Comment and Contents Editor’s Comment Work in progress I bumped into Lee Ellison, chief
The profusion of initiatives promising to simplify audio networking is confusing, but welcome all the same
I
reflected in a recent column that the current trend in technological developments
seems to be moving away from driving the performance of individual items of kit further and further, and towards slightly more subtle things such as functionality, interoperability and ease of integration. There was a telling example of this at last month’s Prolight + Sound show, where large numbers of manufacturers talked about their plans to include compatibility with AVB, Dante or some other networking protocol within their product development roadmap.
executive of Dante developer Audinate, at the Yamaha press event in Frankfurt. He was there because Yamaha was just one of eight exhibitors showing products that featured compatibility with his company’s Dante protocol. That also explains his contented smile... As our audio networking feature
(which begins on page 24) points out, it’s still far from clear how the various different protocols will play out in the marketplace. It’s not 100% clear to what extent they even compete. For instance, some see Dante as a way into AVB; while Ravenna, which could be seen as a rival to both (in case you are in any doubt about the former, google the name of the city where the poet Dante is buried), is currently focused more on broadcast applications, even though its potential applicability is much wider. It’s quite possible that there will be
no clear winner in this battle. Each of the various protocols and approaches has its strengths and weaknesses, which makes them suitable for different scenarios. AVB, for instance, requires the use of
AVB-compliant network switches. These are starting to become available, but – particularly in the case of a project that is likely to be run over an existing IP network – persuading the IT manager to swap out the existing switches may be rather a big ask. That’s not to cast a downer onto
AVB: it needs appropriate network switches so that it can make the most of some clever IP Layer 2 functionality, including more precise control over timing and traffic shaping. So it’s more complicated than some, but it’s like that for a reason. It’s somewhat confusing keeping
track of these various networking initiatives, and perhaps also a little frustrating how slowly some of them progress (though that’s understandable when you consider the number of different parties involved in AVB, for example). However, we mustn’t forget that we should be grateful that they
are
happening. The fact that multiple approaches are being developed should mean that (unlike, say, HDMI in the video realm) we don’t end up with a one-size-fits-all solution, primarily developed for a completely different sector, whose shortcomings we have to work around. I just hope that while the picture
remains less than clear for the time being, it doesn’t put people off specifying and implementing networked solutions. There’s a lot of technology available right now, and a lot of expertise available to help you get the most out of it.
paddy.baker@
intentmedia.co.uk Press info: ienews@
intentmedia.co.uk Twitter: installeurope
. NEWS & DATA 4 The latest news from the European installation market
8 Data Wireless solutions offer advantages in building control1
10 Show Preview: PALME Middle East
112 Show Review: Prolight + Sound 2012
38 Sector Showcase: Mounting solutions
52 Product Choice . VIEWS
42 The IE Interview We talk exclusively to Gary Lewis, CEDIA Region 1 chair
158 Q&ASoundHouse Pro’s Andrey Garkaviy discusses work on two Euro 2012 stadiums
. MARKETS
18 Control Rooms Kit reliability and ease of use are crucial
24 Audio Networking Is an open standards-based approach the way forward?
32 Distributor Focus – UAE Local distributor or the personal touch? We garner opinion
. SOLUTIONS
44 Canada Water Library, London Much more than just a place to borrow books
46 Durlston Country Park Visitors Centre, Dorset Using AV to bring life back to a disused site
49 Wroclaw Stadium Giant LED screens have been installed into this major new venue
Cover image: The Cumberland Hotel, London, courtesy of Crestron
www.installationeurope.com
IE April 2012 3
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