What is NMOS?

NMOS

Find out how NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) standardizes device discovery and connection in IP-based broadcast environments. Discover how Nevion leverages NMOS to enable interoperable, multi-vendor media networks for seamless and scalable operations.

NMOS is an open set of specifications enabling discovery, connection management, control, and interoperability of media devices and functions across professional IP infrastructures such as SMPTE ST 2110 networks.

NMOS—Networked Media Open Specifications—is a family of open, royalty-free specifications developed by the AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association) to enable interoperability and standardized control in professional media-over-IP environments.

Key NMOS specifications include IS-04 (Discovery & Registration), which enables devices and media resources to be automatically discovered and registered, and IS-05 (Device Connection Management), which provides a standardized, transport-independent mechanism for establishing and managing connections between media senders and receivers. IS-08 (Audio Channel Mapping) extends this approach by providing standardized control over the mapping of individual audio channels within compatible devices and media functions.

Together, these specifications reduce the need for proprietary integrations and manual configuration, making it easier to build scalable, multi-vendor IP media networks.

What Nevion Does

Nevion supports NMOS across both its VideoIPath media orchestration platform and Virtuoso software-defined media node and media functions, enabling standards-based integration and control in multi-vendor IP environments:

  • VideoIPath includes NMOS Registry and Discovery functionality, enabling NMOS-compliant devices and resources to be discovered and registered using IS-04. It also uses IS-05 for standardized connection management between media senders and receivers. This enables VideoIPath to orchestrate NMOS-based equipment alongside devices controlled through other protocols and device-specific integrations.
  • Since 2019, VideoIPath has supported operation as an IS-04 Registry, discovering and cataloguing NMOS resources and using IS-05 to orchestrate media connections. This allows NMOS and non-NMOS devices to be incorporated within the same centrally orchestrated media network.
  • Virtuoso media functions support NMOS as part of their integration into IP-based media workflows. IS-04 enables supported Virtuoso resources to be discovered and registered within an NMOS environment, while IS-05 enables standardized connection management of media senders and receivers. Where channel-level audio routing and mapping are applicable, IS-08 provides standardized Audio Channel Mapping capabilities.

By supporting NMOS in both VideoIPath orchestration and Virtuoso media processing, Nevion enables customers to combine centralized SDN control with open, standards-based device and media-function interoperability across SMPTE ST 2110 and other professional media-over-IP environments.

Benefits & Advantages of NMOS

  • Plug‑and‑play deployment: Automated discovery replaces static IP lists and manual setup.

  • Vendor neutrality / Interoperability: NMOS is open and widely supported, eliminating lock-in.

  • Scalability: Large-scale deployments—e.g., registering thousands of nodes—can be completed in minutes.

  • Flexible control: Supports bulk, delayed, or immediate connections across RTP, WebSocket, MQTT, and more.

  • Version-aware efficiency: Versioning reduces command churn and unnecessary polling.

  • Standards alignment: NMOS is part of JT‑NM, EBU, and broader ST 2110 ecosystems, promoting future-proof deployments.

 

Comparison with Legacy & Other Technologies

ApproachDescriptionProsCons
NMOS IS‑04 + IS‑05Open standards for discovery and connection over IPScalable, interoperable, industry-backed standardsRequires devices/controllers to implement NMOS
Software-Defined Orchestration (e.g., VideoIPath)NMOS-enabled orchestration with SDN & automationHighly scalable, multi-protocol, flexibleRequires orchestration infrastructure

Common Questions

Q: How do IS-04 and IS-05 differ?

  • IS‑04 handles discovery and registration—e.g., devices announcing senders, receivers, flows.

  • IS‑05 handles connection logic—e.g., staging and activating media paths.

Together, they automate setup end-to-end in IP media networks.

Q: Can NMOS work over WAN or cloud?
Yes—NMOS controllers can operate across networks, and orchestration tools like VideoIPath support multi-site and cloud-integrated connections Nevion.

Q: What about security?
Security is addressed via BCP‑003‑01 (TLS), authorization standards like IS‑10, and controlled environments. These best practices are increasingly adopted in NMOS deployments.

Further reading

Nevion Resources: