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Re: [codec] WG Review: Internet Wideband Audio Codec (codec)

2010-01-21 07:58:48
It's not clear to me why SDOs need to be involved in the process of determining whether existing codecs satisfy the requirements. Information on standard codecs -- including their technical and legal aspects -- is pretty widely available. And if information about a codec isn't generally available (e.g., if standards are being closely held), then that codec fails to meet the requirements by definition -- there's a requirement that it by widely implementable, which requires its specification to be widely available.

I've only been following this discussion off and on, but I don't really see anyone really challenging the requirements in the current draft charter, and I don't really see anyone proposing codecs that meet those requirements. Unless one of those two changes, it seems evident that the requirements are not being satisfied, so we should just move on with forming the WG.

--Richard



On Jan 21, 2010, at 8:39 AM, Adrian Farrel wrote:

[snip]

What I try to say is that first the requirements must be set, only then will it be possible for representatives of other SDOs to determine if already standarddized codecs (or codecs under standardization) meet them.

I agree. Obviously no one (inside or outside the IETF) can tell exactly how existing codecs in other SDOs relate to this work until the detailed
requirements are locked down.

Also, I think the burden is mostly on CODEC to make this assessment. Other SDOs may offer their views in liason statements, and can respond with their own work programs. But in the end it would be up the IETF to decide if
there is too much overlap.

Right, and this is surely easy to achieve and good project management, anyway.

Document the requirements to a reasonable level of detail.
Circulate the requirements explicitly requesting suggestions.
Evaluate the suggestions and give reasons for rejecting existing Codecs.
Go on and develop a new Codec if required.

It does not follow that people cannot start work on a new Codec before completion of the third step, but the WG would be premature to adopt a Codec solution draft before having formally surveyed the landscape.

The first step has to be done anyway, and I don't see that it can be considered as slowing down the development of a solution since it is impossible to build a solution without knowing the requirements. The second step might add a few weeks to the cycle. The third step, if we are to believe the comments in this thread, will not take long.

So why does anyone object to such a process?

As to whether this sequence of steps should be codified in the charter, my experience is that if you don't write down a process, it is very hard to get interoperable implementations.

Thanks,
Adrian


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