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AV SuperFriends

AV SuperFriends

The AV SuperFriends are AV and eLearning nerds who embrace the challenges that come with managing audiovisual systems and resources within a higher education environment. Most of us have had similar experiences and seek to find answers in an ever-changing audiovisual world. We engage the higher education audiovisual community through podcasts, videos, panel discussions, interviews, and social media to share ideas and solve problems. Our shared experiences and your own will lead to new and creative solutions.

In summary, we are going to steal all your ideas and share them with everyone.

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  • 26 episodes
  • Avg 44 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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  • S6 · E17
    Wednesday · 44 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - Inverse Seating Law

    Recorded September 18, 2026 Where does the integrator's job end and the owner's responsibility begin? And more importantly, did anyone actually write that down? This month, we dig into the occasionally diplomatic, frequently contentious relationship between in-house AV teams and commercial integrators. Using a real-world commissioning dispute as the starting point, we talk through scope, punch lists, handoffs, communication failures, owner expectations, integrator assumptions, and what happens when somebody shows up at the end of a project and discovers the system they're expected to support isn't quite what they thought they were getting. Along the way, we also answer a listener question about the increasingly tempting world of giant 115-inch flat panels: when they make sense instead of projection, why they can look fantastic, and the very real logistical problem of getting a gigantic sheet of glass through doors, elevators, hallways, and onto a wall without turning it into an extremely expensive folding display. The recurring lesson is pretty simple: document expectations, ask questions early, communicate constantly, and remember that both sides eventually have to live with the decisions made during the project. Preferably without requiring formal diplomatic intervention. Article discussed: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/davidshriver_the-head-of-a-customers-in-house-av-team-share-7505594960058937344-PuCr/ Alternate show titles: This is a big giant lab, so it's OK Do you need bigger people? If "Ifs and buts were candy and nuts" I'm the one who's gonna punch it out They can distract me all they want Did you make up some random-ass label? We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E16
    September 16 · 54 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - How do you put that on a button?

    Recorded September 11, 2026 Touch panels are supposed to make AV systems easier to use, so why do so many of them look like somebody dumped every possible control onto a screen and called it finished? In this episode, we dig into classroom and conference room GUI design: what really needs to be on the main page, what should be hidden, what should disappear entirely, and why "just because you can control it" doesn't mean the user needs a button for it. We get into source selection, camera presets, tracking, volume controls, help buttons, advanced pages, live previews, multiple displays, and the dangers of letting AV programmers design interfaces without anyone stopping them. Along the way, we confess our own interface crimes, argue over how many buttons are too many, uncover some truly questionable legacy designs, and arrive at one simple challenge: go look at your touch panels and delete something. By the way, the show art for this episode is a real touch panel UI that Chris stumbled across at one of his many previous universities. Alternate show titles: They're terrible templates What happens in big spaces… In a normal situation, everything is flat There's no hole, I'm doing it right It's just one quick button It usually never gets touched You're not doing that right It's already showing the left I want to ask something Oh, yeah, that'd be smart Reading words You just said there's nothing there! I've been listening to your antics But in the backroom, it's the matrix thing Whiteboard's the wrong answer! We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E15
    September 15 · 1 hr 7 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - Configurizinator

    Recorded August 28, 2026 What does AV programming really look like in 2026? As configurable platforms, APIs, visual logic, and AI-assisted code generation make complex systems easier to build, the panel debates whether the dedicated AV programmer is becoming obsolete. The consensus, more or less, is that programming isn't going away, but the silo around it probably is. The future looks more like a shared engineering skill focused on configuration, user experience, commissioning, and making systems work without turning every classroom into a science project. Alternate show titles: We made it to the past! If it's coming from outside the house Having semicolons I'll crack that sh*t Prompting a prompt An entire screen of slop code I just want one button Secret eyeballs The little script that I need It's just something dumb We're just arguing words now What if we could make it worse? You need someone behind them Stop worrying about who to blame! We're all vehemently agreeing Claim your code We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E24
    September 9 · 1 hr 21 min

