Ravenna & AES67, the future of streaming ?

Posted by: Jan-Erik Nordoen on 05 June 2014

Ravenna is an open-technology standard for real-time distribution of audio and other media content in IP-based network environments. Designed primarily for the professional market, it has some very interesting features. Is this the future for streaming audio at home ?

 

This from the Data Formats section of the Ravenna website (link below) :

 

RAVENNA supports a variety of different data formats used in professional environment. For audio applications, 16 and 24-bit integer as well as 32-bit full bit-transparent AES/EBU data formats in combination with all relevant sampling rates (32 … 192 kHz) are supported. Since RTP is used as transport protocol, virtually any desired data format (i.e. 32-bit floating point, DSD and DXD high-res formats and others) can be transported across a RAVENNA network. This is not limited to audio data, but includes video data as well as control data. Although only one data format is permitted per individual stream, different streams with different data formats can coexist on the same network concurrently.

Since no sample rate or format conversion is required, RAVENNA offers full bit transparency. This ensures 100% preservation of the original signal content. In certain applications this is not only a quality feature but a mandatory prerequisite (e.g. with encoded data streams like Dolby E®).

 

http://ravenna.alcnetworx.com/...y/about-ravenna.html

Posted on: 05 June 2014 by DavidDever

There isn't a single good-sized company in the entire list of partners, and no semiconductor partners.  Dead on arrival....

 

It does use PTP and IEEE1588, which are the frameworks for more sensible standards already adopted within the industry.

Posted on: 05 June 2014 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

OK

Posted on: 06 June 2014 by Big Bill

Yeah looking at that list there ain't too any household names there.

 

The needs of a recording studio are very different from those of your HiFi setup in your living room and so this may be a real goer in the recording studio.  For example, in the recording studio they don't use RCA plugs as much as those big jacks I use on my guitars!  So it is a very different environment.