SMPTE ST 2110

SMPTE ST 2110
Title	SMPTE ST 2110
Status	Published
Organization	Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
First published	2017
Domain	Broadcast engineering, Professional media over IP

SMPTE ST 2110 SMPTE ST 2110 is a suite of standards for professional media over Internet Protocol, defining the carriage, synchronization, and description of separate essences for audio, video, and ancillary data. It was developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and adopted by broadcasters, manufacturers, and systems integrators to replace traditional SDI workflows in facilities operated by organizations such as BBC, CNN, NHK, Fox Broadcasting Company, and Sky Group.

Overview

SMPTE ST 2110 specifies packetized professional media for real-time applications and interoperation across equipment vendors like Sony Corporation, Grass Valley, ARRI, Blackmagic Design, and Avid Technology, and is frequently discussed alongside standards from International Telecommunication Union, Internet Engineering Task Force, European Broadcasting Union, and Audio Engineering Society. The standard separates media essences, enabling architectures influenced by deployments at institutions such as NPR, CBS, Deutsche Welle, NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories, and Rai (broadcaster), while complementing facility initiatives by Evertz Microsystems and Imagine Communications. Adoption decisions often involve procurement teams from RTL Group, Discovery, Inc., Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and public broadcasters like PBS and ZDF.

Technical Components

Key components of the standard define uncompressed video over IP using RTP profiles and payload formats from the Internet Engineering Task Force and timing/synchronization from IEEE 1588-2008 Precision Time Protocol, with media descriptions using Session Description Protocol and signaling informed by Real-time Transport Protocol. Video essence mapping employs formats compatible with systems produced by Panasonic Corporation, Canon Inc., JVC, and codec strategies from MPEG, ISO/IEC, and Microsoft Corporation research. Audio carriage uses multichannel, low-latency streams adaptable to consoles from Yamaha Corporation, Solid State Logic, Studer, and intercoms from Riedel Communications and Clear-Com, while ancillary data leverages metadata workflows utilized by Dolby Laboratories, SMPTE, and postproduction suites like Adobe Systems, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer.

Profiles and Formats

The suite is partitioned into parts that define specific essences and formats, with parts addressing professional video, audio, and metadata and referencing codec and container work by MPEG LA, AV1, ITU-R, and legacy facilities using Serial Digital Interface standards. Profile choices are influenced by broadcasters such as NBCUniversal, ITV plc, Mediaset, and streamlining efforts by systems integrators like Dalet, Snell Advanced Media, and PPV providers used by sporting organizations like FIFA and International Olympic Committee. Format interoperability considerations reference file and packet formats from Digital Cinema Initiatives, Motion Picture Association, and research groups at MIT and Stanford University.

Implementation and Interoperability

Implementations require interoperability testing often conducted at events hosted by IABM, NAB Show, IBC (trade show), and interoperability plugfests coordinated by SMPTE and EBU, where equipment from Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Arista Networks, Extreme Networks, and media vendors are validated. Systems integrators including AECOM, Wohler Technologies, Leitch Technology alumni teams, and service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure have developed deployment models integrating with orchestration platforms from VMware and container ecosystems influenced by Kubernetes and Docker, Inc. practices. Interoperability challenges often involve addressing vendor-specific implementations from NEXERA, Rohde & Schwarz, Tektronix, and configuration management enterprises like Ansible and Chef.

Timing, Synchronization, and Network Requirements

Precise timing relies on IEEE 1588 PTP profiles and clock distribution methods used in facilities operated by Formula One Group broadcasters and live-event producers like Live Nation and SMT (concert promotion), while jitter and packet-loss constraints demand networking gear from Cisco, Arista, and Mellanox Technologies and monitoring tools from Tektronix and Wohler Technologies. Network engineering for SMPTE ST 2110 often references quality-of-service architectures championed by AT&T, Verizon Communications, BT Group, and multicast routing strategies standardized by IETF working groups and implemented in switches by Broadcom Inc.. Synchronization across studios, OB vans, and remote production sites is managed in workflows developed at NEP Group, SNG providers, and national broadcasters such as CBC and SBS (Australia).

Adoption, Use Cases, and Industry Impact

SMPTE ST 2110 adoption has driven transitions at major broadcasters and production houses including HBO, Paramount Global, Sky Sports, ESPN, and facilities used by WWE for live production, remote sports coverage, cloud-based playout by Unitel, and virtualized production environments at companies like The Mill and Industrial Light & Magic. Its influence extends to interconnect strategies advocated by industry alliances such as the Advanced Media Workflow Association and industry groups like AMWA and VSF, and shapes procurement and standards roadmaps at manufacturers from Grass Valley to Blackmagic Design and systems architects at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Universal Music Group. The standard has accelerated investment in IP-native facilities by media conglomerates including Vivendi, Comcast, and Liberty Global, while prompting regulatory and standards dialogue with agencies such as Federal Communications Commission and regional bodies like European Commission.

Category:Broadcast engineering standards