As the world of AV devices moves closer to achieving true “plug and play” functionality, the significance of AV interoperability becomes increasingly apparent. Despite the advancements, seamless communication between AV devices still necessitates meticulous planning and consideration.
AV networking and interoperability, especially for AV-over-IP systems, have evolved significantly into the mature, stable phase of its lifecycle. Despite the continued relevance of connector-specific applications like HDMI and XLR, many modern products now prioritise RJ-45 or USB-C connections. This IT-centric approach simplifies many interoperability aspects but introduces challenges, such as the impact of AV transmissions on network traffic. Current interoperability concerns encompass scalability, ease of management, security, control, API robustness, and more.
INTEROPERABILITY CHALLENGES
One of the key challenges for AV interoperability is the diverse implementation of protocols and interfaces by different AV manufacturers. A common solution is the manufacturer-specific ecosystem or “walled garden” approach, where products from a single brand work seamlessly together. However, this limits users to that brand’s offerings, which may not suit all installations.
Establishing standards is another potential solution for interoperability challenges. While standards create agreed-upon technology elements, they don’t ensure implementation quality or support, often leaving room for interpretation and potential interoperability issues between manufacturers. Additionally, the lack of robust security in AV standards presents significant risks, particularly as these systems become more integrated into critical infrastructure and everyday environments.
Alternatively, a third-party-developed, fully-supported transport solution like Dante offers a holistic approach, in that all the devices are interconnected. The advantage is having dedicated support and expertise to assist with implementation and integration challenges.
Modern AV-over-IP systems must balance ease of management, optimization, and control with their impact on the broader network. IT departments require comprehensive information about networked devices, including their status and potential issues. Enhancements in control and management aspects of AV-over-IP platforms are crucial. For AV manufacturers, this means providing a unified API that IT managers can use to consolidate data about AV endpoints into a single, comprehensive view.
Integrators and IT departments carefully choose AV-over-IP ecosystems or platforms, considering both financial and experiential investments. Integrators should prioritise platforms that continuously innovate, adding new features and refining existing capabilities while also forming strategic partnerships to add customer value.
System scalability is closely linked to interoperability. While some see scaling as merely adding more endpoints of the same type, it often involves incorporating new capabilities and hardware types. A truly interoperable solution must perform well across various scales, from single-room systems to large-scale installations (1000+ devices).
Last but not least, security is now synonymous with interoperability because a system is only as strong as its weakest link.
AV has often been a weak point in corporate security plans and a significant reason why AV had to be run on separate hardware for many years. Many IT departments demand that specific security measures and protocols be implemented network-wide; therefore, AV security must also be system-wide. So if you’re not interoperable on security (ex, one side of a connection supports AES 256 encryption, but the other doesn’t), you’re not interoperable at all.
Overall, AV interoperability is crucial for ensuring seamless communication, collaboration, and entertainment experiences across a wide variety of devices and platforms. It depends on standards, protocols, platforms, APIs, and rigorous testing processes to guarantee that different AV systems can function together harmoniously, enhancing the user experience and fostering innovation in the AV industry.
Given the availability of both hardware and software solutions tailored for various applications – from high performance to maximum flexibility and cost-effectiveness – a manufacturer-agnostic approach to interoperability is not just ideal, but empowering. This approach allows integrators to utilise their preferred devices from different manufacturers, giving them the freedom to choose the best solutions for their needs. With an interoperable platform, the possibilities are truly endless.
