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  "markdown": "ECM (Enhanced Compression Model) is the reference software JVET uses to explore compression tools beyond [VVC](/codecs/video/vvc/). JVET is the joint video team of ITU-T VCEG and ISO/IEC MPEG, and ECM is built on the VVC test model (VTM). The code is hosted at Fraunhofer HHI but is a joint effort, not an HHI codec.\n\nECM is a research platform, not a standard or a product. Its bitstreams are not VVC-compatible, can change between ECM versions, and play only in the matching ECM decoder. It is also far slower than production encoders. Use it to see what next-generation tools look like or to reproduce JVET results, not to encode video you want to keep.\n\nThe next standard is a separate process: in July 2026 ITU-T and ISO/IEC issued a joint Call for Proposals on video compression beyond VVC. Responses are evaluated in January 2027, and MPEG targets a first version of the new standard by the end of 2029.\n\nThe latest tag is **ECM-20.0** (June 2026). The software is released under the BSD 3-clause licence.\n\n## Build\n\nECM builds with CMake; build 64-bit. On Linux the binaries land in `bin/` as `EncoderAppStatic` and `DecoderAppStatic`:\n\n```sh\ngit clone -b ECM-20.0 https://vcgit.hhi.fraunhofer.de/ecm/ECM.git && cd ECM\ncmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release\ncmake --build build --parallel\n```\n\nThe optional neural-network loop filter (`-DEXTENSION_NNLF=ON`) needs the SADL submodule and is off by default. The software manual is in `doc/`.\n\n## Encode and decode\n\nECM reads raw planar YUV, so the source format goes on the command line. Start from a shipped configuration in `cfg/` (random access is `encoder_randomaccess_ecm.cfg`) and override the input:\n\n```sh\n./bin/EncoderAppStatic -c cfg/encoder_randomaccess_ecm.cfg --InputFile=input.yuv \\\n  --SourceWidth=1920 --SourceHeight=1080 --FrameRate=30 --FramesToBeEncoded=32 \\\n  --InputBitDepth=10 --QP=32 --BitstreamFile=str.bin\n./bin/DecoderAppStatic -b str.bin -o decoded.yuv\n```\n\n- `InputBitDepth` defaults to 8, so set it for 10-bit input. The shipped configs code at `InternalBitDepth: 10`, and the decoder writes the stream's native depth unless you pass `-d 8`.\n- `QP` (32 in the shipped config, range 0–51) is the usual way to sweep rate points.\n- The random-access config uses a GOP and intra period of 32, so encode a multiple of 32 frames.\n- The encoder also writes a reconstruction to `rec.yuv` (set in the config); override `--ReconFile` or ignore it.\n\nResults from ECM only mean something relative to the ECM or VTM revision and configuration they were measured with, so name the tag when you quote numbers.\n"
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