Why NETGEAR Leads the AV over IP Market: Purpose-Built Solutions for Pro AV Success
The AV over IP market demands more than just standard enterprise networking equipment. While traditional enterprise networking vendors focus on broad IT solutions, NETGEAR has carved out a dominant position by understanding a fundamental truth: AV professionals need purpose-built tools, not generic enterprise switches adapted for audio-visual applications. That’s why NETGEAR uses a combination of strategic focus, tailored technology and support designed specifically for Pro AV professionals.
IN THIS ARTICLE
The NETGEAR Advantage: Built for AV, Not Adapted for AV
Our AV Line of switches, particularly the M4250 and M4350 series, represents a paradigm shift in how networking equipment serves the professional AV community. These switches aren’t just enterprise-grade hardware with AV marketing; they’re engineered from the ground up with features that address the unique challenges of AV over IP deployments.
Key differentiators that matter:
Dedicated AV interface: Our switches feature a specialized AV GUI that speaks the language of audio-visual professionals. While traditional enterprise switches require extensive IT knowledge and complex configurations, NETGEAR’s AV interface is intuitive and designed for the way AV integrators actually work.
Native protocol support: We have built-in native support for the protocols that matter most to AV professionals such as Dante, AES67, NDI, AVB, SDVoE, and Crestron DM NVX. This eliminates the need for manual configuration and reduces deployment time significantly.
Plug-and-play multicast: Our switches handle multicast capabilities out of the box, removing the typical network configuration complexities that can slow down installations and increase costs.
Supporting the AV Community Beyond Hardware
Recognizing that many AV integrators may not have deep IT networking expertise, we provide complimentary system design services and remote commissioning. This support is delivered by dedicated Pro AV engineers who understand the unique requirements of audio-visual installations.
We understand that AV integrators operate on different economics than IT departments. Speed and simplicity directly impact profitability. As one large US integrator recently shared with us, switching to NETGEAR AV solutions generated $2.5 million in additional profit over two years, simply by reducing configuration time and streamlining installations.
Our switches are engineered specifically for professional AV environments with features that enterprise-focused solutions often overlook. These include silent, fanless operation that won’t interfere with audio recording or live performances, redundant power supplies that ensure mission-critical installations remain operational even during power issues, and rack-mount kits that come included as standard rather than expensive add-ons. Additionally, we back our commitment to the AV community with generous warranties that include free Pro AV support from engineers who understand your specific industry challenges.
Our intuitive tools reduce reliance on command-line interfaces and complicated configurations that are still necessary with traditional enterprise switches. This means faster installations, fewer callbacks, and higher profitability for integrators.
And we do more. We’ve also built strong partnerships with AV-centric distributors who understand the specific needs of the professional AV market. We’ve created the NETGEAR Academy, where we provide free, targeted AV training that focuses on practical, real-world scenarios that AV professionals encounter daily.
We Speak AV
NETGEAR maintains a strong presence at major AV events including InfoComm, ISE, IBC, and NAB. Our commitment to the AV community has earned endorsements from industry leaders like Crestron, QSC, Sennheiser and Shure. We not only have the right technology, we are present where the AV community gathers and speak their language.
While traditional enterprise networking vendors continue to offer generic solutions adapted for AV use, NETGEAR has invested in understanding and serving the specific needs of the professional AV market. Our approach recognizes that AV professionals are looking for solutions that understand their workflow, support their business model, and help them deliver exceptional results to their clients.
Comparison: NETGEAR vs. Traditional Enterprise Solutions
The choice is clear: you can adapt general-purpose enterprise networking equipment for AV use, or you can choose purpose-built solutions designed specifically for the way AV professionals work.
Learn more about how NETGEAR’s AV solutions can streamline your next installation and boost your profitability.