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BOTHELL, Wash. — Feb. 14, 2023 — The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced its newest members: NovaStar, a leading global LED display solutions provider; CUX, a provider of audio, video, and environmental control solutions; and Appear, a global leader in high-capacity solutions for media processing and content delivery.

“We couldn’t be more excited to name NovaStar, CUX, and Appear as the newest AIMS members,” said Andrew Starks, board of directors’ member and marketing working group chair for AIMS. “With NovaStar and CUX’s deep-rooted experience in AV-over-IP for the Pro AV industry and Appear’s specialized knowledge in broadcast IP media transport, all three companies will be instrumental in helping us propel IPMX adoption in these sectors and unlock new market possibilities.”

NovaStar boasts a diverse range of products that encompasses everything from synchronized controls for LED displays to point-to-point calibration systems, AV-over-IP solutions, and cloud-based management services. The company’s solutions have been adopted for a variety of live events — including concerts and the opening ceremony of the 2008 summer games in Beijing— digital advertising signage, and more. Operating from 37 locations across the globe and catering to both corporate and retail customers, NovaStar is dedicated to delivering pioneering technology, tailored solutions, intuitive products, and dedicated customer support.

“Our solutions are widely implemented across a variety of Pro AV environments, where the transition to video-over-IP as the dominating infrastructure is well under way,” said Jason Xiao， director of product development of NovaStar. “With AIMS’ IPMX poised to be at the center of that infrastructure, the timing is perfect for NovaStar to become part of the alliance. We’re thrilled to contribute to a standard that will advance the whole industry through increased interoperability.”

Based in China, CUX is dedicated to delivering products and systems — including AV-over-IP solutions — that prioritize ease of use and are tailored for a broad spectrum of audio and video applications in various markets. The company’s commitment extends to supporting the system integration sector from the design stage through implementation, with a guiding principle of “Technology promotes harmony, innovation changes the future.”

“Through our work supporting system integrators, we’ve gained a deep understanding of the interoperability hurdles that have plagued the Pro AV industry,” said Keven Pang, executive director of CUX. “We couldn’t be more excited for the arrival of IPMX as a solution to these challenges and look forward to collaborating with AIMS and its members to champion its adoption.”

Headquartered in Oslo, Appear specializes in premium live event contribution solutions that are utilized by an extensive list of rights holders and content providers, remote production products, and modular head-end platforms for IPTV and broadcast, with distribution options for cable, satellite, and terrestrial networks. Pushing the limits of media and entertainment innovation, Appear’s primary focus is on delivering exceptional value to its global network of clients by elevating their content delivery to unprecedented levels of success.

“We’ve maintained a leading position in industry innovation through active partnerships with esteemed trade organizations and technology providers, with the goal of achieving seamless and secure media transport. We are thrilled to include AIMS among them,” said Andy Rayner, chief technology officer of Appear. “As the boundaries between broadcast and Pro AV increasingly blur across various applications, we’re eager to work with the organization to advance IPMX and bring interoperability to both domains.”

BOTHELL, Wash., and SEA ISLE, N.J. — Jan. 30, 2024 — In a landmark event for the Pro AV industry, the Video Services Forum (VSF), in collaboration with the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), is proud to announce at ISE 2024 a significant milestone in the development of the Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX) standards. Concluding a rigorous VSF testing event held at the Matrox Video facility in Munich, where multiple manufacturers with IPMX implementations validated core specifications, IPMX has now achieved a crucial phase of maturity. This event marks the transition of many of the essential IPMX documents — encompassing critical aspects of audio and video transport, HDCP, control plane requirements, and system timing — from draft to finalized specifications. This pivotal step not only underscores the robust, collaborative effort behind IPMX but also signals a new era of innovation and interoperability in the Pro AV market.

Samuel Recine, Vice-President, Global Strategic Partnerships, Matrox Video & Pro AV Working Group Chairperson for AIMS, reflected on the significance of this milestone: “There is no question that IPMX is gaining momentum in the Pro AV market. The elevation of these documents from the VSF will only accelerate that trend and that is an enormously important milestone for IPMX and the Pro AV industry as a whole. With these documents in their final form, IPMX can now be implemented by even more manufacturers, which is what is needed for a robust, open AV-over-IP ecosystem.”

The testing event heralds the release of several key IPMX specifications, a milestone in the protocol’s development. These include vital documents for Uncompressed Video (TR-10-2), Constant Bit Rate (CBR) Video (TR-10-11), PCM Audio (TR-10-3), System Timing and Definitions (TR-10-1), HDCP Key Exchange Protocol (HKEP) Copy Protection (TR-10-5), and NMOS requirements specific to IPMX (TR-10-8).

Brad Gilmer, Executive Director of VSF, reflected on the path that led to this achievement: “We’ve been witnessing the industry trend towards more convergence, which means removing unnecessary legacy barriers between not only IT and video production, but also between broadcast and the Pro AV market. That is why we started work on IPMX immediately after AIMS launched the initiative in 2020. The release of these documents is a big milestone not only for IPMX, but also for VSF as our work to evolve to meet the needs of a more diverse and interconnected world is clearly bearing fruit.”

The journey of IPMX towards becoming a comprehensive solution for the Pro AV market continues with fervor. Work is ongoing on aspects such as interoperable USB extension, rofiles, and detailed testing requirements. AIMS and VSF, as well as the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), creators of NMOS, remain committed to this collaborative effort, with the aim of announcing additional significant developments in the near future. Anticipation is high for potential updates and breakthroughs that may align with major industry events like InfoComm later this year. These efforts underscore a continued dedication to evolving IPMX into a fully realized, open standard that meets the diverse and interconnected needs of the modern Pro AV landscape.

More information on VSF and the IPMX core documents is available here.