
SMPTE , the organization that is defining the future of storytelling, today announced that the SMPTE Interoperable Master Format (IMF) plugfest, held May 14-15 in London, marked another milestone in the development of the IMF family of international standards (SMPTE ST 2067), with more than 30 participants making progress toward interoperability.
IMF is the family of standards for the exchange of component-based audio-visual masters intended for worldwide distribution from movies to TV shows to advertisements. The format is specifically designed to efficiently handle multiple-territory distribution and advanced content such as high dynamic range (HDR), wide color gamut (WCG), immersive sound (object-based audio), and access services (subtitles, captions). Organized by the SMPTE Technology Committee 35PM (Media Packaging and Interchange), IMF plugfests provide implementers with opportunities to interchange test content with the objective of improving interoperability and identifying areas of improvement in the standard.
"Following the publication of SMPTE TSP 2121-1 last year, the DPP is committed to supporting the adoption of IMF more widely across the broadcast and online content communities, said Rowan de Pomerai, DPP head of delivery and growth. "Participation in the IMF plugfest forms an important part of that commitment, and we re thrilled to see so many vendors testing their support for our specification."
The SMPTE IMF plugfest included the following areas of focus:
Packaging of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Timed Text Markup Language (TTML) Profiles for Internet Media Subtitles and Captions 1.1 (IMSC1.1), which is the subtitle and caption format in IMF that enables worldwide and accessible experiences.
SMPTE ST 2067-50:2018 (IMF Application #5 ACES), which is intended for long-term archive of uncompressed Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) image essence.
SMPTE RDD 45:2017 (Registered Disclosure Document IMF Application ProRes), which adds support for ProRes image essence and is intended to test HDR ProRes IMF packages.
SMPTE TSP 2121-1:2018 (IMF Application DPP), which creates a profile of IMF designed for broadcast and online content use cases, meeting requirements expressed by DPP member companies.
"IMF is an essential standard for the exchange and archiving of movie productions that use ACES, said Wolfgang Ruppel, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences. "Plugfests are a great opportunity to work with manufacturers and the SMPTE community on interoperability."
Implementers included Amazon, Dalet, Visible Light, Fraunhofer, Marquise, MTI, Ownzones, Rohde & Schwarz, and Venera Technologies. Test content was provided by Paramount, Universal, Turner, the BBC, and 20 Century Fox. Amazon hosted the event at its UK headquarters.
"SMPTE IMF plugfests are the cornerstone of bringing immediacy and relevance to our standards. They remind us that standards are living examples of technology being used to build global platforms upon which agile applications are developed, said Bruce Devlin, SMPTE standards vice president. "The lively discussions of real implementers and users solving multivendor business problems in real time show that standards can be relevant and dynamic in today s disruptive technology world."
SMPTE is currently organizing the next IMF plugfest, scheduled for the first half of 2020, and the Society encourages interested parties to join the effort by contacting Thomas Bause Mason at SMPTE.
More information about SMPTE is available at smpte.org.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
10/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
10/07/2026
FUJIFILM North America Corporation has announced the FUJINON GF19-35mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR, a cinema power zoom lens for the GFX System with native G Mount. The lens ...
10/07/2026
Dalet has announced a new Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex, expanding AI capabilities, workflow automation, and integration with Dalia, Dalet'...
10/07/2026
Blackmagic Design has released Fairlight Live, a free software-based broadcast audio mixer for Mac and Windows, available for download now. Simultaneously, the ...
10/07/2026
FloSports and the USA South Athletic Conference have announced an exclusive medi...
10/07/2026
Daktronics has manufactured and installed an LED video display at Field of Dream...
10/07/2026
Registration is now open for NAB Show New York 2026, taking place October 21-22 ...
10/07/2026
Sphere Entertainment Co. and the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix have an...
10/07/2026
CBS Sports and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have announced a media rights partnership covering the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 and the AFC U23 Asi...
