AV-over-IP represents a fundamental change in how audio-visual material is captured, routed and distributed to TV displays and loudspeakers within a house of worship, and shared either to other churches on a multi-campus network, or streamed to worshippers anywhere in the world.
To church designers and integrators, AV-over-IP may seem like a radical departure from conventional baseband wired networks – and it is. At the same time, the architecture of AV-over-IP is conceptually derived from these old wired networks. This makes AV-over-IP easy to understand, once you get comfortable with the IP element.
What makes AV-over-IP different?
The term AV-over-IP is short for "audio-visual over internet protocol." In its simplest terms, AV-over-IP means that all of the AV devices on the network have their outputs encoded using one or more common AV-over-IP protocols. The reason the outputs are encoded is to make them capable of being transmitted across one or more IP networks. These networks can include the internet and more secure, privately provisioned IP connections
These encoded signals are then distributed to connected playout devices (monitors, speakers and computers via the web) that can decode the outputs at the receiving end.
Why use AV-over-IP?
There are many reasons to use AV-over-IP in churches rather than sticking with traditional baseband AV networks.
The first reason is cost. When a church opts to use IP to move its AV signals, it can do so using commercial-off-the shelf (COTS) servers and IP switches. This can be much cheaper than having to buy vendor-specific conventional distribution hardware and cabling – and it minimizes the risk of being chained to a proprietary technology that the vendor could discontinue down the road.
The second plus is expandability. With a conventional baseband network, the user is physically limited to the number of connection ports and bandwidth available for transmitting signals from Point A to Point B. Try to boost those channels by moving to a larger router, and the costs can pile up. “Although a 16x16 physical signal router is affordable, going to 64x64 is definitely a step up in price,” says Bryce Button, director of product marketing with AJA Video. “Go beyond 64x64, and the cost really goes up.”
Bryce Button, Director of Product Marketing, AJA Video
“Although a 16x16 physical signal router is affordable, going to 64x64 is definitely a step up in price. Go beyond 64x64, and the cost really goes up.” Bryce Button, Director of Product Marketing, AJA Video
In contrast, adding extra ports to an AV-over-IP network is as simple as plugging in an IP-based expansion box for dedicated Ethernet cables, or simply assigning more AV-over-IP devices to the existing IP network. This last option is where AV-over-IP really shines: As long as the IP network has sufficient available bandwidth to support additional AV devices, expansion is easy. (Building in headroom for advanced AV devices, like 4K monitors, is why many AV designers are specifying 10 Gigabit Ethernet capacity on their networks today.)
... adding extra ports to an AV-over-IP network is as simple as plugging in an IP-based expansion box for dedicated Ethernet cables, or simply assigning more AV-over-IP devices to the existing IP network.
The third reason to use AV-over-IP is simplicity. For instance, “a major advantage of AV-over-IP is the ability to distribute programming across the internet with minimal effort,” says Craig Yanagi, national marketing manager with JVCKenwood USA’s JVC Professional Video Division. This fact makes it easy for even the smallest churches to share live and recorded content with other locations, and to receive such content, as well.
Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, JVC Professional Video Division, JVCKenwood USA
“PTZ cameras can be secured in hard-to-reach places with just a single Ethernet cable that provides the required power and video interface." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, JVC Professional Video Division, JVCKenwood USA
AV-over-IP’s simplicity also extends to church AV design and equipment integration. A case in point: “PTZ cameras can be secured in hard-to-reach places with just a single Ethernet cable that provides the required power and video interface,” Yanagi notes. This is far simpler than wiring in separate baseband and power cables to these cameras. Meanwhile, it may be possible to connect cameras, audio outputs and monitors/speakers into the church’s existing LAN, as long as the demand is not too high and the available bandwidth is sufficient.
Getting up to speed
Given the growing popularity of AV-over-IP in general, church AV designers and integrators will need to become knowledgeable in this technology in order to stay competitive. Not doing so would be the same as trying to ignore HDTV and digital audio, in the hopes that analog would hang on one way or another.
“Designers and integrators need to be aware of the latest IP technologies, from cabling to interface devices,” says Yanagi. For example, “PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) is a key technology that provides significant simplicity and flexibility to installations, within the limit of available power and the distance it can cover. (Meanwhile,) in the case of a wireless integration, signal strength and having the proper bridge products to provide a robust infrastructure will ensure a high-quality, uninterrupted program.”
AV equipment vendors such as AJA Video and JVC can help bring church designers and integrators up to speed on AV-over-IP. So can IT professionals who are familiar with transporting encoded AV signals over IP networks.
AV equipment vendors such as AJA Video and JVC can help bring church designers and integrators up to speed on AV-over-IP. So can IT professionals who are familiar with transporting encoded AV signals over IP networks. Such professionals can serve as useful tech support in the short-term, and as potentially useful partners in the long-term.
Limits to look out for
Every technology has its limits, and AV-over-IP is no exception. We have already touched upon the issue of network capacity, which means ensuring that there is enough bandwidth available on the IP network to support all of the desired AV devices.
Whatever protocol(s) you choose should be popular enough to be supported by multiple vendors and to stand the test of time.
Choosing the most appropriate AV-over-IP encoding protocol(s) is another limit that needs to be considered. Whatever protocol(s) you choose should be popular enough to be supported by multiple vendors and to stand the test of time. “This is why you want to avoid an AV-over-IP solution whose chief feature is low price," says Button. “You could end up stuck in a proprietary situation where the manufacturer gives up on the protocol after a few years, and no one else supports it.”
Security is a major concern for AV-over-IP. The downside of using this platform is that it is popular with hackers who could intrude into church-run IP networks.
This is why proactive security features (advanced passwords and system monitoring) should be built into any AV-over-IP network solution. The good news for church designers and integrators is that this may allow them to provide IP security protection to their house of worship clients, on an ongoing paid basis.
Explaining AV-over-IP to church clients
In general, church clients are not at the cutting-edge of IP-based technology. This is why explaining why their house of worship should use AV-over-IP should be couched in terms of tangible advantages, rather than techno-speak.
For these clients, the big advantages of adopting AV-over-IP are equipment cost, ease of deployment and expansion, and simplicity of configuration and use.
The ability to piggyback AV content onto existing church LANs may also be selling points for smaller churches with limited AV demands. So, too, is the ability to share church AV content over the internet--both locally to shut-ins and remotely with other church campuses.
When doing such explanations, keep things simple.
“Flow chart presentations with verbal explanations can prove complex and confusing. Instead, hands-on demonstrations offer a better means to showcase the benefits of AV-over-IP technology,” says Yanagi. “Removing the stigma of what might initially seem like a highly technical IT solution is paramount to ensuring the client becomes both knowledgeable and comfortable with what is now the foundation of production for the perceivable future.”
