ISO/IEC 23090-23:2026

Overview

ISO/IEC 23090-23:2026 is an international standard developed by ISO and IEC that specifies conformance testing and reference software for MPEG immersive video, as defined in ISO/IEC 23090-12. This standard plays a critical role in verifying that encoding and decoding implementations of immersive video technologies adhere to the specifications for interoperability and quality assurance. Leveraging this standard ensures reliable handling of immersive media-such as 3D video content-which is increasingly relevant in applications like virtual reality, augmented reality, and advanced multimedia systems.

Key Topics

• Conformance Testing Procedures The standard describes comprehensive testing processes to assess whether encoders or decoders fulfill the requirements outlined in ISO/IEC 23090-12. This includes detailed procedures for both bitstream and decoder conformance.

• Reference Software ISO/IEC 23090-23 provides reference encoder and decoder software used as a benchmark for comparing implementations, as well as serving as a practical example for developers.

• Reference Bitstreams and Test Data The standard includes collections of reference bitstreams designed to test various capabilities and features of MPEG immersive video implementations.

• Decoder Output Logging Specific instructions are given for logging decoder output, which is necessary for validating the correctness and conformance of decoded video data.

• Hashing and Validation Methods Standardized hashing techniques (e.g., CRC-32) are prescribed for verifying the integrity of decoded data including occupancy, geometry, and attribute information, as well as mapping and view parameters.

Applications

ISO/IEC 23090-23 is highly applicable in scenarios where the interoperability and quality assessment of immersive video technologies are critical:

• Development and Certification

  • Assists software and hardware developers in testing their MPEG immersive video encoders and decoders to ensure they meet the official standards.
  • Facilitates the certification and compliance processes for new products using MPEG immersive video technology.

• Interoperability Assurance

  • Ensures different implementations from multiple vendors can reliably exchange, decode, and display immersive media content.

• Research and Prototyping

  • Provides researchers and academic teams with reference software for testing new algorithms or features while maintaining compatibility with the global MPEG immersive video standard.

• Quality Control in Production

  • Enables comprehensive validation of content workflows in media processing pipelines, minimizing the risk of conformance issues before product or content release.

Related Standards

To fully implement or understand ISO/IEC 23090-23:2026, several related standards should also be considered:

• ISO/IEC 23090-12:2025 – Defines MPEG immersive video, including bitstream syntax and decoding processes. It is the principal reference for conformance requirements.
• ISO/IEC 23090 Series – A broader family of standards covering various aspects of coded representation for immersive media, including audio, video, and metadata.
• ISO/IEC 10646 – Universal Character Set referenced for UTF-8 formatting of decoder output logs.
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 8802-3 – Specifies the CRC-32 algorithm used in hashing processes for conformance validation.
• ISO/IEC 23008 Series – Pertains to High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) and other video coding technologies relevant to immersive media.

Practical Benefits

• Improved Reliability Use of standardized conformance testing reduces inconsistencies across platforms, devices, and services.
• Accelerated Development The inclusion of reference software enables faster implementation and validation cycles.
• Global Compatibility Conformance to ISO/IEC 23090-23 ensures that immersive video products and services are globally interoperable.

Conclusion

Adopting ISO/IEC 23090-23:2026 is essential for any organization involved in the creation, processing, or distribution of immersive video content. By providing standardized tests and reference software, this document supports robust, high-quality, and interoperable MPEG immersive video solutions across diverse platforms and applications. For long-term viability and international market access, aligning with this standard is a strategic advantage.