The Rise of AV over IP

Bob Michaels, president and CEO of ZeeVee, talks about the rise of AV over IP in the robust Southeast Asian pro AV market.

Participating in the first ever InfoComm Southeast Asia was very exciting for us at ZeeVee. The exposition couldn’t happen at a better time as AVIXA reports the booming East Asian pro AV market’s value will increase by about 35 percent and reach a value of $23.3 billion by 2022. In our experience in servicing the region, we’ve observed a rapidly increasing investment in interactive AV, IoT connected AV and Networked AV.

More integrators and end-users are recognizing audio video over IP (AVoIP) as an ideal solution. Unlike HDBaseT, AVoIP offers a non-proprietary AV distribution platform utilizing standard ethernet connections to distribute uncompressed video with submillisecond latency.

At the conference, I presented a training session on the impact of Software Defined Video over Ethernet entitled “SDVoE, The Matrix Switch Transformed.” The session provided an overview of the AVoIP technology and explores why it is rapidly gaining traction as a replacement for matrix switches when distributing HD and 4K AV content.

I also covered the pros and cons of selecting a 1Gb v. 10Gb network for an AVoIP network. Let me expand upon that here.

To create an AVoIP solution that delivers the same performance of a traditional matrix switch, a 10Gb infrastructure, at minimum, best serves the needs of customers. After all, why choose a 20-year-old 1Gb network technology to deliver current and future AV applications? We’ve heard some concern in the market regarding the added expense of a 10Gb network.

In reality, this is not a significant factor when taking into consideration the cost of an overall deployment. There are also different levels of 10Gb switches, and those used for the distribution of video cost significantly less than the most expensive data centergrade models.

From a more practical standpoint, attention needs to be directed at the cost-perport differences between IP and HDbaseT where it becomes crystal clear, especially in larger deployments, that IP-based solutions provide for a more cost-effective, flexible and easier installation.

Integrators, who need to consider all of the options that will best meet their customer’s needs, will want to be wary of manufacturers that only have a 1Gb solution and claim that it is all that is needed for any application.

Experience shows that “shoe-horning” clients into a solution that isn’t a good fit doesn’t help anyone in the short term, much less the long term. Just look at all the applications already being deployed by integrators over 10Gb networks across multiple verticals that drive interactive displays in museums, video walls in large corporate environments and real-time observation of surgeries at hospitals.

ZeeVee has been active in the APAC region for many years observing market trends, establishing strong relationships and growing our AVoIP product business. The opening of our Singapore operations earlier this year, and appointment of Ricky Tan as regional sales manager, southeast Asia, signals our expanding commitment to the market.

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