Where are we really with convergence between broadcast and pro AV—what’s genuinely working today, and what still isn’t?
The power of visual storytelling is now open to a much wider market as broadcast production tools become accessible to pro AV users, whether they’re making corporate content, sports teams and stadiums, or creating immersive environments. Some of it is just the same as TV production but in a different setting. And some is distinctly different, like upgrading conference room tech to provide a more professional experience on live streaming and Teams calls with multi-camera, full audio and immersive graphics.
Technology vendors coming from the broadcast media space are learning that pro AV buyers work in different ways—with the role of resellers, integrators and consultants being key parts of the buying process. And it’s a two-way street, as pro AV users up their content game by tapping into broadcast-grade tools, a whole world of cheaper and easier-to-use pro AV tools is finding their way back into broadcast environments where it can help close the gap between new digital workflows and reduced budgets.
Some of the barriers include the clashing of IP-enabled production kit with strict corporate network security, and a gap in creative operational skills like camera operation – where in the corporate setting it’s often done by someone who’s not a full-time production person.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE AV AND BROADCAST SUMMIT
Which technologies are actually driving that convergence in practice—IP, cloud, software, AI—and which are being overhyped?
The pro AV world tends to be more hardware-centric; historically it’s about meeting room equipment, displays, digital signage—but, like broadcast, it’s also fast adopting software and cloud, with the rise of newer functions like remote monitoring and self-healing. And pro AV is all-in with IP, including (some) ST-2110, NDI, and Dante for audio. All of this is driven by the need to move audio and video around existing corporate networks and simplify the rigging of events.
We’re also tracking the increased focus on software within the pro AV environment, like automating the complexity of production processes for teams that only do it occasionally. More importantly, pro AV is frequently at the sharp end of revenue generation, so maximising the ROI from corporate events and announcements, digital signage in quick service restaurants, or immersive video in real environments are all areas where pro AV hardware meets broadcast meets software.
Where is convergence delivering the most value right now—enterprise, live events, virtual production, control rooms—and why?
While broadcast is a pretty homogenous world, pro AV is vastly more diverse – spanning everything from a classroom smart display to live-streamed worship to a slick company town hall production to a 360-degree immersive entertainment space.
Each of these areas, and many others, has unique use cases, products, workflows and hardware and software systems, each generating value, often in real cash terms, in different ways.
It’s vital for broadcast and media tech vendors entering the pro AV market to understand these different users, and the ecosystem around them that designs, installs and maintains kit, each delivering different outcomes and objectives.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE AV AND BROADCAST SUMMIT
What are the biggest barriers for pro AV companies adopting broadcast workflows—and are those technical, cultural or commercial?
The big assumption here is that pro AV users want or need to adopt broadcast workflows, or whether people working with video production with none of the legacy of “that’s how it’s done in telly”, might actually have better, more creative, or more efficient ways of working.
That said, one of the biggest challenges pro AV users face, outside of specialist service providers at least, is gaining skills in the creative process that established media companies are good at—photography, sound, lighting, production. There’s potential for more AI and automation to help here, and inevitably that will filter back into the broadcast world too.
The other area the technology vendors can help with is in communicating much more openly about their products. Pro AV users may work with reseller and installer channels, but they increasingly want to hear directly from vendors about products and roadmaps. Some of the suppliers from the broadcast side are great at selling to a small club of broadcast CTOs, but haven’t always cracked the art of engaging a much larger and less specialised audience of pro AV buyers
If you’re running an AV or broadcast business today, what’s the one practical step you should take now to stay competitive in a converging market?
Understanding the market is vital. Don’t assume broadcast and pro AV have the same requirements or same decision-making process, even where they’re using the same tools to do the same processes. Be aware of who’s buying what, how they’re buying it, and how each market has a unique set of purchasing drivers and different competitors.
And don’t assume one team is better than the other. Both worlds have a lot to learn from each other as pro AV increases the impact of its video and audio production and distribution, and broadcast pivots to a more agile, digital-first world.