10/07/2026
Sony Electronics has announced the RX10 V, the fifth generation of its RX10 all-in-one camera series. The camera will be available in August 2026 at a suggested...
10/07/2026
Chyron has announced PRIME 5.4, an update to its unified graphics, playout, and ...
10/07/2026
The nine-time Emmy Award-winning video engineer was a pioneer of NASCAR in-car cameras and a longtime fixture in FOX Sports' video-control operation...
10/07/2026
FuboTV Inc. has announced the appointment of Alisa Bowen as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 10. Bowen succeeds David Gandler, who co-founded the company...
10/07/2026
Every entry on Nielsen's Top 25 Live Sports Events Telecasts for the week of...
10/07/2026
The Braves opted to keep production in-house rather than hand it off to MLB...
10/07/2026
Drones, jibs, robos are part of the expanded camera complement for the Professional Bull Riders series
PBR Teams' 2026 season, with a 10-team field competi...
10/07/2026
(L-R) Michael Arndt, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, Valerie Faris, Abigail Breslin, Jonathan Dayton, and Greg Kinnear attend the Park City Legacy program screening o...
10/07/2026
Discounted rates available through 27 August 2026
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) have announced that Early Bird registration is now open for the AES Sh...
10/07/2026
New in-ear monitors to launch in August 2026
Sony have announced the upcoming launch of a new pair of in-ear monitors that promise to deliver a secure, stab...
10/07/2026
Why CRAS Upgraded to Symphony I/O MK II When an audio school runs studios all day, every day, gear doesn't just need to sound good , it needs to survive rea...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Hey Man, Cheech & Chong's Last Movie Rolls With SNS EVO
Melanie Ciotti July 10, 2026
0 Comments
Richard Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong have long b...
10/07/2026
Alex Zarfati's Fail Safe Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton July 10, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's full frame sensor supports anamorphic s...
10/07/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/07/2026
Data has always been central to media operations. Every ad that airs, every campaign that delivers, and every audience that's measured- all of it generates ...
10/07/2026
New RT documentary explores Irish-led efforts to build bridges in divided Cyprus
More than a Game: From D1 to Pyla airs Monday 13 July
More Than a Game: Fro...
09/07/2026
With 50+ cameras, three trucks, 60+ EVS channels, RFID hole-card workflows, and ...
09/07/2026
A recent graduate from Westchester, NY, this experienced technician has already started her first gig in the industry, as a REMI A2 Comms Specialist at ESPN
In...
09/07/2026
Live sports production is a fast-paced industry with no signs of slowing down. W...
09/07/2026
From a rooftop studio in Manhattan, multiple Germany-based companies share respo...
09/07/2026
Overtime has announced a content partnership with FOX One to produce Race to Glo...
09/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced that Ross Production Services (RPS) has standardized on ...
09/07/2026
The NFL has announced that NetApp will return as Presenting Partner of the NFL Madrid Game, featuring the Atlanta Falcons against the Cincinnati Bengals at the ...
09/07/2026
The R&A and Cisco have announced a multi-year partnership making Cisco the Official Network Supplier of The R&A and its Championships. Cisco will deploy AI-read...
09/07/2026
Fox Television Stations, Extreme Reach (XR), and LTN have announced the completi...
09/07/2026
Kiswe has announced a partnership with Wynn Records to launch the Wynn Records Network streaming platform, debuting Saturday, July 11 with a Salita Promotions b...
09/07/2026
NEP Europe has announced a new multi-year agreement with Wimbledon Broadcast Ser...
09/07/2026
Thropic Games, a company offering casual mobile games tied to fan fundraising for sports programs, has announced a pre-seed funding round led by The Famous Grou...
09/07/2026
Game Creek Video has reached an agreement with Grass Valley to purchase 10 K-Frame production switchers as part of a two-year fleet expansion. Two systems have ...
09/07/2026
Gravity Media is delivering a three-hub remote production workflow for ITV's...
09/07/2026
A new report from Quickplay and Caretta Research, The Broadcaster Revolution Wi...