ISO/IEC 23090-28:2026

Overview

ISO/IEC 23090-28:2026 is an international standard developed by ISO and IEC for information technology with a focus on the coded representation of immersive media. Specifically, this Part 28 addresses interchangeable scene-based media representations applicable to systems and applications utilizing renderers for immersive audio, visual, tactile, and other sensory presentations. The standard defines an architecture and data model to facilitate the interchange, annotation, and translation of rich, scene-based media suitable for 3D render-based technologies.

A central use case is enabling the reliable exchange of immersive media assets-such as those needed for holographic displays, real-time 3D renderers, and metaverse systems-across diverse platforms and applications. The standard helps bridge the gap between complex 3D scene data and presentation systems, promoting interoperability in a rapidly evolving digital media landscape.

Key Topics

• Scene Graph Architecture: The standard introduces foundational concepts such as the scene graph, a structured framework organizing the logical and spatial representation of immersive media elements (nodes).
• Independent Mapping Space (IMS): The IMS provides a robust vocabulary and labeling scheme for consistent annotation and translation of scene-based content, aiding interoperability and facilitating format conversion.
• Annotations and Metadata: IMS-based metadata enriches scene descriptions, enabling sophisticated handling, transformation, and distribution of 3D assets.
• Logical, Physical, and Processing Organization: The data model distinctly organizes assets for storage, network transfer, and rendering instructions, supporting precise media handling for presentation engines.
• Media Types and Applications: While focused on visual scenes, the model also considers audio, haptic, and multimodal media, making the framework extensible to varied immersive experiences.

Applications

The key practical value of ISO/IEC 23090-28:2026 lies in its ability to streamline the exchange, translation, and rendering of scene-based media across a wide array of technologies, including:

• Holographic and Immersive Display Technologies: Providing dense, explicit scene geometry and surface attributes to enable real-time photorealistic rendering in next-generation displays.
• Metaverse Platforms: Ensuring consistent media asset translation and distribution for gaming, social media, and e-commerce within virtual and augmented environments.
• 3D Content Creation Workflows: Enabling interoperability between content creation tools, scene container formats, and end-user presentation platforms.
• Renderer-Agnostic Media Distribution: Allowing media assets to be reused and repurposed across devices with different rendering capabilities by supporting translation between scene graph formats.
• Interoperable Asset Management: Supporting organizations managing libraries of assets for reuse in diverse applications, ensuring assets remain usable across evolving media formats.

Related Standards

Organizations and practitioners using or considering ISO/IEC 23090-28:2026 should be aware of related standards and resources that further support immersive media workflows:

• ISO/IEC 23090 Series: A comprehensive suite focusing on immersive media representation and interoperability, including specifications for other media types and encoding methods.
• ITU-R BT.601, BT.709, BT.2020, BT.2100: Established standards for raster-based media-still relevant for comparison and integration with scene-based systems.
• ITMF (Immersive Technology Media Format): Referenced within the IMS for vocabulary and encoding specifications.
• glTF (Graphics Language Transmission Format): Widely adopted for 3D asset transmission; closely related to scene graph translation and annotation workflows described in the standard.
• Universal Scene Description (USD): A common format for complex scene graphs in content creation pipelines.

By implementing ISO/IEC 23090-28:2026, organizations can unlock new possibilities for cross-platform immersive media experiences, ensure robust asset interchange, and maintain future-proof content ecosystems amid rapid advancements in 3D rendering and virtual environments.