What is RTP? The RTP protocol (Real-time Transport Protocol) is required for the specific transmission of streaming video and other data over packet data networks (IP networks) in real-time mode. This protocol assigns each fragment its time code (that is, the time when this fragment was recorded). Then it controls that this fragment ends up in the archive on the server no later than specified in the settings (this gap can be only a few seconds). What does RTP mean? It ensures that the recorded video (or any other data) is transferred to the drive and is ready for viewing in real time.

Time delays and packet delay variation (jitter) inherent in IP networks can seriously distort delay-sensitive information such as speech and video, making it completely unintelligible. Note that the variation of the packet delay has a much stronger effect on the subjective assessment of the transmission quality than the absolute value of the delay.

What does RTP stand for?

It’s important to note that this protocol is actively used not only in IP telephony but also in video surveillance. This solution helps to transmit all the video/audio from the camera and collect it in the correct sequence (when conducting video conferences, broadcasting video, or audio content on the Internet).

The RTP protocol works in close connection with the RTCP protocol. RTCP essentially performs the same function as RTSP but in conjunction with RTP. That is, it controls the Internet connection, the correct transmission of fragmented streaming video, and especially controls the quality of this transmission. They create conditions for a good picture\sound without distortion and noise. It also supports multicast transmission, which allows you to transmit data to many users at the same time.

Is the RTP protocol secure?

What is RTP protocol? It’s a data transport protocol, not a network protocol, so it does not provide data protection by itself. However, RTP can be used in combination with other protocols, such as SRTP, which provides secure real-time data transmission. It offers data privacy, integrity, and authentication protection through data encryption and signing. This creates conditions for protection against traffic interception attacks, password cracking, data spoofing, and other forms of attack. Therefore, RTP can be a secure protocol when used in combination with SRTP or other data protection protocols.

Does RTP have something in common with VoIP?

RTP for VoIP is an essential part, moreover, it’s a key component of VoIP technology, as it is responsible for transmitting audio and video via the IP network. This protocol makes telephone conversations more affordable and cost-effective. It also allows for data quality, which is an important factor in VoIP user satisfaction.

Priority routing, QoS, and delay control are used to ensure the quality of data transmission in VoIP networks. However, what is an RTP? It’s the basis for high-quality Internet telephony.

How does RTP protocol work?

Everything is simple. The above-mentioned protocol provides for the indication of the type of payload and the sequence number of the packet in the stream, as well as the use of timestamps. The sender marks each RTP packet with a timestamp, and the receiver extracts it and calculates the total delay. The difference in the delay of different packets allows you to determine jitter and mitigate its impact (all packets will be issued by the application with the same delay).

So, the main feature of RTP is to calculate the average delay of some set of received packets and issue them to the user by an application with a constant delay equal to this average value. However, it should be borne in mind that the RTP timestamp corresponds to the moment of encoding the first discrete signal of the packet.

Let’s get more information about the question on “What is real time transport protocol and How it works?”. Don’t forget that RTP provides data transmission in the form of packets that contain a small amount of data (for example, 20 milliseconds of voice).

The operation process is the following.

  • Packet formation: A transmitter of audio and video data forms small data packets with corresponding timestamps.
  • Adding a header: RTP adds a header to each packet, which contains information about the packet type, packet sequence number, timestamp, and other parameters.
  • Packet transport: RTP packets are transmitted over the IP network using transport protocols such as UDP.
  • Packet reception and playback: A receiver of audio and video data (such as a VoIP client) gets RTP packets over an IP network.
  • Packet Synchronization: RTP contains timestamps to help restore sequences of data transmissions. These timestamps help the receiver to recover the original sequence of data, even if the packets arrive with a delay or in a mixed order.

Overall, Freezvon’s IP telephony solutions utilize RTP to provide high-quality, reliable voice communication over IP networks. By using virtual phone numbers and VoIP technology, Freezvon enables businesses and individuals to make and receive calls from anywhere in the world, at a fraction of the cost of traditional telephone services.