Netgear AV Line PoE Switches changing the game for AV installations

CJ Harding – Business Development Manager at AVA Distribution

Simplifying AV installs

Everything is down an ethernet cable and into a PoE Switch these days. And if you’re not on the bandwagon you really ought to be. Thanks to the advent of network protocols such as Dante, NDI, and JPEG 2000 AVoverIP is quicker and easier to deploy than traditional analog or HDbaseT systems. The beauty of bringing all your audio and video sources through a network switch is you only have to wire one ethernet cable to each device, the device receives its power via PoE and you have full control of what is happening on the network, the device and control software.

With a central point of control, Netgear AV Line Switches make it far easier for our customers to design, program & deploy complex AV systems. With all devices connected to a dedicated AV Network switch they know with certainty the system is easily accessed and managed. Cutting down on install time with just the power savings in the rack alone frees up so much time for an installer. For example, a corporate office boardroom video conferencing system with production-level features can be serviced by a single PoE Switch such as the GSM4230P.

By using Dante Audio and NDI cameras via the network a user can simply join, record, and stream a meeting or conference call. No plugging in HDMI or USB. Just a network connection and NDI Tools. You can achieve this level of production because the Netgear AV line series switches allow you to segregate ports and protocols so to keep traffic and switch settings separate. You can choose and assign pre-configured profiles for quick and easy network configuration. You would segregate the audio Dante devices, the NDI camera and switching devices, and the data/control devices on their own VLAN and profile for optimal performance and an efficient flow of traffic.

Simple is more

Even a simple small boardroom system can be serviced by a single USB connection and an 8-port switch such as the GSM4210PD.

A large hospitality venue with multiple zones of audio and any number of displays can be expanded freely when using networked AV systems. Just simply add another data point or AVoverIP device. Perfect for venues adding extra displays and sources or more touchscreen control points.

What about the cost

The cost of networked AV has come down considerably in the last 2 years. It is now on par with HDBaseT point-to-point systems. All the benefits of networked AV are felt in the time you save, but now also in the money you save. Commissioning a system can be easily done off-site. Everything can be updated, programmed, and patched into the network on the test bench before deploying on-site. Then it’s an easy plug-in and play when installing.

Before the advent of switches like the Netgear AV line series, keeping everything digital from source to speaker/source to display was tricky on a network settings level and hard to deploy. Now it’s easy for anyone to select the appropriate profile for the device you’re using and you know with certainty those ports are perfectly programmed for the efficient flow of network traffic and implementation of the appropriate switch settings. Just making AV installs a breeze.

For more information on Netgear AV Line switches contact the team at AVA Distribution for your design information or training needs.

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