Draft text of proposed recommendations to Requirements/Systems sub group

[mikeksar]

Here is a draft of the text of the proposed charts to be used as a 
basis of discussion at the Requirements/Systems sub group of MPEG on 
Wednesday at noon.

Mike Ksar


OpenType Standardization
Mike Ksar
2005-04-19


Proposed Recommendations
Requirements/Systems sub group

1.  Update the mandate of the AHG to progress the work in WG11 
and SC29:
    •Develop a new part for ISO/IEC 14496-xx on Open Font Format 
based on the technical contents of OpenType 1.4
2.  Start a subdivision of work for a new part in MPEG 4 
(ISO/IEC 14496)
3.  Approve an output document for issuance within 4 weeks. Text 
is to be supplied pending one more review by AHG
4.  Start an appropriate ballot based on text provided in the 
output document Nxxxx.  
5.  Approve an additional AHG meeting prior to the next plenary 
on 2 June 2005.


OpenType Interest

1.  During the past few months other industry standard setting 
organizations, such as SMPTE and DVD Forum have shown an increased 
level of interest to rich text capabilities and font data streaming; 
in particular, the interest in selecting OpenType as their standard 
font format representation.
2.  MPEG has selected OpenType, after an extensive evaluation 
process, and the specification is now normatively referenced by MPEG-
4, part 18 as an external reference.
3.  However, some industry standards do not favor normative 
referencing of the external specifications and require that 
technology selected for standardization be directly specified in the 
text of a standard.


Justification

1.  Future maintenance of OpenType, including amendments and 
corrigenda, would be done through a well documented and proven 
process in ISO and in response to possible defect reports and 
feature requests from the user community.  Standardization provides 
additional visibility to MPEG.
2.  The technology is mature, proven and stable and is already 
used and referenced by technical experts in the font industry as 
well as standards development organizations such as MPEG (SC29/WG11).
3.  Other standards development organizations like SMPTE for D-
Cinema applications and consortia, e.g. DVD Forum, want to reference 
OpenType.  Its publication as an ISO standard meets their needs as 
they do not have a method to reference it as an external 
specification.
4.  Standardization (at least for a spec that gets widely used) 
helps to ensure that the text of the specification has been 
sufficiently reviewed in a manner than helps ensure that it is clear 
and correct and complete.



SMPTE Liaison

1.  SMPTE is pleased to note from a recent MPEG press release 
that technical work has been completed on a standard that formally 
references the OpenType® specification.
2.  SMPTE Technology Committee on D-Cinema (DC28) expects that 
the OpenType® specification could be the most appropriate choice
of technology for use in subtitling of motion pictures.
3.  It is important to have a font format representation that 
can be normatively referenced.
4.  SMPTE would be interested in the conversion of this 
specification to an ISO/IEC standard.
5.  SMPTE has anxiously followed the progress of the AHG work 
and is supportive for moving to the next stage at MPEG 
expeditiously, formalizing the existing technology without 
enhancements or extensions.