The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) recently announced that it has added the
IS-04 specification to its roadmap. IS-04 will bring critical uniformity to the use of
video, audio, and ancillary data on a network of devices. The specification is
important because it defines how IP-enabled devices can discover each other and
connect compatible IP streams as part of a workflow. Furthermore, IS-04 automates
that process, making discovery and connection more fluid than in a conventional
SDI environment.
AIMS exists to develop a practical, common upgrade path from SDI to IP using the
standards, recommendations, and technologies that are already being studied. IS-04
will assist in that effort by providing a defined and agreed-upon method for devices
to discover, register, and operate with one another as workflows change over time
— whether those changes take place over years, months, days, or even hours.
“IS-04 provides the next level of interoperability beyond transporting data. By
adding it to our roadmap, AIMS is not just advocating for protocols related to video,
audio, and data transport, but for protocols that determine how multivendor
solutions can create seamless interoperable environments,” said Michael Cronk,
AIMS board chair. “The membership agreed that a common approach to managing
discovery and registration was important, as such an approach provides a clearly
defined way for SMPTE 2022-6- and SMPTE 2110-compliant devices to find and
connect to each other. This allows us to leverage the benefits of IT and networking
technologies to create a more flexible and scalable solution than conventional SDI
routing systems will allow.”
