The distinction between broadcast and professional AV is blurring as the two worlds converge and overlap, creating a new era in content creation that benefits both markets.

Historically, broadcast-quality production required dedicated studios, specialized engineering teams, SDI-based infrastructure, and significant capital investment. Today, many of those barriers are coming down. But the end goal remains the same—to produce high-quality content that looks good, helps deliver important messages, and fosters engagement while being cost-effective and easy to use.

Corporate and education customers are increasingly expected to create, deliver, and distribute high-quality video content at speed, whether for executive communications, training, education, live productions, hybrid events, product launches, or customer and student engagement. As a result, these end users are turning to technologies that combine the reliability and image quality of broadcast with the flexibility and accessibility of AV. This creates new markets, customers, and opportunities for those in both broadcast and Pro AV.

Interest is growing in solutions including budget-friendly studio cameras with expandable future pathways and PTZ options that incorporate the cinematic look, zoom, and AI-based technologies.

The Drivers

Several trends are accelerating this convergence. AV-over-IP is moving video and audio transmission away from dedicated media and cabling toward standard IT networks. This gives organizations more flexible production environments and broader ways to deliver content across rooms, campuses, and remote locations.

At the same time, remote and cloud-based production tools are reducing the need for physical control rooms, fixed studios, and specialized editing suites. Teams can now switch, manage, and edit content from virtually anywhere, lowering both operational complexity and cost.

[Sony Electronics to Launch Two Compact, Lightweight 4K PTZ Cameras at InfoComm 26]

AI-powered capabilities are also playing a critical role. Intelligent features such as AI auto framing, tracking, and enhanced autofocus, seen in Sony’s latest PTZ cameras, are helping non-technical or less-experienced users produce more professional results with less manual input. These capabilities are especially important in corporate, education, and faith environments, where internal teams or volunteers may not have traditional broadcast expertise but still need to deliver polished, consistent content using intuitive technologies.

Video Becomes Central

This evolution is visible in the growing use of PTZ cameras across auditoriums, mixed-use spaces, lecture halls, studios, and meeting environments. Equipment is becoming smarter, easier to deploy, and better suited to multipurpose use cases. Instead of building production around highly specialized facilities, organizations can create scalable video ecosystems that support everything from simple internal messaging to sophisticated live productions.

As video becomes central to how organizations communicate, thought leadership, internal messaging, and education are becoming more dependent on production capabilities. Using the latest technologies, end users can now create high-quality content quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively with fewer barriers and resources, making them better positioned to inform, influence, and engage their audiences now and into the future.

The SDVoE Alliance is expanding the capabilities of the SDVoE API to support AI-assisted workflows for AV over IP deployment, programming, monitoring, and troubleshooting. The SDVoE API already enables manufacturers, developers, and system integrators to create and manage advanced AV over IP applications, including video walls, multiview systems, and instant switching without dedicated processing hardware or complex external control layers. By combining the SDVoE API with AI agentic control architectures, including MCP Servers and Agent Skills, users can now interact with systems through natural-language prompts and automated software tools. The approach reduces dependence on specialized API expertise and simplifies the creation and operation of SDVoE systems across a range of professional AV environments.

[Day 2 AV/IT Interoperability: SDVoE Alliance]

“The SDVoE API was designed to give developers and integrators flexibility to build sophisticated AV-over-IP applications,” said Stephane Tremblay, president of the SDVoE Alliance. “AI-assisted workflows represent the next stage of that evolution by making system deployment, configuration and support more accessible and more efficient.”

The SDVoE Alliance’s AI-assisted and agentic workflows can significantly reduce the time required to create working system configurations, integrations and control interfaces. Instead of manually programming complex routing, video wall or multiview functions, or building custom integrations and user interfaces from scratch, users can generate configurations and control workflows using conversational prompts that automate much of the underlying development and programming process.

The workflow also improves troubleshooting and operational support by allowing AI tools and agents to analyze logs, interpret system behavior and identify issues more quickly than traditional manual diagnostics. Because the SDVoE API supports cloud-connected monitoring and remote management, operators can monitor system performance and manage complex tasks remotely in an IT-friendly environment.

DVIGear is among the first SDVoE adopters to demonstrate a working implementation of AI-assisted workflows through its DisplayNet platform with DisplayNet Connect for AI Agents. DisplayNet Connect is an MCP Server that allows for direct integration between DisplayNet’s SDVoE management server and AI platforms, such as Claude, OpenAI Codex, and Gemini CLI. DisplayNet Connect enables application development and automated log analysis with natural-language prompts across large-scale SDVoE deployments. By leveraging agentic AI tools with SDVoE, users can create integrated system configurations and user interfaces in minutes, reducing the difficulty previously required to work directly with AV-over-IP control APIs.

DVIGear has unleashed a new AI agent integration for its DisplayNet platform. Introducing DisplayNet Connect for AI Agents for AV over IP signal distribution platforms. DisplayNet Connect lets AI assistants and agent frameworks configure, control, and troubleshoot DisplayNet systems through natural language, leveraging the DisplayNet API. The product is built on Model Context Protocol (MCP) for broad compatibility with leading agent platforms such as Claude, OpenAI Codex, and Gemini CLI. The underlying integration approach is protocol-agnostic and can be extended to other agent interfaces as the ecosystem evolves.

[Day 2 AV/IT Interoperability: SDVoE Alliance]

DVIGear’s DisplayNet platform, which is built on the SDVoE standard, powers AV extension, switching, multiview, and video wall applications across enterprise, government, education, and broadcast environments. With DisplayNet Connect for AI Agents, developers and integrators will be able to query system state, generate routing and video wall configurations, build custom integrations and user interfaces, and analyze logs—all using natural language. The result is a dramatic reduction in the time required to take a DisplayNet system from rack-up to production.

“DisplayNet has always been about giving integrators a more flexible and intelligent way to move AV signals over standard IP networks,” said Steven Barlow, president of DVIGear. “DisplayNet Connect for AI Agents is the next logical step. We are taking the parts of an AV over IP project that have traditionally required deep API expertise—writing integrations, building control UIs, debugging issues in the field—and making them accessible through the same AI tools our customers already use every day.”

DisplayNet Connect for AI Agents is designed to compress workflows that previously required days of custom development into minutes. Typical applications include generating integration code and control interfaces from natural-language descriptions of the desired behavior; configuring routing, multiview layouts and video walls without manually programming the underlying API; and diagnosing system issues by allowing AI agents to read and interpret DisplayNet logs in real time. Because DisplayNet Connect speaks directly to the DisplayNet management server, organizations gain AI-assisted workflows without giving up the interoperability, performance and security that come with a standards-based AV over IP platform.

Visionary has made available its E5000, a compact AV over IP encoder and the latest addition to the company’s 5 Series. Purpose-built for projects that prioritize streamlined functionality and value, the E5000 delivers Visionary’s trusted performance and reliability in an economical, space-saving form factor.

[Feeling Lucky? AV over IP Reimagines Casino AV]

Designed for AV over IP installations that require essential encoding capabilities without the overhead of advanced features, the E5000 features a simplified I/O configuration that includes a single HDMI input, one PoE Ethernet port, and RS232 control. By delivering the core performance capabilities of Visionary’s E5100 encoder, including native AES67 audio support, the E5000 offers an ideal balance of functionality, scalability, and cost efficiency.

“The E5000 was developed to give our partners a more value-engineered option within the 5 Series ecosystem without compromising the performance standards Visionary is known for,” said Scott Freshman, chief operating officer for Visionary. “For large-scale AV over IP projects that need dependable, high-quality encoding with essential connectivity, the E5000 delivers exactly the right feature set at the right price point.”

The E5000 is especially well-suited for education, corporate, government, hospitality, digital signage and large venue deployments, where scalable AV distribution and audio interoperability are critical, but more advanced encoder I/O options are unnecessary.

Built on Visionary’s cinema-quality , ultra-low-latency, sub-frame-visual-lossless 4K UHD over IP platform, the E5000 empowers integrators and enterprise AV teams to deploy high-performance video distribution across modern IP networks while optimizing project budgets. Like all Visionary 5 Series endpoints, the E5000 is designed to eliminate the constraints of traditional matrix switching systems, replacing fixed infrastructure with the flexibility, scalability, and long-term advantages of standards-based IP networking.

Kiloview recently launched two additions to its AV over IP ecosystem: the AVX24-4 Media HUB and KiloLink Station. These new products further strengthen Kiloview’s vision of a lightweight, unified, and production-ready AVoIP ecosystem, designed to simplify operation while meeting the reliability and scalability demands of professional environments.

[Versatility and AVoIP]

By addressing long-standing challenges between IT infrastructure and AV operations, AVX24-4 Media HUB enables studios, production centers, and enterprise users to clearly visualize, control, and trust complex IP media workflows, while KiloLink Station provides a turnkey solution for reliable, synchronized wireless bonding reception and centralized device management for on-site and remote production. Serving as the foundation of Kiloview’s AV over IP ecosystem, AVX24-4 Media HUB is a next-generation media management platform designed for professional AV workflows, with a strong focus on NDI-based environments.

Housed in a compact 1U rack-mountable design, AVX24-4 integrates a high-performance network module, an FPGA-based processing engine, and a centralized control system into a single device. Rather than acting as a traditional IT switch, AVX24-4 is pre-configured and optimized specifically for AV engineers, enabling intuitive operation without requiring deep networking expertise.

For NDI workflows, AVX24-4 delivers multicast-based routing, enabling sub-frame switching, zero black-frame transitions, and microsecond-level processing accuracy. Built-in QoS policies ensure NDI streams are prioritized even in congested network environments, while support for PTP (IEEE 1588) provides precise time synchronization for frame-accurate switching and multi-source alignment. Each AVX24-4 can handle up to 32 NDI sources at resolutions up to 4Kp60, with virtually unlimited receivers depending on network bandwidth.

KiloLink Station is a compact, plug-and-play hardware platform designed to simplify wireless bonding reception, remote contribution, and centralized device management. Preloaded with KiloLink Server Pro, KiloLink Station eliminates the need for separate servers, software installation, Docker configuration, or subscriptions. Operators can connect Kiloview P-series wireless bonding encoders with minimal setup, enabling fast onboarding, real-time monitoring, and centralized control through a unified web interface.

KiloLink Station supports simultaneous reception from up to eight bonded contribution channels, with four synchronized 3G-SDI outputs (1080p60) and a 4K HDMI output for preview or multiview monitoring. Frame-level synchronization is ensured using embedded timecode, making it suitable for professional multi-camera productions.

Sponsored Content

In this exclusive video interview from InfoComm 2025, WyreStorm’s product development director, Zec Voislav, shares a behind-the-scenes look at its new powerful unified communications solution, as well as the award-winning tools it has in place to help customers get—and keep—its products up and running.

Check out the full video interview below.

Already a familiar name in the AV-over-IP space, WyreStorm’s latest product offering—a solution based around its SW-640 presentation switcher—is poised to become a staple of workplace unified communications.

“We are not just creating a presentation switcher; we are building the whole solution,” Voislav said. “The SW-640L-TX-W has been great; it has been well received by our customers, but now we are bringing in two new cameras and a new camera bridge, so now you can connect to the presentation switcher (SW-640L-TX-W) and connect up to four cameras wirelessly or with a USB-C connection. Meeting rooms with a multi-camera system are really popular these days.”

But between its AI-enabled website and the free, AVIXA-certified WyreStorm Academy, one area of WyreStorm’s business model that will never change is the support it provides its customers.

“On our new support hub website, you can get all the information about how to install our devices, as well as the latest updates, firmware updates—and there is a built-in AI bot if you can’t find what you need,” Voislav said. “Your customer will be much more comfortable installing and programming your devices if you provide a good education.”

Combine that world-class support with products that are easy to use, powerful, and reliable, and it’s no wonder WyreStorm has been a leader in AV distribution for more than 15 years.

“Simple is the key word for our devices,” Voislav said. “We are going in that direction to provide easy configuration. For example, an AV-over-IP system is really complex, but how we did it—you basically answer the questions through our configuration tool, and you'll be ready to go.”

About WyreStorm

WyreStorm stands out for its relentless pursuit of innovation, quality, and accessibility in AV. We engineer powerful yet easy-to-deploy solutions that simplify complex installations, empowering integrators and transforming user experiences across industries. Our technologies in AV signal switching, distribution, and unified communications continue to shape the market, earning global recognition and trust. Beyond manufacturing, we invest in the industry’s future through WyreStorm Academy, providing free education and upskilling for AV professionals worldwide. This year, we’ve expanded our global reach, launched innovative solutions, and remained focused on making AV reliable, approachable, and impactful. Hallmarks of a true Manufacturer of the Year. Find out more here.

Portsmouth Football Club, known for its electric match-day atmosphere, had a fan base that continued to grow. Thus, the demand for a hospitality space that could serve multiple functions beyond football grew as well. With the help of Workspace AV and Visionary AV-over-IP solutions, the Warrior and Victory Lounge at Fratton Park has unlocked its capabilities, and is now a modernized, truly versatile space.

The challenge was clear. The existing lounge setup lacked the flexibility needed to accommodate a variety of events. While it served as a gathering space for fans on match days, it was not optimized for conferences, corporate presentations, or fine dining events. The absence of an integrated AV system further complicated matters, making it difficult to display live TV, manage digital signage, or deliver high-quality audio. Additionally, the technical setup was cumbersome, requiring significant effort to operate, limiting the efficiency and usability of the space. Portsmouth FC needed a solution that would not only improve the fan experience but also enhance the club’s ability to host high-end events with ease.

To overcome these challenges, the club partnered with Workspace AV to implement a series of innovative solutions designed to transform the lounge into a modern, multi-functional venue. A key component of the upgrade was the integration of a Visionary AVOIP system, which provided each screen with independent control, ensuring seamless content distribution and allowing for effortless scalability in the future. Visionary’s cutting-edge AV over IP technology meant that the club could easily expand the system without costly infrastructure changes, making it a truly future-proof investment.

This was paired with an Embed Signage system, enabling the club to centrally manage its digital signage, ensuring that all screens displayed relevant and engaging content in real time. Live TV streaming was also introduced across multiple displays, offering guests an uninterrupted and immersive viewing experience.

