News & Trends

5 Things AV Wishes IT Knew About AV

The demand for robust Audiovisual solutions is at an all-time high. With the rise of multicast and point-to-multipoint AV distribution over increasing distances being key catalysts, AV over IP is quickly becoming essential. These trends, among others, foster increased collaboration between AV (Audiovisual) and IT (Information Technology) teams. 

While there has been a focus on training AV professionals on the basics of networking, there is a lack of resources for helping IT professionals understand the basics of AV as it relates to network transport. Our virtual classroom, AV for IT Professionals, occurring on October 29-31, is here to help close that gap. It’s designed to provide IT and Facilities professionals with the necessary tools to engage their AV counterparts. Led by instructor Jose Mozota, CTS-I, President of Freman Solutions Incorporated, this course will guide IT professionals to successfully deploy AV over IP solutions that meet IT policies and AV users' needs.

As an IT professional, diving into the realm of AV might seem overwhelming at first—there’s so much to learn! But the need for cross-disciplinary knowledge and integration is becoming increasingly apparent. So, to start off your learning journey, here are five essential things that AV professionals often wish IT professionals understood about AV technology:

1. Complexity and Compatibility

• AV systems have specialized requirements that differ from general IT systems. This includes specific signal types (HDMI, SDI) and unique physical infrastructures (acoustic treatments, video wall calibrations).
• Compatibility between AV equipment from different manufacturers can be complicated. Proper knowledge of signal standards and types can prevent issues such as mismatched resolutions and audio sync problems.

2. Latency and Bandwidth

• AV applications, especially in live events and broadcasting, require low-latency signal transmission to ensure real-time audio-visual synchronization. Since AV applications are sensitive to latency, IT should aim to maintain low and consistent latency across the network to prevent any synchronization issues.
• Transmitting high-definition video and multi-channel audio necessitates significant bandwidth. IT networks should be robust enough to handle such demands without causing bottlenecks (aka points of congestion within the AV infrastructure). 

3. Power and Infrastructure 

• AV equipment usually requires dedicated power circuits as well as proper grounding to prevent noise and ensure reliability.
• The types (and lengths) of cables used for AV systems need to be carefully planned, as mismatched or insufficient cabling can degrade signal quality. 

4. Network Security and Data Privacy

• Just like IT systems, AV systems also face security threats! Ensure AV devices connected to the network are secure and updated.
• Streaming and conferencing systems should be configured to defend against any unauthorized access as well.

5.  Policies and Standards

• AV traffic typically needs to be prioritized over other types of data traffic to avoid any drops in quality. QoS policies can help with that. IT professionals should implement QoS policies to prioritize AV streams appropriately. 
• For AV over IP solutions, standard protocols such as AVB, RTP, SMPTE 2110 and IPMX and proprietary protocols such as Dante, QSC and NDI, provide the framework for network transport of an AV payload. AV and IT professionals should be familiar with the advantages and limitations of those protocols.

In Closing

By understanding these fundamental AV aspects, IT professionals can better work with AV professionals to significantly enhance the integration and performance of systems like AV over IP, leading to better reliability and user satisfaction.

Want to learn more? Check out our IT professionals training catalog to sign up for classes specifically designed to provide IT pros with the necessary tools to engage their AV counterparts—and most importantly, to work with them to deploy successful AV over IP solutions.