Which protocol breaks data into smaller units and adds application-layer headers for real-time delivery?

The Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) is specifically designed for delivering audio and video over networks, making it ideal for real-time applications such as video conferencing and streaming. RTP breaks data into smaller units, known as packets, which is essential for maintaining the timing and synchronicity of media streams. Each packet is encapsulated with application-layer headers that include time stamps and sequence numbers, enabling the effective delivery of real-time data while helping to manage issues related to packet loss, arrival order, and other factors that can affect the quality of streaming media.

In contrast, other protocols like Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) are not tailored for the specific needs of real-time delivery, although they do also operate at the transport layer. TCP is primarily focused on reliable delivery, ensuring that data packets are received accurately and in order, which introduces latency that can be detrimental to real-time communications. UDP, while faster and with lower latency than TCP, does not include built-in mechanism for managing packet loss or delivery sequence beyond basic checks, which makes it less suitable for maintaining the quality required for real-time media. Finally, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is designed for transferring files, which does not prioritize the real-time delivery needs inherent to