Have you ever walked into a meeting and wasted too much time trying to set up the equipment and get started? Or maybe you’ve experienced the frustration of scrambling to find the right cables, causing the meeting to start late?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But what if there was a better solution?
USB-C is the cable connector protocol that’s already widely used in consumer devices like cell phones and tablets, and it is becoming increasingly popular in laptops as well. With USB-C, you can deliver high-quality video, data transfer, Ethernet, and even charging power of up to 240W, all over a single cable.
As a Product Manager in the Pro AV market, I often wonder: could USB-C eventually replace HDMI for some applications? USB-C’s versatility, supporting video, data and charging, along with its increasing standardization make it a strong contender for Pro AV installations . And according to research companies like Futuresource, USB-C is already becoming more popular than HDMI, with triple the number of USB-C connectors predicted to be in the market by 2025.
One cable to rule them all
USB-C is a versatile and powerful interface that offers several advantages over its predecessors. First and foremost, USB-C supports 4K60 video and faster data transfer speeds, making it possible to transfer large files and stream high-quality video with ease. Additionally, USB-C cables are reversible, meaning that you can plug them in any orientation, saving you time and frustration. Furthermore, USB-C can carry more power than previous USB types, allowing you to charge your devices faster and even power larger devices like laptops. Finally, USB-C is becoming increasingly popular among device manufacturers, which means that you can use a single USB-C cable to charge, transfer 4K60 video and data between multiple devices, making it a convenient and future-proof choice for all your connectivity needs.
Let’s dive deeper into the benefits of USB-C for Pro AV installations. In most meeting rooms, the tangle of cables is a familiar sight, with one cable for video, one cable for Ethernet, one cable for the webcam, one cable for the mic, and one cable for laptop charging. But with USB-C, you can say goodbye to cable chaos, and hello to a single cable solution. Think about a display that gets power, Ethernet, a webcam, a mic, and speakers. Now imagine that all these signals connect to your laptop using one USB-C cable. The result? A clean, clutter-free workspace that allows for faster and more efficient meetings.
It’s worth noting that while USB-C has most of the features required for Pro AV installations, there are two significant challenges that need to be addressed: the Unreliable connection and the length limitation.