Reference numbe
r
ISO/IEC 14496-15:2004(E)
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
ISO/IEC
14496-15
First edition
2004-04-15
Information technology — Coding of
audio-visual objects —
Part 15:
Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file format
Technologies de l'information — Codage des objets audiovisuels —
Partie 15: Format de fichier de codage vidéo avancé (AVC)
ii
ISO/IEC 14496-15:2004(E)
iii
Contents Page
Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ iv
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ v
1 Scope...................................................................................................................................................... 1
2 Normative references ........................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms......................................................................... 1
3.1 Terms and definitions........................................................................................................................... 1
3.2 Symbols and abbreviated terms.......................................................................................................... 2
4 Extensions to the ISO Base Media File Format..................................................................................2
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2
4.2 File identification................................................................................................................................... 2
4.3 Independent and Disposable Samples Box ....................................................................................... 2
4.4 Sample groups ...................................................................................................................................... 3
4.4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3
4.4.2 SampleToGroup Box ............................................................................................................................ 4
4.4.3 SampleGroupDescription Box............................................................................................................. 5
4.5 Random access recovery points ......................................................................................................... 6
4.5.1 Syntax..................................................................................................................................................... 6
4.5.2 Semantics .............................................................................................................................................. 6
4.6 Representation of new structures in movie fragments..................................................................... 7
5 AVC elementary streams and sample definitions ............................................................................. 7
5.1 Elementary stream structure ............................................................................................................... 7
5.2 Sample and Configuration definition .................................................................................................. 9
5.2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 9
5.2.2 Canonical order and restrictions......................................................................................................... 9
5.2.3 AVC sample structure definition ....................................................................................................... 11
5.2.4 Decoder configuration information................................................................................................... 11
5.3 Derivation from ISO Base Media File Format ................................................................................... 13
5.3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 13
5.3.2 AVC File type and identification ........................................................................................................ 13
5.3.3 AVC Track Structure ........................................................................................................................... 13
5.3.4 AVC Video Stream Definition............................................................................................................. 13
5.3.5 AVC parameter set stream definition................................................................................................ 15
5.3.6 Template fields used........................................................................................................................... 16
5.3.7 Visual width and height ...................................................................................................................... 16
5.3.8 Parameter sets .................................................................................................................................... 17
5.3.9 Decoding time (DTS) and composition time (CTS).......................................................................... 17
5.3.10 Sync sample (IDR)............................................................................................................................... 17
5.3.11 Shadow sync ....................................................................................................................................... 17
5.3.12 Layering and sub-sequences ............................................................................................................ 18
5.3.13 Alternate streams and switching pictures........................................................................................ 21
5.3.14 Random access recovery points ....................................................................................................... 23
5.3.15 Hinting .................................................................................................................................................. 23
ISO/IEC 14496-15:2004(E)
iv
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 14496-15 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 29, Coding of audio, picture, multimedia and hypermedia information.
ISO/IEC 14496 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — Coding of
audio-visual objects:
Part 1: Systems
Part 2: Visual
Part 3: Audio
Part 4: Conformance testing
Part 5: Reference software
Part 6: Delivery Multimedia Integration Framework (DMIF)
Part 7: Optimized reference software for coding of audio-visual objects [Technical Report]
Part 8: Carriage of ISO/IEC 14496 contents over IP networks
Part 9: Reference hardware description [Technical Report]
Part 10: Advanced Video Coding
Part 11: Scene description and application engine
Part 12: ISO base media file format
Part 13: Intellectual Property Management and Protection (IPMP) extensions
Part 14: MP4 file format
Part 15: Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file format
Part 16: Animation Framework eXtension (AFX)
Part 17: Streaming text format
Part 18: Font compression and streaming
Part 19: Synthesized texture stream
ISO/IEC 14496-15:2004(E)
v
Introduction
The Advanced Video Coding (AVC) standard, jointly developed by the ITU-T and ISO/IEC SC29/WG11
(MPEG), offers not only increased coding efficiency and enhanced robustness, but also many features for the
systems that use it. To enable the best visibility of, and access to, those features, and to enhance the
opportunities for the interchange and interoperability of media, this part of ISO/IEC 14496 defines a storage
format for video streams compressed using AVC.
This part of ISO/IEC 14496 defines a storage format based on, and compatible with, the ISO Base Media File
Format (ISO/IEC 14496-12 and ISO/IEC 15444-12), which is used by the MP4 file format (ISO/IEC 14496-14)
and the Motion JPEG 2000 file format (ISO/IEC 15444-3) among others. This part of ISO/IEC 14496 enables
AVC video streams to:
x be used in conjunction with other media streams, such as audio;
x be used in an MPEG-4 systems environment, if desired;
x be formatted for delivery by a streaming server, using hint tracks;
x inherit all the use cases and features of the ISO Base Media File Format on which MP4 and MJ2 are
based.
This part of ISO/IEC 14496 may be used as a standalone specification; it specifies how AVC content shall be
stored in an ISO Base Media File Format compliant format. However, it is normally used in the context of a
specification, such as the MP4 file format, derived from the ISO Base Media File Format, that permits the use
of AVC video.
The ISO Base Media File Format is becoming increasingly common as a general-purpose media container
format for the exchange of digital media, and its use in this context should accelerate both adoption and
interoperability.
Extensions to the ISO Base Media File Format are defined here to support the new systems aspects of the
AVC codec.
ISO/IEC 14496-15:2004(E)
