For those who don’t know the group: SMPTE develops technical documents used across cinema, broadcast, postproduction and media-over-IP systems, and has done so for over 100 years. Its Standards Library covers interchange, transport, metadata, mastering and display workflows rather than one specific DCC application, and builds the foundation and working standards of basically all our current media technology. It’S that big of a deal!
The paywall leaves the building
SMPTE Standards are now freely accessible to the global media technology community. The change covers the complete publsihed catalogue and all future releases. The open library includes Standards, Recommended Practices, Engineering Guidelines and Registered Disclosure Documents. Engineers, developers, manufacturers, integrators, educators and production teams can access the specifications without buying individual documents or holding a membership. This is the first time the Society has opened its entire standards catalogue during its 110-year history.
For working facilities, the benefit is simple. Teams implementing a file format, transport protocol, metadata scheme or interchange specification can work from the actual technical document. They no longer need to rely on summaries, copied excerpts or somebody’s suspiciously ancient PDF from a shared drive.
More than formal paperwork
A “Standard” defines specifications, dimensions or criteria required for effective interchange or interconnection. It can also define functions needed for systems to exchange material correctly.
A “Recommended Practice” covers specifications or methods that facilitate implementation without being required for basic interchange. These documents may define test materials, measurement methods or constraints applied to existing specifications.
An “Engineering Guideline” provides informative technical guidance. It can contain designs, procedures and agreed engineering practice, but it does not contain normative requirements.
A Registered Disclosure Document lets an organisation publish information about a technology, interface, control system or design approach through the Society. An RDD is not a standard and cannot act as a normative reference in an engineering document.
That matters. A disclosed interface and an agreed industry standard are different things, even when a product brochure would prefer everyone to stop asking awkward questions, and just buy the damned thing.
Familiar specifications, easier access
The catalogue contains document suites used throughout professional media production and delivery. Examples? The Interoperable Master Format suite covers component-based masters and related interchange workflows. The SMPTE ST 2110 suite covers professional video, audio and ancillary data transported over managed IP networks.
The recently published documents page lists new documents, revisions and amendments with publication dates. This will not make interoperability automatic. Vendors still need to implement the same requirements correctly, test edge cases and resist creative interpretations of words such as shall. Free access does remove just one avoidable obstacle.
Search first, download second
The library application lets users search the latest document versions. Results can be filtered by document suite, assigned technical committee and document type. They can also be sorted by document number, publication date, suite or title.
Users can select earlier publication dates to inspect previous versions. Superseded editions remain accessible through the document page, while the main search view concentrates on the current verison.
This matters during facility upgrades and forensic troubleshooting. A system installed several years ago may implement an older revision correctly while disagreeing with software built around a newer one. Version history turns that disagreement into a technical comparison instead of a meeting with twelve people and one increasingly abused whiteboard.
Industry money keeps the doors open
The open library receives support from Diamond-level corporate members Amazon Web Services, Apple, Blackmagic Design, Paramount, Disney, Dolby, Fox, Google, Ross Video, Sony and Telstra.
The catalogue itself carries no document purchase price under the new access model. Membership, training, events and other Society activities remain separate from free standards access.
