What protocol might a TSC use to communicate with media components?

The Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) is the correct choice for communication with media components due to its design specifically for transmitting audio and video over networks in real-time. RTP provides end-to-end network transport functions suitable for applications such as streaming media, teleconferencing, and video conferencing, where timely delivery of packets is critical to maintaining sync and quality. It accommodates characteristics required for real-time communications, such as timing, sequencing, and payload type identification, which are not features of the other protocols listed.

In contrast, protocols like Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) are primarily designed for transferring files and web content rather than real-time media streaming. Similarly, while Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) offers reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data, it does not inherently support the requirements for real-time applications, such as low latency and jitter tolerance, making RTP the more appropriate choice for TSC interactions with media components.