AV over IP: How to Distribute Video and Audio Without the Limits of a Matrix Switcher

How AV over IP works, explained in plain language

In an AV over IP system, every device receives its own address, just like a computer on a network. A small converter known as an encoder packages video and audio from a camera or computer into standard network data. The data travels through the corporate network to the display, where another converter, called a decoder, converts it back into video and audio. The routing previously performed by the matrix is now handled by the network switch, which distributes data between connected devices.

One comparison makes the difference easier to understand. A matrix switcher is a video routing hub with a fixed cable connection for every connected device. When its inputs and outputs are used up, you must purchase a larger hub. AV over IP is a scalable system in which every source has an address and its video can reach any display through the shared network.

The practical difference: adding another display means adding a decoder, one additional device on the network, instead of installing a new cable across the entire building.

What AV over IP actually solves

Imagine a building with dozens of displays. They show information at reception, meeting room schedules and a live feed from the main auditorium. With conventional fixed distribution, every display is connected to a central matrix, whose capacity is determined by its number of inputs and outputs.

When the company opens another floor or adds displays to the entrance hall, it may discover that the matrix has no available outputs. The only way forward is to replace it with a larger model, including the associated downtime and new cabling. AV over IP delays this limitation. A new display connects to the network as another device with its own address and receives its content without replacing the central routing component.

Another common example is a divisible hall that sometimes operates as one large space and is sometimes separated into two independent rooms. With fixed cabling, this usually requires two separate systems or complicated manual switching. On a network, video and audio routes are changed through software, so when the hall is divided, each section receives its own source. When the spaces are combined, they return to a shared source without anyone physically reconnecting cables.

In practice, the advantages over fixed signal distribution appear in four areas:

• Incremental growth. Another display or source can be added by connecting one more device to the network, without replacing the central matrix.
• Distance. Standard copper HDMI cabling reliably carries video over approximately ten to fifteen metres. A network can distribute the signal across a floor or an entire building, while fibre-optic cabling can extend it over kilometres.
• Flexible signal routing. Any source can be sent to one display, several displays simultaneously or a video wall consisting of multiple screens arranged as one large surface. Routing is changed through software without reconnecting cables.
• Long-term usability. The system operates on network infrastructure that the organisation already builds and renews, so it can survive several replacement cycles of the AV equipment itself.

High-quality cabling carries much of this long-term value, and installing it during construction is inexpensive compared with reopening ceilings later. This is why signal distribution should be considered before suspended ceilings are closed, at the stage when the AV technology renewal is being planned.

When AV over IP is worthwhile and when it is not

Not every space needs this architecture. For a single meeting room with one or two displays, AV over IP is usually an unnecessary investment. A direct connection or a small matrix switcher can perform the same task at a lower cost.

Three questions can help determine whether the technology is relevant to your project:

• Are you distributing video and audio across several rooms or floors? If so, a fixed matrix may eventually reach the limit of its available connectors.
• Do you expect the number of displays or sources to increase? A network grows by adding devices, while expanding a full matrix may require replacing the entire unit.
• Is the project a video wall, divisible hall or control centre? These environments route signals in many directions simultaneously and are where a network-based architecture offers the greatest advantage.

When the answer to all three questions is no, you do not need AV over IP and a less expensive direct connection is sufficient. When the answer to one or more questions is yes, signal distribution becomes an architectural decision and should be designed as a network. This is why the first design question should concern the scale and expected growth of the system. Specific products come later.

The difference between a matrix switcher and AV over IP

For deciding the overall direction, the difference can be summarised in three points:

• Growth. A matrix has a fixed limit determined by its number of connectors. A network grows by adding devices.
• Distance. A matrix and direct cables are tied to shorter routes. A network can cover a building or an entire campus.
• Management. A matrix is managed locally on site. Network devices have their own addresses and can therefore be managed and diagnosed remotely.

A detailed technical comparison, including network requirements and image quality, belongs in a separate article. For deciding the overall direction of a project, these three differences are sufficient.

AV security on the corporate network

When implemented correctly, AV over IP is secure. Video and audio traffic travels through the network in a controlled manner, within its own isolated segment and with priority over ordinary traffic. This prevents file downloads from disrupting a video conference and prevents AV traffic from interfering with normal business applications. We explain how the AV layer is separated and protected in our article about AV over IP in meeting rooms.

For the network administrator, this means: AV traffic remains under the same level of control as the rest of the corporate network.

Frequently asked questions

What is AV over IP? AV over IP is a method of distributing video and audio in which the signal travels through a standard computer network instead of dedicated AV cabling. A converter packages the source signal into network data, sends it across the network and converts it back into video and audio at the display. The network switch takes over the routing of sources to displays.

Does AV over IP replace a matrix switcher? Yes. The network and its switches take over the matrix switcher’s role of routing sources to displays. The advantage is that the system has no fixed limit determined by the number of physical connectors and can grow by adding devices. For small installations, a matrix remains the simpler and less expensive option.

At what scale does AV over IP become worthwhile? It becomes worthwhile when signals must be distributed across several rooms, to a video wall or to a control centre, or when the number of displays exceeds the capacity of a conventional matrix switcher. For one room with only a few displays, a less expensive direct connection is usually sufficient. The deciding factors are the number of spaces and expected growth, not the size of the company.

What happens when a matrix runs out of available outputs? Another display can no longer be connected, and the only way forward is to replace the matrix with a larger model. This means downtime, new cabling and a cost that was not included in the original budget. This is precisely why the distribution architecture must be decided at the beginning. With network-based distribution, one additional device is added instead of replacing the central component.

How far can video be transmitted? Standard copper HDMI cabling reliably carries video over approximately ten to fifteen metres. Over a corporate network, the signal can travel across an entire floor or building, and over fibre-optic cabling it can travel for kilometres. Distance is therefore one of the main reasons for using network-based distribution. For short routes within one room, this advantage is not significant.

Do I need a special network for AV over IP? For reliable operation and controlled data flow, a separate VLAN should be created without other devices that could cause network interruptions. Video then receives its own isolated lane and priority over ordinary traffic. This network layer is designed as part of the complete distribution system and in cooperation with the IT department.