AES67 audio-over-IP standard

Television is on the cusp of major changes that will give viewers the ability to personalize their TV audio experience and ultimately even immerse themselves in sound as a new standard for television becomes a reality. Two other developments likely to be center stage at next month’s NAB Show in Las Vegas are acceleration of a transition from baseband to IP transport of media on the production side of the equation, and preparation for a new era of wireless-enabled audio acquisition. For a resources guide to the companies mentioned in this story, click here. See all 2016 NAB Hot Topics stories here.

A funny thing happened on the way to IP audio interoperability. The Audio Engineering Society committee that developed the AES67 standard for IP audio couldn’t agree on a discovery mechanism, so it included four optional methods, says Aidan Williams, CTO of Audinate, developer of the Dante networking tech used by more than 200 OEMs in products for the professional audio and broadcast markets. Williams discusses the state of AES67 system discovery, which he describes as being like “ships in the night.”