The AV over IP floodgates have been opened. This year’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention introduced another technology that church technical leaders must educate themselves about, as every audio and video purchase from any manufacturer and integrator from here on out will include IP-related technologies as a potential cost-saving and problem-solving feature. The AVL ministry leader who doesn’t take seriously educating themselves about these new technologies risks making poor and costly mistakes with the resources God and their churches have entrusted to them.
IPMX’s license-free model offers churches a cost-effective AVoIP solution.
NAB is held annually in April in Las Vegas and serves as a platform for all video manufacturers to showcase not only their current product lines but also their upcoming releases. For the past several years, video over IP (Internet Protocol or VoIP) technologies have been at the forefront. NDI and Dante AV have been released with support from quite a few manufacturers. ST2110 (SMPTE 2110) was the buzz in 2024, with major manufacturers across all price ranges releasing products that support this broadcast-grade standard. (See this author’s previous article on ST2110 here.) At the 2025 NAB Convention, several workshops and manufacturers discussed highlighted the upcoming AVoIP (Audio Visual over Internet Protocol) standard, scheduled for release in late 2025, called Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX), now available with ongoing refinements, built on the SMPTE ST 2110 standard used in broadcasting. IPMX has the potential to be is becoming a very widely used adopted protocol for professional AV applications, including worship productions, due to its low-latency, high-quality transmission of video, audio, and control signals.
Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX) was developed in 2019 by the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), a non-profit trade organization dedicated to promoting and educating the broadcast and media industry regarding the transition) with input from SDI to IP networks. AIMS created IPMX as a SMPTE, AMWA, VSF, and AES, is an open set of open standards and specifications designed for a professional audio-video workflow that enables the transmission of uncompressed and compressed video, audio, and metadata with low latency. IPMX can transmit SD resolutions, HD, 4K, and is already ready for 8K resolutions and beyond. IPMX can also transmit control data to operate the gear on its Pro AV needs. It adapts ST 2110’s robust framework to support features like HDCP copy protection, network. The key to this standard is that it enables an IP network containing products discovery, and I/O management, enabling seamless integration of equipment from various manufacturers to communicate with one another, much like HDMI, DisplayPort, and SDI currently do. This type of communication and operation between different manufacturers’ products is called vendors. IPMX supports both compressed (e.g., JPEG XS) and uncompressed video, accommodating resolutions from SD to 8K and beyond over standard IP networks ranging from 1Gbps to 100Gbps. This interoperability and flexibility make it ideal for church AVL systems, simplifying deployment and reducing costs for live events and streaming.
With IPMX, churches can stream 8K video over affordable 1Gbps networks.
IPMX has interoperability as one of its main pros because it is an IPMX’s open standard. status, with no licensing fees, sets it apart. An open standard is a protocol that is publicly available and accessible for everyone to use and develop products that utilize it. Unlike other standards, IPMX has an open license, meaning a license fee is not required before developing products that use it. Examples of other open standards with open licenses that you use every day include the 4G and 5G standards, which our mobile phones utilize to communicate with carrier networks.
In contrast, the NDI protocol is considered an open standard; however, the implementation of NDI technology, specifically the SDK (Software Development Kit), is available under different licensing models. This means that the SDK and its implementation may not be open source in all cases. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Dante AV protocol is not an open standard, and a license fee is required to implement it. Interoperability can be achieved through NDI, Dante AV, and other protocols, but manufacturers and end-users must weigh trade-offs in cost, performance, and compatibility when choosing a protocol for AVoIP solutions. This is why IPMX has the potential to become IPMX’s license-free model and ST 2110 foundation position it as a standard that every manufacturer uses for their all AVoIP transmission, offering churches a cost-effective solution.
Another advantage of IPMX is that it can be used as either an its versatility across network environments. It can operate in uncompressed or compressed protocol. This means it can be used on complex and expensive equipment or in a simpler, less expensive network environment. An example of a complex and costly IP environment is the use of 100 Gbps (Gigabits Per Second) and even 10 Gbps cables, switches, and routers. This is where IPMX can be used in its uncompressed state mode for higher high-end broadcast equipment that also requires genlock or sync through what is called requiring Precision Time Protocol (PTP). These) synchronization, typically over 10Gbps or 100Gbps networks are also what most ST2110-based, as seen in ST 2110 setups. For simpler, budget-friendly church systems, IPMX supports compressed video over 1Gbps networks require. On the inexpensive side are 1 Gbps cables, routers, and switches. IPMX can be used in its compressed state on these networks and can be utilized in both synced (, with or without PTP) and unsynced sources sync. This makes it accessible for churches of all sizes, whether upgrading video walls or streaming to multiple campuses.
You might be thinking that all of this sounds amazing, but what’s the catch?
The first consideration is that IPMX hasn’t been released yet. Its release is projected for the last quarter of 2025. This means equipment coming out now and in the near future is on the bleeding edge of using this AVoIP technology. Being on the bleeding edge is exciting, but it can be very frustrating if you don’t have the necessary knowledge, education, and support consideration is that IPMX, while available as of 2024 with products from manufacturers and dealers/integrators to take it on. vendors like Macnica and Matrox, is still evolving with new features being added. This means early adopters may need to stay updated on refinements and ensure compatibility with existing systems. Another consideration is that unless you thoroughly understand the architecture and design of your current AV system, a costly mistake could be made if you purchase an AVoIP-enabled piece of gear without fully understanding the hidden costs of integrating it into an existing non-AVoIP environment. Adapters and converters will eventually are available to convert HDMI and SDI sources into IPMX, but these accessories can quickly increase the cost of an installation beyond your budget if you’re not careful about all the implications of going to an AVoIP solution.
IPMX adapts ST 2110’s robust framework to support seamless integration of equipment from different vendors.
IPMX is a technology that church technical leaders need to learn about and continue to follow as it develops and is released in the broader AVL community. Its SMPTE ST 2110 roots and open, license-free nature make it a potential game-changer for worship productions, enabling high-quality, interoperable AV solutions without proprietary costs. However, the practice of faithful biblical stewardship cannot be overlooked. Biblical stewardship is a crucial issue that we must all follow as we lead our churches and ministries. We’ve been entrusted by God and the leadership we serve under to use and faithfully manage the AVL systems we’ve been given to share the Good News of Jesus. Part of faithful stewardship is being committed to growing in our knowledge of products and new technologies that will impact our ability to minister to people in person and online. The wise leader will consider all these factors as technology continues to evolve, and new opportunities arise to purchase upgrades for God’s work.
