AVT Question: Please share insight into the current state of networked AV and control; what you see as barriers to entry; and what advice can you offer on how AV/IT managers can overcome limited resources or a lack of buy-in.
Thought Leader: Christian Young, Pro AV Product Manager at ATEN Technology
The selection of one type of transmission technology over another is based on the type of application. AV over IP (or AVoIP) is ideal for when video, audio, and other types of signals need to be shared across different buildings, campuses, and even geographical locations. AVoIP offers many advantages, such as limitless flexibility and scalability, easy IP setup, daisy chaining capabilities for multiple displays, and convenient integration and installation. With careful planning and coordination, there are no major obstacles to applying this technology nowadays.
Because AVoIP can use the existing IT network in the company, bandwidth is a key consideration system integrators and AV/IT managers need to plan for in advance—and this can be very expensive. " — Christian Young, Pro AV Product Manager at ATEN Technology
AV over IP hardware is not very expensive when compared to traditional AV infrastructures of video matrixes and extenders. Companies buy the number of encoding and decoding devices required at that moment and expand in the future as needed, a network switch to handle the signal from the encoder to the local area network, and high-grade (CAT 6a or CAT 7) or fiber optic cables.
However, because AVoIP can use the existing IT network in the company, bandwidth is a key consideration system integrators and AV/IT managers need to plan for in advance—and this can be very expensive. What would the load of data be in three or five years? What type of data will the video signal have? What type of image quality and latency is acceptable for the application? How many locations will the data need to be sent in the future? These are just a few questions that should be asked/considered when implementing a future-proof infrastructure.
AV Technology's Thought Leader Series on AVoX
Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about the state of networked AV. A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On AVoX, the Intro Article
