An Overview of Omnidirectional MediA Format (OMAF)

During recent years, there have been product launches and research for enabling immersive audio-visual media experiences. For example, a variety of head-mounted displays and 360° cameras are available in the market. To facilitate interoperability between devices and media system components by different vendors, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) developed the Omnidirectional MediA Format (OMAF), which is arguably the first virtual reality (VR) system standard. OMAF is a storage and streaming format for omnidirectional media, including 360° video and images, spatial audio, and associated timed text. This article provides a comprehensive overview of OMAF.