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ST 2110 Suite of Standards

st2110withcolorbard

Professional Video, Audio and Data over IP

Designed to replace the long-lived Serial Digital Interface (SDI) that has been used to build TV stations, Outside Broadcast facilities, and interconnect for Global video networks, 2025 Emmy® Award-winning SMPTE ST 2110 is the result of collaboration and years of work from many Broadcasters, Facilities, Studios, Vendors, Trade Associations, User Groups and a global team of engineers.

The Video Services Forum (VSF) created document TR-03 titled "Technical Recommendation for Transport of Uncompressed Elementary Stream Media Over IP" and brought it to SMPTE in an industry effort to create a new suite of IP standards. The document suite grew to cover accurately timed, independent flows of media across managed IP.

In addition to the foundation provided by the VSF, liaison with the IEEE for Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588 PTP) has resulted in updates within SMPTE and IEEE to improve PTP operation. Liaison with Audio Engineering Society (AES) has improved carriage of audio on the networks. Liaison with the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) has resulted in adoption of the Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS), an open-source set of protocols and associated software for discovery, registration, connection, and management of ST 2110 networks. Liaison with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has created user requirements and testing protocols to ensure the interoperability of equipment manufactured to the standards. 

Together, these groups and others from the Joint Taskforce on Network Media (JT-NM), coordinate key efforts in helping the world of broadcasting transition from circuit-switch SDI working to more flexible, multi-purpose IP workflows suitable for delivering content to today's multi-platform, mixed-consumption, IP-savvy consumers.

The SMPTE ST 2110 Standards Suite specifies the carriage, synchronization, and description of separate elementary essence streams over IP for real-time production, playout, and other professional media applications. Each stream is individually timed by the ST 2110 system and can take different routes over the networked fabric to arrive via unicast or multicast at one or more receivers. The audio-video-data synchronization using PTP clocks ensures that the accurate synchronization of all streams regardless of how the packets were routed.

The SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards is a major contribution factor in the movement towards one common internet protocol (IP) based mechanism for the professional media industries.

2025 Emmy® Engineering Winner Graphic

SMPTE, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and VSF - The Video Services Forum won the 2025 Emmy® for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering, Science & Technology for the development of SMPTE ST 2110, awarded at the Television Academy's 77th Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy® Awards!

To access a standard listed below, click the Access Document button for the published standard or if available, the GitHub button to comment on the repository issue tracker.

SMPTE ST 2110 Standards Suite

ST 2110 Standards

Professional Media over Managed IP Networks
The SMPTE ST 2110 standards suites specifies the carriage, synchronization, and description of separate elementary essence streams over IP for real-time production, playout, and other professional media applications.

Access 2110 Suite

OV 2110-0

Professional Media over Managed IP Networks — Roadmap for the 2110 Document Suite
The SMPTE 2110 suite of documents defines an extensible system of RTP-based essence streams referenced to a common reference clock, in a manner which specifies their timing relationships. This informative “roadmap” describes the documents in the SMPTE 2110 suite.

Access Document

GitHub

ST 2110-10

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — System Timing and Definitions
This family of engineering documents defines an extensible system of RTP-based essence streams referenced to a common reference clock, in a manner which specifies their timing relationships. — This standard specifies the system timing model and the requirements common to of all of the essence streams.

Access Document

GitHub

ST 2110-20

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — Uncompressed Active Video
The real-time, RTP-based transport of uncompressed active video essence over IP networks. An SDP-based signaling method is defined for image technical metadata necessary to receive and interpret the stream.

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ST 2110-21

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — Traffic Shaping and Delivery Timing for Video
A timing model for SMPTE ST 2110-10 video RTP streams as measured leaving the RTP sender, and defines the sender SDP parameters used to signal the timing properties of such streams.

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ST 2110-22

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — Constant Bit-Rate Compressed Video
The real-time, RTP-based transport of constant bit-rate compressed video over IP networks, referenced to a common reference clock.

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RP 2110-23

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — Single Video Essence Transport over Multiple ST 2110-20 Streams
Proposed methodology to (i) split high bandwidth single video essence streams into several lower bandwidth SMPTE ST 2110-20 tributary streams, and (ii) to describe the appropriate grouping and signaling of these multiple SMPTE ST 2110-20 streams (SDP declarations, addressing conventions, RTP time stamp constraints, etc.).

Access Document

GitHub

RP 2110-24

Special Considerations for Standard Definition Video Using SMPTE ST 2110-20
This Recommended Practice specifies a relationship between the Sample Rows of SMPTE ST 2110-20 signals and the line numbering of SMPTE ST 125:2013. It also provides guidance on values for certain Media Type Parameters.

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RP 2110-25

Professional Media over Managed IP Networks — Measurement Practices
This Recommended Practice:

  • Specifies recommended nomenclature for measurements on SMPTE 2110 systems, together with their associated formulae for consistency in implementation and reporting of measurements.
  • Describes some possible methods for implementing the ST 2110-21 buffer measurements. For these methods their characteristics and differences are described along with ways to report the results so that users understand the differences.

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ST 2110-30

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — PCM Digital Audio
The real-time, RTP-based transport of PCM digital audio streams over IP networks by reference to AES67. An SDP-based signaling method is defined for metadata necessary to receive and interpret the stream. Non-PCM digital audio signals including compressed audio signals are outside the scope of this standard.