[Brewing Up Effective Digital Signage]

Audio was another critical component of the transformation. The club required a system that could adapt to different event types, from the high-energy atmosphere of match days to the refined ambiance of corporate gatherings. To achieve this, Extron audio amplifiers, pendant speakers, and a DSP system were installed, alongside Sennheiser microphones, providing clear and dynamic sound quality. The introduction of iPad-controlled Extron processors significantly simplified AV management, allowing staff to adjust settings effortlessly with minimal training.

A standout feature of the project was the 9-foot Dahua LED screen with a 1.5mm pixel pitch, which provided high-resolution visuals, perfect for both sporting events and professional presentations. Complementing this were seven additional professional displays, strategically positioned throughout the lounge to maximize visibility.

Beyond the lounge itself, the Fan Zone was integrated into the AV system, featuring an interface to the DJ booth that enables direct control over external audio. This setup not only supports live DJ performances but also provides ambient sound to enhance the overall atmosphere. Additionally, the external IP-rated speakers allow for the overspill of event audio from the Warrior and Victory Lounge, ensuring a seamless audio experience that extends beyond the main hospitality space.

Thanks to Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series, the entire AV infrastructure remains highly adaptable, with ultra-low latency and superior video quality, ensuring that whether the lounge is operating as a single space or divided into separate areas, every display receives high-quality, synchronized content.

[360-Degree Immersive Displays Create a Stadium Experience]

During the installation phase, the Visionary AV-over-IP system, Extron audio components, and Dahua LED display were deployed, ensuring optimal placement and integration. The integration process focused on linking Embed Signage and live TV across all displays, guaranteeing a seamless and synchronized experience. Meanwhile, the automation phase introduced the iPad-controlled Extron processors, providing an intuitive and user-friendly interface for AV management.

Once the installation was complete, the entire system underwent comprehensive testing to ensure that every component functioned flawlessly. The team worked closely with Portsmouth FC to provide hands-on training, ensuring that staff could easily manage the new AV setup with confidence.

The transformation of the Warrior and Victory Lounge has had a profound impact on Portsmouth Football Club’s hospitality and event capabilities. The venue has been completely reimagined, offering a flexible and technologically advanced space that can be effortlessly adapted for different functions.

The new AV solutions have significantly enhanced fan engagement, providing immersive visuals and high-quality audio that elevate the match-day experience. With live TV streaming, digital signage, and dynamic audio, fans can enjoy real-time content in a modern and engaging environment.

[Nebraska Athletics Displays Winning Message]

Beyond match days, the lounge has become a highly desirable venue for corporate events, fine dining experiences, and conferences. The ability to divide the space into two separate areas or merge it into one large venue provides exceptional versatility, opening up new commercial opportunities for the club.

The simplified AV controls have also led to a 50% reduction in event setup times, streamlining operations and increasing efficiency. "The transformation of the Warrior and Victory Lounge has been remarkable," said Darren Parker, head of technology at Portsmouth Football Club. "The AV solutions provided have not only enhanced the fan experience on match days but also turned the space into a highly sought-after venue for corporate events. The simplicity of the control systems means our staff can manage everything effortlessly. A truly game-changing upgrade for Portsmouth FC."

The landscape of AV distribution has been rapidly evolving, driven by the increasing demand for high-quality, low-latency, and scalable solutions. IPMX (Internet Protocol Media Experience) has emerged as a key networking protocol in the AV-over-IP domain, offering a robust and flexible standard that caters to the diverse needs of the professional AV industry. IPMX is built upon the SMPTE ST 2110 standard, originally designed for and widely deployed across broadcast, but now adapted to meet the specific requirements of Pro AV.

The Evolution of IPMX

IPMX was developed by the VSF (Video Services Forum) and AIMS (Alliance for IP Media Solutions) to address the limitations of existing AV-over-IP solutions—adding greater interoperability, scalability, and flexibility. While proprietary protocols served specific needs, they posed challenges in terms of vendor lock-in and the difficulty of integration into different systems. Recognizing this, the VSF and AIMS Alliance sought to create a unified standard that could deliver both high performance and broad compatibility in an open, standards-based approach.

The initial development of IPMX leveraged the ST 2110 suite, which is widely used in broadcast environments for uncompressed synchronous video, audio, and metadata over IP networks. However, for IPMX to be applicable in Pro AV, it required enhancements to address the unique needs of the industry, such as plug-and-play support for asynchronous media, reduced network complexity and cost (optional PTP timing), and the inclusion of features such as HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) and PEP (Privacy Encryption Protocol). Some of these additions also make it easier to interface to widely used HDMI media sources and displays.

IPMX continues to evolve, with recent additions further enhancing its capabilities. IPMX supports both uncompressed and compressed video, and while today the dominant codec used is JPEG XS, other codecs supporting higher levels of compression are possible. Flexibility in codec selection facilitates the use of IPMX in environments where network bandwidth is limited. Another significant barrier for AV-over-IP adoption in Pro AV was the lack of robust content protection and security. The latest IPMX specifications include support for HDCP and PEP, ensuring that copyrighted or private content can be securely transmitted over IP networks without compromising quality. An optional IPMX feature is Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronization, which is beneficial in applications such as video walls and live events where timing precision is crucial. Finally, the upcoming standardization of USB support in IPMX enables seamless control of remote devices over IP, such as KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse), expanding the potential use cases in control rooms, education, and corporate environments.

[Read More Articles About IMPX]

Benefits of IPMX Versus Competing Protocols

IPMX offers several advantages over competing AV-over-IP protocols, positioning it as the preferred choice for Pro AV applications—particularly those prioritizing a solution that is interoperable and scalable. Unlike proprietary protocols, IPMX is an open specification, ensuring interoperability across different vendors’ equipment. This reduces the risk of vendor lock-in and allows for more flexible system designs.

It also uses standard IP networks enabling easy scalability, from small installations to large and distributed AV systems. This contrasts with point-to-point and fixed bandwidth solutions, which are either limited by distance and the number of supported endpoints, or by the video formats that can be transported. Furthermore, IPMX is designed to facilitate low latency, which is essential for real-time applications such as live events, medical imaging, and interactive exhibits. Its support for uncompressed (latency in the order of one to two lines of video) and visually lossless compressed video (latency in the order of tens of lines for JPEG XS) ensures that signals are transmitted with minimal delay.

IPMX supports both uncompressed and compressed video streams, allowing users to choose the appropriate balance between quality and bandwidth usage. This flexibility is not always available in other protocols, which may force a compromise between quality and performance. By leveraging multicast IP transmission, IPMX optimizes network resources, reducing the bandwidth required for transmitting streams to multiple destinations. This is particularly advantageous in environments with high-density AV installations.

The integration of HDCP and/or PEP in IPMX provides a secure path for transmitting protected or private content. It also leverages NMOS (Networked Media Open Specification) to provide the “plug and play” capabilities needed to easily add and integrate devices in an IP media workflow. When a device is powered up, its resources become available to all devices on the network, removing the need for time-consuming manual configuration of I/O parameters. NMOS also provides authentication, access, and control encryption.

Enabling IPMX with IP Cores from Nextera Video and Adeas

As IPMX adoption grows, the role of hardware in supporting this standard becomes increasingly critical. FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) and adaptive SoCs (System on Chips) are ideal for implementing IPMX solutions and support a broad range of Pro AV use cases. To ease adoption and accelerate time-to-market, adaptive silicon vendors such as AMD work with various Pro AV partners. For example, Nextera Video and Adeas have collaborated to offer industry-leading FPGA IP cores for SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2059 PTP, NMOS control, and IPMX. Their cores are delivered as RTL IP including all software drivers, daemons, and NMOS system control software, and have been broadly deployed and proven worldwide.

[SMPTE ST 2110: An Introduction]

Nextera Video and Adeas offer a fully modular IPMX solution that results in highly efficient resource utilization and is resolution and network speed independent, supporting up to 8K and beyond over Ethernet links from 1Gbps to over 100Gbps. Nextera and Adeas provide a complete transmit and receive reference design, and design services are available for the development or customization of hardware, firmware, and software.

FPGAs and adaptive SoCs provide the flexibility required to implement IPMX in a wide range of AV applications. These devices can be customized to handle the specific requirements of an installation, such as unique video formats, custom timing requirements, or integration with legacy systems. For instance, the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC (Multi-Processor System on Chip) family combines programmable logic with processor cores, allowing manufacturers to develop highly integrated solutions that can process IPMX streams, manage PTP synchronization, and interface with a variety of AV peripherals such as HDMI™. The integration of Arm processors within these SoCs allows for the deployment of the sophisticated NMOS control and management features directly on the device, reducing the need for external control systems. This makes them a key component in the development of standalone IPMX-enabled devices, such as encoders, decoders, and matrix switchers in a variety of use cases.

In live event production, adaptive silicon is used in IPMX-compliant video processing systems that deliver low-latency, high-quality video feeds. The flexibility of FPGAs allows for real-time processing of 4K and even 8K video, ensuring that live feeds are synchronized and broadcast-quality. In corporate environments, AMD FPGA technology-based IPMX solutions enable seamless distribution of video content across large campuses, supporting everything from digital signage to video conferencing. The low latency and high-quality transmission ensure a consistent and professional AV experience. Finally, in healthcare, IPMX over AMD hardware supports the transmission of high-resolution imaging data in real-time, crucial for applications such as remote surgery and telemedicine. The integration of privacy encryption (PEP) and low-latency transmission is vital in these sensitive environments.

Shaping the Future of AV-over-IP

IPMX is establishing itself as a key player in the future of AV-over-IP by providing a robust, interoperable, and scalable solution that meets the demands of the Pro AV market. The ongoing evolution of the IPMX specification, with its support for a range of codecs from uncompressed to highly compressed video, and encryption of control and content such as HDCP, makes it an increasingly attractive choice for AV equipment manufacturers. AMD FPGAs and SoCs play a vital role in enabling IPMX, affording the flexibility, processing power, and integration capabilities to implement cutting-edge solutions across a wide range of AV applications. As the Pro AV industry continues to grow and evolve, IPMX, supported by AMD technology and IP cores from Nextera Video and Adeas, is poised to be at the forefront of this transformation.

This article was contributed to by Spencer Deame, Product Manager, Nextera Video and Antoine Hermans, CTO, Adeas B.V.

Visionary has made available a new firmware update for its 5 Series PacketAV Matrix endpoints, now featuring native AES67 support across the entire product line. The addition of AES67, along with other key features, further strengthens the performance and flexibility of Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series for Pro AV installations.

[AVoIP: Beyond the Buzzword]

“We are proud to bring AES67 support to our entire 5 Series product line,” said Scott Freshman, chief operating officer for Visionary. “This update, along with the removal of jumbo frame requirements, integration with Extreme Networks’ Fabric Attach, and the introduction of sub-frame latency, reflects our commitment to providing cutting-edge, flexible solutions that simplify AV installation and improve performance across diverse environments.”

The addition of native AES67 audio support enables seamless integration with a wide range of audio systems that use this industry-standard protocol. AES67 facilitates high-quality, low-latency audio transmission in networked environments, ensuring full interoperability between Visionary’s 5 Series endpoints and a broad array of AES67-compliant devices. With this enhanced flexibility, Visionary customers can create even more adaptable and future-proof AV infrastructures.

[The Integration Guide to AVoIP 2024]

Beyond AES67 integration, the new firmware removes the need for jumbo frames, streamlining network configurations and enabling wider interoperability. By no longer requiring jumbo frames, Visionary’s 5 Series endpoints work seamlessly on networks with devices that are incompatible with or do not support jumbo frames. Additionally, the new firmware update introduces a significant improvement in latency performance. The 5 Series PacketAV Matrix endpoints now achieve sub-frame latency, with as little as ~2 milliseconds of delay.

 Welcome to Crestron's AV-over-IP week. To celebrate, the company has unveiled its new DM NVX 384 encoder/decoder. The solution brings seamless performance across unified communications, digital signage, and presentation spaces. Crestron's weeklong celebration of innovation showcases new solutions, celebrates trusted partners and projects, and offers new training opportunities for the industry across a mix of in-person and online event opportunities.

[Take a Peek Inside Crestron's New NYC Experience Center]

The solution brings USB-C connectivity to the DM NVX platform as well as delivers multi-input switching across four inputs and supports 5K resolution. The DM NVX 384 is ideal for addressing USB-C video input support, which has become the standard across laptops, smartphones, and tablets, and is common in both the home as well as commercial settings. The multi-input switching allows for two HDMI connectivity inputs and two USB-C inputs, which has been a common request for applications where many sources might be required, such as a podium or teaching lectern. Lastly, the 5K support is helpful for addressing the increased popularity of 21:9 and 32:9 displays to support the growing screen real estate.

[AVoIP: Beyond the Buzzword]

“DM NVX transformed the way companies think about AV distribution, and to celebrate its continued innovation, Crestron is dedicating a week to DM NVX learning, collaboration, and inspiration. This portfolio has played a role in some pivotal projects from supporting the Mars Rover landing to the world’s largest sportsbook,” says Brad Hintze, executive vice president of Global Marketing at Crestron. “This latest addition to the platform brings exciting opportunistic new features that will address even more capabilities and applications across our AV-over-IP hardware offerings.”

We sat down with Paulo Francisco, vice president of engineering at Evertz AV to answer a few pressing questions about IPMX. 

What is driving the need for IPMX and what does IPMX hope to achieve?

In industries where interoperability between products from different vendors is crucial, we often see a specific technological evolution. When the industry needs a novel solution to tackle a new problem or solve an old problem differently, a small set of industrious R&D companies will take up the challenge. In time, other product manufacturers see an opportunity and do the same. Over time the existence and viability of a new market segment is proven, and end users are empowered with a multitude of solutions to choose from. Although this may be advantageous, in terms of a large product selection, it also causes confusion for end users left parsing through marketing claims as to which technology is better for their application. Eventually, there comes a need for a form of technology consolidation or a common way to ideally solve the original problem and enable multiple product manufacturers to interoperate. That is, in essence, the purpose of an open standard like IPMX. It defines one way, with open standards and specifications, to implement AV-over-IP enabling multi-vendor interoperability and empowering end users with the ability to pick best-in-class vendors with the assurance that all products will co-exist and interoperate.

Will IPMX products assure interoperability?

