What is the Analog Sunset?
The analog sunset in the professional AV/IT integration industry is an important trend where digital video formats are displacing analog video. Most new technology advancements in display devices, video sources, and high resolution are in digital formats. Digital ports such as HDMI, DisplayPort, and HDMI are becoming standard on most high-end video equipment.
In the consumer market, the analog sunset is the phase out of analog video connections capable of outputting HD quality signals. Historically, analog outputs have been used by “pirates” to copy and redistribute copyrighted content. In order to try and prevent this, Hollywood has been lobbying the licensing administration for many years to impose regulations and restrictions that limit the use of analog signals.
As of January 1, 2011, manufacturers are no longer permitted to outfit new Blu-ray players with component-video jacks capable of outputting HD video. Instead, component outputs are limited to SD. Starting in 2014, no new Blu-ray models will have any analog video inputs.
What does the analog sunset mean to my business?
The prevalence and growth of digital signals means users will expect to see digital inputs in collaboration spaces like meeting rooms and boardrooms. Companies that do not invest in digital technology might be perceived as old or dated. In order to facilitate the digital to analog transition, your organization should consider retrofitting existing installations with hybrid digital/analog distribution systems that support VGA as well as digital (HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI) technologies.
What benefits do I get from upgrading to properly designed digital systems?
Companies that take advantage of digital technology can expect the following benefits:
- Ease of use; a single point of contact for both audio and video signals
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO);ability to centralize more AV equipment for larger deployments
- Scalability; easier expansion of the systems in case additional functionality is required
- Reliability; digital systems usually have less cables, reducing the potential failure points
- Greener; digital systems minimize the amount of components to make a system work, reducing energy consumption significantly
- Higher resolution; digital signals allow for the highest resolutions available
- Security; all HDCP compliant signals are encrypted from the source to the display device
What can my company do to prepare for the analog sunset?
To better understand the analog sunset and what can be done to effectively and efficiently transition your existing assets to the digital world, please contact our collaboration technology experts and they will be happy to assist.
To read more about the analog sunset, please follow the following link to read the article ‘Analog Rides into the Sunset’ by Tim Kridel, Special to InfoComm International
