About SMPTE®

For more than a century, the people of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE®, pronounced “simp-tee”) have sorted out the details of many significant advances in media and entertainment technology, from the introduction of “talkies” and color television to HD and UHD (4K, 8K) TV. Since its founding in 1916, the Society has received an Oscar® and multiple Emmy® Awards for its work in advancing moving-imagery engineering across the industry. SMPTE has developed thousands of standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines, more than 800 of which are in force today. SMPTE Time Code and the ubiquitous SMPTE Color Bars are just two examples of the Society’s notable work. Now in its second century, the Society is shaping the next-generation of standards and providing education for the industry to ensure interoperability as the industry evolves further into IT- and IP-based workflows. 

SMPTE Privacy Policy

Creating SMPTE Standards

SMPTE standards touch nearly every piece of motion-imaging content consumed by billions of viewers around the world, ensuring that content is seen and heard in the highest possible quality on any display screen. Our standards also enable repeatable workflows for content creators and distributors, as well as the manufacturers who support them.

With more than 100 years of motion-imaging standards leadership, SMPTE is the innovator of some of the most iconic standards for high-quality content, as well as those that are facilitating the transition to an IP-based multiscreen world.

SMPTE's many Technology Committees (TC's) and other groups work virtually on a myriad of technical topics to create, approve, revise and remove Standards for the industry. Each year, usually quarterly, the Standards Community meets in week-long TC Meetings to report on progress and to move forward with Standards work that is more easily accomplished in face-to-face meetings.

Anyone interested in the standards process is welcome to join the SMPTE Standards Community. SMPTE Technology Committees are open to professionals interested in, or affected by, SMPTE Standards. 

SMPTE Standards are recognized across the world. SMPTE is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and recognized by the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as an Approve Referenced Organization. Among its many roles on the international stage, SMPTE provides the Secretariat for the ISO Technical Committee on Cinematography, TC-36

To view the full Technology Committee Meeting Policy and Conditions, click here.

Hosted By

Our upcoming Technology Committee Meetings will be graciously hosted by the SMPTE India Section at Whistling Woods Film School in Mumbai, India from 2-5 March 2020. The meeting map indicating the week's schedule is to be announced.

While we’d prefer you join us in person, remote attendance will be possible. Regardless of your method of attendance, registration is required.

If you require a visa letter to attend this round of technology committee meetings in India, we strongly encourage that you register by
January 20, 2020.