    AV SuperFriends: Off the Rails - Forty-hundred-thousand

    Recorded September 4, 2026 Is a "kit of parts" actually a kit of parts if it contains two-and-a-half kits, a warehouse full of spares, and whatever happens to be sitting on the shelf that afternoon? We revisit one of our favorite arguments: building campus AV standards around common, interchangeable components without accidentally locking yourself into a manufacturer ecosystem. That leads naturally into HDBaseT versus AV-over-IP, inventory strategies, network dependencies, and whether simplifying systems actually lets you stretch limited upgrade dollars further. Before all that, Harvard gives us another glimpse into the classroom of the future with AI-generated versions of faculty serving as entrepreneurial mentors. Naturally, we immediately extrapolate this into AI professors teaching AI students while everyone else stays home. Progress! Finally, we tackle the less glamorous side of classroom ownership: what happens when something technically isn't your responsibility, but everyone knows your team is going to get the call anyway? From rooms left torn apart before classes begin to neglected spaces that have fallen between departmental cracks, sometimes supporting the teaching environment means taking ownership of more than just the AV gear—even when the organizational chart says otherwise. News: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/22/business/dealbook/harvard-ai-faculty.html Archive: https://archive.is/VJGXq Marc's LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/week-32-space-between-installation-adoption-marc-cholewczynski-8ioyc/ Alternate show titles: Cooler trucks It's not really a class either Which is cool, but… Did they did it? One dude at a keyboard Whatever happened to goggles? As we embark on this twisted journey 600 rooms in the trash That's kinda weird, I wouldn't do that That company forces you to upgrade from time to time It works well enough… Whatever that is that shouldn't exist Get these three I's to that one O They don't have to be smart Which was it, transmitter or receiver? Both I think I bought 200 and I'm all out Right tool, right job We do not do PowerPoint training, sir Matcha! They all quit! Punch out and walk home Be responsible, be accountable We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E14
    September 1 · 47 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - Sorta traditional Zoom-enabled classroom type room

    Recorded August 14, 2026 What's the one true, correct way to build a BYOM classroom? Naturally, the AV SuperFriends all agree… and come up with several. Justin brings a real-world challenge: two teaching spaces where instructors need essentially the same conferencing experience whether they use the installed room PC or a laptop over USB-C, and expect everything to just work. That kicks off a debate over NDI, Dante, AVoIP, HDBaseT, docking stations, camera switching, control systems, power delivery, and how much complexity should be hiding behind a supposedly simple user experience. Several workable approaches emerge, ranging from elegant network-based designs to a suspiciously compelling $900 solution that is obviously the best one. Do they settle on the definitive higher-ed BYOM standard? Absolutely not. But we do narrow the field, spend plenty of imaginary budget dollars, argue about confidence monitors and enterprise networks, and leave Justin with several options to test, which is probably the closest this group is ever going to get to consensus. Solutions presented: Jamie - Biamp EX-UBT + Inogeni IP2USB https://products.biamp.com/product-details/-/o/d/Tesira-EX-UBT/ecom-item/920-00443-00001 https://inogeni.com/product/ip2usb/ Larry - Extron DTP3 CrossPoint 42 USB https://www.extron.com/product/dtp3crosspointusb Marc - Visionary Duet-5E + Visionary XB5 https://visionary-av.com/project/duet-5-encoder-decoder/ https://visionary-av.com/project/xb5/ Chris - Liberty TU-HUC42 https://www.libertyonline.com/products/search/item/TU-HUC42-KIT Justin says NDI cameras via Inogeni IP2USB, but maybe Dante-AV: Turtle Chazy: https://turtleav.com/portfolio/chazy-4k/ Alternate show titles: That's going to be longer than the Bible I'm going to pick a winner and go with it It doesn't matter if it's Zoom or Teams That's no-go; that's not happening It's either-or You have that Kansas City money Don't worry about the ask, Marc! I'm more comfortable with my thing Nearly the same exact setup process You can't call time! There's some strugglebus I have the power figured out I would dabble down the road… We have to make sure all the Legos are the right type This one has a budget, but I don't know what it is This is why we have these shows 900 bucks I'm not throwing top dollar H.323 people + content crap What happens if I don't want my students to see my notes on the back screen I might be able to squeeze that in I don't know if I like it yet or not The big network I don't know what my heart wants I'm in this dirty bucket of filth We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E23
    August 28 · 1 hr 12 min

    AV SuperFriends: Off the Rails - We're not changing the conversation to make me look dumb again

