Dante AV Ultra + AUDAC Touch2: AV Systems for Sports Arenas in Thailand

Sports arenas in Thailand are far more than just seats and a ring. They include bars, restaurants, VIP lounges, food courts and conference areas. In Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui, MMA, Muay Thai and UFC event organisers increasingly ask: how do you deliver a 4K picture to every display without lip-sync issues, while routing different audio to each zone — commentary blasting in the bar, background music in the restaurant?

The answer is Dante AV Ultra paired with AUDAC Touch2. One IP protocol for video, one for audio, one Cat6 network for everything. In this article we break down how it works in practice, what equipment you need and which scenarios this combination covers.

The problem: why HDMI matrices fall short

The traditional approach is an HDMI matrix switcher with dozens of cable runs to every display. In an arena with 50+ screens this means:

• HDMI cable length limits — 15 m maximum without an extender; longer runs need expensive HDMI-over-fiber solutions.
• Inflexible routing — switching scenarios (fight → ad break → awards ceremony) requires physical port changes or a costly programmable matrix.
• Lip-sync problems — different cable lengths and hardware cause audio-video desynchronisation across displays.
• Scaling pain — adding 10 screens means upgrading the matrix and pulling new cables.

Dante AV Ultra: 4K video over standard Ethernet

Dante AV Ultra is a protocol by Audinate (Australia) that delivers visually lossless 4K 60fps 4:4:4 video over standard 1GbE Ethernet. One encoder pushes a stream; an unlimited number of decoders receive it. Everything is managed via Dante Controller — "any source to any screen" routing in a few clicks.

Key specifications for sports venues:

• Sub-frame latency — under 8 ms. A viewer in the bar sees the punch at the same time as the ringside seats.
• PTP clocking — all devices are synchronised to microsecond precision. Zero lip-sync drift.
• Colibri codec — visually lossless compression over 1GbE, no need for 10G infrastructure.
• Multicast — one stream to 50 screens does not create 50× network load.
• Runs on existing IT infrastructure — no dedicated AV network required.

ADTECHNO equipment: Dante AV Ultra encoders and decoders

Japanese manufacturer ADTECHNO produces an award-winning Dante AV Ultra lineup (Best of Show at ISE 2024, InfoComm 2024, IBC 2024). For an arena project three product categories matter:

Encoders — HDMI and SDI

• HDMI encoder — HDMI input + loop-out, converts the mixer or media player signal into a Dante AV Ultra stream.
• SDI encoder — 12G-SDI + HDMI input, for direct connection to cameras and broadcast gear.
• 2-inch IPS preview screen for signal monitoring without an external display.
• PoE+ powered — no separate power outlet needed, just a PoE switch.
• USB/KVM, RS-422, IR control for full system integration.

Decoders — HDMI and SDI

• HDMI decoder — HDMI output, connects to any display or projector.
• SDI decoder — 12G-SDI + dual HDMI output, for LED panels and professional equipment.
• Receives any stream from the Dante network — routing changes are software-only and take seconds.

Smart Display Module

A game-changer: the module slots directly into an Intel® SDM-L compatible display. The screen itself becomes a Dante receiver — no external decoder box needed.

• Native 5×5 video wall support (25 displays) without an external processor — modules synchronise with each other.
• Daisy-chain connection — signal passes from display to display, reducing cable runs.
• Powered via PoE or the display's SDM slot — just 12 W.
• Perfect for arena bars and restaurants where wall-mounted displays leave no room to hide an external decoder.

Control Nexus — central controller

A dedicated controller for managing the entire Dante infrastructure:

• Browser-based routing management — no software install, accessible from any device.
• HDMI output + USB HID — connect a touchscreen and manage without a PC.
• Presets (scenes) — "Fight Start", "Intermission", "Awards" — switch with one button.
• Webhook notifications — automatic alerts to Slack or Teams when a scene changes.
• GPIO/relay terminals — integration with sensors and physical buttons for automation.

Scenario: MMA fight broadcast across an arena

Let's walk through a real scenario — an MMA fight night at an arena in Phuket with a bar, restaurant and VIP lounges.

Stage 1: Signal source

Cameras → video mixer → ADTECHNO SDI encoder. The 4K signal from the mixer enters the SDI input and is pushed onto the Dante network. A second encoder can run in parallel for a backup stream or an alternative camera angle.

