Modern technology is innovating our world more rapidly than ever before. While this technological revolution has resulted in both better products and outcomes, on the downside, it’s also created a lot of noise and confusion. These days, clarity and simplification are seen as a benefit, especially in technical industries. AV content distribution is one of those areas where users may have a bit of basic knowledge, but when it comes to commercial integration, many may feel at a loss. AV-over-IP entered the market as a simplified alternative to RF distribution. From its inception, AV-over-IP gained popularity as a convenient way to distribute video minus the traditional cabling infrastructure needed for RF distribution.
By its nature, AV-over-IP provides flexibility when setting up a network. It transforms an AV signal from a single source transmitted through a dedicated connection into digital data traveling on an Ethernet network. The network can be a LAN, WAN, dedicated Ethernet cable, 5G wireless, or the internet, delivering streamlined distribution without the infrastructure necessary for traditional AV.
Although AV over IP can simplify AV distribution, there are still important considerations to make, Contemporary Research is available to assist with those considerations with a bundled solution.
“One of the big concerns that we hear about from a lot of integrators and a lot of end users is latency,” says Sara Krybus, director of sales and marketing at Contemporary Research. “Much of the latency is dependent on the network and making sure that you have a good, solid network that is dedicated to your audio and video needs. It is very important to help reduce some of that.”
She notes that the acceptable range of latency really depends on the application. In digital signage, for instance, some latency is not a concern. Krybus explains that Contemporary Research offers an end-to-end video distribution solution over IP from encoder to decoder. “We also offer the ability to control displays via the same cabling that you’re sending the video on, so no additional wiring is needed. Everything is right there, making it super easy and a lesser footprint from a wiring standpoint to distribute and control,” she adds. The company’s products are made in Dallas, so its has not been as affected by the supply chain as other companies.