    Recorded August 21, 2026 OpenAVC is back, and this time creator Aaron Todd joins us to talk about putting the open-source, hardware-agnostic AV control platform into the hands of higher ed teams for real-world testing. We dig into what makes the project interesting, why traditional proprietary control hardware may not always be necessary, how universities can participate in the pilot program, and whether open-source control is a threat to integrators, or simply another tool they should learn to use. Then it's time for the annual higher ed tradition of people returning from summer break and suddenly remembering they need an AV project completed before classes start. We talk last-minute requests, impossible construction schedules, scope creep, protecting your staff from constant heroics, and the dangerous precedent created when you somehow manage to pull off the impossible one too many times. Finally, are ceiling microphone arrays actually the best solution, or have they simply become the solution everyone specifies by default? We get into table mics, ceiling mics, voice lift, room acoustics, user expectations, increasingly complicated microphone deployments, and the inconvenient truth that putting everything in the ceiling doesn't magically make the underlying audio problems disappear. News: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aarontoddcts-d_we-are-looking-for-university-av-teams-willing-share-7492969718262231040-Pm57/ Connect with Aaron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarontoddcts-d/ Open AVC: https://www.openavc.com Alternate show titles: Ten-inch PoE powered A fork… a knife and a spoon They don't want that smoke Open = free Crush their hearts and dreams Aaron, let me tell you something No one cares how the thing turns on and off With the tools available today, we can do better I remove all the GUI Dashboarding and all that crap A cloud side… you don't have to use I'm gonna brag I don't work in support! Whatever process we want to wish-cast on the university They can see our dashboard of projects They've capitulated How many tickets before it becomes a project You can't answer this question but I want to see you try They have a tighter SLA They're just tickled shitless We try to squeeze in as much as you can No, we don't care about that… Construction has been the tyranny of how we're working on campus You can't punch out when people are moving in We've got you guys as our buffer If I'm going that route, I'm NOT happy about it We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E21
    August 13 · 1 hr 9 min

    AV SuperFriends: Off the Rails - Obviously, I'm not doing any of this

    Recorded August 7, 2026 Freshly relocated, the AV SuperFriends dig into how classroom support actually works. Ring-down phones, intercoms, Teams channels, help buttons, student technicians, remote tools, and after-hours coverage all get put on the table. The panel also gets into the difference between a real AV failure and a perceived one, why good support is as much about communication as troubleshooting, and how student employees can become an incredibly effective first line of support when they're trained and trusted. Then we turn to physical security and ask a simple question: why does seemingly everyone on campus have a key to the AV rack? Plus, Corsair takes a stake in Bitfocus, Companion may or may not be headed toward subscription hell, and Cameron fills in for Marc. News article: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/business/elgato-parent-corsair-takes-a-minority-stake-in-bitfocus-03-08-2026/ Connect with Cameron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-sofsky-a3866465/ Alternate show titles: What's Marc's mouth taste like? Just the tip jar Whenever we see this happen to a successful project, they ruin it Reach over and touch it / If it breaks, it's on y'all I had my agent do a little bit of research on this I hope it just keeps getting bigger There's a number to dial our students We don't support tickets It's a ring down! Night shift student group This may not happen with you all… but it may Hopefully the student on the phone is verbal enough That's just an extended mouse and keyboard This is not going to go where you think it's going to go A little bit of knowledge is a lot of ignorance That's not supposed to work like that We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E13
    August 2 · 28 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - He's got that people power

    Recorded July 17, 2026 In Part 2 of our conversation about building an internal AV integration team, the panel turns from the organizational obstacles to the practical question: how do you actually justify, staff, and scale the operation? We dig into translating outsourced labor costs into FTE requests, documenting hidden workloads, using dashboards and project data to make the case to leadership, and allowing a little strategic failure to expose where the existing team has reached its limits. The discussion also explores whether the next hire should be another technician or someone higher in the stack, such as a project manager, field supervisor, designer, or other knowledge-focused role. Along the way, we consider how student employees can free up full-time staff, why "internship" may be a better recruiting pitch than "student worker," how good integrators can complement rather than replace an internal team, and why every staffing plan needs to be ready before a stray FTE or pile of magical, mystical money suddenly appears. Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timdickson0ctsd/ Alternate show titles: A design apprentice, so to speak Don't bring up your dirty math! Support Plus I could save them $100,000 a year I'm going to tag onto Marc and then change I can take care of you and you can take care of me The AV consultant doesn't know how we do it on campus Just like a consultant would… That's not the way levers are pulled Which isn't a service we actually offer… but it's a service we offer This was actually a good show It's not like math… We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E12
    August 1 · 46 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - Some of this sounds like a spreadsheet problem

