Overview
ISO/IEC 23001-10:2020/Amd 2:2025 is an amendment to the international standard for MPEG systems technologies, specifically addressing the carriage of timed metadata metrics of media within the ISO base media file format (ISOBMFF). This amendment focuses on support for display attenuation maps, a novel mechanism to optimize energy consumption in media rendering by including metadata that modulates how video frames are displayed.
This update enhances metadata handling by introducing display attenuation map tracks that represent pixel-wise information for energy reduction in video playback. It is a key development for media technologies aiming to balance video quality with energy efficiency, particularly on devices dependent on power-sensitive displays.
Key Topics
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Display Attenuation Map Metadata
A display attenuation map is a 2D video where each pixel frame conveys attenuation data applied to corresponding original video frames to reduce energy use during rendering.
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AttenuationMapInformationBox ('amid')
This new metadata container describes characteristics of the display attenuation map track. It includes:
- Preprocessing methods for display attenuation data.
- Flags indicating the presence of approximation models, window info, video quality info.
- Definitions such as energy reduction rate, display models (transmissive/emissive pixels), and ways to apply attenuation values (add, subtract, multiply, or custom).
- Component mapping that defines how RGB or YUV components receive attenuation treatments.
- Quality metrics (PSNR, SSIM, wPSNR, WS-PSNR) and energy savings estimates.
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Track Structure and Association
Display attenuation map tracks are specialized video tracks (“resv” type), linked to their corresponding original video tracks by TrackReference boxes. Alternative maps supporting diverse energy or quality trade-offs can be grouped as alternatives.
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Sample Format Compliance
Each sample of the attenuation map track comprises encoded video NAL units encapsulated per ISO/IEC 14496-15:2022, ensuring compatibility with structured video data carriage.
Applications
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Energy-Efficient Video Playback
The amendment enables video playback systems to reduce power consumption by modulating brightness or color intensity on a pixel level, vital for battery-operated devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
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Adaptive Video Rendering
Media players can dynamically select the most suitable attenuation map variant depending on device capabilities or energy-saving preferences, allowing for customizable trade-offs between image quality and energy use.
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Display Technology Optimization
Support for transmissive and emissive pixel models facilitates optimization tailored to different display types like LCDs, OLEDs, or microLEDs, enhancing the sustainability profile of content delivery.
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Broadcast and Streaming Services
Content providers can embed multiple attenuation maps to serve diverse user profiles, network conditions, and energy policies, enhancing user experience while contributing to green IT initiatives.
Related Standards
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ISO/IEC 23001 Series – Core MPEG systems standards encompassing media file format and timed metadata carriage fundamentals.
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ISO/IEC 14496-15:2022 – Specifies the carriage of network abstraction layer (NAL) unit structured video in ISO base media file format, critical for the encapsulation of display attenuation map samples.
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ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 & 2 – Guidelines governing the development and editorial processes of international standards, ensuring interoperability and consistency.
Summary
ISO/IEC 23001-10:2020/Amd 2:2025 introduces standardized support for display attenuation maps within ISO base media file formats, enabling energy-efficient video rendering through detailed metadata. This amendment addresses practical needs for sustainable media consumption by enabling fine-grained control over pixel-level display energy use while preserving video quality metrics. Media technology developers, device manufacturers, and content distributors can leverage this standard to embed advanced energy-saving features directly within multimedia files, contributing to broader energy conservation and environmental goals.