The initial release 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; and 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).

“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, extended reality, product development, 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 monetisation. 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 VRIF.

“As the industry moves towards standardised VR solutions, we are also cooperating closely with other industry organisations, including MPEG, 3GPP, DVB, VR Society and ITU to facilitate technology integration for VRIF member companies and other related partners.”