The industry-standard guide to networked audiovisual systems Published with InfoComm International, Networked AV Systems discusses the essential information AV and IT professionals need to know when working with network-driven equipment and processes. Each chapter features diagrams, photos, notes, chapter reviews, and end-of-chapter questions with in-depth explanations. In accordance with InfoComm's performance standards for the AV industry as they relate to networking, this book serves as both an on-the-job reference and a study tool for the Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) exams.Networked AV Systems Network classifications, topologies, architectures, and standards Layers of a network Bandwidth, encoding, and transport Network building blocks Designing a network for AV systems Ethernet and AVB Network addressing networking AV devices together Protocols, ports, and documenting AV devices Audio and video streaming Digital signage Conferencing Secure remote management and monitoring Service level agreements Network security Troubleshooting networked systems
This was the text for a class of the same name which I took at Infocomm 2014. The class was useful and the text book has all of the same content. I can't comment on the experience of trying to learn the content from the book alone, but I did notice that the book has activities and exercises with answers which is helpful to someone who isn't being guided through the material.
In a general sense, I would say this book and the corresponding class would be appropriate for anyone already working in the AV industry and looking to get a better familiarity with how AV systems play in the IT space. It does a great job of covering network fundamentals using the OSI model (layer 1 through layer 7, Physical, Data Link, Network, etc.). It also covers AV application specific topics such as streaming video and audio, digital signage, and more.
If you are already an IT professional, you might skip this book and just focus on white papers from specific manufacturers about configuring your network for their devices. If you are in the AV industry and looking to understand how to plan for network integration and talk with IT professionals, I'd recommend checking out this book.