The aim of the Vetronics Infrastructure for Video Over Ethernet (VIVOE) standard is to promote the interoperability of present and future land platform digital video and audio distribution systems. A VIVOE network is used for the distribution of digital video, audio and acoustic data within a Vetronics system, although, as an option, the incorporation of limited data (e.g. video or audio metadata) distribution on the same network may be implemented. However, the standard is not intended to be used to transfer general Vetronics type data on the network and using it to transfer Vetronics data may impact the real time performance of the video or audio system.

The standard describes the mechanisms and protocols that are employed to facilitate the distribution and control of digital video, audio and data. The system specified is based on Ethernet as the network technology and all the protocols and mechanisms selected are open, widely used network standards. This standard does not define any new protocols but provides guidance on how the selected protocols and mechanisms are used. For most protocols, the actual standard documentation will need to be consulted to obtain additional detailed information to implement the protocol in an actual system. This Defence Standard is therefore used as the starting point when designing and implementing a VIVOE system although, in the event of an inconsistency between this standard and a referenced standard, then Def Stan 00-082 takes precedence.

Not all parts of the standard will need to be implemented for every system. The particular features and functions of the standard that are used for a particular implementation are system-defined on a project by project basis via a valid systems engineering approach.