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Internet Streaming Media Alliance Releases ISMA 1.0
URL(s): www.isma.tv
SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 2 - media streaming working together to promote open standards for developing end-to-end media streaming solutions. ISMA 1.0
provides a step-by-step implementation agreement that enables compliant components to be interoperable between different ISMA-supported vendors in the rich
media marketplace.
For this specification, the ISMA has defined two hierarchical profiles. The first, Profile 0, is aimed to stream audio/video content on wireless and narrow band
networks to low complexity devices, such as cell phones or PDAs, that have limited viewing and audio capabilities. The second, Profile 1, is aimed to stream
content over broadband quality networks to provide the end user with a richer viewing experience. Profile 1 is targeted to more powerful devices such as set-top
boxes and personal computers.
"As a first in the streaming media industry, ISMA 1.0 will allow content creators, owners, distributors and aggregators to be able to choose products and
solutions from different vendors, and thus tailor their systems purchases to their exact needs," said Hans-Peter Baumeister, board member of the ISMA. "In
addition, and also as a first in this industry, we can expect to see a truly competitive marketplace for streaming components and solutions, assuring continued
improvements and innovation in this space."
ISMA 1.0 leverages the current industry momentum of MPEG-4 by adopting it as the compression standard. The specification defines the exact features of the
MPEG-4 standard that have to be implemented on the server, client and intermediate components to ensure interoperability between the entire streaming
workflow. Similarly, it also defines the exact features and the selected formats of the RTP, RTSP, and SDP standards that have to be implemented.
One of the major focus areas for the ISMA is the definition of a comprehensive compliance and interoperability program. With the enthusiasm of the companies
represented by the ISMA membership, it is our expectation that this program will be defined by the end of 2001 with ISMA compliant solutions being announced
in the first quarter of 2002.
The broad industry participation in ISMA will allow the content industry to rapidly embrace the concept of "one standard -- one encode", regardless of the
receiving platform, and provide the assurance for the consumers that their investment in rich media streaming devices will not be obsolete. Thus, the
open-standards approach of ISMA offers the potential for major cost savings for the streaming media industry, and broad acceptance by the consumer.
About Internet Streaming Media Alliance
The Internet Streaming Media Alliance is a non-profit corporation founded by Apple, Cisco Systems, IBM, Kasenna, Inc., Philips, and Sun Microsystems to
accelerate the market adoption of an international ubiquitous open implementation specification for streaming rich media over the Internet Protocol (IP) that
encompasses scalability, ease of use and effectiveness. The ISMA is a diverse alliance with representatives from all points of the streaming workflow. In addition
to the founders, the following companies are members of the ISMA: AOL Time Warner Inc., Analog Devices, Bitband, Dolby Laboratories, Inktomi, iVast, Lucent
Technologies, Macrovision, National Semiconductor, NeoMagic, ObjectVideo (formerly DiamondBack Vision), Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Optibase,
PacketVideo, Serome Technology, Sigma Designs, SGI, Streaming21 and Thomson Multimedia. Additional information and a complete list of members can be
accessed at http://www.isma.tv .
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