In Blog Post

Transforming the AV Conversation

Welcome to the launch of the new SDVoE Alliance blog. Here you will find content focused on pro AV news and commentary, updated frequently. The blog will touch on a wide variety of topics of interest, while featuring a special emphasis on how SDVoE technology fits into the bigger market of AV signal management and pro AV as a whole.

Introducing our writers

To start with, we have lots of content planned from our first two writers:

Justin Kennington is the president of the SDVoE Alliance and director of strategic marketing at Semtech, responsible for the company’s AptoVision BlueRiver chipsets for AV-KVM signal extension, matrix switching, IP-based switching, video wall and multi-view applications. He was formerly the technology manager of DigitalMedia™ at Crestron and is widely recognized as an influential technologist in professional AV. He received InfoComm’s Young AV Professional of the Year Award in 2014.

Matt Dodd is the CEO of Clavia Group, a training and video marketing company which specialises in the AV and IT marketplaces. Recently appointed by the SDVoE Alliance as Head of Education, Matt and his team are responsible for the SDVoE online academy, working with the Alliance and its members to create brand new video education content each week to publish on the academy website.

Justin will focus on commentary and analysis of industry news and product developments, both inside and outside the SDVoE Alliance. Matt leads curriculum design for SDVoE Academy. His posts will introduce new SDVoE Academy courses and explain why each course might be interesting, and to whom.

Over time we will see posts from experts directly affiliated with the SDVoE Alliance and others. Expect an early post from Thomas Wendler of Lang AG, explaining his experience with SDVoE interoperability, and why that capability is so important to the AV industry.

Our first blog series

The first themed series of posts on the blog will address the idea that SDVoE is the matrix transformed. This is a simple yet rich topic to explore, and it will be fleshed out in detail over a series of 11 original posts:

  • Matrix Switch vs Matrix Switching
  • Ethernet is Cheap
  • Too many manufacturers ignore The Interoperability Paradox. Imagine if your iPhone couldn’t send a text to your girlfriend’s Android phone. What if your Volkswagen demand special Volkswagen-only gasoline? Why are we willing to live with non-standard, walled-garden products in pro AV, but almost nowhere else in life?
  • Circuits vs Packets catches us up on the fundamental differences between the matrix switch and AV over IP, including SDVoE. Understanding the key distinctions is important for those who are installing systems for clients who demand future ready infrastructure.
  • Learning from the Matrix will discuss some of the important features that the matrix has evolved in its 80 years. Modularity and flexible configurations are at the top of this list. The post will explore what SDVoE can learn from the matrix, and how those lessons are already being applied.
  • Augmenting the Matrix Switch sheds light on the distributed processing architecture of SDVoE. What becomes possible when advanced features like scaling, cropping, and multi-image compositing are standard capabilities? Find out in this post.
  • Nothing in AV is more expensive than tearing out a working system and replacing it. A post on Software Flexibility explains how the software-focused architecture of SDVoE actually keeps system costs down over time, by enabling systems that adapt easily to evolving user demands.
  • Communication Trends offers an insight on the history and trends of communication technology as a broad whole. What can we predict about the future of AV signal management? Subscribe now to find out in this post.
  • Benefits for System Designers, Installers, and System Owners will be a series of three posts explaining precisely the benefits that SDVoE – the matrix transformed – can bring to all those who interact with AV systems.

We welcome your feedback

Is there a topic you’d like to see taken on in these pages? Contact us to suggest it. We hope you’ll subscribe and enjoy this thought-provoking content. Thanks for reading.

About The Authors