Coming To The Office Store?
Venues of all sizes already have Ethernet wiring.
If a lot of them replace current switches with AVB switches, you may find yourself accessing multi-channel audio networks by simply plugging in an RJ-45 connector.
“Legacy” systems should run fine on AVB networks: the existing switches are all gigabit Ethernet designs, so there’s plenty of bandwidth, and as long as your proprietary end stations have a reserved pathway, they’ll work just the same as if you had spooled out your own cable.
Unfortunately, there are only two AVB switches at the moment: the NetGear GS724T, which retails for about $250, and the Lab X Titanium 411, introduced at ISE in February (and as of this writing, still the “Unobtanium 411”).
A bigger issue is the shortage of actual products with AVB ports.
Harman Pro has a PIP-USP4 module for Crown Audio amplifiers and dbx SC 32 digital matrix processors, with Onstage Audio recently using them at some of the large corporate events that they specialize in.
We may see some of the products that were tested at the recent plugfest at the upcoming InfoComm show, but right now AVB is like a great new telephone system that has just a handful of telephones connected to it.
Note that very little specific information about the companies and products at the plugfest was released to the public.
Another concern is the lack of interest from broadcasters, consumer electronics and automotive manufacturers. Part of the excitement about AVB among professional users is based on the promise of low-cost AVB ports.
To make that happen, though, the same chips should be used by consumer electronics and auto companies whose volume is orders of magnitude higher than that of pro AV. But right now, those mega-volume parts buyers are sparsely represented.
The AVnu Alliance hopes to begin adding automotive members later this year, but industry analysts don’t see AVB in many cars before about 2015.
Further, AVnu did not exhibit at CES in January, so the jury remains out on this facet.
How Much Can A Network Do?
The goal with AVB is to power a digital tidal wave that will submerge the analog audio island of live sound. Most pro gear already has several digital I/O options; AVB aims to be the main choice, relegating XLRs to “legacy interface” status.
This will happen when chipset volume goes up and initial buy-in cost goes down. No one has a date for that yet, but if AVB were to become ubiquitous, how would live sound rental operations and inventory adapt?
The plumbing part of AVB is roughly equivalent to today’s proprietary networks. Its value lies in operational cost savings, including weight, setup time and transport (increasingly important as fuel/transportation costs rise).
To recoup your initial investment, you need to offer more competitive bids and make more profit at the same time: the customer deserves some of the cost savings produced by investing in digital audio networking, but not all of them.