Well, not so fast. Like all standards, the IPMX standard is a collection of documents in a prioritized order starting with the essential components and adding, over time, less common capabilities. The published and draft TR10-XY documents can be viewed here. When several companies and engineering teams review a set of standards, it is inevitable to have different interpretations of the written text. To that end, an essential component of any standard is to define a set of testing criteria that a product must pass to be certified and claim “compliance”. This testing can come in different forms ranging from less formal “plug fests” or hosted testing events, such as what was done for 2110 via JTNM testing, to more formal and controlled independent testing by accredited labs.

At present, the testing and certification requirements for IPMX is a work in progress. All manufacturers are working together in good faith to maximize this interoperability, but it cannot be guaranteed, nor can a manufacturer claim to have a guaranteed compliant solution.

Will IPMX interoperate with SMPTE-2110?

Throughout the definition of the IPMX open standard, every effort was made to leverage SMPTE ST 2110 and AMWA NMOS, where possible, and create extensions or relax requirements where needed. As such, there is a great deal of interoperable overlap between IPMX and SMPTE-2110, but they are obviously two separate standards with IPMX driven by the need to address the unique and wide requirements of the pro AV market and expected ease of use.

The simplest way to think of this is to start with stream compatibility. A 2110 sender, supporting only uncompressed 2110-20 video, clearly can’t send a stream to an IPMX receiver running at 1G and expecting 2110-22 compressed video. May seem silly to even describe this example but such scenarios can quickly get lost in the excitement of IPMX being stated as interoperable with 2110.

Even in a best-case scenario, such as two 2110-20 uncompressed systems, one needs to consider that pro-AV sources may be content protected and require HDCP support to be processed and sent over IP to a destination which must also support HDCP. This precludes successfully sending such a protected source to a broadcast 2110 SDI destination.

For the cases where IPMX and 2110 domains “meet,” such as a standard 1080p or 4k60 uncompressed video stream, with the usual well defined 48k audio stream, then one is almost assured interoperability provided that there is agreement on timing. IPMX does not mandate the use of PTP synchronization while SMPTE-2110 expects synchronous sources locked to PTP timing. This essentially means that a 2110 source can almost always be received by an IPMX receiver while an IPMX sender would need to ideally support PTP and run in synchronous mode to maximize interoperability. This is noteworthy because IPMX targets many applications and scope of devices, and one option is for a sender to run asynchronously and use RTCP sender reports to dynamically define the sent stream.

So IPMX and SMPTE-2110 interoperability requires a thoughtful system architecture, that takes into consideration all needed workflows, and multi-vendor IPMX interoperability requires patience and time for certification guidelines to be published, vendors to get certified and, almost for certain, a few IPMX software updates along the way.

Some say that PTP is not mandatory while others say that it is. Which is it?

So, in the end, everyone was correct. PTP is not mandatory for an IPMX pro-AV deployment thus allowing for simple low-cost topologies with consumer asynchronous free-running sources. For high-end broadcast systems, where PTP is always present, IPMX is mandated to use it.

The IPMX standard defines what essentially amounts to three possible modes of operation with the goal of providing maximum flexibility for both product and deployment complexity.

The first thing to consider is the media source itself. Classic broadcast SDI sources have a genlock capability and generate a media stream that is locked and synchronized to a housemaster clock. In the world of IP, this master clock signal is PTP. Classic pro AV sources, on the other hand, are often HDMI or Display Port and have no synchronization capability. These are asynchronous sources running under their own locally generated timing which is conveyed as part of the physical interface signaling.

IPMX cleverly allows for:

a: Synchronous sources locked to PTP
b: Asynchronous sources with PTP offset information conveyed over IP
c: Asynchronous sources with sender gateway timing offset information conveyed over IP

Scenario (a) follows a standard SMPTE ST 2110 approach. Scenario (b) uses an IPMX-specific technique called “RTCP Sender Reports” to convey timing offset, between the asynchronous source and PTP, to facilitate re-alignment at the receiving gateway. Scenario (c) is the same as (b) except that every gateway uses its own locally generated clock and although this still facilitates source switching recovery, it does not allow for frame re-alignment as there is no synchronization between the various sender gateways themselves.

So, in all cases, timing information is conveyed to a gateway receiver but the benefit varies. Scenario (a) delivers broadcast quality seamless switching and is compatible with 2110 receivers. Scenarios (b) and (c) rely on the receiver understanding RTCP Sender Reports, which is unique to IPMX, and although scenario (b) allows for frame re-alignment, scenario (c) does not.

The IPMX standard mandates that IPMX sender gateways leverage and synch to PTP if it is available. This means that only scenarios (a) and (b) are relevant in a hybrid IPMX / 2110 deployment. More sophisticated 2110 receivers will still be able to derive timing and show video for scenario (b) but interoperability and optimized performance is not guaranteed.

Join us on Wednesday, August 21 at noon Eastern for a roundtable discussion on The State of Networked AV. 

There's no looking back; AVoIP, AVoIT, or AVoX, "on the network," is becoming part of the fabric of every enterprise. Nearly every company that started as a traditional AV manufacturer has a full suite of networked AV/IT solutions.

This panel defines Networked AV, addresses barriers to entry such as existing infrastructure, major AV equipment that hasn't reached the end of its lifecycle, and how to overcome interdepartmental resistance and help plan for the future.

We will discuss:
+ How Networked AV simplifies provisioning, management, deployment, and monitoring
+ How Networked AV enables ease of use, scalability, and flexibility
+ Understanding the AV network
+ What you need to know about networked AV and security
+ AV over X

Bring your questions and share your experiences. 

Register Now!

It's the early evening on a beautiful day in Las Vegas. While strolling along the Strip, you're captivated by a truly giant direct-view LED display broadcasting a stunning visual message. As you briefly lose yourself in the spectacle of the presentation, the video abruptly cuts out, jarringly replaced with some truly reprehensible content, which clearly wasn't intended by whomever owns that sign. As the offensive presentation persists, the crowd on the street begins to take notice, and soon, it makes the news in a way that is unique to what can happen when security breaches meet AV-over-IP.

As a bystander, this incident might leave you unnerved. But now, imagine you were the IT security manager responsible for that facility. Your concern would shift dramatically from embarrassment and shock to a rush of technical questions and security reviews. You'd immediately need to consider several key questions, including:

Server Security: Was there a breach in the server where the media files are stored? Could someone have tampered with the files?

Control Layer Breach: Was the system that controls what content gets displayed compromised?

Content Layer Vulnerability: Was there a failure in securing the content layer, allowing someone to intercept and replace the stream?

In real-time, IP media systems like those used in high-value, large-scale displays, the common security concerns found in any IT environment carry additional, unique aspects. That is why interoperable security is a central feature of IPMX, on multiple levels.

Within NMOS, and thanks to IS-10 and BCP-003-X, interoperable security specifications provide methods for securing communications within the control plane of IPMX systems. NMOS security leverages well-established protocols like OAuth 2.0, TLS, and JWT, ensuring robust authentication, authorization, and encryption across IP-based media networks.

However, when it comes to the transport layer, IPMX relies on a new protocol called the Privacy Encryption Protocol, or PEP. This protocol enables secure multicast, unicast and bi-directional distribution of digital media and data flows, protecting against unauthorized access or manipulation. It employs AES Counter Mode encryption to ensure that media streams are encrypted and securely managed and includes comprehensive key management capabilities, supporting both static and dynamic key assignments to accommodate varying security needs of media transmissions. Through these features, PEP ensures that IPMX has the security, scalability, and interoperability features required in professional AV environments. In this article, we’ll explore some of PEP’s details, highlighting its major features and some of the unique aspects as we go along.

Privacy Encryption Protocol (PEP)

When the VSF set out to address the need for privacy encryption within the IPMX framework, the first decision was whether to go with an existing protocol like SRTP or to create something new. Opting for the latter, the IPMX activity group created PEP. This decision was primarily driven by the necessity for PEP to coexist with IPMX’s HDCP feature. Unlike SRTP, which encrypts parts of the data that HDCP doesn’t touch, PEP aligns neatly with the strict requirements of the documents that define HDCP 2.3 and how it is used over IP networks, avoiding unnecessary complications and bloated hardware design when both features are present within the same device. PEP also simplifies things significantly by avoiding the key management dance required by SRTP for multicast streams, instead choosing a method that is aligned with how an NMOS-controlled IPMX setup works. In this way and others, PEP is a perfectly tailored fit for the IPMX ecosystem.

Understanding Key Management in PEP

PEP brings benefits beyond efficiency with its robust key management features. To appreciate how PEP enhances security within IPMX, it may be helpful to review some basics about encryption keys. PEP uses pre-shared keys (PSKs) that are securely installed in advance on both the sender and receiver devices. These keys are then used to derive session-specific keys using various features of PEP, including a key derivation function (KDF), which creates a privacy key from the PSK and other parameters that make up the PEP protocol. This suite of features simplifies key management while maintaining security and flexibility across various use cases. Let’s walk through a few scenarios so that we can see how PEP keeps things easy to manage, flexible and secure.

First, let’s consider a corporate campus equipped with IPMX AV-over-IP technology. In the huddle rooms, devices might be configured with a key for general employee access. In the boardroom, however, the setup could include not only the general access key but also additional keys for content that requires higher security levels. Key IDs allow these devices to identify and select the appropriate key based on the content's required access level, ensuring that each stream is accessible only to those with the correct authorization. This system enables seamless distribution of diverse content across various devices, each tailored to different security needs.

Next, let’s look at key reuse and long-running streams. While hacking to illicitly decrypt content in real-time is extremely difficult, it's possible to capture and store the encrypted stream for decryption at a later time. If the same key is used over an extended period, such as months or years, and if that key is eventually cracked through brute force or another method, the entire stream's security is compromised. This could expose past, present, and future content until the key is changed. PEP addresses this vulnerability by using parameters randomly generated whenever the device restarts, as well as with key versioning. With key versioning, keys can be periodically updated without interrupting the stream, significantly reducing the risk of compromise and enhancing the security of long-running streams.

Just as using the same key for long-running flows can pose a security risk, employing a single key across different streams or sub-streams can also compromise security. PEP addresses this concern by requiring the use of distinct encryption parameters for each stream and sub-stream, maintaining maximum security even if multiple streams and sub-streams share the same encryption key. PEP also allows for the customization of security parameters for each stream, providing distinct encryption keys and encryption parameters for each stream. As a result, while some streams might require robust encryption due to sensitive content, others can operate with lighter security measures, optimizing overall system efficiency without sacrificing safety.

Now imagine two people in the system need to communicate without the possibility that anyone else could decrypt their session, not even a system administrator. To stop other devices that have the same PSK from receiving the content, a special key could be created just for them, although that still doesn’t stop an administrator from eavesdropping. Thankfully, PEP offers a more streamlined solution using Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH). ECDH is a key agreement protocol that allows each participant to generate a public-private key pair and share their public keys with one another. Without transferring any private keys, both parties can then derive a shared secret based on their own private keys and the other’s public key. In PEP, this shared secret is combined with a pre-shared key in the key derivation function to generate a unique session key that encrypts their communication. This ensures that no one else, not even the system administrator, can access their conversation, simplifying the key management process while significantly enhancing the privacy and security of their communications.

Conclusion

PEP is a significant advancement for AV-over-IP security by offering an efficient and comprehensive method for managing access to data and content streams within the IPMX framework. By integrating robust features like key versioning, sub-streams, and optional support for ECDH, PEP not only simplifies the encryption landscape but also ensures that each stream is uniquely secured against potential breaches, all while coexisting seamlessly with HDCP and NMOS control protocols.

PEP's thoughtful integration into IPMX provides stakeholders—from system integrators to end users—with a reliable, scalable, open, interoperable, and highly secure AV-over-IP solution. Together, IPMX and PEP will play an important role in the evolution of the industry, ensuring that as the complexity and scale of AV deployments grow, security is always part of the picture.

Author’s note: A special thank you to Alain Bouchard, the lead author of TR-10, for not only crafting the specification but also for his assistance with this article.

Key Digital has updated its free Windows PC Key Digital Management Software (KDMS) Pro system configuration and management app with the addition of System Builder, a streamlined AV-over-IP system DIY configuration tool that delivers integrators and stocking dealers a powerful tool for rapid, intuitive and simplified setup of a new system install.

KDMS Pro, which automatically scans a connected system’s devices and configuration upon launch, is a proven utility for editing Key Digital AV-over-IP system and networked device configurations, including system name, video source and display names, and IP addresses. KDMS Pro also auto-populates prebuilt GUI interfaces for companion system control software.

[The ABCs of AVoIP, Part I | Part II]

The System Builder all-in-one table-based tool allows the programmer/installer to enter the starting parameters of a system, and then the software auto-completes ID and IP address information configuration. System Builder guides the installer through each step of configuration and then, one by one via USB, loads system information into each Key Digital encoder and decoder in use. The pre-configured turnkey system can then be delivered to the job site for final installation, including integration with existing networks.

To support integrator use of System Builder, Key Digital has launched a dedicated, resource-rich webpage that outlines the process and provides links to resources such as concise how-to videos, a setup guide for compatible network switches, KDMS software download, and other pertinent information. System Builder is compatible with all second-generation KD-IP922-II and KD-IP1022-II AV-over-IP systems, as well as with systems deploying first-generation KD-IP822/922/1022 hardware.

[ISE 2024 Info: AV-over-IP on Display with Plexus, Macnica, and SDVoE Alliance]

The KDMS Pro download includes the KDMS Control app for a PC-based UI suitable for end-user operation without the ability to edit device or system settings. Further, KDMS Pro GUI windows are automatically ported to the remarkably featured and free KD-App for portable and intuitive swipe and tap system control from iOS devices, and to Key Digital Compass Control® Pro software which can extend iPad control to a host of Compass Alliance partner systems beyond AV including lighting, HVAC, power and security.

It may be hard to believe, but it’s been almost a quarter-century since the AV industry (along with broadcast and TV/film production) began thinking about routing audio, video, and control signals over the internet. At the NAB 1999 show, there was even an entire section of the Las Vegas Convention Center devoted to “streaming media.”

While those baby steps—remember the “dancing postage stamps”—failed to materialize into anything immediately practical and useful, they did show where these industries were headed. Today, AV signal distribution over fast IT networks is a matter of fact. Numerous improvements in video codecs, broadband speeds, and the widespread acceptance of video streaming to the home also helped spur this ongoing transition.

