By Gary Zheng & Kieron Seth, Lumens
June 07, 2022 31546
AV over IP means "Audio-Visual over Internet Protocol". In principle, it transmits audio-visual data and control signals over a network such as a LAN, WAN, or the Internet. Unlike traditional AV environments that use HDMI or a dedicated AV cable, AV over IP is designed to use standard network connections and equipment to transmit and switch video and audio.
Source: 8 AV over IP Market Trends Installers Need to Know
The major reasons are:
1. Reduce installation and ongoing maintenance costs
First, the video and audio signals are encoded and converted into a compressed, IP-friendly format. The data is packetized into TCP or UDP format for transmission over Ethernet networks. The hardware required is as follows:
• Encoder: capture, digitize, compress and packetize the HDMI signal for streaming
• Decoder: receive the stream, de-packetize, decompress and convert back to HDMI
• IP switch: routes the encoded AV IP streams to decoders for display
• Controller: configures and manages the AV distribution network, and monitors the status of connected devices