SDVoE – turning the theoretical benefits of AV over IP into reality
AV over IP’ (or AVoIP) is a fast-growing market. Drivers include the need for solutions that can support 10GB video distribution and deliver true 4K as well as High Definition Range (HDR) without compromise. Plus, end user costs get reduced, creating networks becomes faster and easier. There is far more potential for innovation, with IP-based Pro AV becoming available – and affordable – to a far wider audience. The traditional AV market is being disrupted by AVoIP and Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE) is playing a starring role.
More on SDVoE shortly, but first, how did we get here and why has this level of IP innovation in video not happened before, given how established IP is in other industries? The answer is that there have been some significant barriers to overcome, notably compression, standardization, end user price points, as well as a lack of networks able to distribute high-quality AVoIP without lag and other problems.
Overcoming proprietary barriers
Then there has been the chaos caused by different approaches to AV being preferred by different vendors, leading to a mish-mash of IP products that do not deliver a unified, end-to-end answer to end users’ needs. However, with AV applications becoming more complex, diverse and demanding, overcoming these barriers is vital: the old-world of point-to-point or circuit-based matrix switches simply is not fit-for-purpose for this industry, where flexibility, scalability, zero-latency and high speed are non-negotiable requirements.
The good news is that those barriers have now been addressed, with the evolution of AVoIP and SDVoE, which provides the basis for a flexible, scalable, end-to-end and high-performance AV distribution, such as video walls and 4K projectors. Moreover, SDVoE is establishing a universal, standards-based framework that ensures seamless interoperability between off-the-shelf products from different vendors, that can blend into AV networks that can be extended as needed.
Founding members of the SDVoE Alliance include Christie, Sony, ZeeVee and NETGEAR, plus multiple other contributors and adopters. There are a couple of other standards being proposed for Pro AVoIP, but SDVoE has some strong stand-out benefits – including flawless image quality and zero millisecond latency from 1080 resolution to true 4K/60 video - which is why it is gaining so many advocates and so much ground.
AVoIP quick primer
Let’s take a closer look at AVoIP. It eliminates the need for compression, due to the inherent nature of Ethernet. This represents a sea-change compared to previous attempts to deliver AV over proprietary methods, where compression was inevitable and compromised both image quality and delivery. Only AVoIP can send 4K/60 video over standard Ethernet hardware and High Dynamic Range (HDR), as well as supporting many other less-demanding formats.
Latency is zero in most instances, with minimal demand on IGMP-enabled networking infrastructure and because Ethernet treats all data packets the same - input or output - the codec or compression being used is irrelevant. Transmission in the back-end takes just a microsecond (we’re talking two thousandth of a millisecond). Finally, if using a NETGEAR AVoIP, SDVoE certified switch, the price-per-port versus traditional AV systems such as HDBASE-T switching, meaning Pro AV users get a lot more for their money: less than ￡75 per port, compared to ￡750.
An open approach that’s good news for everyone
Clever technology aside, the open approach of the SDVoE alliance is also very important. A global API means that this is not just for big players: smaller firms can take advantage of SDVoE standards, for instance to create solutions for SMEs or niche vertical sectors. For end users, SDVoE products means seamless connectivity of all the components in a Pro AV network: digital signage, 4K cameras, 4K servers, Blu-Ray Players, cable and satellite boxes and laptops.
As well as removing vendor lock-in, AV systems become easier to change or extend, with more flexibility and no longer having to commit to complicated configurations that are expensive and complex to change. Plus, with double the number of ports to play with and support for high-speed, high-quality video, SDVoE leaves plenty of room for each pro AV user to customize a system exactly to their desired spec.
NETGEAR and SDVoE
That said, not all products are the same and so it is important to find the right one for the intended application. As well as being a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance, NETGEAR is also the first company to launch a family of switches developed for true AVoIP, called the M4300 series. These units provide simple and seamless integration into AV systems, with zero-touch installation ‘out of the box. With a comparatively small form factor, the switches are also designed to stack for scale and convenience and will support up 10GB across 16 to 96 available ports, for both copper and fibre network connectivity. Users can start small and then build or adapt the network as required.
The M4300-96X is designed with the needs of AV Pros in mind. Pre-configured features include IGMP and the mixed stacking between 10/40Gb and 1Gb models, using any 10G/40G port with any media (for instance, RJ45, SFP+ or DAC cables). In common with the rest of the series, the M4300-96X provides robust availability and failover resistance, high security and standards-compliance.
SDVoE is a game-changer. It turns the potential benefits of AV over IP that have been talked about into tangible, measurable reality, by sweeping away the limitations of previous attempts to deliver pixel-perfect, zero-latency high-quality video: easily, flexibly, getting rid of the complexity of previous AV approaches. Furthermore, it has already got a robust set of supporting manufacturers, adopters and contributors who view it as the platform for the next generation of AVoIP distribution. The picture for SDVoE looks very bright indeed.
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