metasystema.org
UpdatedINTERNET STANDARDIETF streamSTD64

RFC 3550: RTP: A Transport Protocol for Real-Time Applications

Still current, but amended. Parts of this document are changed or extended by RFC 5506, RFC 5761, RFC 6051, RFC 6222, RFC 7022, RFC 7160, RFC 7164, RFC 8083, RFC 8108, RFC 8860. Read both.

In plain English — editorial summary, not part of the RFC

This memorandum describes RTP, the real-time transport protocol. RTP provides end-to-end network transport functions suitable for applications transmitting real-time data, such as audio, video or simulation data, over multicast or unicast network services. RTP does not address resource reservation and does not guarantee quality-of- service for real-time services. The data transport is augmented by a control protocol (RTCP) to allow monitoring of the data delivery in a manner scalable to large multicast networks, and to provide minimal control and identification functionality. RTP and RTCP are designed to be independent of the underlying transport and network layers. The protocol supports the use of RTP-level translators and mixers. Most of the text in this memorandum is identical to RFC 1889 which it obsoletes. There are no changes in the packet formats on the wire, only changes to the rules and algorithms governing how the protocol is used. The biggest change is an enhancement to the scalable timer algorithm for calculating when to send RTCP packets in order to minimize transmission in excess of the intended rate when many participants join a session simultaneously. [STANDARDS-TRACK]

Document record

Document ID
RFC3550
Published
July 2003
Authors
H. Schulzrinne; S. Casner; R. Frederick; V. Jacobson
Status
INTERNET STANDARD
Stream
IETF
Area
rai
Pages
104
Also known as
STD64
Obsoletes:
RFC 1889
Updated by:
RFC 5506, RFC 5761, RFC 6051, RFC 6222, RFC 7022, RFC 7160, RFC 7164, RFC 8083, RFC 8108, RFC 8860

Topics

Referenced by

10 later RFCs formally update or obsolete part of this document.

Related documents

Ranked automatically by shared keywords, IETF area and stream — not by editorial selection.

Also filed under

About this page

The document record above — title, authors, date, status, stream, area, relationships, DOI and errata — is imported verbatim from the public RFC Editor index. The “in plain English” section is editorial: written by The metasystema editorial team, not part of the RFC. Where the two differ, the RFC text governs.

Last checked against the RFC Editor index on . RFCs are never revised after publication; changes are issued as new documents.

Data sources · Editorial policy · Report a correction · What is an RFC?

canonical URL: /rfc/3550-rtp-a-transport-protocol-for-real-time-applications