MOS Protocol (Media Object Server) is a communications protocol

The MOS Protocol (Media Object Server) is a communications protocol used in the broadcast industry to exchange information between different systems and devices, such as newsroom computer systems (NRCS), video servers, graphics systems, and automation systems. MOS allows these systems to communicate and integrate seamlessly, enabling the automation of workflows in a broadcast environment.

A newsroom computer system (NRCS) must send a video clip to a video server for playout as part of a news bulletin.
Establish Connection: The NRCS uses the MOS Protocol to establish a TCP/IP connection with the video server. The NRCS sends a connection request specifying the IP address and port number of the video server.
Send Request: The NRCS sends a MOS message to the video server requesting to transfer a video clip for playout. The MOS message includes information about the clip, such as its filename, duration, format, and playout time.
Receive Confirmation: The video server receives the MOS message, processes it, and sends a confirmation back to the NRCS indicating that the request was successful. If there are any issues (e.g., clip not found), the video server sends an error message.
Transfer Video Clip: If the request is successful, the NRCS proceeds to transfer the video clip to the video server. This can be done using a file transfer protocol like FTP or HTTP, with the NRCS sending the clip to a designated folder on the video server.
Notify Playout: Once the video clip is transferred, the NRCS sends another MOS message to the video server to notify it of the clip's availability for playout. The MOS message includes information about the clip's location on the server and playout time.
Playout Video Clip: At the scheduled playout time, the video server retrieves the video clip from the specified location and plays it out as part of the news bulletin.
Confirmation and Cleanup: After the clip is played out, the video server sends a confirmation back to the NRCS indicating that the playout was successful. The NRCS can then clean up any temporary files or data related to the clip transfer.