Internet Streaming Media Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) was Founded in December 2000, by Apple Computer
, Cisco Systems
, IBM
, Kasenna
, Philips
, and Sun Microsystems
. It is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to accelerate the market adoption of open standards for streaming and progressive download of rich media over all types of Internet Protocol
s (IP). The ISMA is a diverse alliance with representatives from all points of the streaming work-flow.
While standards already exist for audio and video codecs (e.g. MPEG) and for real time streaming transport over IP networks (e.g. RTP
) putting these together requires selecting profiles, describing payload formats, and resolving various options. ISMA specifications typically adopt existing specifications in order to form a complete solution. However, when specifications don't exist, the ISMA will create them. The ISMA also performs interoperability testing, allowing its members to ensure that their products conform to ISMA standards and interoperate.
The ISMA has released several specifications for the transport of rich media over IP:
Current work in the ISMA focuses on enabling advanced IPTV
systems and creating specifications for transport and presentation of rich media in enterprises.
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
, Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Kasenna
Kasenna
Kasenna is a Video On Demand company based in California that was spun off of Silicon Graphics in 2000.- Products :* MediaBase: Video On Demand and NPVR server* vFusion: manage clusters of MediaBase video servers, and content distribution...
, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, and Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
. It is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to accelerate the market adoption of open standards for streaming and progressive download of rich media over all types of Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
s (IP). The ISMA is a diverse alliance with representatives from all points of the streaming work-flow.
While standards already exist for audio and video codecs (e.g. MPEG) and for real time streaming transport over IP networks (e.g. RTP
Real-time Transport Protocol
The Real-time Transport Protocol defines a standardized packet format for delivering audio and video over IP networks. RTP is used extensively in communication and entertainment systems that involve streaming media, such as telephony, video teleconference applications, television services and...
) putting these together requires selecting profiles, describing payload formats, and resolving various options. ISMA specifications typically adopt existing specifications in order to form a complete solution. However, when specifications don't exist, the ISMA will create them. The ISMA also performs interoperability testing, allowing its members to ensure that their products conform to ISMA standards and interoperate.
The ISMA has released several specifications for the transport of rich media over IP:
- ISMA 1.0 - details how to stream MPEG-4 Part 2MPEG-4 Part 2MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-4 Visual is a video compression technology developed by MPEG. It belongs to the MPEG-4 ISO/IEC standards. It is a discrete cosine transform compression standard, similar to previous standards such as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2...
video (Simple Profile and Advanced Simple Profile) over IP networks. - ISMA 2.0 - details how to stream H.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
video and HE-AACHE-AACHigh-Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding is a lossy data compression scheme for digital audio defined as a MPEG-4 Audio profile in ISO/IEC 14496-3. It is an extension of Low Complexity AAC optimized for low-bitrate applications such as streaming audio...
audio over IP networks. - ISMACrypISMACrypThe ISMA Encryption and Authentication, Version 1.1 specification specifies encryption and message authentication services for MPEG-4 over RTP streams...
- specifies an end-to-end encryption system for ISMA 1.0 and 2.0 streams. - ISMA Closed CaptioningClosed captioningClosed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
- specifies how to carry closed caption (line 21) data as a third stream over IP network.
Current work in the ISMA focuses on enabling advanced IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
systems and creating specifications for transport and presentation of rich media in enterprises.