Test data and reference implementations are provided as electronic attachments and via the ISO standards site.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and purpose: Tests and procedures to indicate conformance of encoders/decoders to H.266 / ISO/IEC 23090‑3.
• Bitstream conformance: Definitions and normative tests to verify that a produced bitstream follows VVC syntax and profile/level constraints.
• Decoder conformance: Tests to check that decoder implementations reproduce required outputs and meet timing requirements.
• Test procedures: Step‑by‑step procedures to test bitstreams and decoders, including requirements on bitstream files and decoding outputs.
• Static vs dynamic tests:
  • Static tests validate output order and format (frame ordering, pixel formats, metadata).
  • Dynamic tests validate runtime behavior and output timing.
• Conformance bitstreams: A comprehensive set of test bitstreams covering multiple profiles, chroma formats, bit depths, tools and high-level syntax features.
• Profiles and formats covered: Main 10 (4:2:0, 10‑bit), Main 10 4:4:4, Main 12, Main 16, multilayer and still picture profiles, with additional bitstreams for 12‑bit and 16‑bit added in this second edition.
• Reference software: Use of the reference software decoder (see ISO/IEC 23090‑16) as a baseline for testing and comparison.
• Test data availability: Electronic test suites available via ISO’s publication portal.

Practical applications

• Codec developers use the standard to verify encoder/decoder compliance during development and regression testing.
• Test labs and certification bodies apply the documented test suites to certify products for interoperability.
• Device and chipset manufacturers ensure firmware and hardware decoders meet VVC conformance requirements.
• Streaming platforms, broadcasters and content providers use conformance testing to guarantee playback compatibility across ecosystems.
• R&D and QA teams leverage the static/dynamic tests and reference software for debugging, compliance, and quality assurance.

Who should use this standard

• Codec implementers and vendors
• Interoperability test labs and conformity assessors
• System integrators, hardware vendors, and streaming service engineers
• Standards committees and researchers working on VVC/H.266 implementations

Related standards

• Rec. ITU‑T H.266 | ISO/IEC 23090‑3 - Versatile Video Coding (VVC) specification
• ISO/IEC 23090‑16 - Reference software for VVC

For test data and the conformance bitstream suites, see ISO’s online publication for ISO/IEC 23090‑15:2024 (standards.iso.org/iso-iec/23090/-15/ed-2/en/).