Omnidirectional MediA Format (OMAF)

After doing a survey in 2016, MPEG decided to have a number of phases in providing support for immersive media. The first of these phases (“phase 1a”) was the OMAF specification which provides a specification for 3D projection methods and related metadata and signalling for “VR360”. This specification was approved in its final version in October 2017. “Phase 1b” followed  1a, in the form of a new version of OMAF and anything that would need to be added to other specifications, like the file format and the specification on Metadata for Immersive Media.In October 2020, MPEG completed the 2^nd edition of the ISO/IEC 23090-2 Omnidirectional Media Format (OMAF). This 2^nd edition introduces new technologies including (i) support of improved overlay of graphics or textual data on top of video, (ii) efficient signaling of videos structured in multiple sub parts, (iii) enabling more than one viewpoint, and (iv) new profiles supporting dynamic bitstream generation according to the viewport. The encapsulation and signaling of new metadata storage in ISOBMFF are specified as a part of this specification in order to support these new features. Additionally, the streaming of omnidirectional media adopting, for example, dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH, ISO/IEC 23009-1) and MPEG media transport (MMT, ISO/IEC 23008-1) is also specified as well as new media and presentation profiles.