This Recommendation | International Standard specifies a video coding technology known as Versatile Video Coding (VVC), comprising a video coding technology with a compression capability that is substantially beyond that of the prior generations of such standards and with sufficient versatility for effective use in a broad range of applications.

Only the syntax format, semantics, and associated decoding process requirements are specified, while other matters such as pre-processing, the encoding process, system signalling and multiplexing, data loss recovery, post-processing, and video display are considered to be outside the scope of this Recommendation | International Standard. Additionally, the internal processing steps performed within a decoder are also considered to be outside the scope of this Recommendation | International Standard; only the externally observable output behaviour is required to conform to the specifications of this Recommendation | International Standard.

This Recommendation | International Standard is designed to be generic in the sense that it serves a wide range of applications, bit rates, resolutions, qualities and services. Applications include, but are not limited to, video coding for digital storage media, television broadcasting and real-time communication. In the course of creating this Recommendation | International Standard, various requirements from typical applications have been considered, necessary algorithmic elements have been developed, and these have been integrated into a single syntax. Hence, this Recommendation | International Standard is designed to facilitate video data interchange among different applications.