VITEC

Making the Right Choice Between AV over IP Technology and IPTV Solutions

March 15, 2021 - Video distribution within facilities requires choosing between different technology approaches including RF, HDBaseT, AV over IP, and IPTV.  Although projects may specify an AV distribution technology because of legacy technology in place or specific customer request, it is still important to consider how the video distribution may be used in the future and design a solution that can support evolving requirements. Newer IP based solutions like AV over IP and IPTV provide a higher degree of functionality and features for consideration.

Some questions to consider:

• What is the overall budget and is it driven by number of video sources, viewers or both?
• Are there bandwidth constraints on the IP network?
• Does latency from the video source to viewing device matter?
• Is encryption important to protect and secure audio/video content?
• Will users need access to video on PCs or mobile devices?
• Are video walls for displaying the video in certain locations desired?
• Will there be Digital Signage?
• Will users want to record videos and access those on-demand?

The solution that is deployed at a minimum should meet two basic requirements:

1. The upgraded AV distribution platform should be an immediate improvement for users.
2. The platform should be flexible to support future features and system requirements.

Making the Right Choice Between AV over IP Technology and IPTV Solutions Designers and system integrators should look at the entire technology landscape to truly harness the value of the video distribution network being planned. Enterprises are relying on the expertise of their vendors to compare the many features of the various solutions that are available and recommend the best solution for their specific business needs and video workflows. As with any comparison, there are trade-offs that must be considered between the different technologies and deployments, so taking the time to do this analysis, will enable the exploration of new technologies and the considerations of how the solution will be used today and into the future.

Download VITEC's AV Distribution Technology chart to see a comparison of available features between the popular options of HDBaseT, AV over IP, and IPTV:

• AV Distribution Technology Feature Comparison Chart
• https://www.vitec.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AV-Distribution-Technology-Feature-Comparison-Chart.pdf
• AV Distribution – Making the Right Choice with IPTV
• https://www.vitec.com/fileadmin/pdf/EZ_TV/AV_Distribution_Making_the_Right_Choice_with_IPTV.pdf

The comparison goes beyond traditional video distribution and includes features like mobile playback or digital signage. As an example, in many deployments, designers are realizing the displays connected to the network can serve "double duty" to support traditional video plus be used as digital signs for promotions and communication to audiences.

Overall, IPTV provides the most robust set of features, coupled with the least amount of network components required to make the system function on an existing network. IPTV can scale to support future video streaming requirements and is efficiently delivered to maximize bandwidth performance. Although there is some latency introduced into the video delivery, it is minimal (~350ms) and can be pushed down to ~50ms with Ultra-Low Latency equipment deployed for high-availability deployments. In terms of cost, efficiency, scalability, and security, IPTV should be considered for any AV Distribution deployment or upgrade.

by Michael Chorpash, Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at VITEC