In facilities where a 1 gigabit (1GbE) Ethernet network infrastructure is already in place, Audio-Visual over Internet Protocol (AVoIP) solutions designed for 1Gb are practical and cost effective. AVoIP will operate over Category 5e cable, reducing the investment in new technology and labor.
The adoption of AVoIP has been hampered by many factors including an alphabet soup of proprietary formats such as NDI, Dante, and AVB/TSN (Audio Video Bridging/Time-Sensitive Networking), understanding the OSI Layer, and the numerous codecs such as AVC, H.264, or MPEG-4 Part 10, H.265 MPEG-H Part 2, and JPEG 2000. And interoperability remains a challenge.
1Gb vs. 10Gb Ethernet: Which is right for your AV network?
[The Integration Guide to AVoIP]
However, there are many benefits that make that transition to AV-over-IP on a 1Gb network very attractive, and we explore three from different companies.
Key Features for Practical and Cost-Effective AVoIP Solutions
Atlona AT-OMNI-112
Atlona’s OmniStream 112 is a single-channel networked encoder within the OmniStream Pro AV over IP family. The OmniStream 112 processes two channels of encoding in a single, half-width rack enclosure, offering cost-efficient, high-density integration.
EvertzAV Nucleus Platform
EvertzAV’s has three additions to its Nucleus platform. The first is the UXP-TRXSUSB2-P transceiver with video (HDMI/SDI), audio, serial, USB HID, and USB 2.0 capabilities. The UXP-TXS transmitters and UXP-RXS receivers are cost-effective, single-channel HDMI gateways with serial functionality. All three gateways are managed elements of the Nucleus platform, EvertzAV’s feature-rich AV-over-IP solution.
What to consider when choosing a gigabit Ethernet network
Matrox Maevex 6100 Series
The Matrox Maevex 6100 Series encoders and decoders support simultaneous capture, streaming, recording, and decoding up to four 4K channels of AV over 1 GbE networks at low latency and user-defined bitrates. With industry-standard H.264 encoding, and six standardized streaming protocols—including RTSP and MPEG2.TS—interoperability with other devices like VLC becomes second nature. The included Maevex PowerStream Plus software provides an easy to use out-of-the-box experience, while multiple APIs and SDKs are available to help developers with integration of third-party hardware and software, and for customizable applications.
Image Quality for Practical and Cost-Effective AVoIP Solutions
Atlona AT-OMNI-112
The 112 delivers the highest-quality 4K imagery using SMPTE VC-2 visually lossless compression (SMPTE 2042) with low latency. VC-2 is optimized for video distribution over readily available Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure.
EvertzAV Nucleus Platform
All three gateways support resolutions up to 4K and can be deployed on 1GbE and 2.5GbE networks. The UXP-RXS receiver has one HDMI output, which is capable of scaling (up to 4K) any network-based source to match the required resolution of the downstream sink device. The UXP-TXS transmitter has one HDMI input supporting resolutions up to 4K and uses its built-in TICO-XS/JPEG-XS codec to transport video with incredible quality and ultra-low latency.
Matrox Maevex 6100 Series
The Matrox Maevex 6100 Series encoders and decoders offer low latency, and the choice of chroma subsampling settings that enables 4:4:4 video and high-quality 4:2:0 video. In addition, with multiple preset configurations for image quality and low latency, and robust H.264 parameter settings, Maevex allows users to dial quality settings to their needs.
Operational Benefits for Practical and Cost-Effective AVoIP Solutions
Atlona AT-OMNI-112
OmniStream features selectable AES128 encryption for securing sensitive or protected AV content, and also maximizes uptime with automatic failover and recovery when deployed in redundant configurations, and in alignment with IT systems and best practices. Standard IP network hardware replaces the need for fixed matrix switching systems that are difficult to scale. SMPTE 2022 forward error correction ensures robust performance over large network installations.
EvertzAV Nucleus Platform
Nucleus has been developed exclusively for customers looking for an all-in-one AV routing, distribution, presentation, and control system. Nucleus can be used to distribute digital signage content, quickly build video display walls, control remote content servers, and much more. The UXP-TRXS-USB2 AV transceiver is a multi-purpose device that can either be used as a receiver, a transmitter, or both at the same time. Due to the bi-directional nature of the links, the UXP-TRXS-USB2 can be used to both send and receive video (via HDMI or SDI), audio, serial, USB HID, and USB 2.0 data over 1GbE/2.5GbE. If PoE is required for an application, the UXP-TRXS-USB2-P model is available, which supports 802.3bt Type 3.
Matrox Maevex 5100 Series
The included Maevex PowerStream Plus software is used to remotely discover, manage, and adjust the Maevex network. This gives administrators the ability to define multiple stream parameters and balance stream bandwidth and quality. Maevex supports six streaming protocols which allows it to push many streams on-premises over the LAN, feed cloud-based servers, and securely stream across the internet with 256-bit encryption—all concurrently. In addition to streaming to one or all of the above destinations, users can choose to record as well.
AV over IP convergence: What you need to know
The Final Word on Practical and Cost-Effective AVoIP Solutions
While there will always be an application and need for point-to-point HDBaseT, AV over IP makes a great deal of sense in almost every medium- to large-scale installation. 1Gb networks dominate the landscape of existing buildings. Unless there is a significant rip-and-replace budget to upgrade to a 10Gb network, and if you haven’t already, the time is now to make the transition to AVoIP.
