Now that most manufacturers and systems integrators know what AVB (audio-video bridging) is, what it isn’t and what it can do, the AVNu Alliance is putting its focus at InfoComm 2015 on all the ways it’s being deployed in various vertical markets and new opportunities that could come about in the next year.
The Alliance has grown from about 20 to 30 member companies in the early days to 85 to 90 companies and that’s led to dividing the larger group into four divisions: pro AV, consumer, automotive and industrial. Patrick Prothe of Biamp has served as chairman of the pro AV division for three or four months and is excited about the chance to “bring the AVNu mission forward” starting at InfoComm 2015 and beyond.
“There’s been a promise of what AVB can do and we’re gaining some momentum on that,” says Prothe. “Within a year, there will be no question what AVB can do.” The technology is future-proof, scalable and built on Ethernet, he says.
AVB is “getting traction in a broader way,” says alliance board member Greg Schlechter of Intel. That traction is coming via “higher-level messaging,” he says. The alliance is developing a white paper on standards, says Prothe, and expects it to be released shortly after InfoComm.
“The alliance needs to put out a clear message and tell the same story,” says Prothe. “Our members need to tell the story in a way that’s relevant.”
“We’re always recruiting but we already have critical mass from leadership companies on the audio side,” says Schlechter, noting the alliance may look to add more companies on the video side to continue to grow its capabilities.
This year, the alliance decided to eschew its previous approach of jamming every member company into its InfoComm booth and instead go with a product showcase approach, highlighting the AVB ecosystem. The products will be show in various environments, including live sound and houses of worship.
“There’s no way to show the entire ecosystem in a 20×20 booth, so we’re now focusing on key pieces with presentations,” says Schlechter.
Although some in the industry have dismissed AVB and wondered what will replace it, Prothe and Schlechter see the capabilities as just emerging.
“People are starting to understand it’s a long-term shift,” says Schlechter. “It’s in the market but it’s not a particular product launch so it’s different than what people are used to in that way.” Video over network IP is lagging behind the audio capabilities, but Schlechter says the shift “seems to be right on target” and large video companies are starting to adopt AVB as a part of what they’re building.
“Some companies may be sitting on the sidelines and some may be dismissing it, but our job is to crystallize that story for them so everyone understand what we’re trying to do and what AVB can do,” says Prothe.
The AVNu Alliance will host a cocktail reception in its InfoComm 2015 booth (#551) at 4 p.m. During the reception, visitors can watch a video that explains the connection between AVB and Time-Sensitive Networking.
