SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)
SRT is a modern streaming protocol designed to reliably transmit video over unpredictable networks, particularly useful for live streaming from remote locations with unstable internet, field coverage, and contribution feeds from distributed sources.
Where we use this- Contribution: from the venue encoder to the control room or platform.
- It recovers lost packets and encrypts the feed, over the ordinary internet.
- The latency buffer. Set it from the measured round-trip time, not a default.
What it means in live production.
SRT is a modern streaming protocol designed to reliably transmit video over unpredictable networks. particularly useful for live streaming from remote locations with unstable internet, field coverage during events, and contribution feeds from distributed sources.
Traditional RTMP was designed for reliable internet in controlled environments (studios with stable fiber connectivity). RTMP assumes packet loss is rare and doesn't gracefully handle variable latency or congestion. If your connection hiccups, RTMP drops frames or rebuffers. SRT handles network imperfection through adaptive bitrate adjustment, packet retransmission, and forward error correction. mechanisms that maintain stream continuity even when bandwidth is fluctuating or packets are being lost.
How it works on a live production.
Creative Broadcast Agency is an SRT Alliance member, meaning we're committed to the protocol and actively participate in its development and standardization. This isn't just vendor preference. SRT is open-source and backed by an ecosystem of manufacturers (Teradek, LiveU, Blackmagic, Granstream, and others/) ensuring it remains supported and improved.
SRT introduces latency compared to RTMP. typically 1-3 seconds for encrypted, resilient streaming. For low-latency streaming applications where milliseconds matter (live esports, interactive broadcasts/), this latency is sometimes unacceptable. For remote speaker integration, corporate streaming, and field coverage, 2-3 second latency is comfortable.
The practical advantage: on a multi-arena tournament, remote commentary feeds and arena backup camera feeds run on SRT. If a camera operator's internet drops for a moment, SRT adapts and recovers without visible disruption. RTMP would drop the feed entirely.
SRT also provides military-grade AES 256 encryption, securing contribution feeds from unauthorized viewing. For corporate events with sensitive content or financial announcements, encrypted SRT feeds prevent eavesdropping.
Equipment supporting SRT continues to expand. Teradek Prism encoders natively support SRT output. Bonding units, studio cameras, and most software switchers support SRT. Open-source implementations exist for specialized applications. This ecosystem makes SRT practical for most production scenarios.
Live event streaming
SRT carries our contribution feeds from the venue, usually on two paths at once.
Low-latency streaming
Sub-500ms glass-to-glass streaming via SRT and WebRTC. Real-time interaction for esports, auctions, trading floors, and live Q&A events.
ReadWhat is SRT streaming? Secure Reliable Transport explained
ReadAdvantages of live streaming CDN providers
ReadWhat is SMPTE 2110? Baseband vs IP video
ReadRTMP vs SRT: which live streaming protocol should you use?
RTMP and SRT are the two protocols most often used to send a live feed from a venue to a platform or control room.
ReadQuestions people ask about this.
Why use SRT instead of RTMP for remote feeds?
SRT handles network imperfection gracefully. RTMP either works (connection is stable) or fails (connection drops). SRT adapts to instability. If you're streaming from a field location on cellular, SRT gives you video with occasional bitrate dips. RTMP gives you dropouts or no video. For remote contributions, SRT is objectively better.
Does SRT encryption slow down streaming?
Modern AES-256 encryption is fast and standard in SRT. The encryption adds negligible latency compared to the network latency you're already experiencing. The benefit (secure feed) outweighs the minimal cost.
Can we mix SRT and RTMP in the same production?
Yes. Some equipment sends RTMP (older systems, software encoders), other equipment sends SRT (newer hardware/). Your encoding infrastructure ingests both, creates the unified output, and delivers via your chosen delivery protocol. We often have multiple ingest paths during large events.
Is SRT better than SMPTE 2110 for remote feeds?
Different problems. SMPTE 2110 is for studio networking (internal signal distribution/). SRT is for contribution over public internet. They're complementary. SRT brings the remote feed across internet to the studio edge, then SMPTE 2110 distributes it internally.
Tell us the date, the venue and who is watching.
We scope every live production against its run of show, not a package.
CBA builds low latency streaming for every show it produces, because transport decides whether the picture holds.