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4. Distinguishable RTP and RTCP Packets

When RTP and RTCP packets are multiplexed onto a single port, the RTCP packet type field occupies the same position in the packet as the combination of the RTP marker (M) bit and the RTP payload type (PT). This field can be used to distinguish RTP and RTCP packets when two restrictions are observed: 1) the RTP payload type values used are distinct from the RTCP packet types used; and 2) for each RTP payload type (PT), PT+128 is distinct from the RTCP packet types used. The first constraint precludes a direct conflict between RTP payload type and RTCP packet type; the second constraint precludes a conflict between an RTP data packet with the marker bit set and an RTCP packet.

The following conflicts between RTP and RTCP packet types are known:

  • RTP payload types 64-65 conflict with the (obsolete) RTCP FIR and NACK packets defined in the original "RTP Payload Format for H.261 Video Streams" [3] (which was obsoleted by [17]).

  • RTP payload types 72-76 conflict with the RTCP SR, RR, SDES, BYE, and APP packets defined in the RTP specification [1].

  • RTP payload types 77-78 conflict with the RTCP RTPFB and PSFB packets defined in the RTP/AVPF profile [4].

  • RTP payload type 79 conflicts with RTCP Extended Report (XR) [5] packets.

  • RTP payload type 80 conflicts with Receiver Summary Information (RSI) packets defined in "RTCP Extensions for Single-Source Multicast Sessions with Unicast Feedback" [6].

New RTCP packet types may be registered in the future and will further reduce the RTP payload types that are available when multiplexing RTP and RTCP onto a single port. To allow this multiplexing, future RTCP packet type assignments SHOULD be made after the current assignments in the range 209-223, then in the range 194-199, so that only the RTP payload types in the range 64-95 are blocked. RTCP packet types in the ranges 1-191 and 224-254 SHOULD only be used when other values have been exhausted.

Given these constraints, it is RECOMMENDED to follow the guidelines in the RTP/AVP profile [7] for the choice of RTP payload type values, with the additional restriction that payload type values in the range 64-95 MUST NOT be used. Specifically, dynamic RTP payload types SHOULD be chosen in the range 96-127 where possible. Values below 64 MAY be used if that is insufficient, in which case it is RECOMMENDED that payload type numbers that are not statically assigned by [7] be used first.

Note: Since Section 6.1 of [1] specifies that all RTCP packets MUST be sent as compound packets beginning with a Sender Report (SR) or a Receiver Report (RR) packet, one might wonder why RTP payload types other than 72 and 73 are prohibited when multiplexing RTP and RTCP. This is done to support [18], which allows the use of non-compound RTCP packets in some circumstances.