5.3. Video Decoding

Device implementations—

  • MUST support dynamic video resolution and frame rate switching through the standard Android APIs within the same stream for all VP8, VP9, H.264, and H.265 codecs in real time and up to the maximum resolution supported by each codec on the device.

  • Implementations that support the Dolby Vision decoder—

  • MUST provide a Dolby Vision-capable extractor.

  • MUST properly display Dolby Vision content on the device screen or on a standard video output port (e.g., HDMI).

  • Implementations that provide a Dolby Vision-capable extractor MUST set the track index of backward-compatible base-layer(s) (if present) to be the same as the combined Dolby Vision layer's track index.

5.3.1. MPEG-2

Android device implementations with MPEG-2 decoders must support the Main Profile High Level.

5.3.2. H.263

Android device implementations with H.263 decoders MUST support Baseline Profile Level 30 and Level 45.

5.3.3. MPEG-4

Android device implementations with MPEG-4 decoders MUST support Simple Profile Level 3.

5.3.4. H.264

Android device implementations with H.264 decoders:

  • MUST support Main Profile Level 3.1 and Baseline Profile.
    Support for ASO (Arbitrary Slice Ordering), FMO (Flexible Macroblock Ordering) and RS (Redundant Slices) is OPTIONAL.
  • MUST be capable of decoding videos with the SD (Standard Definition) profiles listed in the following table and encoded with the Baseline Profile and Main Profile Level 3.1 (including 720p30).
  • SHOULD be capable of decoding videos with the HD (High Definition) profiles as indicated in the following table.
  • In addition, Android Television devices—
    • MUST support High Profile Level 4.2 and the HD 1080p60 decoding profile.
    • MUST be capable of decoding videos with both HD profiles as indicated in the following table and encoded with either the Baseline Profile, Main Profile, or the High Profile Level 4.2

5.3.5. H.265 (HEVC)

Android device implementations, when supporting H.265 codec as described in section 5.1.3:

  • MUST support the Main Profile Level 3 Main tier and the SD video decoding profiles as indicated in the following table.
  • SHOULD support the HD decoding profiles as indicated in the following table.
  • MUST support the HD decoding profiles as indicated in the following table if there is a hardware decoder.
  • In addition, Android Television devices:
  • MUST support the HD 720p decoding profile.
  • STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to support the HD 1080p decoding profile. If the HD 1080p decoding profile is supported, it MUST support the Main Profile Level 4.1 Main tier.
  • SHOULD support the UHD decoding profile. If the UHD decoding profile is supported the codec MUST support Main10 Level 5 Main Tier profile.

5.3.6. VP8

Android device implementations, when supporting VP8 codec as described in section 5.1.3:

  • MUST support the SD decoding profiles in the following table.
  • SHOULD support the HD decoding profiles in the following table.
  • Android Television devices MUST support the HD 1080p60 decoding profile.

5.3.7. VP9

Android device implementations, when supporting VP9 codec as described in section 5.1.3:

  • MUST support the SD video decoding profiles as indicated in the following table.

  • SHOULD support the HD decoding profiles as indicated in the following table.

  • MUST support the HD decoding profiles as indicated in the following table, if there is a hardware decoder.

  • In addition, Android Television devices:

    • MUST support the HD 720p decoding profile.
    • STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to support the HD 1080p decoding profile.
    • SHOULD support the UHD decoding profile. If the UHD video decoding profile is supported, it MUST support 8-bit color depth and SHOULD support VP9 Profile 2 (10-bit).