January 14, 2024
About the author:
Director of Product Management at Kramer
In the dynamic world of audio-visual technology, AVoIP, standing for AV over IP, has emerged as a revolutionary concept, transforming how professionals approach AV systems. AV over IP is more than just a technical term, as its capabilities extend far beyond basic audio and video functionalities. It encompasses a spectrum of services, transcends traditional boundaries, and allows for efficiency and adaptability.
But what is AV over IP, exactly? How does AVoIP work? What are its advantages? And what are the differences between AVoIP protocols and conventional AV systems? Read all about it in this blog post.
AV over IP represents a fundamental aspect of professional AV systems. It involves creating IP packets for each audio and video signal and transmitting them over a network while using standard category-X cables and IP switches. This transmission can be configured in various ways, such as point-to-point or point-to-multipoint, offering diverse arrangements and combinations.
Notably, AVoIP extends beyond just audio and video capabilities. It supports a range of other services, including control commands (of any kind), USB transactions, and analog and digital audio.
But how does AV over IP work? AVoIP simplifies the signal transmission process by encoding source signals (such as HDMI) into IP packets, and then sends them over the network to remote decoder devices. These IT packets can then be sent to any point on the network and be decoded to match the output requirements, be it a monitor or even a USB peripheral device.
The result is a more flexible, scalable, and efficient system, capable of adapting to various requirements and environments, from homes and offices to public spaces, healthcare, government, and higher education facilities. AVoIP thus represents a significant evolution in AV distribution, offering enhanced capabilities and greater ease of use compared to traditional methods.
Understanding the differences between traditional AV and AVoIP protocol is crucial for making informed decisions about your organization’s infrastructure.
Traditional AV methods rely on a dedicated, AV-specific infrastructure, and are characterized by their non-compression of signals (which means they keep the original quality). These methods typically use proprietary systems, they are uniquely designed and not based on standard technologies and products.
The IP world, on the other hand, allows for the use of off-the-shelf, non-proprietary IP switches. This makes the IP approach accessible, cost-efficient, and versatile, as it doesn’t rely on specialized hardware.
Native Pro AV signals, which can range between 18 to 48 Gbps, require substantial bandwidth. This high bandwidth demand makes them suitable for running over specialized infrastructure but not directly over standard IP networks.
As for AV over IP, typical and most popular IP networks, which often operate at 1 Gbps-10 Gbps, simply don’t have the capacity to handle large data streams. Therefore, to transmit these signals over IP networks, compression is necessary.
It’s also important to recognize that while these two professional AV systems – traditional AV and AVoIP – differ in their approach to signal transmission, the management and control of both systems are conducted over IP networks, through control and management systems.
While traditional AV systems are constrained by a cable-bound nature and a limited 100-meter range, AVoIP is more suitable for expansive settings.
If your organization already has an IP network in place for computer communication, integrating AVoIP can be a seamless and efficient choice. This is because additional ports can easily be added to an existing IP network, facilitating the incorporation of AVoIP into the current system.
However, if your organization predominantly uses a traditional AV-based infrastructure, it may be more practical to continue with it. This approach ensures compatibility and may utilize existing equipment and processes more effectively.
Another option is to set up two parallel networks: one based on IP and the other on traditional AV. This dual-network approach allows for dedicated channels for data transmission and AV, respectively.
Alternatively, a single network can be configured to handle both traditional AV and oIP. This choice might be more cost-effective and less complex in terms of infrastructure. However, for security reasons or to optimize performance, some organizations may prefer to have separate networks. This separation can minimize risks associated with data breaches or interference between data and AV transmissions, ensuring that each network is optimized for its specific purpose.
Implementing AVoIP protocols presents several challenges that must be navigated carefully. One of the primary concerns is ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) for each stream, with audio often requiring the highest priority, followed by video. Additionally, maintaining responsive interactions is crucial, necessitating effective control signals to prevent issues like repeated key presses due to unresponsiveness. This requires precise network settings and real-time IP protocols to manage these priorities efficiently.
Another significant challenge lies in implementing robust authentication protocols. These protocols are essential to control network access, similar to the need for a username and password for system access. Installers must have a deep understanding of device authentication methods to maintain network integrity and security.
Moreover, installers face the need for comprehensive training in network management. This includes a thorough understanding of drivers, configurations, and more, which are vital for effectively managing and troubleshooting IP networks.
