Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
Military media publishing unit of the U.S. Department of Defense
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), formerly the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, is an operation supported by the Defense Media Activity (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.
01Operations
A network of portable Ku-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 technologies for infrastructure as a service. It operates DefenseTV, a military television over the top box app accessed through FireTV, Chromecast or Roku, 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, at Fort Meade, Maryland.
In 2025, DVIDS took down all "news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)." A previous mass removal was done in 2021 to protect Afghans.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Defense Visual Information Distribution Service”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- DVIDS LOGO.png by Defense Media Activity, Public domain
- Command Master Chief Nancy Estrada speaks at a LGBT Pride Month celebration at NAS Sigonella - 180620-N-OY339-1097 (4501573).jpg by U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Gordon, Public domain
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