The VR industry guidelines from VRIF aim to help the video industry to create and support a thriving VR ecosystem and to ensure a high quality user experience.

Launched at CES 2017 to further the widespread availability of high quality audiovisual VR experiences for the benefit of consumers, VRIF today includes more than 40 member organizations. VRIF is composed of a broad range of participants from sectors including, but not limited to, the movie, television, mobile, broadcast and interactive gaming ecosystems, comprising content creators, content distributors, consumer electronics manufacturers, professional equipment manufacturers and technology companies.

The initial release of the VRIF Guidelines, now announced, includes topics relevant for VR content production, distribution, security and consumption. At CES 2018, VRIF will present the new guidelines in its 2-hour masterclass, outline its 2018 roadmap, and showcase VR demonstrations from Fraunhofer and Qualcomm.  Featured speakers at the CES event will include experts from Ericsson, Intel, Irdeto, Sky, TNO, Greenlight Insights and more.

• The initial release of the VRIF Guidelines focuses on the delivery ecosystem of 360° video with three degrees of freedom (3DOF) and incorporates:
• Documentation of cross-industry interoperability points, based on ISO MPEG’s Omnidirectional Media Format (OMAF)
• Best industry practices for production of VR360 content, with an emphasis on human factors such as motion sickness
• Security considerations for VR360 streaming, including user privacy and content protection.

Topics to be addressed in 2018 by VRIF include six degrees of freedom (6DOF), live virtual reality services and support for high dynamic range (HDR). Member companies are also encouraged to bring topics and suggestions to the various working groups for consideration.

“VRIF is helping the video industry to create and support a thriving VR ecosystem. This technology represents an extremely promising and powerful opportunity, and it is imperative that we work together to create a powerful experience for users out of the gate,” said Christian Egeler, Director of XR (Extended Reality) Product Development at Verizon. “Beyond ensuring that the entire video ecosystem can collaborate to deliver compelling VR experiences, we must work together to effectively protect that content and enable monetization. At the VRIF, we are focused on all these various challenges and opportunities.”

“As virtual and augmented reality continue to evolve, the VRIF Guidelines serve two main purposes: first, to support end-to-end interoperability across the virtual reality ecosystem, from production to consumption, and second, to ensure a high quality user experience,” said Rob Koenen, President of the Virtual Reality Industry Forum. “As the industry moves towards standardized VR solutions, we are also cooperating closely with other industry organizations including MPEG, 3GPP, DVB, VR Society and ITU to facilitate technology integration for VRIF member companies and other related partners.”

The VRIF CES Masterclass which is free, will be held on January 8 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at the Convention Center, Las Vegas. Follow the link for more information or to register to attend.