WebTransport opens new route for broadcast-quality media delivery

Work is ongoing to specify how to run RIST over WebTransport. This will deliver secure, stable, broadcast quality video playback and origination to any platform using any of the widely used browsers. RIST functionality for delivery and reception is built using the libRIST library, created and maintained by Sergio Ammirata Ph.D., SipRadius Chief Scientist. 

WebTransport is developed and maintained by W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium. The RIST activity group is working on SipRadius’s RIST over WebTransport proposal within VSF. 

HTTP/3 is now supported by more than 95% of the browsers in use, and by more than 35% of the top 10 million websites. A fundamental of HTTP/3 is the use of QUIC rather than TCP to manage multiplexed transports and minimize blocking. However, QUIC is a general purpose transport layer network protocol, not specifically tuned to the needs of media. 

“Because virtually all browsers now support HTTP/3, we can simply implement RIST into any web service,” said SipRadius’s Ammirata. “RIST is designed for the real and very specific needs of media delivery, ensuring very high stability and image quality while minimizing network congestion for retransmitted packets. 

“RIST supports one-to-many, simplifying architecture for live streamers,” Ammirata added. “And of course it incorporates the highest levels of security, ensuring content is fully protected end-to-end. Thanks to libRIST it is very simply implemented in any website, and completely transparent and seamless to the end viewer.” 

RIST – Reliable Internet Stream Transport – is an open development to which a large number of experts contributed, including the SipRadius team. Now maintained by the Video Services Forum (VSF), it continues to develop thanks to the work of its contributing members. 

To speed the development of RIST applications and implementations, the organization recognized the need for a toolkit of routines and sub-systems. Ammirata undertook the development of libRIST, and continues to be responsible for its maintenance and development. 

“RIST is the best way to carry valuable media over the internet,” he said. “The underlying technology builds on the work of earlier efforts, like SRT, improving and adding critical functionality. Users can now seize on the advantages of continuing developments in WebTransport and HTTP/3 by implementing RIST for media transport, boosting user satisfaction by ensuring the content is displayed in pristine quality.” 

For more information on SipRadius and its RIST-centric software products, see sipradius.com