Latency: Reflections from Modern AV over IP Applications

AV over IP & Latency

Since the dawn of the internet era, latency has been a primary concern for software and hardware developers worldwide. Faster connections, improved streaming, shorter pings, reduced latency, and enhanced connection integrity have consistently been goals in every network-connected equipment design. This obsession isn’t unfounded: lower latency directly translates to more responsive applications and a more seamless user experience.

As the digital landscape expanded and the networks became faster, the cost advantage of transmitting and distributing Audiovisual Signals over the IP networks led to an explosive growth in networked AV over IP deployments in the recent times. AV integrated further into IT and became more converged into the Network and Internet in general. This expansion has brought forth developments like introducing online gaming, video conferencing, cloud computing, and real-time data transfer & analytics. With these advancements, the demand for reduced latency became even more pronounced. 

Picture yourself in 2023 and you’re in a command center operating a state-of-the-art AV over IP system, or perhaps you’re an online gamer where split-second decisions are crucial. A subtle, yet significant, delay in data packet transmission can dramatically affect the efficiency and effectiveness of audiovisual communication. In this industry insight, we’ll explore the root causes and multifaceted challenges posed by latency and spotlight an innovative solution that offers a promising answer to this issue. 

Time-traveling Bytes 

The issue of latency often poses a problem in the domain of AV over IP systems and could potentially be caused by any component or even a combination of factors. While connecting more devices and sending details into such a network may initially seem like a natural behavior while you have enough network ports, it may be the case that the network will quickly be overloaded.

Picture a congested road leading to jammed traffic, overcrowded network causes delay in data transmissions. Equally important in this regard are the managing devices for these networks, namely switches and routers. Quality and speed of these components may determine whether the flow of data is smooth or ends up turning into a bottleneck.

Throughout the modern-day industry, AV over IP manufacturers as well as Network component manufacturers have worked hand in hand and for a long period of time to optimize network streaming and minimize latency, through making the process of encapsulating audio and video as data packets (and converting data back to audio or video) as highly effective as possible. WyreStorm has been in the forefront of developing such technologies, with the industry leading and award-winning NetworkHD AV over IP Series. 

Zero is Good!  

Such tireless search for effective solutions to overcome latency in AV over IP has led WyreStorm to develop some of the most Network efficient products for AVoverIP signal distribution. NetworkHD 600 series emerges as an example of such innovation. This innovative solution, engineered specifically to address the inherent challenges of AV over IP, offers features tailored to neutralize latency concerns. Most notably, the NetworkHD 600 series takes pride in its zero-latency feature, guaranteeing real-time audiovisual transmissions without any discernible delay.

Complementing this, is its state-of-the-art encoding and decoding SDVoE technology, which expediently processes signals, addressing one of the primary latency disadvantages. The series doesn’t hold back signal quality, with 4K uncompressed video transmitted seamlessly over 10GbE networks. In essence, the WyreStorm NetworkHD 600 series stands as a comprehensive answer to the latency puzzle in AV over IP. Zero Latency is a prime requirement in high-end Data Centers, Command Centers, and those critical environment government and defense applications. This is why specifically WyreStorm has developed the SDVoE NetworkHD 600 series! 

In conclusion, while AV over IP offers vast potential and benefits, it’s essential to be aware of the challenges, especially latency. With products like WyreStorm’s NetworkHD 600 series, the industry is taking significant strides to ensure that AV over IP not only becomes the standard for audiovisual transmission but does so without compromising quality and user experience. As technology continues to evolve, and in environments where a single millisecond of delay may lead to success or failure, it’s solutions like these that will pave the way for a seamless AV future.