The phrase “AV-over-IP” has become ubiquitous, but it’s not entirely accurate. “AV-over-IT” would be a better choice, as “IP” stands for a protocol, whereas “IT” is a type of network. In fact, many people remain a bit confused about how audio and video transport over a network actually works, and why you’d want to use that method of signal distribution, as opposed to more traditional methods like HDMI or HDBaseT.

[AVoIP or IPTV?]

To help clear things up, SCN proudly presents this primer on AVoIP. In Part 1, we'll cover how AVoIP works, how it differs from traditional signal distribution methods, and what codecs do. We've even included a healthy dose of acronyms to help you keep track of the terminology. Read on!

Not Really Real Time

The first thing to understand about IT networks is that, at their heart, they are not real-time transport systems. Data sent over IT networks is broken into smaller packets that can travel through multiple servers before they arrive at their destination and are re-assembled into documents, spreadsheets, photos, and emails.

That’s a big no-no for video and audio streams, which must travel in sequenced packets and arrive in the same order in which they started (and in sync). This non-linearity created all kinds of problems with the crude attempts at streaming we saw back in the late 1990s. It’s also why manufacturers of AV gear stayed clear of IT transport, preferring to use hard-wired connections to move audio and video around.

The second thing to understand is that IT networks are shared bandwidth structures. The network bandwidth is fixed—for example, 10 gigabits per second (Gbps)—and can’t be increased. If only a few users are present, that’s not a problem. But if more and more users are logged on and sending/streaming large files, they can and will slow down the network.

Think of a hotel with 200 rooms and one hot water system. If a few people are taking showers, there’s plenty of hot water for everyone. But if all 200 guests jump into the shower at the same time, the hot water will run out pretty quickly!

How then can we expect to send video and audio packets from point A to point B and ensure both arrive intact and in sync? We do this by employing two things in our toolbox: a set of protocols attached to each packet, and a (mostly) lossless method of compressing and decompressing the signals to minimize their bandwidth, speeding their travel through the network.

Internet Protocols

Internet traffic travels in packets (think of envelopes) that have headers known as protocols, which specify the type of packets and how they are to be handled. The two most widely used protocols are Transport Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). Everything that travels over the Internet carries these two headers (TCP/IP).

[Viewpoint: Pioneering the Future of AVoIP]

Internet packets have uniform sizes of 1,500 bytes, based on IEEE standards. And they have a destination, or IP address, written in octets (for example, 192.168.1.1). All these elements ensure that packets can travel through a network or networks and arrive (not always in order) at the intended destination. If a packet is dropped, the receiving server can request it be sent again and again until all the packets are received and the original file is reassembled.

For the majority of files sent across IT networks, this system works quite well, assuming real-time reception isn’t required. But to handle video and audio, we need to add a few more protocols (instructions on the envelopes) that specify the precise order of packets and what to do with them.

A common protocol for media is User Datagram Protocol (UDP). We can also add another protocol for more detailed instructions on those envelopes, such as Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) or Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP). Yet another protocol, Integrated Group Management Protocol (IGMP), is used for servers that generate individual video streams for each viewer logged into that server. Without these protocols, our video and audio files would arrive as a useless jumble of jigsaw pieces—with no instructions on how to reassemble them.

Codec Choices

Where do all these packet headers come from? They’re generated in a codec, a software/hardware system that analyzes the video and audio and breaks it into compressed, smaller packets. This process is extremely fast and requires a ton of computing power and speed. (Fortunately, both are inexpensive and abundant.)

We simply connect a video source—say, an HDMI connection—and play the file. The codec ingests video and audio, performs a ton of mathematical calculations, and out comes a stream of packets. Sounds easy, right? Admittedly, that description is a bit simplistic. There are several codecs available to us, but selecting the right codec depends on your application and a quality of service (QoS) choice you need to make at the start.

Codecs for video can be separated into two categories. The first type is very efficient traveling over networks, but introduces latency, which is a delay between when a video frame is played back and when it’s eventually seen at the receiving end. The second type of codec isn’t nearly as efficient in using available bandwidth but exhibits very low latency.

[The SCN Integration Guide to AVoIP 2023]

Your QoS decision determines what’s more important: efficient transport over networks to conserve bandwidth or near real-time delivery of high-quality video and audio, regardless of bandwidth. In Part 2, we'll discuss both types of codecs, plus codec enhancements, Wi-Fi streaming, and more.

Everyone in the AV community knows HDCP, the high-bandwidth digital content protection protocol. Love it or loathe it, HDCP is now part of everyday AV working lives. It was designed by Intel and adopted by Hollywood as the method by which valued content is secured, primarily to prevent piracy in a real-time environment. In other words, whilst content is being played, as opposed to whilst moving a file. The focus is on the transmission channel, providing protection as content passes from source to sink.

HDCP addresses this with three interlinked systems: Authentication, Encryption, Key Revocation

Simply put, HDCP only allows content to move to endpoints that are legitimate and authenticated HDCP receivers and then protects the content whilst in motion. This uses a system of encryption keys that work together to secure the link.

The original scope perceived the signal distribution as being point-to-point, circuit-switched connections—via connectors like DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, and across cables and matrices.

AV is a Moving Landscape

All security systems are challenges for people who try to break them. Each of the three HDCP sub-systems, authentication, encryption, and revocation were targets. Devices that stripped the protection soon became available. A ‘master key’ that could not be revoked found its way into circulation. And thus, despite legal action, the original HDCP system was defeated—but nonetheless was still required for compliance.

The advent of increasing resolutions and the emergence of AV-over-IP raised both an additional challenge and an additional opportunity. UHD was the new value to be protected and there would now be a much larger number of endpoints involved, (i.e., multicast). Further, due to being transmitted via a network, the connections were now packet-switched, not a continuous connection.

HDCP evolved from v1 to v2, but this was not a backward-compatible step because the content transmission architecture was different. Several parameters were left as optional alternatives. One of the aspects that was not ‘tied down’ for this multi-endpoint network environment was how to transfer HDCP messages between source and sinks. The consequence is that for direct connections (e.g., HDMI to HDMI—from player to display) all brands do it the same way, but for network connections, it tends to be ‘same brand at both ends.’

Enter IPMX. IPMX is, by design, moving high-quality video—right up to and including uncompressed UHD60—across networks. But the ‘same brand at both ends’ is not compatible with its interoperability ethos. So, a consistent method for exchanging keys needed to be defined.

Most people think that the protection provided by encryption is reinforced by not revealing the method used. The ‘magic’ of modern encryption methods is that they know exactly how it is protected—even telling them how it is done, such as putting it in an open standard—and yet they still can’t decrypt it with the resources they have. The HDCP protocol itself addresses exactly that. Their method of using the keys is rigorous. To bring inter-brand HDCP to the IPMX multicast environment, the Video Services Forum (VSF) has made a significant contribution in proposing the HDCP Key Exchange Protocol (HKEP). This is a standardized approach, or ‘method in common’ of transferring the already defined messages between IPMX transmitters and receivers. Additionally, it defines the ‘closing down’ process for a single HDCP session in that same multicast network environment.

The methodology that VSF has recommended in TR-10-5, for use in IPMX, is compatible with everything that has been agreed to so far yet is lightweight enough to be incorporated into devices that may be varied, and probably limited in processing power (to keep their cost down). The extension to the already established HDCP specs covers the exchange of HDCP control messages over TCP/IP among NMOS-based transmitters and receivers. You can think of it as a preamble to the existing HDCP protocol v2.3 which prescribes how to transfer parameters, left optional by DCP, should be used in the IPMX environment.

The Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM) is an international medical school located in Freeport, Bahamas. The 40,000-square-foot campus consists of two interconnected buildings with about 22 distinct spaces that required Extron AV solutions. The integrator, Multimedia Technologies, recommended Extron equipment because of their technologies for collaborative learning and Pro AV-over-IP solutions. 

[Extron Talks Streaming]

According to Dariano Joseph, director of information technology at WAUSM, “time constraints and global microchip shortages were an obstacle but the readily available and easy to install Extron products helped us to meet our deadline for opening.” Joseph continues, “Extron equipment was selected because of previous experience in the medical education space, their ease of use and installation, their quality support, and innovative solutions.”

“The NAV technology is a game changer and allows us to deliver content anywhere at any time," said Joseph. "You don't have to be an audiovisual expert to use Extron products and the performance has been great so far. This is the third time in my career I've worked directly with Extron's products on a project and every time has been exceptional.”

Extron NAV–Pro AV Over IP solutions played a huge part in tying all the AV together. All areas with sources and outputs are connected through a range of NAV products including: 20 NAV E 501 Encoders, 35 NAV SD 501 Scaling Decoders, and one NAVigator with LinkLicense enabling 96 Endpoints. There are also several Cisco switches, allowing communication between the two buildings. WAUSM reviewed Extron NAV solutions, and this worked out better than anyone expected. One thing the flexibility inherent in NAV enabled was that it has enhanced the faculty and student experience by providing a means by which custom content from internet news sources to campus information can be sent to any of the displays connected via NAV.

Joseph commented on how the NAV solution works so well, “Once the system was installed and in full operation, we realized that the NAV AV over IP technology could be utilized for other unintended use cases. For example, NAV technology is being used to deliver digital signage across the entire campus and for 24/7 entertainment streaming.”

The two large classrooms are the main collaborative teaching areas. Each is equipped with seven displays, nine Sennheiser Team Connect 2 ceiling array microphones, three PTZ cameras, two Extron ShareLink Pro 1100 wireless presentation systems, and one Extron SMP 351 streaming media processor.

[Pioneering the Future of AVoIP] 

From day one, the administrators and Joseph had a goal of WAUSM being an campus that innovates using the latest AV-over-IP technology to deliver a high-quality experience to their students. Working closely with Extron, Multimedia Technologies, and AVPR solutions, an Extron EQIP programming resource, their goal was reached. Everyone, from the staff and administrators to the students enjoy a top-quality, engaging learning environment enhanced by Extron AV.

Key Digital has introduced its second-generation modular AV over IP systems, the KD-IP922-II and KD-IP1022-II encoders and decoders, with full-featured 4K performance. 

“The new KD-IP922-II and KD-IP1022-II components deliver the same performance, reliability and flexibility that our customers rely upon with a subtly refined feature set that satisfies customer requests and application,” said DeWayne Rains, vice president of sales for Key Digital. “What’s more, the cost has been dramatically reduced based on manufacturing efficiencies and new chip sets. Our AV over IP systems ship preconfigured, ready to plug and play, and our setup service is included in the price.” 

[AVoIP or IPTV?]

Key Digital AV-over-IP systems are scalable for use in large enterprise installations to mid-to-large-sized residential projects. Integrated with managed gigabit network switches, the systems enable video/audio distribution, matrix switching, video wall management and signal/control/KVM extension.  

Key Digital AV-over IP systems can be sized to suit any application. An HDMI to IP encoder per source feeds the managed switches, and an IP decoder per destination display converts the desired source signal back to HDMI to feed monitors and projectors. USB 2.0 routing follows AV source/display selection with maximum of four USB keyboard or mouse devices simultaneously routed to a single host computer/encoder. A KD-IP1022-II AV-over-IP system extends the capabilities of a KD-922-II system by providing asymmetrical KVM routing and deploying firmware that offers mosaic video wall management. “Additionally,” said Rains, “Key Digital AV over IP encoders and decoders use Power over Ethernet (PoE) when integrated with compatible PoE network switches to eliminate the need for external power supplies for a clean installation, further enhanced by the optional KD-SMS16 mounting system to neatly install up to twelve ENC/DEC units in a rack.” 

[Should You Avoid Proprietary Solutions for AVoIP?]

Control is delivered with content in Key Digital AV-over-IP systems. The three multi-function ports on each decoder and encoder—configurable for bidirectional IR and RS-232 or voltage trigger—may be used as Compass Control Pro master controllers for control of and by Compass Alliance partner hardware, by IP control systems via KeyCode open API, or as a control interface for third-party devices. Additionally, system and external device control is available from free software—the iOS Key Digital App and KDMS Pro® for Windows PCs. “The KD iOS App is often all our end users need to elegantly and simply control a full AV over IP system,” said Rains, “while KDMS Pro offers similar control as well as advanced setup capabilities.” The KD App scans its connected local area network to detect systems for control, then auto-populates pre-built GUIs for source and display control of popular devices like Apple TV and cable/satellite tuners via IR, finger-drag video wall management and image preview. The KDMS Pro UI offers mouse drag encoder/decoder device and system setup and similar control functionality as the KD App. 

De-embedded two-channel analog outputs (one each encoder and decoder) provide volume, muting, 3-band EQ, and lip-sync delay control. The key addition to the KD-IP922-II and KD-IP1022-II encoder feature sets is digital audio de-embedding via a provided TOSLink optical output with support for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, and DTS-HD Master Audio multichannel audio protocols. In addition, the encoders retain an HDMI pass through, which can be used as a local audio source as well as providing a local video source. Multichannel audio at the decoders can typically be de-embedded and delivered by the destination monitor. Additional cost savings in the -II models result from the removal of a second network port on both encoders and decoders and the local HDMI input on the decoders, all rarely used. 

Key Digital AV-over-IP system specifications include 4K resolution support up to 4096x2160/30Hz/12-bit at 4:4:4; lossless transmission to 10.2Gbps bandwidth and visually lossless compression to 18Gbps; selectable 4K to 1080p/720P down conversion; EDID display identification handshaking (with an internal library featuring 15 default EDID configurations); HDR10 and fully licensed HDCP 2.2 support and compliancy; full support of the latest HDMI capabilities; and a Full Buffer System, which manages TMDS re-clocking / signal re-generation, HDCP authentication with source & display, EDID control handshaking, and hot plug control that enables an integrator to choose if active signal voltage is forced to connected input devices. The encoders provide HDMI extension up to 330 ft / 100 m @ 4K 24/25/30(4:4:4) into the network switch or point-to-point. 

[Pioneering the Future of AVoIP]

Using the UHDoTP (Ultra High Definition over Twisted Pair) 4K-to-1080p/720p down-convert feature allows integrators to mix display models and capability within a system, accommodating integration of new and legacy displays by giving the option to choose where this feature should be enabled per output. “A great example of when down-converting might be necessary is when our integrators discuss projectors,” said Rains. “Without down-convert technology, a costly 4K projector would be necessary, which adds a significant price increase that the end user may not be ready for. With UHDoTP technology you can have a mix in which perhaps a front lobby needs to be 4K, but the remainder of the system is great to go on 1080p displays or projectors. Our integrators asked for this technology, and we’re happy to see what a huge value it adds to systems by reaching a higher quality and a lower price point.” 

