Education AV Market Accelerates as Integrated Smart Classroom Solutions Become Campus Infrastructure Imperative August 24, 2026, China — As the Ministry of Education's "New Infrastructure" policy continues to take effect, the education audio-visual (AV) market is undergoing a rapid transformation — shifting from discrete "equipment procurement" to integrated "scenario-based solutions." Industry research forecasts that China's smart classroom market will surpass RMB 100 billion in 2026, with AV systems accounting for an increasingly larger share and becoming one of the fastest-growing segments in campus digitalization. The latest evidence of this trend comes from Hangzhou, where a leading secondary school recently completed a comprehensive multimedia classroom upgrade integrating high-fidelity audio systems, interactive large displays, and wireless microphone equipment. This case is far from isolated — it reflects a nationwide acceleration in smart campus construction across China's education system. Three Technology Trends Reshaping Classroom AV Analyzing the Hangzhou project alongside other recent deployments, industry observers highlight three structural shifts reshaping the education AV landscape: Trend 1: AV-over-IP Moves from Concept to Standard Traditional classroom AV systems rely on extensive analog cabling and independent control panels, resulting in complex wiring and limited scalability. In contrast, next-generation smart classrooms like those in Hangzhou are fully adopting AV-over-IP architectures, transmitting both audio-visual signals and control data over standard Ethernet cables. This transition not only dramatically reduces cabling costs but also enables cross-classroom collaboration, remote device management, and seamless future expansion. "AV-over-IP is replicating IT's 'everything connected' paradigm, allowing AV devices to be plug-and-play and centrally managed just like network printers," noted a senior industry engineer. This technical approach is rapidly penetrating both higher education and K-12 segments, and is expected to become the default choice for new and renovated classrooms within three years. Trend 2: AI-Powered Audio Processing Enters the Classroom Audio quality remains an undervalued yet critical component of classroom experience. Traditional sound reinforcement systems merely address the "can hear" problem, while next-generation intelligent audio systems are solving the "hear clearly and comfortably" challenge. The Hangzhou school's ceiling array microphone and wireless microphone combination incorporates built-in DSP chips that automatically identify and focus on the teacher's voice, suppress ambient noise from air conditioning and projectors, and even optimize output based on room reverberation characteristics. More notably, AI algorithms are further democratizing. Several manufacturers have introduced classroom audio systems featuring voiceprint recognition and adaptive noise cancellation, capable of automatically adjusting parameters based on individual teachers' vocal habits. Whether the teacher stands at the podium or walks among students, voice clarity, naturalness, and consistency are maintained. Trend 3: Interactive Displays Evolve from "Display Tools" to "Teaching Hubs" Interactive flat panels (IFPs) are not new, but their role is being redefined. Previously used primarily for slides and digital whiteboarding, they have now become the central teaching node integrating content presentation, teacher-student interaction, and data collection. In the Hangzhou case, teachers utilize the large displays for multi-device wireless screen casting, real-time annotation of student group discussion outcomes, and in-class instant assessment. More importantly, these interaction data can be recorded and analyzed, providing evidence-based insights for teaching improvement. Large displays are evolving from "teaching aids" into "gateways for instructional data." From "Nice-to-Have" to "Must-Have": Policy and Demand Drive Growth The education AV market's surge is no coincidence. On one hand, the Ministry of Education has explicitly called for "leveraging education informatization to support and lead education modernization," with dedicated budget allocations for smart classrooms continuing to rise. On the other hand, the normalization of hybrid learning in the post-pandemic era has intensified schools' demand for high-quality audio-visual capture and transmission. "Schools today are no longer satisfied with buying a few screens and speakers," noted a technical lead involved in the Hangzhou project. "They need a complete, scalable teaching AV ecosystem capable of continuously supporting pedagogical model evolution over the next three to five years." Market Outlook & Industry Recommendations According to multiple third-party forecasts, China's education AV market will maintain a compound annual growth rate of 15%-20% from 2026 to 2028, with new construction and renovation of K-12 smart classrooms serving as the primary growth engine. For industry players, competitive focus is shifting from product performance to integrated solution capability, software ecosystem completeness, and long-term service assurance. Manufacturers offering "hardware + software + platform" integrated solutions are poised to gain greater market share in this wave of campus infrastructure modernization. The Hangzhou secondary school case demonstrates that when audio, display, and microphone products achieve true technical synergy and scenario integration, the final mile from "construction" to "application" in smart classrooms is being bridged. And along this path, more schools and more technology solutions are continuing to enter the arena.