dash.js roadmap planing

[dsilhavy]

This thread is used in order to discuss the priorities for the upcoming dash.js releases. For a detailed overview of potential topics please check the slides below.

dashjs overview 07-2021 - clean.pdf

or download them here: https://members.dashif.org/wg/Interoperability/document/4612

If you want to propose additional items that are currently missing in the list or want to prioritize specific items please respond to this thread.

[dsilhavy]

One thing I would like to add here:
We should agree on the general priority and the main objective for dash.js. I have received reasonable feedback arguing that improving the ABR logic in dash.js should not have the highest priority as dash.js is a reference client. dash.js should demonstrate features defined in ISO/MPEG and the DASH-IF guidelines. ABR decisioning is not in the scope of these specifications. Following this argumentation it would make more sense to focus on new features like for instance XLink onRequest, Session based DASH, Resync Representations, Preroll element, MPD chaining and so on.

My main reason prioritizing ABR/Throughput as well as player robustness (regarding MSE and
segment download errors) is based on the fact that companies and people are using dash.js in production and we would like to improve the experience for the end user. As more people pick up dash.js as their production player this will help us to increase the number of external contributions to the project. Most changes we did in 4.0.0 benefit both: being standard compliant and improving the experience for dash.js users.

The suggested development priorities defined in the slides include some new features coming from DASH-IF like the low latency scheduling logic and ECCP. The main focus though is on improving existing features.