Overview
IEC TR 61998:2015 - Model and framework for standardization in multimedia equipment and systems is a Technical Report from IEC TC 100 (Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment). This second edition (2015) replaces the 1999 edition and provides high‑level models and frameworks to guide IEC standardization activities for multimedia technology. The report is based on the IEC PACT (President’s Advisory Committee on Future Technology) work and refocuses TC 100 frameworks to address data usage, communication and possible future multimedia technologies. Notably, legacy annexes describing specific technologies were removed because their roles have diminished over the past two decades.
Key topics and technical requirements
IEC TR 61998 defines a structured approach to multimedia standardization rather than prescriptive technical specifications. Major topics covered include:
- Generic model for multimedia systems
- Clarifies boundaries between AV and IT multimedia domains.
- Identifies objectives of standardization: interoperability, usability, safety, security, quality, identification, energy efficiency and environmental safeguards.
- Physical and logical connectivity
- Models for communication media, interchange/storage media, protocols, formats and interfaces needed for interoperability.
- Transferred data structure
- Layered views of data interchange and storage (presentation, file, logical/physical storage, physical media).
- Usability and user interfaces
- Models to ensure simplified, human-recognizable user‑system interfaces and accessibility.
- Security and safety
- Frameworks for protecting multimedia data and ensuring safe operation where multi‑sensory outputs are involved.
- Specific models
- Multimedia data creation, equipment structure, distribution and management, open systems interconnection with media, and application‑specific modeling.
- TC 100 frameworks
- Generalized models of TC 100 scope, user communication, networked models and environmental aspects to guide future standards work.
Practical applications and who uses this standard
IEC TR 61998 is a guidance document intended to support:
- Standards developers and IEC technical committees (especially TC 100) planning work items and defining scope.
- Manufacturers and system integrators of audio, video and multimedia equipment seeking to align product design with international standardization frameworks.
- Test laboratories and certification bodies that assess interoperability, safety and usability of multimedia systems.
- Policy makers and procurement specialists who need a framework to evaluate multimedia infrastructure, environmental impact and energy efficiency.
- Researchers and architects designing future multimedia systems and services who require a common vocabulary and layered models for data use and communication.
Related standards and context
- Prepared by IEC TC 100, the report aligns with IEC’s generic standardization processes and ISO/IEC Directives. It complements TC 100 normative standards by providing modeling and scoping guidance rather than technical requirements.
Keywords: IEC TR 61998, multimedia standardization, TC 100, interoperability, multimedia models, audio video systems, data interchange, user interfaces, security, standardization framework.