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GitHub

ST 2110-31

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — AES3 Transparent Transport
The real-time, RTP-based transport of AES3 signals over IP networks, referenced to a network reference clock.

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ST 2110-40

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — SMPTE ST 291-1 Ancillary Data
The real-time, RTP payload-based transport of SMPTE ST 291-1 Ancillary (ANC) Data packets related to digital video data streams, over IP networks, referenced to a common reference clock.

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ST 2110-41

Professional Media over Managed IP Networks — Fast Metadata Framework
This Standard defines a flexible RTP payload framework for data items. The framework can be used to transport data items which are tightly time-associated with video or audio RTP Streams, or those that are independent of any video or audio RTP streams. This framework defines a base RTP payload format, SDP signaling conventions, and an optional object segmentation method.

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ST 2110-43

Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks — Timed Text Markup Language for Captions and Subtitles
The real-time, RTP-based transport of Timed Text Markup Language for captions and subtitles in systems conforming to SMPTE ST 2110-10.

Access Document

SMPTE 2110 FAQs

What is the SMPTE ST 2110 Suite of Standards?

The 2025 Emmy® Award-winning SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards is a major contributing factor in the movement toward one common internet protocol (IP)-based mechanism for the professional media industries.* The foundation for SMPTE ST 2110 standards is Video Services Forum (VSF) Technical Recommendation for Transport of Uncompressed Elementary Stream Media Over IP (TR-03), which VFS agreed to make available to SMPTE as a contribution toward the new suite of standards. The SMPTE ST 2110 standards suite specifies the carriage, synchronization, and description of separate elementary essence streams over IP for real-time production, playout, and other professional media applications.

What is the status of ST 2110?

The SMPTE ST 2110 standards suite is multipart and is continually in active development to support additional features since its release in 2017 – 2019.

What does the adoption of the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards mean for the industry?

The impact goes beyond replacing serial digital interface (SDI) with IP to having the flexibility to implement an entire new set of applications based on, and leveraged off, information technology (IT) protocols and infrastructure.

The advantages of shifting to IP are comparable to those achieved when the industry transitioned from physical tapes to virtual files for content storage. Files were not treated as if they were just virtual tapes; rather, all the benefits of software and virtualized access have come to be realized with new workflows and functionality.

Another key advantage is that intra-facility traffic now can be all IP. Rather than requiring two separate sets of switches — SDI switches for professional media and IP/Ethernet switches for general data — facilities can rely on one common data center infrastructure. Most operators will continue to separate traffic by priority; however, the newer switches do have the intelligence to prioritize real-time media streams.

Are there products on the market that support SMPTE ST 2110 standards?

Yes. The SMPTE ST 2110 Drafting Group includes representatives from many different manufacturers and SMPE ST 2110 products are widely available. At the IBC and NAB Show, many of those vendors regularly participate in IP showcases and demonstrate SMPTE ST 2110 standards interoperability and solutions based on the suite.

ST 2110 is not only a SMPTE standard — it has been embraced as an industry standard. SMPTE ST 2110 is continually updated and components are added in step with the evolution of new technologies.

What is unique about how the ST 2110 standards suite handles ancillary data?

ST 2110 standards make it possible to separately route and break away ancillary data, as well as the audio and video. This change promises to simplify the process of adding metadata such as captions, subtitles, Teletext, and time codes, as well as tasks such as the processing of multiple audio languages and types.

All elements can be routed separately and brought together again at the endpoint. With ST 2110 standards, each component flow — audio, video, metadata —is synchronized to each other while remaining independent streams

How about Ultra HD, including 4K, 8K, and high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging? Do SMPTE ST 2110 standards account for new and emerging formats?

Yes! SMPTE ST 2110 standards are video-format-agnostic and therefore support Ultra HD, HDR, and other new and emerging formats. 

Are there accessibility features in SMPTE ST 2110?

Yes, SMPTE ST 2110 supports the inclusion of closed captioning and subtitles. This can either be achieved by using the traditional VANC carriage or through one of the profiles of TTML2 defined in W3C IMSC1.2 for online applications.

Virtual Courses

Understanding ST 2110

If you’re an Engineer or Technician in Broadcasting, Systems Design or Integration, you’ll raise your value in the workplace with a strong grasp of ST 2110. This 8-week course helps you develop the in-depth knowledge you’ll need to ensure interoperability between all ST 2110 compliant equipment, with a strong emphasis on the practical skills you’ll apply every day in the field. You’ll learn how to:

  • Understand video/audio/data encapsulation, identification and synchronization, traffic shaping, and packet delivery timing for real-time production and playout.
  • Recognize the difference between SDI and IP based Media Transport
  • Determine network requirements and limitations
  • Avoid the pitfalls in systems design, where bottlenecks are created with bad configurations
  • Learn how to go deeper into the standard for your specific issues

 

Webcasts

What is SMPTE ST 2110 and Why Does It Matter?

Networking Fundamentals for ST 2110 and Internet Streaming

Building Large SMPTE ST 2110 Systems Using JT-NM TR-1001-1

Exploring the Role of NMOS: Discovery and Connection in an IP World

Additional Resources

Case Study: Implementing SMPTE ST 2110 for a New IP-Based Local TV Station

From SDI to IP: The Evolution of Distribution

Observations from the Forefront of ST 2110 IP Media Implementation