The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), formerly the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, is an operation supported by the
Defense Media Activity
The Defense Media Activity (DMA) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) field activity. It provides a range of media and services to that aim to "inform, educate, and entertain Department of Defense audiences around the world." The Defen ...
(DMA). It provides a connection between world media and the American military personnel serving at home and abroad. It supports all branches of the U.S. military and combatant commands worldwide.
["Is DVIDS run by the military?"]
DVIDS website
Operations
A network of portable
Ku-band
The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally ), because it is the lower part of the original NATO K band ...
satellite transmitters and IP video encoders connected to its 24/7 Cloud Network Operations Center, feed DVIDS with
PR and combat content, including live video feeds.
DVIDS broadcasts videos, photographs, podcasts, audio, webcasts, interviews, and print products (e.g., publications).
The service currently uses
cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
technologies for
infrastructure as a service
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a cloud computing service model where a cloud services vendor provides computing resources such as storage, network, servers, and virtualization (which emulates computer hardware). This service frees users fr ...
. It operates ''DefenseTV'', a military television over the top box app accessed through
FireTV
Amazon Fire TV (formerly stylized as amazon fireTV) is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon since November 2014. The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed v ...
,
Chromecast
Chromecast is a discontinued line of digital media players developed by Google. The devices, designed as small dongles, can play Internet-streaming media, streamed audio-visual content on a high-definition television or home audio system. The u ...
or
Roku
Roku ( ) is a brand of consumer electronics that includes streaming players, smart TVs (and their operating systems), as well as a free TV streaming service. The brand is owned by Roku, Inc., an American company.
As of 2024, Roku is the U ...
, and offers the ''Military 24/7'' mobile
app, which delivers news, video, and photos supplied directly by deployed service members. It maintains the DoD archive for worldwide operations.
Scott Betts leads the Department of Defense DVIDS program via
Defense Media Activity
The Defense Media Activity (DMA) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) field activity. It provides a range of media and services to that aim to "inform, educate, and entertain Department of Defense audiences around the world." The Defen ...
, at
Fort Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation located in Maryland, that includes the Defense Information School, the Defense Media Activity, the United States military bands#Army Field Band, United States Army Field Band, and the head ...
, Maryland.
[Personnel](_blank)
DVIDS website
In 2025, DVIDS
took down all "news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote
diversity, equity, and inclusion
In the United States, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject ...
(DEI)." A previous mass removal was done in 2021 to protect
Afghans
Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...
.
See also
*
Public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
References
External links
*
DVIDS Public Affairs Officers' qualification course,
Defense Information School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System
Mass media of the military of the United States
Public relations