As 2025 approaches, emerging innovations are redefining the standards of quality, interaction and accessibility in a wide variety of applications, from home entertainment to solutions for professional and public environments. 

Explore with us the major technology trends that will shape the AV industry in 2025, highlighting key innovations that will influence both users and industry professionals. 

1. Audio and Video over IP: A unified network for scalability and flexibility

The expansion of audio and video over IP (AoIP and VoIP) continues, allowing audio and video signals to travel over standard Ethernet networks, simplifying integration and offering greater scalability. By 2025, a significant increase in the adoption of IP-based technologies is expected in both commercial and home environments. 

"Many manufacturers are betting on offering complete AV ecosystem solutions for different types of applications, ensuring the availability of video sources in multiple destinations, with virtually zero latency and pristine image quality, through proprietary protocols, in many cases including KVM capabilities to this distribution, and even simultaneous encoding of signals to standard protocols such as H.264/H.265," confirmed Rafael Herrera, Datapath's Regional Sales Manager for Latin America. 

Key trends: 

• AV over IP systems: Technologies such as Dante, NDI (Network Device Interface) and AES67 are gaining ground for their ability to transmit multiple high-quality signals over a single IP network, eliminating the need for expensive cables and dedicated equipment. 
• Cloud integration: The cloud will be a fundamental pillar in the management and distribution of AV content, allowing not only remote transmission, but also system administration from anywhere. Cloud-based AV systems will offer more flexibility in terms of updates and maintenance. 

2. 8K Displays and Projections: Image quality takes the visual experience to the next level. 

As we move into 2025, image quality will look even more impressive thanks to advances in 8K displays and advanced projection technologies. With increased availability of 8K content and powerful processing capabilities, the AV industry is heading towards a resolution that will deliver stunning detail. 

Another highlight in the display world will be the implementation of direct LED or DVLED technology in indoor applications, increasingly replacing technologies such as projection or traditional Video Walls with LCD displays. "This DVLED technology has evolved a lot in recent years, and most manufacturers are offering resolutions with Pixel Pitch of 1.2, 0.9 and 0.7 mm (some venturing today to even higher resolutions), optimal for control room applications, meeting rooms, and other types of corporate and educational venues, with a downward trend in pricing, which guarantees that this display technology will be widely adopted this 2025 and in subsequent years," added Datapath's Rafael. 

Key trends: 

• Affordable 8K displays: 8K content production capabilities are improving, and the costs of 8K displays will continue to decline, making them more affordable for both consumers and professional environments. 
• High-resolution laser projection: 8K and 4K laser projectors will increase in professional installations, such as movie theaters, auditoriums and live entertainment spaces, providing a more immersive visual experience. 

3. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): Redefining the immersive experience. 

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have gained ground in the AV industry, but are expected to become essential for both commercial and recreational applications by 2025. The combination of AV with AR/VR will enable a new way of interacting with content, creating deeply immersive experiences. 

Key trends: 

• Mixed Reality (MR): An evolution of AR and VR, mixed reality (MR) will merge the physical and digital worlds in a more fluid and realistic way. Devices such as Microsoft HoloLens 3 and Apple's AR glasses will transform the way we interact with the environment. 
• Streaming in VR/AR: Platforms such as YouTube or Netflix could offer content in AR or VR, allowing users to experience movies, concerts or sporting events as if they were there. 

4. 3D Audio and Surround Sound: A revolution in the sound experience 

3D audio and surround sound continue to evolve, and are expected to reach an unprecedented level of perfection by 2025. The demand for immersive sound experiences is growing, especially in the entertainment, education and commercial installation sectors. 

Key trends: 

• Binaural sound and spatial audio: Spatial and binaural audio solutions offer a more accurate sound experience, where sound not only surrounds the listener, but is accurately placed in space. This type of audio will be critical in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) environments. 
• 3D smart speakers: Advanced speakers will enable more dynamic and immersive sound without the need for multiple traditional sound sources. In addition, directional audio systems in public spaces will gain popularity. 

5. Automation and Intelligent Control: Smarter and more efficient AV solutions 

Automation and intelligent control continue to be key trends that will drive efficiency in the AV industry. By 2025, AV systems are expected to be fully integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT technologies, offering more intuitive and personalized solutions. 

Key trends: 

- Autonomous AV systems: AV devices will be equipped with AI to automatically adjust to environmental conditions, such as controlling light and sound based on the number of people present or the type of activity taking place. 

- Integration with virtual assistants: AV systems will increasingly support virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri, enabling full voice control and advanced personalization of the experience. 

6. Autonomous and Intelligent Agency: Advances in autonomous and more efficient solutions with AI. 

Artificial intelligence with agency (Agentic AI) is emerging as one of the main trends in the development of autonomous technologies. It is expected that by 2025, systems based on this intelligence will be able to act more independently, making decisions and performing actions that allow them to adapt to the environment and improve results without relying on constant human intervention. 

Key trends: 

• Autonomous AI: Systems equipped with Agentic AI will be able to assume responsibilities and execute tasks without the need for direct supervision. This includes everything from autonomous vehicles to assistive robots that operate independently, learning and adjusting to new circumstances based on their experience. 
• Proactive adaptation to objectives: These systems not only execute commands, but are also capable of setting and pursuing their own objectives, adjusting their actions as new information is received or conditions change. 

7. Invisible Ambient Intelligence: Smarter and more discreet solutions in everyday life.

Invisible Ambient Intelligence is starting to be one of the most innovative trends that will transform the way we interact with technology from 2025 onwards. This intelligence is imperceptibly integrated into the physical environment, offering solutions that operate unobtrusively and autonomously, without the need for the user to be aware of its presence or intervention. 

Key trends: 

• Invisible technology in the environment: Systems equipped with this intelligence operate without users having to explicitly interact with them. These devices adapt to the environment in real time, adjusting variables such as lighting, temperature or sound, without the user having to do anything. 
• Ubiquitous and adaptive AI systems: Invisible ambient intelligence will be present in every corner of the environment, from homes to public spaces, offering personalized experiences without the need for visible interfaces or direct interactions. 

8. HDMI 2.2: Announcement of the new specification 

At CES 2025, HDMI Forum Inc. unveiled the new HDMI 2.2 specification, which is notable for its advanced capabilities, including 96 Gbps bandwidth, support for resolutions up to 16K, and significant improvements in audio and video synchronization. While these advances are impressive, their practical application is more oriented towards the commercial AV sector, where their potential will be best exploited. 

"The industry is moving at ever-increasing speeds, and the announcement of the arrival of HDMI 2.2 confirms this, enabling bandwidths of up to 96 Gbps with resolutions up to 16K, which, while not having a real application in all markets, is setting a trend for the entire chain from content production, through distribution, and transmission to processing and display devices," concluded Datapath's Rafael. 

Key trends: 

• Higher bandwidth capacity: HDMI 2.2 offers a superior transfer rate, surpassing DisplayPort UHBR20 by 16 Gbps, making it an ideal choice for high-resolution commercial displays. 
• Specialized commercial applications: HDMI 2.2 is positioned as a key solution in areas requiring large volumes of data, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), where a high bit rate is essential for a smooth experience. 

Do you want to know more about these topics? 

The good news is that all these trends and new technologies can be seen in the first edition of InfoComm Latin America, October 22-24 in Mexico City. We are waiting for you!