Visionary and NETGEAR have partnered to unveil a new, custom profile for Visionary's AV-over-IP endpoints in NETGEAR’s esteemed line of professional AV-enabled switches. Visit Visionary in Booth 3761 at InfoComm 2023 to get a peek.

“This partnership brings together the best of both worlds, merging the power and reliability of NETGEAR’s managed switches with Visionary’s groundbreaking AV-over-IP solutions,” said Scott Freshman, chief operating officer for Visionary. “Our collaboration with NETGEAR’s Pro AV team will streamline integrating AV-over-IP endpoints with network switches, creating an intuitive, reliable, and highly effective solution for our customers.”

[Should You Avoid Proprietary Solutions for AVoIP?]

With this innovative enhancement, NETGEAR’s switches can now automatically recognize Visionary devices as soon as they are connected, simplifying the configuration process and offering a plug-and-play experience to the end users. This integration promises unparalleled reliability and performance, reducing installation times and ensuring a consistent user experience across all devices. Customers using Visionary’s AV-over-IP solutions with NETGEAR’s AV-enabled switches will benefit from increased system stability, superior performance and simplified deployment and management.

The custom profile leverages Visionary’s unique ability to VLAN tag network traffic within their endpoints. This feature further enhances network traffic management and segmentation, improving efficiency and reducing congestion in network infrastructures. With this integration, Visionary’s VLAN tagging can be leveraged directly from NETGEAR’s managed switches, creating a more efficient network setup and maintenance process.

[InfoComm 2023 News: AVoIP Hits Orlando with ZeeVee, Visionary, and Just Add Power]

“We are excited to partner with Visionary to provide an enhanced user experience through automated configuration and streamlined networking,” said Devan Cress, director of professional AV, OEM and manufacturers for NETGEAR. “The simplified recognition and configuration of Visionary’s AV-over-IP devices empowers us to deliver on our commitment to provide customers with seamless, hassle-free solutions that meet their unique needs. We look forward to showcasing our technical collaboration alongside Visionary at InfoComm 2023.”

Lightroom is a four-story space that spans more than 15,000 square feet. The space, which is in London's King Cross in the United Kingdom, is used to present artists' work in an immersive journey for visitors.

With the help of Lightware's UBEX AV-over-IP solution, the new artistic venue knocked it out of the park.

[This Complete Walking Immersive Experience Is Captivating Its Guests]

"That's my job, I think, making pictures," David Hockney said on the Lightroom YouTube page.  It is Hockney's exhibit David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) that is currently wowing visitors, letting them literally jump into his paintings. 

"This was painted on my iPad," Hockney explained of one portion of the show, "just sitting outside the studio, looking at the landscape. So, you're watching me paint."

[You'll Never Get Out of This Maze—And It's So Cool You Won't Want To]

From the ceiling to the floor, the bright colors and vivid imagination of Hockney is brought to life in stunning, immersive detail. Take a walk through the garden and see for yourself in the video below.

When Chef Mimmo Alboumeh opened his latest venture, the Buckhead Atlanta restaurant Botica, he quickly gained a loyal following of customers and restaurant critics/journalists alike. Botica features fare based on two of Mimmo’s favorite national cuisines—Spain and Mexico. But delectable and delicious food is only part of the recipe that makes up Botica. Featuring a warm and engaging atmosphere, Botica occupies 5,000 square feet of open indoor and outdoor seating, a private dining room and an audiovisual system with 41 high-definition flat-screen TVs fed and controlled by components from Key Digital. When it came to designing and installing the AV system, Chef Mimmo looked for expertise in audio/video and system integration along with proficiency in all aspects of the restaurant business. Based on those criteria, he hired Daniel “Dano” Kirk of Kirkyard A/V.   

Kirkyard A/V has a rich history in both the restaurant and A/V industries. Dano Kirk began his career working in restaurants and hospitality in the mid-1980s. After several hospitality jobs, owning his own restaurant and consulting for many of his former co-workers and associates about both restaurant operations and existing and emerging technologies, he formed Kirkyard A/V, a specialized system integration firm that understands restaurant operations and the technologies that help restaurateurs function efficiently.  

[How to Achieve Global AVoIP Interoperability]

“I’ve been involved in the restaurant industry since I was about 14 years old,” stated Kirk. “In the late 90s, after I had moved to Atlanta, the owner of the restaurant where I was working kept saying ‘Man, the service from this technology is terrible.’ I knew how to solve those problems and offered my services. Since then, I have been a go-to resource for restaurants looking to install AV systems that provide the best possible experience for themselves and their customers. The level of knowledge and service Kirkyard A/V provides to our clients is based on my understanding of restaurant operations, which sets us apart from other technology consultants. If you’re going to do things right, it helps to really be immersed in that world from the start.” 

When Kirk was designing the AV system for Botica, he chose to employ components from Key Digital for several reasons: “I definitely appreciate Key Digital products, because at the end of the day, they just work. I also appreciate their customer support. Whenever there’s a complication or something that needs to be looked at or addressed, they’re right on top of it. They’re very easy to work with, and I always feel comfortable installing their products. I’m based here in Atlanta, and I recently did a franchise restaurant in Washington, D.C., for another client, but I never hear from them for follow-up service because the KD system just works. I’ve also got a couple clients down in Florida, which would be a little more convenient for me geographically to visit, but it’s not necessary. I know that if there’s going to be a problem with something, it won’t be the Key Digital piece. And that level of reliability is super-important because it lets my clients concentrate on their food and their customers, not the technology.” 

[Explore Faraway Lands…in Atlanta]

One of Botica’s needs was the ability to support vendors doing product launches (a new brand of tequila, for example) in the restaurant for the Buckhead Atlanta market. That meant, in part, being able to show dedicated content on their TV displays for each new brand being launched, while being able to instantly switch to a baseball or football game (or even split up the content to show eight games on eight displays or combine displays to make larger screens). “They wanted to have a higher-end control system for the managers and the staff that was very easy to operate,” states Kirk. He recalls a recent product launch: “With just three or four button presses, all the TVs were changed to what people wanted to watch after the product presentation without having to walk around the restaurant with a handful of remotes and trying to figure out which one controlled what. We just stepped up to the iPad and it was done. We actually added a second iPad for the bar because at night, they were regularly wanting to change the music and instead of having to leave the bar to go around and manually change the program, or leave the iPad off the charger and have it die, we just added another one at the bar to simplify that process.” 

“I spec’d the Key Digital KD-IP822ENC 4K AV over IP System Encoder and the KD-IP822DEC 4K AV over IP System Decoder," said Kirk. "Every display has a decoder, and every source, satellite receiver, streaming service or other auxiliary input device has an encoder. Those all plug into a network switch, which then connects to the iPad. You just open up their KD app, and it allows you to change the source to display, pair a display and source, or pick the video wall and select the source and swipe across the video wall to very simply stretch that image across the video wall screens. It’s all very intuitive and user-friendly. 

“We used the KD-MAX8x8 Audio Matrix Switcher with built-in Audio Pre-Amp. This allows the client to control up to eight sources in up to eight different zones. For example, they can adjust the volume of the music in the bar area, and in the private dining room, they can have a satellite receiver game on (for instance if there are a bunch of Tennessee Titan fans in there that want to watch their team’s game). And then in the patio have a completely different music source to suit that atmosphere. And when there is a live band performing, they can play it over the sound system if they choose. The MZX8x8 is a great little device.” 

[Taste the Rainb-over-IP? AVIXA, Skittles, and Planning for AVoIP]

Another advantage Kirk pointed out is how little custom programming he has to do. “Once the devices are configured, the Key Digital app that runs on the iPad finds the devices, does the work, and is rock solid. I have a 20-plus year history with Key Digital and I’ve definitely appreciated their ability to stay ahead of the curve with reliable, intuitive products. The only time I need to return to a client’s restaurant is for their grand opening or a good dinner. Key Digital is a big part of that.” 

Introducing Sencore's PlexusAV, a new professional AV division providing a suite of human-focused AV-over-IP solutions. PlexusAV is designed and engineered as a standards-based AV-over-IP solution to provide products that are backward- and forward-compatible, reliable, capable and future-proof.

[AVoIP Standards: The Fight to Get It Right] 

Based on SMPTE ST 2110, PlexusAV eliminates the stress of selecting an AV-over-IP technology by leveraging a standards-based solution. As a result, PlexusAV is building interoperable, compatible, adaptable, and stress-free AV-over-IP solutions. Backed by over 70 years of broadcast history, PlexusAV is researching, designing, and now manufacturing solutions for the modern integrator with their customers in mind. PlexusAV’s ecosystem improves AV-over-IP system performance and reliability and builds compatible solutions that are stress-free. The human-centric design behind PlexusAV eliminates traditional restrictions behind ecosystems and project design. With PlexusAV, integrators are not locked into a customized ecosystem that limits innovation or requires more network bandwidth than necessary.

“There’s a proliferation of broadcast companies entering the professional AV industry because of their experience delivering 8K resolutions with AV-over-IP technology. At the same time, the professional AV industry is moving towards IP-based networking solutions,” said Steven Cogels, global director of business development for PlexusAV. “Compared to other broadcast companies, we are taking a unique and new approach to the professional AV industry. We’re gathering our success in the broadcast industry through Sencore and translating the success into an entirely new product lineup built specifically for professional AV applications. You could say that PlexusAV is a start-up with 70 years of success.”

[Is AVoIP at a Tipping Point? One Man's Opinion] 

The PlexusAV ecosystem is built for interoperability because it's based on the AIMS Alliance IPMX proposed standard, which is built on SMPTE ST 2110. Designed to enable transport of compressed and uncompressed video, audio, and data over IP networks, PlexusAV’s integration of IPMX specifications and standards addresses the professional AV industry’s need for a single set of common, ubiquitous standards-based protocols that ensure interoperability for AV-over-IP. Designed for higher education, large venues, healthcare, enterprise, and other applications, PlexusAV simplifies AV-over-IP by offering multiple versions of encoders and decoders to create an innovative, accessible and human-centric ecosystem. 

Visionary is launching  the 5 Series, a next-generation of Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series endpoints boasting 4K60 4:4:4 1GbE encoders and decoders. The 5 Series introduces a range of advanced capabilities, including 4K60 4:4:4 video support, Audio Return Channel (ARC) over IP, isochronous USB over IP for webcam extension, and a full motion MJPEG substream.

[Is AVoIP at a Tipping Point? One Man's Opinion] 

Building on the foundation of Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix 4 Series, which introduced AV-over-IP endpoints with USB-C I/O for seamless soft-codec integration, the 5 Series raises the bar with an array of innovative features and enhanced performance. The 5 Series boasts 4K60 4:4:4 video support to deliver clear image quality and color depth without compromising bandwidth. Featuring Audio Return Channel (ARC) over IP, the 5 Series enables audio to be returned from a display or endpoint to the source without additional connectivity requirements. The 5 Series integrates isochronous USB over IP to simplify webcam extension over IP for enhanced video conferencing and remote collaboration. Designed for remote monitoring and simplified video distribution, the 5 Series includes a full-motion MJPEG substream to provide users with a secondary, lower-bandwidth video stream.

“Visionary is committed to pushing the boundaries of functionality and performance in AV over IP solutions,” said Scott Freshman, chief operating officer for Visionary. “The launch of our next-generation 5 Series showcases our dedication to providing our customers with the most advanced and feature-rich AV solutions on the market, including seamless integration with leading control systems. The 5 Series adds 4K60 4:4:4 video support over 1GbE ensuring stunning image quality and color depth for the most demanding applications.” 

[Running from Fears in Pro AV] 

Visionary’s new 5 Series is designed to meet the growing demands of the Pro AV market. The 5 Series offers best-in-class performance, reliability and flexibility, making them the perfect solution for various applications, from conference rooms and huddle spaces to large-scale video distribution and digital signage. Packed with new features and built on Visionary’s legacy of innovation, the 5 Series redefines the future of professional AV solutions. Visionary’s 5 Series will complement the current lineup of PacketAV Matrix 4 Series endpoints, which continue to garner immense success with many unique installations and monumental projects.

AV-over-IP simply means transmission of audio-visual information via data packets over an Internet Protocol. In the AV industry it refers to using the network rather than using traditional audio-visual signal transmission. It has been around for quite some time now, primarily within the AV industry. Unfortunately, it is a topic that is often misunderstood, simply because it's primarily been seen from the perspective of AV technologies, traditionally dominated by proprietary and specialized hardware devices. This has left many with a shortsighted view of AV-over-IP that doesn’t capture the full potential of the technology.

It's time to address this because we are now in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution. Driven by breakthroughs in AI, IoT, big data, automation, AR and VR, it has changed the way organizations use screens to engage, educate and inform and, has put AV-over-IP in a critical position to drive transformation in today’s business world. This article aims to help IT professionals better understand AV-over-IP and thereby help them leverage the transformative opportunities the fourth industrial revolution has created. 

AV has Converged Into IT

Digital transformation has made operations at all business levels more network-centric, and as anyone undertaking a digital transformation project knows, screens and the data and information displayed on them are vital to the operational efficiency of an enterprise. Organizations are significantly increasing their use of visual display applications for a wide variety of needs—from screens in training rooms and huddle rooms to screens used for team KPIs, process automation, network and security monitoring for mission-critical operations and more.

In today’s business landscape, information is accessed and shared primarily through network protocols.  This of course includes AV and the visual content displayed on screens throughout an enterprise. The networks as well as services and applications dependent on the networks have come increasingly under the domain of IT. In other words, AV and IT use shared infrastructure: the network, which in every enterprise is owned by IT. The result is that AV has converged into IT.

[ LG & Userful Offer Software-Defined AVoIP Solution for Enterprise ]

AV-over-IP is Growing Fast

The demand for visual content in all aspects of business is resulting in skyrocketing growth for AV-over-IP. In fact, AV-over-IP has come to dominate the AV industry and research reports have noted it is growing faster than just about any other segment in the AV or IT industry.

