SMPTE Makes Its Standards Freely Accessible
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
SMPTE makes its motion imaging standards freely accessible to all.
SMPTE announced on June 17, 2026, that its entire library of standards is now freely accessible to the global media technology community. The move removes paywalls for documents that define interoperability in professional video and film production, including SMPTE ST 2110 for live IP production and the IMF framework. SMPTE states the change aims to drive adoption and implementation across the industry.
The announcement highlights an ongoing shift from a model where standards were sold to fund overhead toward one where open access encourages broader use, similar to trends in other technical standards organizations.
What commenters are saying
Commenters largely welcome the change but debate why standards bodies charge at all. Several note that many organizations (e.g., ISO, IEEE, ANSI) still sell standards for hundreds of dollars, often to fund administration rather than the volunteer technical work. A common complaint is that building codes and electrical standards remain paywalled, forcing professionals and DIYers to pay to learn rules they must follow.
Others point out that proprietary standards historically served incumbent companies by raising entry barriers. Practical observations note that drafts are often freely available, making paid copies mainly serve formal reference or certification, not implementation.