Recent years have seen an exciting transformation in the world of AV technology. As networked audio and video solutions surged, it appeared that the IT industry might usher in an era that would overshadow the AV domain. However, the reality is more intricate than expected.
Diverse Standards: Manufacturers adopted networked audio and video standards for content distribution across campuses and geographical boundaries. While some favored standardized protocols, others ventured into proprietary algorithms and protocols.
Dante, with its straightforward deployment on existing networks, emerged as a widely adopted audio standard. Conversely, AVB, an IEEE standard, faced challenges, including licensing requirements for network switches and compatibility issues.
Beyond Connectivity: The complexities of deploying and configuring AV systems within IT frameworks surpass mere CATx connectivity.
Distinct Priorities: IT specializes in reliable data and voice transport, vital but with different demands compared to AV. AV necessitates high bandwidth and Quality of Service capabilities. Frame size configurations for AV can vary widely, and multicast enablement and specific QoS parameters are critical for AV setups.
Interoperability Challenges: Even with devices from different manufacturers adhering to a common protocol like Dante, seamless communication isn’t guaranteed. I have seen AV teams trying to find the source of fault in their hardware when the real problem lies in the network and on the other hand blaming and troubleshooting network connectivity when the hardware is faulty. Interactions between devices running through network switches from different manufacturers can also present hurdles as they don’t seem to handshake easily. Switches don’t work as seamlessly with AV packets and protocols as they would do with data packets.
Balancing Act: In the IT world, downtime is a costly luxury. While AV networks are important, they don’t carry the same level of criticality. IT teams exercise caution when integrating AV devices to avoid potential bandwidth congestion.
The Path Forward: Achieving true AVIT convergence hinges on widespread adoption of common interoperability standards by AV manufacturers, akin to IEEE standards. Concurrently, the IT industry must incorporate these standards as defaults in their devices.
In the ever-evolving landscape of AVIT convergence, it’s evident that these two domains have unique requirements and priorities.