Glitches in transmitting High quality Video & Audio to longer distances, experiencing Time lag / Voice break?

** Time to switch over to AV over IP.

Let us first see what is “AV over IP”

AV over IP stands for “Audio-Visual over Internet Protocol”.

Not very long ago all the systems used only the audio visual protocols and with the technology shift these are being transmitted using cable network infrastructures like the Internet Protocols, WAN, LAN.

What are some of the benefits of AV over IP?

Key benefits are quite a few:

• You can have Scalable switching, that means the number of sources attached is no longer as limited, multiple IP switches can be connected to expand when physical ports run out.
• Better ratio of inputs to outputs
• There is Convergence with data and communications
• Video standards extend beyond the local facility
• Flexibility in use for New options in video processing
• Most importantly the distance is no longer a barrier.
• Easy to manage and control.

Similarities between traditional AV and AV over IP setups.

The basic elements in AV environments stay the same since. Traditional AV infrastructures are mainly to do with the extension and switching of audio and video assets. The aim of an AV facility is to provide users the ability to see and/or hear their video and sound sources on their viewing stations and on their sound systems or speakers. To achieve this, sources need to be captured, moved, switched, and displayed. The user interface to change sources can be push buttons on hardware equipment, right up to digital interfaces on computer-based technologies.

You may ask if there is a future of AV-over-IP in the professional AV industry?

We are seeing trends where the conventional analogue AV, audio and security systems are being replaced with IP-based infrastructures, especially for larger, more complex and longer distance transmission systems. Some integrators, who are using IP AV technology is a relatively new concept & thought to be expensive but that is not the case as with the growing adoption of smart home devices, the concept of technology devices as ‘IP end points’ is becoming much more common and accepted.

The range of IP-based technologies available on the professional AV market keep increasing every day from all manufacturers, with products such as video-over-IP / video over Ethernet, audio-over-IP, IP intercoms and IP cameras which are quickly becoming the norm.
And with the expansion of the Internet-of-Things – or IoT – the expectation of both users and integrators for IP-connected devices is growing in .

There always is a confusion if there is a single standard for AV-over-IP?

The answer is No! There are a lot of AV-over-IP standards, transmission technologies and interfaces to transmit video, audio, control and data signals over a network for AV, professional audio and security applications.

Different resolution Content can be sent as per user requirements right from VGA, HD, FHD or now UHD / 4K with a specified FPS.

There are platforms that have been developed by technology alliances and the platforms have been licensed out to all manufacturers to integrate into their own technologies

In principal, this means that products from different manufacturers who use the same AV over IP transmission technology ideally should be compatible –answer is Yes and No! Yet, it isn’t always safe to assume that every AV/IP device will talk to every other AV/IP device as they all may have individual Protocols keeping same Technology Platform.

The fact remains that manufacturers would really prefer you to stay brand loyal and so will invest in their own product compatibility, rather than inter-brand compatibility!

No, Doubt AV over IP is the next best thing or Disruption in Technology which has happened in recent past.

Helping the AV and IT bridge their differences and finding common platforms for each other.