AV and broadcast: a common future

In this Tribune, Mike Blackman, executive director of WHEREAS, gives his opinion on the convergence of broadcast and AV, a growing trend as broadcast technology and content creation becomes increasingly important to the AV Pro and systems integration market.

The market of broadcast, cornerstone of the media and entertainment industry, has experienced notable transformations over the years. Although there is no doubt that he maintains his position, The demand for broadcast applications is increasing in the audiovisual projects, which can be attributed to several factors, such as the evolution of technology and media consumption habits, inter alia.

An ISE, we face the challenge of incorporating more content and features that show how these technologies can work together.

Growing demand

Technological advances have made more accessible and affordable professional broadcast and content creation technologies, like cameras, microphones, video production and processing software, which has led to a growth in the production and distribution of high-quality content. In turn, Consumer expectations are at an all-time high, with increasing demand for high-quality video and audio, so audiovisual projects must prioritize broadcast quality to ensure they meet those expectations.

We also live in the digital age, in which the platforms streaming are at their peak, what creates a massive demand for live and pre-recorded content. Audiovisual projects increasingly need broadcast capabilities to produce and distribute content through these platforms and reach a global audience..

A good example of this is the Talent & Knowledge Congress which was held last year in Barcelona, an international forum for talent and knowledge management, in which I was scheduled to be announced, inter alia, winner of their Talent Awards. However, They had given me an appointment to speak at another conference more than 7.000 kilometers away, in Oman. Thanks to advanced broadcast technology and with the help of Hypervsn, exhibitor at ISE, I was able to attend the event, broadcast on live holographically in 3D, and collect my prize “in person”. It was really shocking, and people were amazed by real-time technology and its interactivity.

The AV industry has also seen an increase in demand for live event streaming services, like concerts, sporting events, conferences and trade fairs. These events often require sophisticated audiovisual setups to capture and transmit high-quality content to large-scale in-person and remote audiences..

Nor can we forget the corporate presentations and conferences. The arrival of the pandemic boosted companies, educational centers and other types of organizations to accelerate their digital transformation and operate more online. Business meetings, conferences, product launches, charlas, performances and other events migrated online, and many of them prerecorded and reused, which increased the responsibilities of the audiovisual teams.

ISE serves several end-user vertical markets, many of which They are now looking to produce their own broadcast-quality video content for internal or external use.. Production and distribution of content, which was initially used primarily in the media and entertainment sector, has spread to an increasing number of vertical sectors in recent years. The greatest deployment of broadcast technologies in environments educational, hospitality and business represents a significant change in the way these sectors communicate, capture and disseminate content. This transformation is driven by the need for a communication, effective engagement and information dissemination.

IP adoption

The adoption of the IP technology It has also contributed to shortening distances between audiovisual and broadcast systems by offering a common infrastructure, flexible y rentable. Nowadays, almost all audiovisual devices are connected to an IP network. IP-based audiovisual systems offer greater scalability than traditional analog audiovisual solutions. Con IP, it's easier to add new devices, Expand network capacity and adapt to changing audiovisual requirements.

Besides, IP technology has revolutionized the way distribute and transmit audiovisual content: Networks can also prioritize audiovisual traffic to ensure that audio and video streams receive the necessary bandwidth and low latency, which is crucial to maintaining a high quality audiovisual experience.

As IP adoption increases, the Collaboration and integration between AV and broadcast will be even more fluid, which will further enhance the capabilities and reach of both sectors.

Y, of course, I cannot say goodbye without urging you to visit WHEREAS 2024 and see and experience some of these technologies in person.