Is there a difference in quality between wired and wireless AV systems?

The gentle art of cable management has always been one of the critical skills required by AV integrators. Wired devices have always been favoured over wireless ones, because common complaints are that wireless technology mean a sacrifice in audio and video quality — but is that necessarily true?

Article by: Josh Alston

Australian and international companies are distributing and installing a new wave of wireless AV solutions that give their wired equivalents a run for their money.

Does removing the cords cut out the quality?

Hardwired systems are regarded to be more reliable, faster and usually less expensive than wireless systems. But wireless systems are neater, more flexible and more user-friendly for consumers.

However, there are certain myths when it comes quality dropouts in wireless setups. For example, a common wireless connection in mainstream society is using Bluetooth to connect a mobile device to a car stereo or home setup.

These connections are prone to interruptions and drop outs, but Bluetooth was never designed to transport high quality audio and visual signals.

With the addition of a lossless codec (software to improve reliability), Wi-Fi networks can deliver quality levels that are close to equalling wired setups. The best wireless setups actually have little to do with the devices at all, it is all about the network being used to transport the data. The more robust the Wi-Fi network, the less likely a drop in quality will be experienced.

Industry leader rolling out wireless sound solutions

Samsung Electronics Australia is one of the exhibitors at Integrate that is delivering wireless solutions with innovations that sustain quality.

One of those products is the R Series speaker range, which can be installed in multiple rooms and connect through the Wi-Fi network. These speakers are portable and can be controlled by mobile devices, using new technology that allows for 360-degree omnidirectional sound that is evenly distributed.

Sennheiser Australian is another exhibitor rolling out wireless audio solutions that are capable of high fidelity quality. The LSP 500 PRO is a communications tool that allows professionals to operate their PA system remotely using mobile devices.

It does not require cords for power or audio purposes, has three receivers for wireless microphones and you can even link multiple LSP 500 PROs together using your Wi-Fi network for large scale addresses.

Wireless video is capable of scalable 4K quality

Synergy Audio Visual Australia specialises in office AV technology and is one of the exhibitors at this year’s Integrate expo. One of their key products is projectors which come with a host of wireless capabilities to improve office collaboration.

The Vivitek DU4671Z, for example, can be driven using mobile devices which allows multiple users to share images and data in real-time on a big screen. This projector can also tap into the office Wi-Fi network, allowing for control and data display from any point in the business.

Panotek is another Australian exhibitor that is making streaming high quality video possible for local enterprises.

Using scalable encode/decode solutions, businesses are able to stream vision up to 4K quality seamlessly. These powerful devices are also able to stream multiple feeds at once to different devices.

Panotek also specialises in video walls, using a feature called Surface Management that allows for control over multiple screens and even multiple video walls using one device.

These wireless solutions prove that it is possible to feed high quality, 4K visuals using Wi-Fi networks and mobile devices as controllers.

These are just some of the audio and visual solutions being rolled out that are using wireless connections to deliver high quality solutions. Many of these will be on display at Integrate 2018.

Integrate has over 130 exhibitors showcasing their latest product and services in AV and solution technology, including Samsung (Stand B24),  Sennheiser (Stand H50), Panotek (Stand A29) and Synergy Audio Visual (Stand B56), you can see the full exhibitor list and information on how you can joining them as an exhibitor here.