AV has always relied in its fundamentals on IT technology, especially since digital signal management prevailed, and the future path is definitely determined by Networked AV aka AV Over IP routing methods.
In the conventional method, audiovisual (AV) signals are forwarded in designated networks, while in Networked AV solutions (also known as AV Over IP) audio and video signals are usually sent through standard IT networks, though often it is still recommended to build a dedicated, purpose-built Ethernet network for video distribution. Devices sending signals are typically called encoders and receivers are called decoders.
There are numerous advantages of Networked AV configurations:
Scalability
Ethernet networks can have a virtually limitless size in which any number of encoders and decoders work together in one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-many AV configurations.
In an AV Over IP network a standard Ethernet switch replaces the conventional AV matrix switch without the limitation of a fixed I/O size. This creates a big advantage for AV Over IP systems which are in this sense infinitely expandable: as long as there are free ports available on the central Ethernet switch used, further devices can be added to the network.
Asymmetric Crosspoint Setup
The number of input and output ‘ports’ of the virtual matrix environment can be freely configured, so it is possible to create systems which e.g. have a lot of devices on the output side, while only a very few on the input.
Cost Saving
There is only need for a single cable installation which minimizes costs and reduces the complexity of dedicated cable grids for AV signals. AV signals are basically transferred as data packets, just like other network traffic, without being affected by interference caused by other nearby cables.
By employing quality AV Over IP solutions, companies can save on related infrastructure spending. While traditional AV switches might cost tens of thousands of dollars, the AV-Over-IP solution can be performed using simple Ethernet switches, requiring only a fraction of the cost.
Longer Available Distances
Compared to circuit-switched AV or HDBaseT connections, Ethernet based networks are more easily expandable and can exceed 100m, with all of the same management tools, permissions for stream access, and security protocols as computer data.
Av Over IP Systems by Lightware
Lightware offers Networked AV solutions for numerous markets and applications, for 1 Gb networks, Unicast and Multicast environments and also for 10+ Gb Networks where most video signals can be transferred without compressing the signals or use only minimal compression.