TAG Video Systems participates in live interoperability tests for MXL broadcast standard

TAG Video Systems has announced its participation in the Media Exchange Layer (MXL) interoperability initiative, joining several industry vendors in live multi-vendor testing hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

MXL is an open-source media transport standard designed to move video, audio, and metadata through direct memory transfer rather than traditional packet-based streaming. It operates natively across IP environments without relying on Precision Time Protocol (PTP). The standard is part of the broader Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) framework, which aims to enable fully software-defined broadcast production.

The MXL specification was first published as stable in early 2026 and is intended to support virtual control rooms and production workflows that can be deployed and scaled dynamically. The standard is also designed to improve the efficiency of uncompressed media workflows in cloud environments.

Michael Demb, vice president of product strategy at TAG Video Systems, said MXL can reduce latency compared to the ST 2110 standard by eliminating CPU time spent on packet formatting and timing. This can enable transport faster than real time and free up computing resources for application processing.

TAG has joined relevant MXL and DMF committees and is currently testing its initial MXL implementation alongside other vendors such as Grass Valley, Matrox, and Techex. The company said this testing phase is critical for validating and refining interoperability ahead of broader industry adoption.

TAG plans to demonstrate its MXL work during the NAB Show 2026 at the AWS booth (W1701). The company emphasized that as broadcast production environments become more software-defined and dynamically orchestrated, monitoring and quality control tools must also adapt to these new workflows.

The MXL and DMF initiatives are in early stages but are progressing quickly, with multiple vendors collaborating to establish open standards for next-generation broadcast infrastructure.