Stage 2: Zone distribution

Via Dante Controller or the Control Nexus the video stream is routed to:

• 12 screens in the "Octagon" bar — HDMI decoders behind each display.
• 8 screens in the VIP restaurant — Smart Display Modules built into the displays.
• 20 digital signage screens in corridors — daisy-chained via Smart Display Module.
• The central LED cube — SDI decoder with 12G-SDI output to the LED processor.
• LED panels at entrance areas — drawing spectators from the foyer.

Stage 3: Scene switching

Control Nexus presets allow instant content changes across all screens:

• "Fight" preset — all screens show the ring, bar commentary goes live.
• "Intermission" preset — sponsor ads, upcoming fight schedule, QR code for the bar menu.
• "Awards" preset — award ceremony on every screen, triumphant music via AUDAC.
• "Afterparty" preset — DJ camera feed to screens, club music across all zones.

AUDAC Touch2 + Dante: zoned audio management

Video is half the equation. The other half is audio. An arena with multiple zones needs simultaneous control over different audio content: loud commentary in the bar, background music in the restaurant, a personal mix in the VIP lounge. This is where AUDAC Touch2 with Dante audio steps in.

Audio routing architecture

A central AUDAC LUNA-F processor with 64×64 Dante channels manages all audio zones. AUDAC Touch2 is the app and wall-panel interface that lets the operator — or the bartender — control audio in their zone:

• Bar zone — fight commentary at full volume through AUDAC CELO ceiling or ATEO wall speakers. The bartender can lower the volume between rounds.
• Restaurant zone — background music from a media player; the fight appears on screens only, with no audio. The floor manager adjusts volume via Touch2 on a tablet.
• VIP lounge — a personal mix: commentary quieter, ambient music in the background. Guests control it from a wall panel.
• Corridors — informational announcements + background music. Priority channel for emergency PA/paging.
• Grandstands — main PA channel for MC announcements, walkout music and results.

TouchLink™ — virtual zones

AUDAC's TouchLink™ technology groups multiple amplifiers into a virtual zone. For example, 4 amplifiers in the ground-floor bar and 2 in the upper bar become a single "Bars" zone controlled by one volume slider in Touch2. Zones can be split back at any time — in software, with no re-wiring.

Scenes

AUDAC Touch2 supports one-button audio scene switching:

• "Fight Start" — bar commentary maxed out, restaurant music fades, PA switches to MC.
• "Intermission" — background music everywhere, sponsor jingles in the bars.
• "Evacuation" — priority message to all zones simultaneously, overriding all background sources.

One network: video + audio + control

The key advantage of combining Dante AV Ultra (ADTECHNO) with Dante Audio (AUDAC) is that everything runs on a single IP infrastructure:

• One Cat6 network — for 4K video to every screen, multi-channel zoned audio, routing control and PA/paging.
• One management interface — Dante Controller sees both video (ADTECHNO) and audio (AUDAC) devices.
• Unified clocking — PTP synchronises audio and video to microsecond precision.
• Easy scaling — add a screen = plug in a decoder. Add a zone = plug in an amplifier.
• No analogue runs — no dedicated audio cables from the mixing desk to every amp rack.

Who is this for

• Sports arenas and stadiums — MMA/boxing broadcasts, football matches, esports tournaments on screens in every zone.
• Large restaurants and sports bars — multiple halls with different screen content and different music.
• Entertainment complexes — bowling, billiards, karaoke with centralised AV control.
• Conference centres — simultaneous broadcast to multiple halls with individual audio.
• Hotels with conference rooms and restaurants — a unified AV platform for events.

Summary

The combination of Dante AV Ultra (ADTECHNO) and AUDAC Touch2 with Dante is a complete AV platform for venues that need flexible video routing and zoned audio control. Instead of kilometres of HDMI and analogue audio cables — one Cat6 network. Instead of manual switching — presets and scenes. Instead of lip-sync drift — microsecond PTP precision.

WLTT designs and installs AV systems based on AUDAC and Dante in Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya and across Thailand. If you are building or upgrading an arena, sports complex, restaurant or bar — contact us for a project estimate.