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In the next few years, video distribution methods will make the largest advancement in three decades. While video connections and cabling needs have always adapted to account for new resolution requirements, the transition to IP-based AV protocols look to completely transform everyday practices. In January, 2019, Australia-based Audinate—the creators of Dante—shocked the AV world with their announcement of Dante AV, adding video capabilities to their existing audio protocol. This change will have a major impact on integrators, consultants, and architects, and which should be planned for in any new design today.
While seeing Dante AV in action in churches, in any practical form, is still likely a year or more away, infrastructure needs should be planned for now in order to save both costs in labor and materials later.
From an end-user standpoint, the initial benefits are obvious: being able to route signal to overflow areas, projector screens, and digital signage becomes as simple as connecting the endpoint to your IT network and routing it through the Dante Controller software. It is not just point-to-point video over category cable. Do you need an overflow TV set up for a special event? No problem, just route your program out. Want to add a roving camera on stage but can’t run an SDI line all the way back to the production booth? No problem, just plug it into a network port by the stage. Tired of having to sync the video and audio at various display distances around the church campus or back of the auditorium? No problem, the Dante AV master clock keeps it all synced for you. While current digital audio routing for live production is simple, cost-effective, and flexible; present video standards are cumbersome, expensive, and limited. Dante AV is the first real AV-over-IP solution that promises to bring the flexibility needed in church production environments at a cost that end users can afford.
As Dante AV acceptance grows, input devices like video cameras and networked computers and media players will no longer need to be hardwired to production switchers, saving money while adding much-desired flexibility.
As Dante AV acceptance grows, input devices like video cameras and networked computers and media players will no longer need to be hardwired to production switchers, saving money while adding much-desired flexibility. While seeing Dante AV in action in our churches is still likely a year away, the possibilities are definitely promising. It is well-seated to be the AV-over-IP option that will define video production for the next decade.
How it works:
Dante “flows” route through standard TCP/IP networks via unicast or multicast streams across a 1GB or 10GB IT backbone. Simply add the node to the AV VLAN via an RJ45 connected Cat6-shielded cable, open Dante Controller, and make the desired routes. In addition to standard video transmission, Dante AV adds key components of the Dante protocol including clocking, sync, and control. While Dante AV is, in principle, codec agnostic—meaning that it can transfer any video standard across its platform—for a video flow to be received, the decoding device must be able to interpret the sending device’s codec protocol. In order to simplify interoperability, Dante is utilizing JPEG-2000 as its native codec so that any device that sends or receives JPEG-2000 will be able to serve as a native Dante node by simply adding the Dante AV chip, similar to how Dante audio works now. Likewise, any manufacturer already utilizing the JPEG-2000 codec would be native Dante AV compatible with the addition of the Dante AV Module. Many major manufacturers are already compatible—or have recently announced compatibility to come—including QSC, Extron, FocusRite, and intoPIX, with others surely in pre-production.
What it means for churches:
Standard IT practices will require new methods for signal collection and distribution. Structured cabling will be king. Plenum-rated Cat6-shieled is the minimum required to securely transmit a 4K video signal up to 300ft, with fiber suggested for further distances. No longer will SDI, VGA, or HDMI feeds be run direct from camera locations to production rooms or production rooms to displays and overflow areas; each node will route to a network switch in the IDF/MDF. The result is that the number of cable-pulls and conduit runs will double: security procedures and IT practices will often require that external control, monitoring, and AV signal will need to live on separate VLANs with network traffic allocated according to bandwidth needs. Power must likewise be separated in dedicated conduits. Planning for these pathways must therefore account for these indirect runs, with input and end-point locations running to-and-from IDFs rather to between one another. Best practices will mandate that any structured cabling will run in pairs at minimum to each input/output location. Additionally, connectivity between IDF locations will require dedicated 4-inch pathways to connect AV switches. AV cabling should be separated from power and other low-voltage—like security cameras or internet traffic—with managed switches connected via SFP fiber links to minimize latency and packet loss.
While seeing Dante AV in action in churches, in any practical form, is still likely a year or more away, infrastructure needs should be planned for now in order to save both costs in labor and materials later. Communication with both the technical staff and IT staff should being early in order to insure proper conduit runs and j-boxes/pull-boxes are accounted for, even before the completion of the AV scope. While early planning will be necessary, in the long run AV integrations will become simplified.
