The 3GPP transparent end-to-end packet-switched streaming service (PSS) specification consists of seven 3GPP TSs: TS 22.233, TS 26.233, TS 26.234, TS 26.245, TS 26.246, TS 26.247 and the present document. The TS 22.233 contains the service requirements for the PSS. The TS 26.233 provides an overview of the PSS. The TS 26.234 provides the details of protocol and codecs used by the PSS. The TS 26.245 defines the Timed text format used by the PSS. The TS 26.246 defines the 3GPP SMIL language profile. The 3GPP TS 26.247 defines Progressive Download and Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. The present document defines the 3GPP file format (3GP) used by the PPS and MMS services. The TS 26.244 (present document), TS 26.245 and TS 26.246 started with Release 6. Earlier releases of the 3GPP file format, the Timed text format and the 3GPP SMIL language profile can be found in TS 26.234. The 3GPP TS 26.247 started with Release-10. Earlier releases of the Adaptive HTTP Streaming can be found in 3GPP TS 26.234.

A file format contains data in a structured way. The 3GPP file format can contain timing, structure and media data for multimedia streams. It is used by MMS, PSS and MBMS for timed visual and aural multimedia.

The present document defines the 3GPP file format (3GP) as an instance of the ISO base media file format. The definition addresses 3GPP specific features such as codec registration and conformance within the MMS, PSS and MBMS services.

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

• References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.
• For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
• For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.

The 3GPP file format (3GP) is defined in this specification as an instance of the ISO base media file format [7]. 3GP is mandated in [8] to be used for continuous media along the entire delivery chain envisaged by the MMS, independent of whether the final delivery is done by streaming or download, thus enhancing interoperability. In particular, the following stages are considered:

• upload from the originating terminal to the MMS proxy;
• file exchange between MMS servers;
• transfer of the media content to the receiving terminal, either by file download , by streaming or MBMS download delivery [40]. In the first and last case the self-contained file is transferred, whereas in the second case, for RTP streaming, the content is extracted from the file and streamed according to open payload formats. In this case, no trace of the file format remains in the content that goes on the wire/in the air. In segmented streaming over DASH [49], the file is divided into segments for transfer.

For the PSS, the 3GPP file format is mandated in [3] to be used for timed text and it should be supported by PSS servers; 3GP files with streaming-server extensions should be used for storage in streaming servers and the "hint track" mechanism should be used for the preparation for streaming. For Adaptive HTTP Streaming, HTTP streaming extensions are defined. This specification also defines the necessary structure for integration over several codecs into the ISO base media file format [7]. In particular, this specification defines:

• the necessary structure for integration of 3GPP defined codecs such as AMR, AMR-WB, Enhanced aacPlus and EVS in clauses 6.
• the necessary structure for integration of H.263 video [9] in clause 6.6.