    Recorded July 17, 2026 Building an internal AV integration team sounds simple enough: hire a few people, buy some tools, and stop paying an outside integrator to discover that the display was unplugged. In reality, it means navigating staffing models, capital projects, facilities partnerships, student labor, service agreements, institutional funding, and the mysterious process by which everyone agrees an idea is excellent while still refusing to provide an FTE. Special guest Tim Dickson joins to discuss Clemson's effort to expand its internal AV capabilities while supporting more than 300 classrooms with a very small team. The panel digs into which skills should remain in-house, where outside labor still makes sense, how to justify positions through savings and recurring service work, and how existing staff can grow into programming, design, field supervision, and other specialized roles. Note that this is Part 1 of 2 because the show is allegedly a 30-minute monthly roundtable, but no one involved appears capable of stopping at 30 minutes, or stopping at all. Part 2 will continue the conversation with no meaningful evidence that anyone learned from the experience. Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timdickson0ctsd/ Alternate show titles: A design apprentice, so to speak Don't bring up your dirty math! Support Plus I could save them $100,000 a year I'm going to tag onto Marc and then change I can take care of you and you can take care of me The AV consultant doesn't know how we do it on campus Just like a consultant would… That's not the way levers are pulled Which isn't a service we actually offer… but it's a service we offer This was actually a good show It's not like math… We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E20
    July 30 · 1 hr 21 min

    AV SuperFriends: Off the Rails - Next year's problem could be next week's problem, bro

    Recorded July 24, 2026 How long should classroom AV systems actually last? The panel revisits refresh cycles and quickly discovers that the answer ranges from a carefully planned five or six or seven or eight years to "whenever the last surviving input card finally catches fire." We compare full-room replacements with increasingly modular upgrades, debate which components can remain in service indefinitely, and examine what happens when departments treat technology as a one-time purchase rather than something that must eventually be funded again. We also check in on Auracast, the perpetually imminent technology of the future, following a real-world deployment at a UK train station. Then, because apparently this is something campuses must now consider, we discuss securing classroom computers against people opening them up and stealing the RAM and GPUs. Along the way, we encounter abandoned projection screens, emergency spare parts, classrooms held together by obsolete switchers, and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes the only sustainable refresh strategy is moving a still-working component from somewhere nobody will notice. News story: https://www.avnetwork.com/installations/ampetronic-listen-technologies-auri-installed-at-brighton-station Alternate show titles: Let's talk about the Apple thing real quick Are all of you still hot on this? This is the technology of the future and it always will be I'm not trying to convince you that this isn't going to happen Laser stream quantum version Micro-pirate radio station Everything else is loosey goosey Covid 2: The Return Some years we ebb, some years we flow We just signed on to lease our computers I don't get a choice Let's go to the other side of this… Justin! So we said "Hey" (Hey!) Blow through a couple projectors Room Classic! Cells don't make audio Plug this hole with an AV widget I keep trying to ignore your hand You need to be careful with that word: guarantee The first wave of technicians… We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E19
    July 15 · 1 hr 10 min

    AV SuperFriends: Off the Rails - Leftover money goes to you-know-who… the king

    Recorded July 10, 2026 Who owns the classroom, and who pays when the technology inside it breaks, ages out, or needs to be replaced? This week, the AV SuperFriends compare the very different ways their institutions classify, schedule, fund, refresh, and support academic spaces. What sounds like a simple split between general-purpose and departmental classrooms quickly turns into covered spaces, shared rooms, temporary surge spaces, competing service levels, one-time grants, and departments that may not even want the rooms they have been assigned. The panel explores how those ownership models affect classroom standards, support response times, project planning, and long-term refresh cycles. Depending on the institution, technology may be centrally funded and maintained, or left to individual colleges and departments until something finally dies. That creates uneven classroom experiences, endless arguments over responsibility, and the recurring question of whether a problem is a support ticket, a project, or someone else's headache. Then, the conversation turns to the lowly document camera. Are faculty still using them, are they quietly collecting dust, or have schools simply stopped replacing them to see whether anyone notices? Along the way, the group praises SynAudCon training, proposes an unauthorized CTS study guide, debates whether the math really matters, and takes the usual scenic route through commissioning, punch lists, bad terminations, and dramatic lectern advertising. News article: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/training-news/avixa-offers-members-pro-audio-training-from-synaudcon-02-07-2026/ Alternate show titles: It's like watching an old movie That's a feature, not a bug There is math, but it doesn't really matter What's going on at your school? …and nobody has time for that I wish I was y'all Is this a pyramid scheme? That's where I get a little cloudy We only upgrade when things die A DMPS with leather Good colleges who operate in an intelligent manner That's a seminar room! We're not allowed to ask about the budget How do you design around that? Everything's going to die and you're going to be hosed We had parts and we had whole rooms Just take 'em out We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E11
    July 15 · 44 min

