The Entertainment Services & Technology Association (ESTA) is an American non-profit trade association that represents the entertainment technology industry and is dedicated to promoting professionalism and growth within it. It also provides a forum where interested parties can exchange ideas and information, create standards and recommend certain practices, and face problems in terms of training and certification.
ESTA members provide a wide variety of products and services to the industry, which range from large corporations to individual designers. Its members include distributors, manufacturers, companies in the field of service and production, designers and consultants.
ESTA is currently in charge of reviewing the
DMX512
DMX512 is a standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control lighting and effects. It was originally intended as a standardized method for controlling stage lighting dimmers, which, prior to DMX512, had employed ...
protocol (Digital MultipleX) as well as the development of the new sACN protocol (Advanced Control Network), both communications protocols used to control the lighting of scenarios and special effects.
History
In 2010 ESTA merged with
PLASA and demerged in 2015.
As of January 2011 ESTA, the Entertainment Services and Technology Association in North America, has merged with the
Professional Lighting and Sound Association
The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) is a trade association headquartered in Eastbourne, United Kingdom. Its membership is made up of companies involved with the events and entertainments technology sector.
History
PLASA w ...
, a similar organization in the UK. The new organization was called PLASA. In 2015 PLASA Governing Body chairman John Simpson announced that the organisation had been facing "critical cash-flow problems", precipitating the sale of its Eastbourne office, staff reductions, business restructuring and a reduction in services provided to members. In addition, the de-merger of the American arm of the organisation into a separate body.
All ESTA standards are now maintained by ESTA.
Standards
In 1994 the ESTA started a technical standards program for the development of industry standards. This program is officially recognized by
ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organi ...
as a "Standards Developer". Standards developed by the ESTA go through life as ''ANSI E1.-number-year - description'' .
Example standards are:
* ANSI E1.11-2004 / ANSI E1.11-2008 -
DMX512
DMX512 is a standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control lighting and effects. It was originally intended as a standardized method for controlling stage lighting dimmers, which, prior to DMX512, had employed ...
* ANSI E1.17-2006 - Advanced Control Network or
Architecture for Control Networks
Architecture for Control Networks (ACN) is a suite of network protocols for control of entertainment technology equipment, particularly as used in live performance or large-scale installations. For example, lighting, audio or special effects eq ...
* ANSI E1.20-2006 -
Remote Device Management via DMX512
References
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Theatrical organizations in the United States