Nowadays, AV over IP has become mainstream over the past few years. It brings many advantages for Pro AV users, theoretically making it easier to create, edit and distribute audio and video. Also, it is an unstoppable force: in the same way that telephony, security surveillance, and so many applications have become IP-centric, the same has happened with AV. However, the network element is still challenging in AV installations.

Network challenges

The requirements of AV are very different to IT environments, bringing far more complexity. For instance, delivering IP-based AV packets to multiple conference rooms demands high levels of Quality of Service (QoS). Plus, the amount of time required to configure IT switches for AV is complicated and time-consuming. Get it wrong, and problems such as jittery video or complete downtime are real risks.

A second point is the language around AV, IP, and IT. Most AV people do not speak IT fluently. However, there are certain terms that we can start to understand and bridge the gap to allow better communication between the AV and IT teams. IT network infrastructure needs to become more AV aware, with switches and standards presented more consistently, so that configuration can be more straightforward, with less manual error risk. At the moment, there is a lot of diversity, with dozens if not hundreds of potential network settings to consider.

For instance, if you install AV over IP, it is not super-compliant with the IGMP protocol. So, IT staff must spend a lot of time configuring the network switch and sometimes have to return and swap to another brand or model so that they can make the AVoIP work.

A third point is around the support requirements of Pro AV users, meaning that they need access to professionals who truly understand the AV world, including AV standards and protocols. One of the reasons we entered the AV market was because we could see that configuring network switches for AV installations took a lot of time and education. So we decided that there had to be an easier way to support Pro AV across products and support.

Our solution

Our newly released AV over IP, the iSwitch 265K is a real zero-configuration solution that does not need any requirement of the network switch. Works flawlessly with a universal Ethernet switch; no need to configure IGMP for many-to-many applications. Quite friendly to installers and end-users.

Real Plug & Play

The real plug-and-play solution. Easier than ever to build a distributed 4K IP matrix with a video wall, ideal for sports bars, houses of worship, retail, etc.