Barco and Audinate® collaborate on integration of digital audio switching in PDS-4K

The recently introduced Barco PDS-4K switchers offer high-quality yet affordable 4K processing and switching in not only small to mid-sized event settings, but also boardrooms, auditoriums and other corporate environments. They were designed to bring premium video switching capabilities, including eight 4K inputs and two 4K fully seamless mixing program outputs, while also being exceptionally easy to operate. By adding the new Dante-enabling audio option card, PDS-4K users will be able to manage both high-quality video and pristine digital audio from source to output through the same device.

Audinate's Dante is a complete media networking solution and the de facto standard for digital media networking. Dante distributes uncompressed, multi-channel digital media via standard Ethernet networks, with near-zero latency and perfect synchronization. It enables digital audio distribution via standard Ethernet networks — the same networks used for home or office data networking. The Dante-enabled PDS-4K audio and video presentation switcher reduces the complexity of the set-up, replacing the multiple analog or multicore cables and eliminating the need for extra audio switching equipment.

The PDS option card has access to all outputs on the multi-audio channels and each output allows for its own independent audio-over-IP switching. This means operators can run different audio variations for the online streams or push translated audio to a break-out room. In addition, the audio option card functionality manages audio and video sync automatically by default. However, if needed, the card also gives operators the ability to manually change the delay of the audio output to match the latency of the display and keep audio and video synchronized at all times.

“The Dante solution has been adopted by many leading professional audio manufacturers, making it the industry standard for digital audio networking. It is used extensively in the live events industry, broadcast, recording and production setting, and communication systems,” says Wouter Bonte, Director Image Processing at Barco. “Having the PDS-4K upgraded with the Dante (de)embedding technology, will make our customers and partners get even more out of their Barco solution!”

You can learn more about the functionalities of the audio option card in our upcoming webinar session on October 7th 2021, 19:00 PM (CEST)/13:00 PM (EDT). You can access the live broadcast via this link.