AptoVision, Aquantia, Christie Digital, NETGEAR, Sony and ZeeVee launch SDVoE Alliance

Industry alliance promotes a standardized software-defined video over Ethernet (SDVoE) platform for interoperable AV-over-IP applications and invites others to join

MONTREAL — Jan. 12, 2017 — AptoVision, Aquantia, Christie Digital, NETGEAR, Sony and ZeeVee today announced that they have formed the SDVoE Alliance to standardize the adoption of Ethernet to transport AV signals in professional AV environments, and to create an ecosystem around SDVoE technology that allows software to define AV applications.

All AV distribution and processing applications that demand zero-latency, uncompromised video can benefit from SDVoE technology, which provides an end-to-end hardware and software platform for AV extension, switching, processing and control through advanced chipset technology, common control APIs and interoperability. SDVoE network architectures are based on off-the-shelf Ethernet switches thus offering substantial cost savings and greater system flexibility and scalability over traditional approaches such as point-to-point extension and circuit-based AV matrix switching.

SDVoE Alliance founding members bring different perspectives to the SDVoE initiative spanning the entire ecosystem with expertise in chipsets (AptoVision, Aquantia), switches and storage (NETGEAR), and AV end points (Christie Digital, Sony and ZeeVee). The SDVoE Alliance already benefits from over 35 shipping products and numerous installations in healthcare, enterprise, entertainment, hospitality, retail, houses of worship, government, military, industry and security.

“For years we have lived with the idea that ‘AV/IT convergence is coming’,” said Justin Kennington, president of the SDVoE Alliance. “The SDVoE Alliance and its technology finally provide the platform that is necessary to enable it. Using 10 Gb Ethernet hardware to move video with flawless quality and zero latency is only the beginning. The creation of a software platform enables the development of whole new classes of applications not yet conceived. True convergence is finally here.”

The alliance seeks to:

• Standardize adoption of Ethernet to transport AV signals in professional AV environments
• Offer end users increased flexibility, with applications more tailored to their particular needs, and the opportunity to reduce both capital and operating expenses
• Enable more cost-effective architectures for AV signal distribution using Ethernet switches
• Provide a reliable and more versatile alternative to point-to-point extension and circuit switches
• Facilitate true AV/IT convergence such that high-quality AV networks and data networks can simultaneously share a single infrastructure platform
• Bring ecosystem partners — AV equipment manufacturers, AV software developers, switch manufacturers, chipset designers, technology providers and system integrators — together under a single banner to foster collaboration
• Bring awareness to new opportunities by educating the industry and offering training in the new paradigm

Debut at Integrated Systems Europe 2017
At ISE 2017 (Amsterdam, February 7-10) on stand 12-H55, the SDVoE Alliance will feature a series of demonstrations highlighting that only SDVoE technology delivers: a full stack solution for AV over IP, zero-latency 4K60 over standard Ethernet, a complete application development platform, powerful AV processing with simple controls, and 4K60 with HDR.

Free training sessions on deploying zero-latency AV-over-IP systems using SDVoE technology will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 12:30, 14:00 or 16:30 in room F002. All AV system integrators, designers, consultants, installers and manufacturers are invited to register to attend at sdvoe.org. 

Comments from the founding members

AptoVision

Kamran Ahmed, CEO and co-founder, AptoVision said “AptoVision has been providing the underlying signal distribution technology to enable AV over IP without compromise for quite some time now. What SDVoE adds is a complete hardware and software platform to enable interoperable products and applications. We look forward to collaborating with fellow industry leaders in the SDVoE Alliance as we deliver that foundation.” 

Aquantia

Amir Bar-Niv, VP of marketing, Aquantia said “10 Gigabit Ethernet over twisted-pair copper cabling, 10GBASE-T, is now a mature and rapidly growing technology in IT environments. Its bandwidth, cost and ease-of-use make it the ideal solution for the transport of uncompressed UHD video in pro AV applications targeted by the SDVoE Alliance. As the leading company in the 10GBASE-T market, we are excited to be part of this new alliance and look forward to promote the deployment of the technology in the market.” 

Christie Digital

Clark Williams, EVP, Content Management and Processing, Christie Digital said “SDVoE technology provides a powerful, flexible platform that is relevant to even the most high-performance applications. With comprehensive functionality that today requires several discrete products from a variety of manufacturers, the technology allows powerful new approaches to existing applications and opens the door to new innovative solutions not available in the marketplace today. Further, by leveraging lower costs of off-the-shelf enterprise switches, solutions can be more economical, scalable, and have the performance required for the most demanding applications.” 

NETGEAR

Richard Jonker, vice president SMB Product Line Management, NETGEAR said “The fact that the SDVoE standard utilizes commercially available 10Gbps Ethernet solutions means that customers now have a wide range of connectivity offerings which they can take advantage of. NETGEAR offers the widest range of cost-effective 10Gbps switches from web-managed 8-port devices to fully managed 48-port solutions with an ever increasing portfolio. We look forward to optimizing our offering to work in these SDVoE applications.”  

Sony

Toru Suzuki, Deputy Senior General Manager, B2B Segment Business Division, Professional Solutions and Services Group, Sony said “High image quality and low transport latency are both required in B2B field, and we expect SDVoE technology enables ideal AV-over-IP product solution. By incorporating SDVoE’s high bandwidth, processing flexibility and long distance connectivity, our latest display systems create immersive experiences more flexibly. We will deliver this solution for industrial product design and manufacturing, theme parks, museums, high-traffic lobbies, corporate boardrooms — any environment requiring realistic simulation. We can now construct display systems more flexibly beyond 4K resolution with free aspect, free layout contents on any size of display output. We are happy to be part of the SDVoE Alliance.” 

ZeeVee

Bob Michaels, CEO, ZeeVee said “For well over two years ZeeVee has been leading the way in developing, educating the market and installing IP-based AV distribution solutions by successfully leveraging industry standard technology. We believe in simplifying video distribution and are proud to be a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance. Participation in this new alliance will allow ZeeVee to better integrate our products into a wider AV-over-IP ecosystem, while giving integrators a trusted source for knowledge and products that will help them navigate the new technologies and applications, and compete as IP-based solutions become mainstream.” 

About the SDVoE Alliance

SDVoE is an initialism for “Software Defined Video over Ethernet”. The SDVoE Alliance is a nonprofit consortium of technology providers collaborating to standardize the adoption of Ethernet to transport AV signals in professional AV environments, and to create an ecosystem around SDVoE technology allowing software to define AV applications. The alliance participates in tradeshows and conferences, publishes white papers and case studies and promotes SDVoE technology, and solutions based on the technology, to system integrators, designers and consultants. Training and installer certification are also part of the mandate. The SDVoE Alliance founding members are AptoVision, Aquantia, Christie Digital, NETGEAR, Sony and ZeeVee. All interested parties are invited to join the alliance and work toward its goals. For more information, visit sdvoe.org and follow us on Twitter.

SDVoE is a trademark of the SDVoE Alliance. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.