As early as 2016, the industry can be said to have completely entered the "AV over IP" era. Traditional hardware manufacturers have gradually completed the strategic transformation of their products to IP, and software has begun to occupy a larger business share. At the Hangzhou G20 Summit just past, the network AV system was able to be applied on a large scale in the venue, which has a pioneering and demonstrative effect.
Simply put, the so-called "AV over IP" is to send uncompressed audio and video information on standard IP media. A little more complicated is to encode the signal source and transmit the compressed content with reduced bit rate on the IP medium. But in general, it refers to extending and switching video and audio signal sources on a standard IP network. This means that with the development of technology today, input and output signals have been everywhere and everywhere. The signal source can be "any" and "many", including desktop PC output, video cameras, media players, satellite/cable TV set-top boxes, and so on. The terminal can also be "any" and "many", including the receiver box directly connected to the TV in the Huddle Room or public space, the video wall controller in the control room, the media stream on the laptop, and even the pure mobile device. Software decoding and display.
The game of image quality, bandwidth and latency
All roads leading to Rome are the charm of IP. The AV industry has found the next best way to transmit audio and video signals. IP provides a standardized architecture, but nowadays, the transmission method on the architecture can no longer meet the needs of various customers. We need to determine what image quality, bandwidth, and delay are allowed according to the application situation.
For low-bandwidth applications, H.265 is the answer, but due to the high level of compression, it is necessary to pay the price of delay and image quality. If there is enough bandwidth available, you can choose low-latency, lossless compression methods, such as JPEG 2000, TICO, etc., and there are some methods that can provide higher-quality images with lower delay levels.
When bandwidth is not a problem, no delay and no compression are important, especially in broadcasting, video conferencing and other occasions. This type of application can now be implemented on the 10G network topology.
Using standard IP media and standard IP protocol transmission, audio and video information can come and go freely like computer data, enjoy the same management tools, stream access permissions, and security protocols. However, most suppliers that use standard IP media will compress the source audio and video information in some form, so that a proper balance can be obtained when using a data network.
The lighter the AV over IP data packet, the faster the transmission. In addition to compression, you can also expect to purchase unlimited bandwidth for dedicated signals, enjoy the freedom brought by the "virtual signal path" provided by the AV over IP solution, and are no longer restricted by distance, and can achieve full HD video and Minimize latency. Different from traditional transmission methods, the AV over IP solution can provide dynamic and real-time content, creating more participation and lower cost of ownership for users. Especially in the business environment, IP is the ideal signal transmission method and the final trend of AV distribution.
But when it comes to audio, you have to clarify the definition first. There is a big difference between Audio over IP (AoIP) and Audio over Ethernet (AoE). People often think of them as a meaning. AoIP is a technology that allows compressed audio to be streamed on the Internet. It is usually used in broadcast or online streaming music services, which does not meet the needs of professional AV. And AoE is a technology that transmits uncompressed audio over the entire Ethernet. Delay is not allowed here, so AoE usually exists in the local area network.
Standard choice
The choice of AV over IP technology also depends on the user's tolerance for compression. If you don't want to compress video, you can use standards like HDBaseT or HDMI, which are designed to handle these high bandwidths. If you want to transmit lower-latency AV over IP signals over long distances, understanding the main compression techniques and making trade-offs are the keys to a successful design.
There are two main compression technologies in the professional audio-visual field, H.264 and JPEG2000, both of which can achieve high-quality images. The difference is that H.264 optimizes bandwidth, while JPEG 2000 optimizes latency. Low-bandwidth H.264 data streams perform well in most network environments, allowing multiple data streams on each link, and can achieve interoperability on corporate networks. For example, most web-based videos use H.264 compression. It is also commonly used by streaming media cameras and mobile devices, and the H.264 streaming media solutions in the professional AV market can frequently interact with these devices. The price is delay, which can easily add half a second of delay to the video stream. This also makes H.264 more used in long-distance applications, but it is not suitable for extension in the room, because the delay of the mouse and keyboard is very abrupt here.
The JPEG 2000 solution means higher bandwidth, which almost occupies a 1Gb Ethernet link. The result is that they usually require a dedicated network cable to run, just like the standard uncompressed technologies of HDMI and HDBaseT. But the advantage of JPEG 2000 is that the delay is lower than H.264.
Delays are superimposed, so other devices, such as display scalers and video conferencing systems, must also be considered. At the same time, the synchronization of audio and video is also very important, and people are usually very sensitive to the lack of synchronization of audio and video. If a separate audio distribution system is used, even a small video delay may become a big problem.
The versatility of AV over IP
The latest IP-based AV products have shown rich versatility. In addition to mobile control signals, audio distribution, and management of video conferences, there are many new solutions that add more and more differences to network applications. From microphones to PTZ cameras, hardware can not only be connected, they can also run on a multi-platform level, collect more audio and video data, and achieve further collaboration from the desktop to the coffee shop.
We can see that IP has created more and more intelligent microphones. Now it is not difficult to build an end-to-end network audio system. Each input can be cropped, scaled and placed according to storage presets, or any user-defined Defined configuration. With N1512, it is no longer necessary to directly connect the video signal source, because all are based on the network. The encoder is used to stream media video content on the network, and the window processor can be anywhere with a network, including data centers.
The AV network of the future
Faced with so many types, how to choose a suitable AV over IP technology? Before choosing, it is best to understand the user's scale, scope and expected performance level, such as a room, a group of rooms, or the entire enterprise. Understanding these details early helps to understand bandwidth requirements, desired image quality, and acceptable latency based on the application.
At the same time, the AV industry needs to think of itself as a subset of IT. The so-called ITization is not just about integrating RJ45 ports into AV products. There are many issues to consider, including security. When interoperability is on the agenda, if appropriate security protocols are not embedded in these systems, the network may be attacked. Today, the AV installations of many large enterprises are moving towards an integrated network. All IT and AV applications share the same network architecture. In this case, the choice of switcher will be more important.
When AV signal transmission is steadily integrated into the network environment, the infrastructure needs to support future needs. From now on, we must prepare for the future. More and more users will be proficient in certain aspects of IT, and will have higher requirements for interoperability, collaboration and instant access in the AV equipment experience. Ten years later, "Video Wall Control" will experience a new level of connectivity that we cannot imagine today.
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