MPEG DASH video #streaming spec ratified as an ISO standard

MPEGThe Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) DASH specification has been approved by 24 national bodies and ratified as an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 23009-1), and is expected to be published in March 2012.

The specification, a new method of dynamically adaptive streaming over the HTTP protocol, will comprise two types of stream segments – multiplexed streams using MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS) or elementary streams using fragmented MP4 files (fMP4) – using a Common File Format (CFF) that allows a choice of codecs and digital rights management (DRM) schemes. DASH is expected to eventually supercede all current methods except Apple’s HLS, the differentiating factor being the use of a proprietary manifest file in Apple HLS (known as an .m3u8 file) and a standards-based XML-based manifest file in DASH (known as an MPD or Media Presentation Description file).

Additional work is to be done on the CFF –  with an emphasis on establishing a common DRM scenario –  at the next MPEG meeting in San Jose, California, in February 2012, after which device vendors and content suppliers will commence interoperability tests.

[Source: Streaming Media News]