From CommercialIntegrator.com:
Multicast and unicast affect customers’ networks differently, and AV integrators need to have a strong understanding of the difference between the two to educate IT directors and properly integrate video.
When integrating video systems, it’s important to keep in mind that customers’ IT directors may not have video specific knowledge.
Knowing the difference between multicast and unicast is one importance piece of knowledge an AV integrator can bring into discussion with a client’s IT director.
Here are some key differences between the two:
Unicast
Unicast is the transmission of a data package or an audiovisual signal to a single recipient.
“There are very specific definitions in regards to bandwidth and how communication takes place. It is a TCP IP communication,” says Z-Band’s Daniel Helfrick.
Multicast
Multicast is the transmission of data across a computer network to several users at the same time.
“Multicast doesn’t really follow a lot of traditional rules that unicast [follows]. You’re not looking at a TCP IP communication or one source to one end client device. It’s a completely different level of network configuration. It requires a lot more time on the integrator’s side of things in order to configure that network and it requires a level of education going in,” says Helfrick.
Watch the above video to learn more from Helfrick about the difference between multicast and unicast and how they affect clients’ networks.