    AV SuperFriends: On Topic - You're not allowed to tell this story

    Recorded June 26, 2026 Freshly returned from the show floor at InfoComm 2026, the AV SuperFriends gather for a full-length roundtable on trade show regrets: the booths they missed, the sessions they skipped, the demos they should have recorded, and the party they may never emotionally recover from missing. This episode wanders through the aftermath of a massive conference week, including arguments over who should really be explaining AI to the AV industry, what happens when AVIXA TV is more networked than expected, why show-floor "hidden gems" are still somehow hidden behind the wrong booth wall, and how even seasoned attendees can come home realizing they saw only a tiny slice of the show. Along the way, the crew revisits booth tour challenges, suspicious conference sandwiches, tote bag logistics, USB-C mysteries, browser-based control, over-caffeinated presentations, and the now-legendary Panasonic dinner brownies. It's part InfoComm recap, part confessional, and part warning label for anyone who thinks they can actually see everything at a trade show. Alternate show titles: It was a wet wrap Back door Uber ride Cold air blowing on your butt The brownies… like popcorn! Another Larry-free Friday Just a conference center with a bunch of tech That little bit of confidence was shattered Y'all got chili dogs? Just buy the damn meat We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E5
    July 7 · 7 min

    AV SuperFriends: Perspectives from InfoComm 2026 - Vanco

    Jamie visits the Vanco booth at InfoComm 2026 to learn about the EVO-IP AV-over-IP lineup, from full-featured systems with Dante, USB, control, video walls, and digital signage to simpler plug-and-play options. The conversation also gets into Vanco's Dante adapters, including USB-C and ARC tools that solve some very specific, very annoying higher-ed audio problems. https://www.vanco1.com

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E4
    July 6 · 8 min

    AV SuperFriends: Perspectives from InfoComm 2025 - Telycam

    In this Perspectives episode, Jamie stops by the Telycam booth to check out the new Explorer PTZ camera family, including larger Sony 4/3 sensors, better low-light performance, brushless motors, 12G-SDI, HDMI, NDI, and onboard recording. They also dig into the Mix One, Telycam's all-in-one PTZ controller, switcher, and streaming device that might be doing just enough to make Jamie's camera hunt finally end. https://telycam.com

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E3
    July 3 · 7 min

    AV SuperFriends: Perspectives from InfoComm 2026 - Inogeni

    In this Perspectives episode, we stop by the Inogeni booth at InfoComm 2026 to dig into the IP2USB and its ability to turn IP video streams, USB cameras, and Dante audio into a clean USB conferencing source. We also get a look at CamTrack, a tiny box doing big-room camera automation tricks without forcing everyone into a whole new camera ecosystem. https://inogeni.com

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  • S1 · E2
    July 2 · 6 min

    AV SuperFriends: Perspectives from InfoComm 2026 - AV Pro

    In this short Perspectives episode, we stop by AVPro at InfoComm 2026 to learn about the ConferX AC-CX42 Pro, a compact conferencing switcher with dual USB-C DisplayPort alt mode inputs, KVM switching, bidirectional USB data, and power delivery. It's a quick look at a device that may solve some very real classroom and conference room headaches, especially for higher ed spaces juggling resident PCs, BYOD laptops, USB peripherals, and "why doesn't this just work?" workflows. https://www.avproglobal.com

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  • S6 · E10
    July 1 · 37 min

    On Topic Episode 73: It only 3/4s of the way plays nice together

    Recorded June 12, 2026 In this Fourth of July–flavored episode of On Topic, the panel celebrates America's birthday the only way they know how: by declaring independence from the worst habits in higher ed AV. This month's grievances include single-vendor ecosystem lock-in, consultant-led designs that ignore campus standards, isolated "AV network islands," overcomplicated touch panels, mystery DSP files, proprietary cables, terrible display home screens, and every "professional" product that somehow requires a cloud account just to configure the thing. Along the way, the panel debates automation versus user control, whether classrooms really need touch panels at all, and why interoperability always seems to mean "mostly works, as long as you bought everything from us." It's patriotic, petty, and painfully familiar: a fireworks show of AV complaints aimed directly at the systems, specs, and design habits we should have dumped into the harbor years ago. Alternate show titles: We might be making headway The future of buildings No new islands! At least a ferry service Press to start Blank and Freeze I want to agree with you, but… Sometimes people plug in things they don't want to see No middle ground We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

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  • S1 · E1
    June 30 · 20 min