Security is a paramount concern in AVoIP systems, especially when handling sensitive AV data. Ensuring a secured network, whether opting for a standalone AV network or a combined data and AV network, is crucial. This decision, along with choosing between 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps networks, depends on the specific requirements and security protocols of the AV applications.
Finally, the use of Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a huge benefit. PoE simplifies installation by allowing the Ethernet switch to power the remote devices through the same cable that transmits AV data.
The implementation of AVoIP brings a multitude of advantages to the table, revolutionizing how we approach audiovisual distribution and management. Each of the following benefits plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of AV systems in a variety of settings, by using AV over IP protocols:
AV over IP leverages existing IP infrastructures, enabling audio and video applications to cover any distance within the network’s reach. This technology allows for the transmission of AV data to any network location, showcasing its expansive reach.
AVoIP involves compression and decompression of the signal. When transmitting data, like an 18 Gigabit signal, through AV over IP, there’s an inevitable reduction in signal quality at the endpoint. However, this reduction is not as dramatic as one might expect. Thanks to modern codecs’ efficiency, the quality loss is minimal. The codecs operate with high precision, ensuring that the final quality, while slightly diminished, is still sufficiently high and acceptable for most applications.
To achieve this minimal loss of quality, it is important to choose the latest AVoIP technology allowing for 4K60 4:4:4.
Expanding the capacity of IP networks for AVoIP applications is simple and adaptable, thanks to the nature of existing IP infrastructure. Today’s networks can support hundreds to thousands of endpoints, providing an excellent opportunity to utilize these capabilities. The infrastructure is already equipped to handle multiple ports; in a single location, we can have 2 or 4 ports, with the potential to expand further. Each of the Ethernet switch ports can connect to either a monitor or a source, allowing for versatile configurations.
These ports have the capability to communicate with each other, adding to the system’s versatility. Moreover, the ability to cascade multiple switches greatly enhances the scalability of the solution, making it fast and easy to expand. These switches act as fundamental building blocks, allowing for a seamless and efficient network scale-up to accommodate a growing number of connected AV devices. This scalability is a significant advantage, enabling the connection of multiple AV input and output devices, and the streaming of content from a single source to various destinations; thus, creating an AVoIP network.
AVoIP capitalizes on widespread technologies and infrastructure, utilizing existing cabling, and Ethernet switches, and eliminating the need for specialized wiring or Pro AV equipment. As a result, deploying AV endpoints is more straightforward – wherever there is a network port, an AV endpoint can be established.
Operating on standard IT networks, AVoIP significantly reduces the cost per port, a common metric in evaluating the return on investment for AV distribution solutions.
The evolving IT landscape significantly impacts the Pro AV market. Customers now seek AV solutions that their IT teams can deploy, manage, and maintain, integrating AV expertise into the IT domain. AV over IP caters to this need by providing management controls and an IT-grade security level that aligns with IT-driven administrative practices.
AVoIP finds its applications in various industries, offering unique solutions tailored to the challenges of each sector.
Command and control centers, tasked with managing hundreds of screens and sources and requiring frequent reconfiguration, find a reliable solution in AVoIP, as well. Its scalability and ease of reconfiguration make it highly effective for these large-scale applications, offering a clear advantage over more rigid traditional AV systems.
The domain of digital signage, such as in shopping malls, also greatly benefits from AVoIP. AVoIP, with its extended reach, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, emerges as the preferred choice for managing and updating signage content from a central control unit over vast distances.
In the setting of live events in large venues, such as concerts in stadiums, AVoIP’s ability to operate over Ethernet or fiber optics, extending its reach up to 10 kilometers, is invaluable. This extended reach capability is particularly beneficial in large venues where AV signals need to be transmitted over long distances.
And lastly, in the realm of manufacturing facilities, especially those with more than 50 endpoints, AVoIP stands out as a highly beneficial technology. These large-scale environments require the relay of information to a central control room for monitoring numerous machines across extensive areas. AVoIP excels in this context due to its networking capabilities over multiple switches, offering extensive reach and scalability.
The current trend in the AV industry is leaning increasingly towards AVoIP ports. This shift indicates a growing preference for oIP installations in various settings. The expectation is that as technology advances, we will see even more installations embracing AVoIP.
Additionally, the quality of AVoIP is anticipated to improve over time. With the ongoing advancements in technology, both latency and overall quality are expected to continue enhancing.
These advancements will make AV over IP suitable for a wider range of applications, even those with more stringent demands. The ongoing refinement in these critical performance metrics highlights the potential of AVoIP to emerge as the norm in AV networking, delivering solutions that are not only efficient but also of superior quality.
