Call for Proposals: AR/VR/MR Display Stream Compression

BEAVERTON, Ore. – April 15, 2024 – The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA®) today announced a call for proposals to standardize the algorithm for VESA Display Stream Compression for AR/VR/MR (VDC-X).

Last October, VESA issued a call for requirements to solicit industry needs for augmented/virtual/mixed reality (AR/VR/MR) compression, including what factors may affect the codec design. VESA subsequently received input from several sources, which has been incorporated into the call for proposals. Now, VESA is requesting proposals for the codec design with modeling information.

VESA seeks input from its members, other standardization bodies, and potential OEMs who may deploy VDC-X in products regarding their specific requirements for a new intraframe coding standard. VESA’s goal is to standardize a visually lossless coding system to be used for compression of high-bandwidth content used in AR/VR/MR applications.

Proposals for VDC-X are due no later than July 29, 2024 and can be submitted to the VESA Moderator at moderator@vesa.org.

AR/VR Has New Visually Lossless Compression Requirements

The next generation of AR/VR/MR systems promises to revolutionize the way we interact, communicate, work, and live. However, specific AR/VR/MR display technical challenges must be addressed to realize this potential. VESA’s visually lossless, low-latency display compression codecs enable system designers to support higher video bandwidth, wider color gamut and higher dynamic range across display links while reducing overall system footprint, power, cost and battery life. However, while VESA’s existing DSC and VDC-M compression codecs have been deployed within VR products, either in a wired set interface from a host processor or embedded within a headset, some recent product implementations do not conform well to several assumptions upon which these previous codecs are based.

The VDC-X compression coding system is intended to address these new AR/VR display systems and their unique requirements by:

  • Supporting AR and VR stereoscopic application-specific requirements with latencies lower than could be supported by a display link with uncompressed, DSC, or VDC-M compressed images and video in real time.
  • Reducing the bandwidth requirement compared with uncompressed in the display interface needed to transport a display stream to save power, cost, or both. For example, a higher resolution of the display stream could be supported, or more streams in a multi-stream configuration as required by the system design.
  • Enabling the use of a lower link rate for applications where high link rates might not be possible.

VDC-X will have the following properties:

  • On-the-fly, real-time coding with low complexity hardware and memory in both the encoder and the decoder. The encoder and decoder might have different complexity and process node needs.
  • Algorithm is transport agnostic and coded bitstreams can be transported over display links.

Once all proposals for VDC-X have been received by the July 29 deadline, the DSC Task Group will review submissions and select the proposal that will serve as the technology baseline for building the VDC-X specification around. VESA anticipates that the draft specification will be ready in the Fall of 2025.

More information about this call for proposals is available at https://vesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/VDC-X_Call-for-Proposals_v1.pdf

Questions regarding this call for proposals can be sent to the VESA Moderator at moderator@vesa.org.

About VESA

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) is an international, non-profit standards association representing a global network of more than 340 hardware, software, computer, display and component manufacturers committed to developing and promoting the electronics industry. For more than 30 years, VESA has created and supported simple, universal and cross-product solutions for today’s video and electronics industry. The association’s standards include DisplayPort™, the industry replacement for DVI, LVDS and VGA. DisplayPort utilizes a state-of-the-art digital protocol and provides an expandable foundation to enable astonishing digital display experiences. For more information on VESA, please visit http://www.vesa.org/.

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