    AV SuperFriends: Perspectives from InfoComm 2026 - OpenAVC

    In this Perspectives episode from InfoComm 2026, we sit down with Aaron Todd of OpenAVC for a conversation that goes well beyond a simple product demo. OpenAVC is an open, platform-agnostic AV control platform aimed at breaking the industry's long-standing dependence on locked-down hardware ecosystems and expensive proprietary boxes just to run simple room controls. Aaron walks through the philosophy behind the project, how it can run on everything from Windows and Linux to Raspberry Pi and even Android tablets, and why AV control should increasingly be treated as a software problem rather than a hardware purchase. We also get into GitHub, community contributions, driver support, AI-assisted development, and why open tools like this could be especially meaningful for higher ed teams trying to stretch budgets, extend the life of existing systems, and build the workflows they actually need. This one leans into the bigger story: open control, cost savings, higher-ed relevance, and the "why are we still doing it this way?" disruption angle. https://www.linkedin.com/company/openavc

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  • S6 · E18
    June 29 · 58 min

    AV SuperFriends: Off the Rails 140 - Super Unicorn Worm

    Recorded June 19, 2026 After a full week at InfoComm 2026, the AV SuperFriends stagger onto the AVIXA TV set for one final wrap show: tired feet, fried brains, louder-than-necessary opinions, and just enough caffeine to mistake exhaustion for insight. This episode is the team's end-of-show download after days of booth demos, hallway meetings, badge scans, lukewarm coffee, live shows, sketchy product pitches, and enough walking to qualify as either professional development or a cry for help. The crew talks through what actually stood out on the show floor, including the quiet rise of REST APIs, AV gear that's finally opening up to outside control, middleware boxes that make existing systems smarter, and AI that might be useful when it isn't just being sprinkled on brochures like tradeshow glitter. They also pick their favorite finds from the week, including Inogeni's IP2USB tools, Ross Vertex's "wait, it does what?" visualization platform, Nureva's HDX audio approach, larger-chip PTZ cameras, decentralized DSP, and Epson's beautifully boring direct-view LED display that does the one thing AV people keep begging for: display the image without trying to become a smart TV. It's the InfoComm wrap show: part trend report, part group therapy, part warning label for anyone who thinks "quick booth visit" means anything under 45 minutes. News article: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/fire-breaks-out-on-ba-flight-packed-with-infocomm-visitors-16-06-2026/ Alternate show titles: Acoustic chicken Rise of REST Just use these and put it in there This is my excited face Costco Down I might actually trust NDI now Down to one tchotchke and life is good There's AI built in! Level 17 master guru ninja Known mistakes over unknown mistakes You messed with my code, man That horse ain't pushing that cart You can't defeat physics but you can try It might be possible today The future is now We're going to buy all your stuff, blow it up, and re-do it I can't even explain what it is How many vertices do I need? More affordable; that's what better meant I want to marinate on it Beyond the IO We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

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  • S1 · E5
    June 19 · 26 min

    AV SuperFriends: InfoComm 2026 - I need coffee

    Recorded June 19, 2026 In this final InfoComm 2026 morning show, the AV SuperFriends are running on caffeine, conditioned air, and whatever energy is left after three packed days in Las Vegas. The crew recaps the previous day's marathon of AI sessions, podcast recordings, and the wildly successful Q-SYS-sponsored "Voice of the Vertical" game show—complete with questionable judging, reluctant contestants, fire alarms, and a winning team that may or may not have known anything about AV. From there, they look ahead to the annual hidden-gems show floor tour, including honorable mentions for the products that were worth seeing but geographically inconvenient. Along the way, the conversation wanders through AI workshops, fake dashboards, VR goggles, fiber USB-C cables, large-sensor cameras, higher-ed broadcast furniture, and whether "projectors as a service" is a nightmare, a necessity, or both. It's the last morning show of InfoComm 2026, and everyone is tired—but there's still one more day of show floor wandering, AVIXA TV, questionable product scouting, and arena-rock-level enthusiasm to go. Alternate show titles: My team won, by the way I got hosed I quit! Give them fake AI I'm gonna nerf this a little bit Urinal rating system I made a comment one person didn't like I made assumptions about them and moved on That looks like an interesting widget We've been wanting to tip toe into this… Installment plans or indentured servitude? Pay per packet I shocked myself with the conversation It's a tidal wave We stream live every Friday at about 315p Eastern/1215p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avsuperfriends ► Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/avsuperfriends.bsky.social ► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

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Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes