Message-Id: <199802061738.MAA09977@ns.ietf.org> To: IETF-Announce:; Cc: RFC Editor Cc: Internet Architecture Board Cc: confctrl@ISI.EDU From: The IESG Subject: Protocol Action: Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to Proposed Standard Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 12:38:30 -0500 Sender: scoya@cnri.reston.va.us Content-Type: text Content-Length: 2114 The IESG has approved the Internet-Draft Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) as a Proposed Standard. This document is the product of the Multiparty Multimedia Session Control Working Group. The IESG contact persons are Allyn Romanow and Scott Bradner. Technical Summary The Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is a client-server application-level protocol for controlling the delivery of data with real-time properties. It establishes and controls either a single or several time-synchronized streams of continueous media, such as audio and video. It uses transport protocols such as UDP, multicast UDP, TCP, and RTP to deliver the continuous streams. In other words, RTSP acts as a "network remote control" for multimedia servers. Sources of data can include both live data feeds and stored clips. Working Group Summary The history of the RTSP protocol within the MMUSIC WG is generally considered to be an example the IETF process working well. Netscape and Real Networks brought to the MMUSIC WG a protocol called RTSP. Henning Schulzrinne proposed RTSP', which was more consistent with ongoing IETF efforts, SIP and HTTP. Both RTSP drafts were presented at the San Jose IETF Jan 1996. At this time the authors of the two drafts agreed to work together to produce a merged RTSP spec. The merged spec was discussed at the Memphis IETF where there were significant open issues, and a revised spec produced. The revised spec was discussed at the Munich IETF where the open issues were much fewer. These remaining open issues were addressed in another spec. This underwent an interoperability testing in the fall, and a further revised spec underwent WG last call. A few remaining minor issues were found, and addressed in November 1997. Protocol Quality This protocol has been reviewed for the IETF by Allyn Romanow. There has been a fair amount of implementation of RTSP. A reference implementation exists. The following companies have implementations: Netscape, IBM, Apple, Sun, Columbia, RealMedia. There have been efforts to do interoperability testing.