Short for keyboard, video and mouse, KVM switches allow multiple computers to be controlled remotely using a single set of peripherals. In this way, one person can manage workstations in many locations from the same desktop location in a manner that is efficient, productive and (from an equipment purchasing perspective) economical.
These factors explain why KVM switches have long been popular in film and TV production as well as with IT departments, purchasing officers, support technicians and more. It also explains why the market for KVM switches is so dynamic, with many trends guiding its development.
Heavy Lifting
As broadcast television moves from HDTV to 4K and beyond, so does KVM switching technology. “The trends driving the KVM switches market include the increasing adoption of high-resolution formats like 4K and 8K in the broadcast industry,” said Jon Litt, Managing Director of G&D North America. “This adoption requires KVM switches with high bandwidth and low latency to support seamless video editing, streaming, and broadcasting processes effectively.”
The shift towards IP-based workflows is driving another significant KVM trend, namely more flexible and scalable KVM solutions that enable remote access and control over IP networks.
"Scalability is a major driver for organizations adopting IP KVM, however, functionality and performance must meet the users’ needs for it to be valuable," said Jamie Adkin, vice president of sales-EMEA for Adder Technology. "While IP offers the transport mechanism, a KVM manufacturer's design choices have the greatest impact on the user experience. Not all IP KVM solutions are born equal."
This capability is particularly important for distributed production environments and live broadcasts where remote access is essential for efficient operations, Litt added. “Moreover, automation is a crucial element shaping the KVM switches market. Modern KVM solutions are integrating features such as predictive maintenance and user workplace synchronization to enhance operational efficiency.”
In the world of KVM switches, “USB transparency” refers to a KVM switch’s ability to pass signals from a wide range of USB devices without issues occurring—even if the USB devices themselves come from various generations and use different drivers. The growing trend of USB transparency across KVM switches ensures that USB devices perform as if they are directly connected to a computer, rather than going through a switch.
Scalability is a major driver for organizations adopting IP KVM, however, functionality and performance must meet the users’ needs for it to be valuable."
Jamie Adkin, Adder Technology
“In the old days, every now and then you'd run into a USB device that wasn’t compatible with a KVM switch,” said Thomas Tang, president and founder of Apantac. “Thanks to the KVM industry’s embrace of USB transparency, this rarely happens anymore.”
This area is one that Adder has focused on as well, according to Adkin. "For media customers, the most important factors have been our USB peripheral support, tight integration with Broadcast Control Systems, and ZeroU devices that reduce power consumption and increase rack density."
Controlling Virtual Machines
A “virtual machine” is a software emulation of a physical computer that is commonly hosted in a private/public cloud and accessed via an IP network internally or externally via the internet. According to John Hickey, Black Box’s senior director of R&D and KVM, VMs are being used increasingly in broadcast production facilities.
“With this trend comes the need for a flatter learning curve for operators, who now take on expanded responsibility for more systems,” Hickey said. “By simplifying operator access to and interaction with VMs and other systems, KVM technology plays a central role in addressing this need.
"It also offers a solution for hybrid workflows, enabling secure, reliable, 24/7 access for team members working on- and off-site," Hickey added. As more and more aspects of the industry shift to IP—and particularly production facilities and OB vans—KVM solutions provide essential connectivity and control.”
Television’s move into the multiplatform universe (OTT, cable/satellite, mobile, ad streaming) has made life infinitely more complex for broadcast engineers, compared to the days when they simply had to provide a single TV transmitter with linear content. This is why an increasing number of engineers choose KVM switches to reduce the complexity of setting up and maintaining multiplatform IP-based production/playout systems.
“Smaller KVM systems can be configured easily,” said Dan Holland, marketing manager for IHSE. “Meanwhile, in larger systems such as a control room environment, the customer wants to have all the complexity of managing a KVM transparent to the end user. So push button panels, touchscreens interfaces and multiscreen support are key items that need to be supported by KVM switches.”
Don’t Just Switch, Extend!
Today’s KVM users want to be able to manage more computers over larger distances than ever before with a single set of peripherals. In response to this trend, Matrox Video focuses on high-performance KVM extension over IP via switches and extenders.
“By using an IP-based KVM extender, you can have your computers in a very far away location from where you're actually working,” said Catherine Koutsaris, product manager for KVM Extenders at Matrox Video. “So you can have a computer in another building or even in another city, and be able to access it from your desktop as if your own keyboard and mouse were connected to it directly.”
Security and Signal Latency
As they support higher resolutions, KVM switches are nevertheless being designed to be more secure than ever—and faster too. “Security and reduced latency are key factors for any KVM system,” Holland said.
In terms of enhanced security for KVM applications, Koutsaris is seeing advances in areas such as “more sophisticated network management, different user permissions, how devices are being detected and managed on their network in relation to each other, who's allowed to access their network, different types of encryption between devices, and how that's being managed in an organization,” she said. “Of course, you need to determine your security levels based on your application.”
As for the importance of reduced latency for users? “One of the first things that an experienced KVM user asks about new KVM switches these days is, ‘what is your signal latency?’” replied Tang. “They want to be able to switch between computers very fast, plus have the ability to see and control multiple screens from multiple computers on their desktop.”
According to the experts interviewed for this story, future trends in KVM switches include supporting 8K resolution, augmented reality/virtual reality control interfaces in remote control rooms, and more KVM switches that support multiple windows within a single screen for “live broadcasts and complex post-production workflows, and improves overall operational efficiency,” Litt said.
As well, “AI is leading the charge so perhaps one day KVM extenders will have integrated voice recognition or visual tracking that can be activated by the end user without having to go to a traditional keyboard and mouse,” said Holland.
For more information, download TV Tech's free "Guide to KVM."
