Open Media Transport (OMT) is a relatively new technology that allows high-quality video, audio and metadata to be sent across a local computer network with extremely low delay. While it is still in its early stages, it is already attracting attention as an open-source alternative to more established systems such as NDI (Network Device Interface).
NDI has become one of the preferred ways of connecting cameras, computers and production software without the need for dedicated video cables. It is used in lecture capture, live event production and hybrid teaching environments. OMT offers many of the same benefits, but with one important difference: it is completely open source and free to use, allowing developers and manufacturers to adopt and improve it without licensing restrictions. For education, this could be significant. Universities and schools often work with limited budgets and rely on a mixture of hardware and software from different suppliers. An open standard has the potential for greater compatibility, and also to reduce costs. It could also make it easier for educational software developers to build media tools without worrying about commercial licensing. At the moment, however, NDI remains the more mature solution. It is supported by hundreds of products and has a larger user community. OMT has a much smaller ecosystem, but support is appearing in applications such as vMix and OBS, and interest is growing among developers.
We tested OMT for almost a year as an alternative for NDI to record computer screens within a vMix mobile production environment. It compared quite positively: we had less problems with discoverability and conflicts on the network, also less latency and faster recovery after network disruptions.
Whether OMT will eventually become a serious competitor to NDI remains to be seen. Nevertheless, its open approach reflects a broader trend towards open technologies that give educational institutions greater flexibility and control over their digital infrastructure. It is certainly a development worth watching.
Free download on the web site of Open Media Transport (OMT) at https://www.openmediatransport.org/
Image created with OpenArt
