Networked Media Open Specifications

Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS) are a group of open-source specifications intended to allow interoperability on the control layer for media devices on an Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure.^[1] NMOS provide discovery, registration and control services for the SMPTE ST 2110 media over IP networks, and other media over IP applications.^[2]

History

The NMOS specifications were created by the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and are made available under the Apache-2.0 Licence.

The first NMOS specification (IS-04 v1.0.0) was published by AMWA in April 2016.^[3] There have been 15 total published releases of the IS-04 NMOS Discovery and Registration Specification, the most recent being v1.3.3 in December 2024.^[4][5]

The NMOS Connection Management API (IS-05) was released in October 2017. There have been 6 total published releases of IS-05, the most recent being v1.2.2 in October 2022.^[6]

Interface specifications

There are currently two NMOS interface specifications (IS) deemed critical for the success of ST 2110:^[2][7]

• IS-04 - Discovery and Registration – IS-04 helps devices find each other and announce their capabilities.
• IS-05 - Connection Management – IS-05 allows the configuration of connections between devices called Senders and Receivers.

There are six other NMOS specifications:^[8]

• IS-07 - Event and Tally
• IS-08 - Audio Channel Mapping
• IS-09 - Systems Parameters
• IS-10 - Authorization
• IS-11 - Stream Compatibility Management
• IS-12 - Control Protocol

The development of at least two more specifications (IS-13 and IS-14) is in progress. IS-06 - Network Control is deprecated as of September 2022.^[9]

Recognition & reception

NMOS specifications have been endorsed by several industry organizations, including the European Broadcasting Union, which published a position statement in 2019 urging the accelerated adoption of NMOS.^[10] The Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) have endorsed NMOS as a key enabling technology for SMPTE ST 2110 environments.^[11] Leaders from technology companies like Sony and Nextera Video have spoken on record about their support of NMOS.^[12]

See also

• Advanced Media Workflow Association