AV SuperFriends AV SuperFriends

Recorded May 12, 2023
Well, it finally happened; a big school is going all in on VR in a big, general ed program.  Goggles on, please.  Arizona State is replacing their introductory biology lab classes with VR. Chris is not amused.
Then, we review recent technologies to determine if they are just marketing or if these are real, long-term solutions.  Marc doesn’t like term “broadcast” anywhere near your PTZ cameras and Zoom events, Chris says USB-C is just marketing and a real thing, Justin reviews recent “automatic” setup utilities for DSPs and network switches, Jamie really has it in for MTRs, and Larry notes where Hyflex falls short.
Finally, the AV SuperFriends are taking over #AVintheAM on Twitter.  Look for that on May 21, 2023, so if you’re listening to this after that date, that’s why Twitter shut down forever on May 22.
News: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/digital-teaching-learning/2023/05/10/arizona-states-big-bet-virtual-reality
Alternate Show Titles:
River City Ransom
Excel sheets in VR
Chemy 101
Walmart-ify It
It’s trash, too
I’m using air quotes you can’t see
Most of the time it works
It’s just a hose
It doesn’t care what you try to put through it
The value of the easy button
Difficult Mode
You plug it in and it doesn’t work
Just drop it on your network and see what happens
Giant displays of heads
You can do it!
Zeams Rooms
Move it around your WAN
Happy little trees 
 

AV SuperFriends #AVintheAM - May 21, 2023

Recorded May 5, 2023
We start with a news story about making digital content accessible and that leads to a larger discussion of accessibility in AV.  Look for that on a future show.
Then we talk “selling” our campus clients on AV in order to deliver the experience they think they want; especially in conference rooms.  Marc leverages the client’s business case to convince them how to spend, Justin hates the word “sales,” and the rest of us are simply trying to drive prices downward on standard spaces.   Except Chris, who is the only one of the AVSF who actually budgets projects correctly including required specialized infrastructure, labor, and contingency pricing.  It’s an apples-to-oranges discussion, but Chris is correct and everyone else is wrong (because I write these descriptions).
Finally, we stay on conference rooms and share our thoughts on BYOM and why it’s not a thing.  Yes, we get it, you can make it happen with all-in-wonder packages, commodity AV hardware, and wireless doodads, not to mention larger switching infrastructure (unless you’re doing it via IP which requires none of that), but that all pales to a simple installed PC.
News: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-05-03-digital-accessibility-is-a-bigger-education-issue-than-we-think-here-s-what-we-can-do-about-it
Alternate show titles:
Still cashing those checks It’s just “effort” The Easiest Way to Say No He Called you for everything he shouldn’t have clicked on And you realize it was nothing that was in the ticket What you just said IS sales Half-giraffes They wanted to look good Athletics is an Arms Race I charge only in nickels and dimes I don’t know what sales is to you all All the shiny furniture What’s an adapter? There’s a lot of letters between I and O You can bring your laptop and it will probably work

Recorded April 14, 2023
Is it over yet? While the topic for this month’s show wasn’t clear, it was assumed to be about the approaching end of the school year. Instead, we opted to discuss technologies that we’re just sick and tired of discussing. And, if you know us, you know we just love VR and the metaverse. And while we don’t wish anyone ill will, we do enjoy our schadenfreude.
News articles:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-eliminates-its-metaverse-division-as-part-of-companys-layoffs-plan-94b03650
https://futurism.com/the-byte/virtual-metaverse-real-estate-trouble
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-03-26/apple-reality-headset-details-pro-features-top-100-meeting-watch-like-start-lfpgdgdb
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/26/technology/apple-augmented-reality-dissent.html
Alternate show titles:
Curved-D
Mass Deployment Everywhere All the Time
I didn’t mean to be intentional
Would you say I have a plethora?
It’s swinging and we’re just jamming stuff in there
Smarthat
Strap the thing to your ass

Recorded April 28, 2023
Instead of AV news, we return to the topic of digital canvases only a few days after our previous discussion. We’re joined by Atkins Fleming who has a suggestion for a software platform that seems perfect for digital canvases and remote teaching and learning, but the company seems unaware of the education market.
Then we hash out the support tools and skills necessary for modern AV systems. Jamie puts it best when he says, “bring your laptop.” As AV becomes more and more IT, those with an IT background seem most comfortable supporting IP-based AV and many of those who grew up with analog AV are struggling. If nothing else, buy everyone a few managed network switches and get them comfortable with managing IPs and VLANs.
Finally, Jamie covers the news from NAB. There were lots of announcements related to large, cloud-based delivery platforms, but perhaps the best news is the increasing support for SMPTE 2110 as a unified interoperable AVoIP standard. Fingers crossed!
ON24: https://www.on24.com
Alternate show titles:
Don’t Say WebEx
Novelty Checkbook
I don’t know; talk to Marc about that one
Our skillset made it easy for us
Piece of Pizza
The team is like “what the heck?”
This is right up our wheelhouse
Catered Zoom Rooms
Stop Grabbing Your Toolbag and take your laptop
Stop grabbing that too
Judging success by the number of USB adapters
That’s the beauty about what we’re doing and it’s also terrible
I have a couple that I pulled off
Maybe sometimes
Just click it and it goes
Ready for me to blast across the WAN
I’m on the fence; I keep flip flopping

Recorded April 27, 2023
We begin with a follow up to a news article we covered a few months ago regarding the University of Arkansas buying the University of Phoenix. Has the deal soured? Are there concerns of propriety and branding? Oh, my, yes!
Next, we’re joined by Raul Burriel from Oregon State University (and current President of NWMET) to talk about the NWMET 2023 conference at Carroll College in Helena, MT earlier this month and to give the first ever preview of NWMET 2024 in Corvallis, OR next year, hosted by our very own AV SuperFriend Marc! We can’t spoil what’s in store for next year’s conference, but here’s a hint: rain!
Then we hash our options for digital canvas displays— that is single unbroken video displays with multiple content fields. Something like that anyway. Chris and Jamie talk about one they had at UMKC ten years ago, Larry discusses a variation he built a few years ago for a computer animation classroom, and Justin suggests manipulating content via software instead of hardware. Chris is going to install an ultrawide digital canvas display this summer, but not in the aspect ratio you’re thinking. To heck with 21:9, here comes 32:9 displays!
Northwest Managers of Educational Technology (NWMET)
https://www.nwmet.org
News Articles:
https://edscoop.com/university-arkansas-trustees-vote-against-phoenix-acquisition/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/03/31/university-phoenix-arkansas-deal-draws-scrutiny/
Alternate show titles:
It was largely Don’s fault
We bought this, now what?
How do we use this thing now that we have it?
I’m the only person looking at my screens
Just a little wonky-ass
The Content is IN the Computer
Throw it out and replace it
Give somebody the back-end
Use this; don’t call me