A 2021 Maia Research report about the global AV-over-IP market forecasts a growth from $3B to $51B by 2027.What’s even more interesting is that according to this report, 85 per cent of that market comprises enterprise organizations in the corporate, education and government sectors. AV-over-IP is enjoying rapid growth and that growth is driven largely by enterprise organizations seeking to leverage visual content to support their digital transformation projects--to engage, inform, educate and even entertain. Another worthy note, Maia research highlights the rapid growth of software-based AV-over-IP solutions, which it expects will grow significantly faster than incumbent hardware-based solutions. Among the reasons reports like Maia and HNY cite for this is the scalability, flexibility, and manageability of software-based solutions.

Many Solutions Use IP, But Not All are Built for IT

Any IT department today looking to distribute video content and display applications across their organization will of course be looking at an AV-over-IP solution, however there are a few important distinctions to keep in mind: not all AV-over-IP solutions are the same.

A traditional static AV approach to AV-over-IP involves proprietary hardware—encoders and decoders that connect over an IP network. An encoder sits on the content side and connects through the network to a decoder which is connected to the display. This is using IP but it is not using the IT infrastructure and standards that IT professionals rely upon to ensure a secure, scalable and efficiently managed operation.

Static AV-over-IP solutions are generally single-purposed and detached from the IT framework, resulting in siloed deployments that put unnecessary management burdens on IT teams, can increase costs in cabling and power, often carry additional risks around network security and leaves customers open to the risk of vendor lock-in. All of these add up to a higher Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)--a cost evaluation model that includes not just the upfront costs of a solution, but also the ongoing operating costs over time.

Alternatively, there are software-defined AV-over-IP solutions, which integrate directly with existing IT frameworks, operate on commercially available off the shelf hardware, and run over the network without additional encoders and decoders to transmit the signal. With this approach, the content source is connected directly through the network to the displays with no additional transmission layers.

Although all AV-over-IP solutions use both software and hardware, there are easy ways to differentiate software-defined solutions from hardware-defined solutions. First, the company behind a software defined solution should be focused on using software to drive features and functionality and not tie features to specific hardware. Second, the solution must operate on commercially available off-the-shelf hardware, rather than proprietary hardware. Finally, any software defined solution should allow for a management layer that gives end to end control over an integrated solution. 

A software defined solution of this kind offers more flexibility, is more open, and easier to integrate with third-party applications ensuring AV deployments are no longer siloed. By eliminating dependence on a specific set of specialized hardware it reduces vendor lock-in and avoids some of the unacceptable delays that supply chain issues have created for proprietary hardware. It also frees customers from expensive hardware lifecycle management issues. All of this results in a lower TCO.

Why a Software-defined Platform for AV-over-IP

IT professionals have known for years that it’s software that’s driving value and return on investment, not hardware, which has long been commoditized. The question however has been whether the higher resolution needed for video, and the real-time interactivity requirements of many AV applications could lend themselves to network delivery using commercially available off-the-shelf hardware and software.

The answer is that it certainly can. This has been made possible by the growth in compute power, storage, and bandwidth as evidenced by Moore’s Law (which accounts for the continued growth in processing power), Butter’s Law (relating to the increase in network transmission speeds) and Kryder’s Law (which accounts for increased storage capacity).

Those seeking AV-over-IP solutions for the enterprise today can count on software-defined solutions to deliver real-time content with UHD and larger video content over the network using commercially available off-the-shelf hardware. They can count on it not just for a single application, but across a wide variety of use cases, which is one of the reasons an AV-over-IP platform is attractive.

The benefits a platform brings to the enterprise is in scalability and manageability. An AV-over-IP platform is different than just an AV-over-IP application, because it can run multiple AV applications--supporting meeting room displays, signage screens, mission critical video walls. As a result, a platform can scale to meet a wide variety of visual display requirements across the enterprise. It also offers better management by separating the infrastructure layer, which IT should manage and control, from the applications themselves, which functional departments need to control in order to effectively deliver content and services. A platform gives IT end-to-end control and gives individual users more limited access to applications they need.

Essential Roles

AV and IT play essential roles in today’s enterprise landscape and AV-over-IP is a crucial element in converging the two. AV and IT professionals in charge of deploying visual display applications and services within their own organization or as system integrators, should now be looking to software-defined solutions that provide the security, scalability, interoperability and manageability enterprises need. Software-defined AV-over-IP solutions integrate directly with existing IT frameworks, operate on IT standards and run over the network without additional encoders and decoders to transmit the signal. As the Maia research report referenced earlier outlines, it is software that is driving value and return on investment in AV-over-IP which is why software defined-solutions are growing faster than hardware-based AV-over-IP, and a key reason they are expected to continue to do so into the future.

Key Digital Systems, award-winning developer and manufacturer of leading-edge digital video processing and video signal distribution solutions, will be exhibiting at InfoComm 2022, June 8-10 in Las Vegas, at booth W1337. Company personnel will be on hand to demonstrate and discuss Key Digital’s comprehensive range of solutions for unified communications and collaboration, AV-over-IP, digital video processing and switching, connectivity, and control solutions.

[Key Digital to Showcase Smart Extender Kit at InfoComm 2022]

Featured products include the innovative LeCAMbio line of integrated corporate conferencing solutions for small to medium-sized rooms, developed in partnership with TOA Electronics—also being demonstrated at TOA’s InfoComm booth, W3217. LeCAMbio systems link the microphone beam-steering technology of TOA’s LENUBIO soundbar with Key Digital’s PTZ camera to automatically deliver simultaneous voice and camera tracking of active users, improving conference focus while eliminating operational distractions for the host. “The merging of complementary TOA Electronics and Key Digital technologies delivers dynamic capabilities for conference room applications,” said Key Digital president Mike Tsinberg. Four different LeCAMbio systems are available, offering a range of solutions to meet the needs of a variety of conference room sizes.

Also being demonstrated at InfoComm is the KD-XPS22U 4K 18G Smart Extender Kit, which bundles the complementary KD-PS22UTx Switcher / Transmitter—with integral HDBaseT signal transmission capabilities—and the KD-X100MRx Receiver. “The KD-XPS22U offers far more than simple signal extension,” said Key Digital vice president of sales DeWayne Rains. “It conveniently packages two products frequently paired by our customers to provide two HDMI input switching, mirrored dual-format outputs, UHD 4K with HDR video quality, camera/keyboard/mouse connectivity via USB 2.0, IP control from iOS (via the free KD App) and Windows (via the also free Key Digital Management Software Pro), and IR and RS-232 control extension. For a wide range of applications, the KD-XPS22U is a complete system solution.”

[The Inside Track—Straight from InfoComm Exhibitors] 

Additional featured products include the KD-MLV4x4Pro 4x4 4K UHD HDMI multi-view tiling processor with seamless matrix switching and integrated HDMI signal extension—a complete solution for multisource, multiscreen applications for bars and clubs, casino and house of worship applications; the KD-X444LP HDMI CAT5e/6 extender set—a 4K 18G transmitter/receiver pair featuring Power over CAT (PoC) with bi-directional IR and RS-232 control extension (single CAT6 extension, with fully automatic, cable length dependent equalization and amplification, with a range of up to 70 meters/230 feet); and the KD-WP8, an eight-button web-UI-programmable IP control wall plate keypad for simple yet sophisticated system configuration and control (the keypad can control any IP networked Key Digital device and third-party systems through the Compass Control Pro protocol or Open API).

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: David Albright, Business Development Manager at Legrand|AV

Working from anywhere is easier than ever, giving employers access to a broader set of talent, but we need to culturally support this. Work from anywhere puts significant new demands on in-office meeting environments. We’ve adapted to working from home and have come to enjoy the personal one-to-one communication we get with Teams or Zoom. There are ways to optimize that setup, but as people slowly migrate back to the office, problems arise. 

Meeting spaces have largely been optimized for people in the room. We have to look at how we adapt these spaces and technologies to enhance the experience for everyone. Meeting equity impacts culture, space planning and technology. If we don’t do these things, we risk alienating our remote and hybrid employees that rely on digital connection to the workplace.

In terms of optimizing the space, it’s essential to re-orient people in the room around a camera and display(s), with enhanced room speakers and microphones to ensure everyone can see and hear, and be seen and heard. Analog collaboration like brainstorming on a whiteboard is lost on remote attendees; we need to adapt new habits for working in these environments supported by technology, like digital touch screens, capture cameras to digitize analog content, and so on.

Lastly, consider the importance of room lighting and acoustics. How is the room set up to support good lighting of people in the room so they can be seen on camera? A lot of rooms have poor acoustic control to minimize reverberation and echoing. Ultimately, this all ties back to culture and connection. How will we optimize our spaces to ensure we’re bringing everybody together in a robust manner? In this sense, “good enough” isn’t good enough when it comes to supporting meeting equity for all.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

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>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

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>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

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>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: Joe Debold, Vice President of Sales at EPOS

While the world is well underway in the new normal, the future of hybrid work is continuing to take shape as an increasing number of meetings take place virtually. According to recent research from IPSOS and EPOS, we now spend an average of over seven hours a week in virtual meetings—up two hours per week in the last year. With more businesses looking to take advantage of the time and cost benefits of meeting virtually rather than in person, ensuring the quality of those meetings is of the utmost importance. 

And while high-quality audio is key, finding success in the hybrid working model is about more than just headsets. Rather, it’s about having an entire ecosystem of devices to enable today’s professionals to thrive in the hybrid world.

To do this, organizations will need to invest in technology that people on both sides of the conversation can have confidence in. Eighty-eight percent of decision makers say that bad audio has caused their company issues in the last 12 months, but 77 percent of those decision makers also think that the right technology can alleviate those problems. This underscores the need for businesses to equip their employees with the right technology.

At EPOS, we recognize that being able to read facial expressions and body language improves our ability to gauge peoples’ reactions to our ideas and allows conversations to flow more smoothly. Late last year, we took our first steps into the video collaboration space with the EXPAND Vision 3T—a video bar certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android (MTRoA). This simple and intuitive device was designed specifically for focus and small meeting rooms of up to seven participants. Between EPOS’ headsets and video bar, today’s workers will not only be able to hear, but also see more clearly as they collaborate with partners and colleagues around the world. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: Steve Seminario, Vice President of Product Marketing at Planar

With remote work on the rise the last few years, corporate facilities have had an opportunity to modernize their spaces with the goal of elevating the workplace experience and improving presentations and meetings. For some, this means deploying display technology for the very first time, while for others, it can mean replacing projection or tiled LCD solutions with seamless LED. 

Fortunately, we’re seeing a larger selection of affordable LED solutions as a result of ongoing advancements in fine-pitch LED technology. In addition to being more accessible, these solutions are becoming easier for customers to deploy. And in addition to offering a wide range of custom sizes, resolutions, and shapes to accommodate customers’ needs and environment, many fine-pitch LED video wall solutions available today feature front-service, cable-less, stackable designs that ultimately reduce the complexity of installation and vertical alignment.

We also see strong customer demand for bundled solutions that further simplify installation and maintenance. So, when a financial institution, for example, is looking to implement a direct-view LED video wall in the lobby or boardroom of their headquarters, but is unsure whether they have the time or budget to make it happen, a pre-packaged LED video wall solution can be an appealing option. They’re specifically designed to help reduce the time, cost, and complexity often associated with video wall design and installation, and include everything customers need—from the display, spare modules, wall mounts, and cables to the video controller and remote control. Whether this financial institution’s teams have returned to the office full time or are embracing a hybrid work model, modern-day fine-pitch LED solutions can help take day-to-day business operations, client engagements, and team collaboration to a new level, while delivering ease of use and assurance in their investment along the way.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: Holger Stoltze, Senior Manager of Technical Sales and Marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications

oday, we are in the early stages of the changes we will see take place in meeting spaces. The work-from-anywhere phenomena has dramatically altered the expectation of the meeting experience. Over the last two years, meeting goers got used to either seeing “participant view,” where all participants are shown onscreen, or “speaker view,” where only the current speaker is shown. Likewise, with audio devices front and center on personal devices, they got accustomed to everyone being well understood. Now, a meeting room with one camera and screen at the front of the room and a central audio device no longer reflects this expectation.

To enable efficient hybrid meetings, the experience for local and remote participants needs to be equivalent. Remote participants must be able to follow what is going on in the conference room and those in person must be represented as distinct individuals, just like remote participants, despite being in a shared physical environment.

In response, meeting room displays, cameras, and audio will undergo a transformation. Displays will be deployed around the room. This will allow local participants to see content and remote participants without having to turn toward the front of the room—while sitting in a normal position at the table and being able to look at other local participants. Camera(s) in the room will be more intelligent, tracking active participants and coordinating images between several cameras. Most importantly, audio capture and playback in the room will improve by adding more microphones and/or adaptive microphone technology and ensuring volume levels are consistent throughout meeting rooms. The seat next to the audio device is no longer the only one heard by the far end, and it is no longer the only space where what was said remotely can be heard comfortably and reliably. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: Garth Lobban, Director of Marketing at Atlona

The business world has gradually accepted that remote work will remain part of the corporate fabric, and that means ensuring that both physical and remote workers have the tools they need to collaborate. The corporate meeting space is ground zero for making changes and upgrades that improve productivity and bridge the two worlds.

It wasn’t long ago when the presenter knew their audience was keeping up with the talking points. The presenter could see the audience, and the audience could look right back while absorbing the information in real time. Everyone was in one physical space, and often there was little more than a display and a lavalier microphone.

The corporate world must now think differently. We are now presenting to remote audiences outside the meeting space. The inability of the remote worker to see the other person effectively reduces the communication by half and raises frustration. If there’s video of the presenter at all, many hybrid team members use built-in laptop cameras. This viewpoint can make the remote participant subconsciously feel inferior as they are always looking upward. In the office, that little webcam is woefully inadequate to cover the meeting space. Without a state-of-the-art PTZ camera connected to your laptop running the Teams meeting, the other side gets only half the experience. 

Small form-factor, ePTZ (electronic pan-tilt-zoom) cameras open the door for vastly improved video capture in the small conference room. Plugging these small cameras into laptops and positioning them on stands at your eye level or on your display can help participants feel engaged. For larger rooms, full-sized PTZ cameras can be automated through control systems to focus on each presenter. AV distribution gear with USB-C connectivity can be employed in these rooms to bring both the camera and speakerphone into the laptop driving the web-based meeting.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: Chad Wiggins, Associate VP of Global Product Management and Innovation at Shure

With the shift to a hybrid working model becoming permanent, there’s an important challenge for IT decision makers: How do you ensure meeting equity? By which we mean giving everyone equal opportunity to contribute to meetings, whether they are joining from home or attending in person. 

In a recent paper commissioned by Shure, analyst firm Frost & Sullivan focuses on audio as a tool to create this meeting equity. Why audio? As the paper points out, work from anywhere experiences are often riddled with unexpected audio disruptions that lead to lost productivity and frustrated employees. Going forward, users will be less accepting of communications disruptions like this that derail their meeting or training agenda.

What’s needed is a broad audio ecosystem comprised of hardware, software, and accessories that work together to boost engagement and productivity. Remote and in-room meeting participants must be integrated into a single, seamless connected experience.

That’s not all. Whatever audio technologies you opt for should seamlessly integrate with modern conferencing and collaboration platforms that are high quality, reliable, and user friendly, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex by Cisco, and Google Meet. IT leaders must make flawless audio integral to the modern collaboration toolkit. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: It has become clear that the proliferation of hybrid meeting solutions has dramatically altered the landscape of the office—shifting the physical space requirements of organizations and opening up seemingly limitless possibilities for the hybrid employee.

We reached out to the industry thought leaders whose companies are innovating technologies for the new era workplace for their insights and to share best practices to help ensure that employees can enjoy the same immersive meeting experience, regardless of their location. [February 2022]

Thought Leader: Holger Stoltze, Senior Manager of Technical Sales and Marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications

Today, we are in the early stages of the changes we will see take place in meeting spaces. The work-from-anywhere phenomena has dramatically altered the expectation of the meeting experience. Over the last two years, meeting goers got used to either seeing “participant view,” where all participants are shown onscreen, or “speaker view,” where only the current speaker is shown. Likewise, with audio devices front and center on personal devices, they got accustomed to everyone being well understood. Now, a meeting room with one camera and screen at the front of the room and a central audio device no longer reflects this expectation.

To enable efficient hybrid meetings, the experience for local and remote participants needs to be equivalent. Remote participants must be able to follow what is going on in the conference room and those in person must be represented as distinct individuals, just like remote participants, despite being in a shared physical environment.

In response, meeting room displays, cameras, and audio will undergo a transformation. Displays will be deployed around the room. This will allow local participants to see content and remote participants without having to turn toward the front of the room—while sitting in a normal position at the table and being able to look at other local participants. Camera(s) in the room will be more intelligent, tracking active participants and coordinating images between several cameras. Most importantly, audio capture and playback in the room will improve by adding more microphones and/or adaptive microphone technology and ensuring volume levels are consistent throughout meeting rooms. The seat next to the audio device is no longer the only one heard by the far end, and it is no longer the only space where what was said remotely can be heard comfortably and reliably. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Zee Hakimoglu, President and CEO of ClearOne

The ClearOne roadmap forges ahead, onward and upward!  While we have our eyes “on the road” ahead, partners can be certain that we also have our eyes “in the cloud.” Our roadmap is guided by a core principle: what can ClearOne create that makes our partners’ businesses easier and more profitable? It’s a simple formula but requires business sensitivity, technology innovation and overall experience to master.

In 2021, we enhanced our Console AI Configuration Software with Audio Intelligence to configure our DSPs and microphones in a breeze for lower labor skills, labor hours and costs. To simplify conference room setups and extend the reach of beamforming microphones to large venues and opportunities such as education, we added Camera Tracking and Voice Lift to our unrivaled BMA 360 Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tile. Additionally, the DIALOG 10 USB, now shipping, is the industry’s only pro single-channel quality wireless mic system with USB connectivity. 

We also introduced new camera solutions with AI and machine learning for auto framing and people tracking. We launched a new integrated AV solution, the Versa Mediabar, for smaller, cost sensitive venues. Now, partners can specify ClearOne across an entire organization satisfying any room size, solution, and budget to maximize revenue and profitability. We introduced CONVERGENCE AV Manager, a powerful unified software platform to monitor, control, and audit ClearOne Pro AV products from any location worldwide. 

The ClearOne 2022 roadmap is off to a strong start and includes many new strategic solutions and enhancements to be launched. We have new UC products, cameras, highly strategic DSP and microphone solutions, and AV over IP products in development. These will incorporate the most advanced wireless, AI and machine learning, cloud, and network technologies to bring maximum value to our partners’ tool chests for solution ease, profitability and growth.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Darryl Kuder, President, Red Dot Digital Media

Looking back on the past couple of years, the pandemic forced the AV industry through incredibly transformative times. In 2022, I expect this will be a year of rebirth and strong growth. To be clear, we won’t be returning to normal; instead, we’ll be taking what we learned throughout the pandemic and applying those best practices to the beginning of the post-pandemic era.

A well-documented trend over the past several years has been the expanding role of integrators throughout the AV space. Now more than ever, businesses need the expertise of integrators to manage the expanding scope and complexity of AV installations—especially those involving digital signage.

At a more granular level, I expect 2022 will mark the emergence of what I refer to as specialty integrators. In many cases, smaller projects don’t typically require a traditional SI, because either the project scope or the available budget is too small. But today, smaller projects often involve a level of technical complexity that most businesses or systems integrators can’t manage on their own. And in many instances, even large-scale projects include niche elements that fall outside the wheelhouse of traditional integrators. Specialty integrators are emerging to fill this unmet need.

A growing number of integrators are turning to Red Dot to function as the specialty integrator to support them on projects that require expertise that doesn’t fall within their core offering. We develop the content, put our know-how on the latest hardware and software to work, and provide post-deployment support. Integrators often partner with us to resell our services as well, and I expect this practice to become mimicked across the industry as customers, systems integrators, and end users begin to see the value of specialty integrators that offer a comprehensive package of hardware, software, and integration services.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Robert Lipps, Executive Vice President, at Sonic Foundry

Video is now infused into every aspect of our lives. It’s how we learn, communicate, and collaborate with family, friends, and colleagues. Audiences are voting with their clicks—making loud and clear their preference for video over documents and text. Catapulted years ahead by the pandemic, the pace of change with video has fueled opportunity for every participant in the video lifecycle.

In 2022, Sonic Foundry is doubling down on the key growth areas of our business driven by this massive adoption. We are not only innovating in areas that help users create and share engaging new video, but we are also creating new AI-based tools that transform, enhance, and extend the life of existing video that might otherwise suffer the fate of time. Through our award-winning video platform, Mediasite, we are reimagining the future needs of our clients as they race ahead into a digital-first world. 

We will continue to work with our important event customers to help them transition into a hybrid world that blends together the personal feel of physical events with the reach and convenience of fully online virtual events. Furthermore, we will develop innovative new content services offerings that enable a entirely new level of engagement with attendees, driving greater insights and value to event organizers.

Finally, as enterprises struggle with how best to manage and deliver their content efficiently, we will continue to invest in the Mediasite Cloud to provide a cost effective, reliable, and secure means to ensure video reaches audiences effectively. Adoption and use of Mediasite Cloud will continue to grow sharply as customers see the value of linking Mediasite with web conferencing systems through our Zoom and Teams integrations. Mediasite Cloud provides peace of mind, remedies infrastructure concerns, and provides a scalable path to grow the use of video into the future.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Bill Hensley, Head of Global Marketing at RTI

At RTI, our goal is to enable integrators to deliver exceptional control experiences for their customers. We listen to our integrators to better understand their opportunities and pain points. In late 2021, it was dealer feedback that led us to introduce RTI Music and the MS-3 music streamer, which exemplifies the software-hardware blend that is at the core of RTI solutions. Software will be a key focus for us in 2022. Early in the year, we’ll launch Integration Designer 11, a major update to our system programming software. This single platform for both residential and commercial applications is now bringing down the learning curve for integrators while enabling more customized solutions than ever.

One of the primary differentiators for Integration Designer has always been the advanced level of customization it enables in an RTI system. With RTI, every integration can be entirely custom—both on the front-end interface and in the back-end automation—and we seek to make this customization achievable in every installation. And a control system needs to flawlessly integrate with other products and subsystems. For this, RTI has a large driver library, a robust network of third-party driver writers, and we are proud of our open API that allows integrators to customize the experience even further.

For Integration Designer 11, we’re adding an intuitive new template that makes it easier than ever to start projects fast and finish with a beautiful result. Or, start with the template and add features such as the new custom sliders. Programming can be saved for use on other projects—a “rinse and repeat” simplicity that saves valuable integrator time. And the built-in driver store will save integrators time on every project. No longer will they need to exit the programming environment to download a driver—it’s all accessed from Integration Designer 11.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Kim Franklin, Vice President of Marketing at Listen Technologies

At Listen Technologies, we continue to see the future of assistive listening in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other technologies that support IoT, the proliferation of smart devices, and BYOD. Increasingly, people are carrying smartphones and they are comfortable using them. Smart devices are ubiquitous, familiar, easy to use, and can function as assistive listening systems to help people hear more clearly in any environment. 

Assistive listening systems are not just for people with hearing loss; anyone can use them to hear better and be more engaged, especially in settings where hearing is difficult due to language, background noise, or distance. Listen Technologies introduced audio over Wi-Fi in 2014 and has been innovating ever since. We continue to lead the industry in developing technology and wireless listening solutions that deliver clear sound, foster inclusion, and help people engage with others. We are committed to providing an exceptional user experience and will continue to listen and respond to the needs of our customers and partners.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Shaun Robinson, Vice President of Product Management at Xilica

The transformation of the meeting space has been one of AV’s most rapidly developing trends, particularly in medium to large rooms where people collaborate. From corporate conference rooms to lecture halls, these spaces are increasingly equipped with the IT professional in mind. That means building out an AV ecosystem that slims the infrastructure, leaving IT departments with a lightweight system that is easier to manage and maintain.

Collaboration today extends beyond the meeting space to the remote audience, and Xilica has been focused on designing conferencing ecosystems that bring physical and remote audiences together. That means building outward from the DSP inside the meeting space with wireless and CatX-connected systems that reduce cabling and hardware and simplify how people plug in their collaborative devices. Xilica brought its Gio range of networked AV endpoints to market specifically to help corporate, education and government customers bridge personal devices to installed AV systems.

The next logical phase involves building out room audio solutions that spread sound through the room. We are partnering with companies like Sennheiser to convert microphones into USB peripherals from an operational perspective ahead of the DSP and extending that outward to CatX-connected ceiling speaker systems with our new Sonia Series. Similar to plugging into a web conferencing sound bar in a huddle space, we are creating singular networked connections that turn the room itself into an immersive audio source. The meeting space essentially becomes a speakerphone that serves physical and remote attendee in equal measure.

Xilica will continue to evolve this strategy as we look toward 2022. With 20 years of experience developing premium audio hardware, our goal is to offer room audio systems that people of any skill level can successfully install. That means developing audio and AV systems for the IT professional that interoperates with their management software and fits seamlessly into their central IT workflow.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Tomer Mann, Executive Vice President of Sales at 22Miles

These days, the rules for public spaces are changing all the time. 22Miles’ digital signage content management software (CMS) helps its customers not just make peace with changing circumstances, but also thrive. 

People need clear, user-friendly guidance as they return offices, stadiums, museums, transportation hubs, and conference centers. A visual communication system can deliver up-to-the-minute information about new policies and health and safety guidelines. Our enterprise customers use our software to help manage reallocating physical resources for long-term hybrid operations; conference centers are leveraging their digital signage networks to help attendees understand precautions and policies. Customers need to disseminate consistent information about new policies instantly across dispersed locations. In 2022, 22Miles is focused on making that as easy as possible.

We created our Digital Signage Ready (DSR) suite to empower customers to quickly deploy a wide array of common digital signage applications, including dynamic messaging, touchscreen experiences, and interactive wayfinding. The system is simple to update from any Internet-connected device; customers can push new content from their iPhones.

22Miles also believes in leveraging existing resources. In 2021, when we encountered a need to limit physical contact with shared surfaces, we debuted Touchless Touch technology, allowing users to interact with signs via a QR code scan. We can also push personalized wayfinding, including AR directions, to a user’s phone. In terms of content, we work with our customers to incorporate existing enterprise systems. We integrate calendars, room management systems, CMS solutions, social media, RSS feeds, and more to pull in real-time information. We can also cross-publish to Teams, SharePoint, and other collaboration platforms to ensure key messages reach their audience even if they’re not physically onsite. 

For us, 2022 will be all about demystifying incredible digital signage experiences. With the right partners and the right integrations, everyone can benefit from them.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Reto Brader, CEO at Barix

In 2022, the world will continue to gravitate towards the mobile phone as the center of all interaction. A second reality, 2022 is that the preferred connection technologies for any AV systems are IP and the internet. Barix’s goal is to provide innovative yet practical audio and control-related solutions that address and enable these realities. 

As an example, consider public address and paging implementations. In 2022, the network of choice for audio transport is IP, preferably on standard IP networks that also carry data, email, chat and video conferencing. The preferred means of making a public address announcement in 2022 will be the mobile phone. 

The key to successful adaptation is that the transition into the new realities can be implemented step by step. Why throw out a good, working, analog public address system just to allow paging from a mobile device? Barix’s philosophy is to approach this by providing components and solutions that facilitate a gradual upgrade into the new approach. 

Last year, we successfully introduced the IP Former, an audio decoder and amplifier that turns any analog speaker into an IP speaker. In 2022 we will bring out a gateway device that allows users to page into existing analog or new IP-based zone paging installations from any phone or computer, with no app download required. The beauty of this solution is that it can be used to update even existing analog paging systems without the need to replace everything.

As a long-time market leader and innovator, Barix has been driving audio-over-IP technology forward not only as a solution provider, but also as a trusted development partner for other manufacturers who want to address the same new realities. We look forward to continuing to help our customers and partners successfully and cost-effectively navigate these transitions. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Adam Gilliland, Product Manager at Daktronics

The workplace and education spaces are both evolving in a way that heavily includes audiovisual technology. Much like in public spaces, these areas are shifting strategies in many different ways. One option is to accommodate people staying at home. But the other more interesting and exciting way is to create environments that bring people back in full-time or part-time capacities. The latter hybrid option offers middle ground between the two and is where we’re seeing more focus. Reimagining the workplace in an area that adds to the experience of being away from the home and interacting with peers involves LED technology. Video displays in this capacity make the building more luxurious and attractive to experience in person.

As LED has become more and more cost accessible, direct-view LED video walls are a solution many venues, companies, and educational institutions are looking to in order to achieve their new hybrid experiences. These solutions provide both a versatile video screen viewing experience as well as performance advantages over older generations of digital technology in terms of longevity and image quality.

In comparison to other technologies such as LCD and projection, LED displays provide an advantage when combating ambient light in these spaces. LED technology also has an advantage over the stacking and bezels of other technology, where important information can be lost in the seams. Size constraints are also removed when going with LED displays in these spaces. They can be customized to fit the spaces and rooms within a building instead of the displays being constrained to a certain size and the building having to accept it. This is what makes LED technology more attractive, and this is also why we’re seeing workplaces and education spaces adopt these solutions.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Kenneth Mau, Product and Channel Marketing Director at ViewSonic

Businesses are changing as the pandemic evolves. Transitioning work and school from remote to hybrid environments, we’re learning to blend the virtual, remote, and physical. The hybrid model continues to be fluid, and Gartner’s latest research shows that by the end of 2023, 40 percent of organizations will move to blending virtual and physical experiences. 

The one thing we’ve learned as a manufacturer is that a fixed plan or strategy is no longer an option, and the products we develop need to accommodate the fluidity of the hybrid environment. What does this mean for manufacturer and solution providers? It means products need to meet the demands of hybrid models. Connecting remote and in-office team members to a more flexible, adaptable approach is key.

The workplace of the future will rely on fluid office designs, seamless connectivity, interactive tools, and collaborative technology. For education, schools will need to facilitate students’ engagement with teachers and classmates both in-person and remotely. 

Manufacturers such as ViewSonic have developed products that fit with anywhere operations, especially in the last couple of years. To consistently support our AV partners with these changes, our ongoing essential technologies in 2022 include large-format, interactive, and commercial displays, as well as docking and portable monitors.

To connect easily from home to office, portable monitors have become prevalent in our monitor portfolio. These can be used as convenient and lightweight second screens where the end-user can connect these monitors to laptops and share a screen from a distance. Other portable devices include portable or PICO projectors. Users can share content with a larger audience while holding on to their own presentation device.

ViewSonic will continue to design and bring in products that evolve with the technologies and devices in our lives, while the world remains predictably unpredictable. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Brandon White, Director of New Product Development at Vanco International

Both AV and IT stakeholders understand the potential of AVoIP system design to make their systems easier to manage and scale, less expensive to maintain, and less vulnerable to obsolescence. AVoIP delivery is increasingly accepted as safe, reliable, and flexible. IP offers full HD capabilities with virtually no latency, as well as easy management of multi-point installations. It also provides the ability to manage, transmit, and receive AV signals and control hundreds of devices over a local network. Enterprise clients are demanding the capability to control video walls and display networks remotely, or to consume video inputs from anywhere on the network. Vanco will stay ahead of the growing appetite for AVoIP solutions in 2022 by building AVoIP capabilities into new products across our brands and offering extension and capture devices to allow any system to leverage network capabilities. 

Even as the lines blur between AV and IT, we’re also seeing overlap among the AV, security, and electrical contracting markets. Service providers of all kinds are expanding their low-voltage offerings. In terms of Vanco’s product development, that means we’re looking to create devices that have the features and specs sought after by industry veterans, but that are also extremely simple to install and use. Whether you’re new to AV systems or you can program a video matrix in your sleep, Vanco’s product line will serve your needs. 

Overall, Vanco aims mirror the market by broadening our products’ features and specs while streamlining the amount of HDMI over IP products on offer. With the right mix of features, we can cover a broad range of installations with a concentrated set of SKUs. Instead of overwhelming dealers and integrators with obscure variations, we want to provide a curated menu—while continuing to offer the value and customization options Vanco is known for. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Nicole Corbin, Director of Product and User Experience at Utelogy

Remote and hybrid workspaces are becoming the rule rather than the exception. Enterprises are continuing to transform their pre-pandemic office spaces in 2022 into sophisticated collaborative spaces with enhanced videoconferencing, teamwork areas, dedicated meeting spaces, and large event spaces. The management of these new rooms and systems is shifting from AV-based to IT-focused. The new workplace market will become increasingly reliant on devices and device analytics (not just inside the meeting space but outside of the conference room), with an even bigger emphasis on networked systems offering performance, quality, affordability, and easy collaboration. All of this increases the positive impact on the organization’s culture, from its employees all the way to end users and customers. The experience should be first class, regardless of where a user works—whether office-based, working from home, or purchasing the product that the company creates. Collaboration, technology insights, and a focus on the total experience is what we expect to see throughout the entire market in 2022. 

Utelogy had a stellar year in 2021. Sales and partner collaboration in 2021 enabled us to finish 2021 up 280 percent over 2020. We expect to exceed this growth in 2022. Utelogy will continue to add new features to the platform so customers can take an even deeper dive into how they visualize and use their data. Utelogy will be expanding its Utelligence program for industry standards around security and agnosticity, as well as announcing the “Utelogy beyond the conference room” initiative. This program is designed to integrate its platform with other elements of the workplace such as booking systems for deeper analytics, IoT, and BYOD to support the ever-growing hybrid workforce. Utelogy’s ability to scale, regardless of requirements or budget, makes it the ideal platform for organizations of any size to support new as well as legacy systems. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Christian Young, Pro AV Product Manager at ATEN Technologies

We expect some of the challenges faced over the past two years as a result of the pandemic, as well as global supply chain issues, to ease in 2022. In this new year, our focus is to ensure customers’ projects are fulfilled on time with product availability and minimal disruptions. We also will continue open communication with our distribution partners, resellers, and end users.

With this thought in mind, as well as our understanding of the “new normal” in pro AV, our 2022 product roadmap will continue to support and help businesses adapt, while maintaining the highest quality. Our AV solutions will meet the needs of the new hybrid environment in education, work, and live events.

We will expand our content creation product line in Q1 with the 2021 Good Design Award winner UC8000 MicLIVE 6-channel AI Audio Mixer. It is the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered audio mixer, adopting machine learning techniques to perform acoustic detection and optimize the recording experience for an exceptional, easy-to-use audio solution. It is ideal for talk shows, livestreaming events, podcasts, music applications, and more.

New large-scale video wall and matrix solutions for digital signage and similar applications will be introduced by the second half of 2022, delivering the unparalleled quality that our customers demand. Our 2022 video presentation switches will provide more collaborative tools, more connectivity, and more opportunities to maximize virtual meetings and maintain dynamic participation between local and remote participants.

Finally, with the growing popularity of immersive AV experiences throughout the world, ATEN will continue promoting and further enhancing its unique technologies such as Seamless Switch with zero latency and FrameSync as well as HDBaseT and true 4K support with HDR technology.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Tim Boot, Director of Global Marketing at Meyer Sound

This is an exciting year for Meyer Sound, as we are introducing a powerful new product in the first quarter which has already been met with positive reactions from our global network. Along with the launch, we will offer a new connection management and monitoring software. For the past two years, our Constellation acoustic system, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2021, as well as our Spacemap Go spatial sound design and live mixing tool, saw great success across various markets, and that momentum is continuing into 2022. 

We recently launched several new Spacemap Go plugins for Avid VENUE and SSL Live consoles as well as digital audio workstations (DAWs), which will play an important role in live sound applications. Meyer Sound looks forward to continuing the new partnerships we started last year to further establish our presence and leadership in the residential and home cinema market. In 2021, we did a lot of listening to our global network of dealers and distributors and the larger pro audio community as needs have evolved. This year, we are ready to deliver those results.

For more than 40 years, Meyer Sound has created innovative solutions that have the flexibility to be applied in a variety of vertical markets. We are fortunate to be expanding our global team, including both experienced and next-generation engineers that have been integral to our new product development. We are excited to continue to work collaboratively with our global network in providing quality audio solutions worldwide.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Taft Stricklin, Sales Team Manager at Just Add Power

Just Add Power celebrates its 30th anniversary in AV this year. Our company was founded on the philosophy of delivering distribution solutions with infinite scalability, which remains unchanged and continues to guide our product roadmap for the future. As we witness AV technology become more pervasive in our daily lives, as well as the strengthening of the network both where we work and live, we’re focused on bringing even more capabilities to our AV over IP portfolio—distribution solutions we’ve been developing for over 12 years. 

Last year, we released our MaxColor 4K60 Series, featuring Dolby Vision with full HDR 10 plus over an existing network. This year, customers can expect to see additional features to that product. At the same time, we are still invested in ensuring that legacy installs are well supported with new features and firmware updates. Whether a customer is using a Just Add Power solution from 10 years ago or one that was released yesterday, they all can be bridged together—using the same switch, drivers, and cabling—into one cohesive system. We design products for maximum usability and ROI that will last for decades. In 2022, we plan to continue the legacy of quality and innovation that we were built upon.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Matt Davis, Director of Technology and Information Services at PTZOptics

The video livestreaming snowball isn’t going to roll back up the hill just because people are returning to in-person interaction. Recently, a large number of novices have started livestreaming. Often, these are people who’ve wanted to get into streaming for a long time and finally have the motivation or budget justification to begin as a result of the pandemic. Now, newcomers who’ve had initial success are looking to take next steps, adding professionalism and scale to their livestreaming setups.

PTZOptics’ users are looking for ways to do more with their systems without necessarily adding more people to their teams. That means automating as much of the production process as possible—using object recognition and facial tracking to create production movement without a live camera operator, for instance. We offer that capability through our auto-tracking robotic camera, the SimplTrack2, but we know users are looking for ways to get that effect even from static cameras through software. We’re working with partners with credibility and proven success in that arena to develop solutions for users at every price point.

We also foresee huge demand for remote production capabilities. The rollout of NDI Bridge and Medialooks is changing the game. People can livestream from a location with terrible Internet by pushing to a location with better access. Content creators from all over the world—ranging from novices to seasoned pros—can work on projects together. With this collaboration and knowledge-sharing capability, many of these novices are going to become experts really quickly. Over the next year, I expect to see a lot of individual users professionalizing their passion by banding together to offer remote video production services. Our development and update roadmap is all about making sure they have the tools they’ll need for remote workflows.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Fadhl Al-Bayaty, Director of Product Management at VuWall

We are proud of the advancements VuWall made in bridging the gap between AV, IP, and IT with our interoperable and hybrid approach. We place an enormous emphasis on interoperability in building any video wall project. We foresee 2022 as a big year for us as the industry embraces the tremendous value in this philosophy. We intend to continue educating AV professionals on the importance of interoperability, its advantages, and best practices for designing AV-over-IP video wall projects.

Our roadmap remains perfectly aligned with our mission to simplify complex AV-over-IP deployments with solutions that make it easy for our customers to manage how visual information is displayed and shared. We recognize many are faced with handling an ever-growing amount of information, future-proofing their investments as technology constantly advances, and the expectation that all software should be as easy to use as their smart devices.

While we fully intend to continue developing new features for our TRx centralized management software, we will also focus on tighter integrations with third-party solutions and improving our API and scripting tool. Our goal is to provide a more comprehensive ecosystem that makes it easy for customers to deploy video walls with simple drag-and-drop operations. This adds incredible value because it eliminates the hassle of customers having to make different platforms work together. We already have strong partnerships with manufacturers including Samsung, Genetec, Milestone, NDI, SDVoE, and IHSE. A significant part of our 2022 roadmap will be invested in developing new technology partnerships.

In 2022, we will also continue to reinforce our strategy with solutions based on open, non-proprietary architecture, simplified programming, and hybrid functionality. A single, unified platform is essential for managing multi-location AV-over-IP networks from anywhere. Our TRx software is the only single-platform solution providing both AV distribution and advanced video wall management.

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio

AVT Question: With some trade shows having been canceled or scaled back and limited in-person meetings, it has been a challenge for technology managers to learn about a company's philosophy, vision, and product roadmap for the coming year. Would you share what you can about your 2022 company roadmap? [January 2022]

Thought Leader: Chris Thorson, Senior Director, Global Solutions Marketing at Poly

Work is no longer a place; it’s what you do and how you do it. Right now, we are thinking about the future, and more specifically, what the future of the office will look like. Whether in the office, remote, or a little of both, flexible work is now the way we work. We are focusing on the people, policies, tech gear, and office use plans that turn our employees into hybrid heroes and provide an example for our customers.

Poly practices what we preach by connecting our own people, spaces, and technology to help our employees excel in this new normal and are actively planning for the day when those of us who want to return to the office will be able to do so in a safe, secure, and productive way. This includes taking care of our people by updating HR policies to drive innovation, collaboration, and culture. As we re-imagine our global office footprint, re-design open office spaces, equip meeting rooms with the latest gear, and match the right audio and video equipment to the right workspaces—we are seeking to create a seamless collaboration experience and ensure a consistently excellent video conferencing experience for employees wherever they are. Said another way, Poly will continue to build technology that seamlessly connects employees no matter where they work, and then politely step out of the way. It means cameras will auto track meeting participants; virtual sound barriers will keep out unwanted distractions; and simplified scheduling will eliminate frustration, as well as facilitate connections to any and all platforms of your choice.

 We offer solutions for hybrid, remote, on-site, and on-the-go workers—whether they’re in a home office, conference room, huddle space, or customer service center. 

AV/IT Company Roadmaps 2022

>> Absen Roadmap 2022

>> AtlasIED Roadmap 2022

>> Atlona Roadmap 2022

>> BrightSign Roadmap 2022

>> C2G Roadmap 2022

>> Chief Roadmap 2022

>> Datapath Roadmap 2022

>> Hall Technologies Roadmap 2022

>> Kramer Roadmap 2022

>> QSC Roadmap 2022

>> Sennheiser Roadmap 2022

>> Shure Roadmap 2022

>> Sony Roadmap 2022

>> Yamaha Unified Communications Roadmap 2022

More 2022 Roadmaps to come!

More Thought Leaders Series Articles

>> 22Miles Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> BlueJeans by Verizon Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> ClearOne on Conferencing Audio

>> Legrand|AV on Conferencing Audio

>> Listen Technologies Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Poly Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> SurgeX Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> VuWall Product Roadmap – Re: Pandemic

>> Yamaha UC on Conferencing Audio