AV SuperFriends

AV SuperFriends
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 2d ago

    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

  2. 3d ago

    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

  3. Sep 9

    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

  4. Sep 1

    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

  5. Aug 28

    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

  6. Aug 13

    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

  7. Aug 2

    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

  8. Aug 1

    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

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5
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    AV SuperFriends
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    292
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    AV SuperFriends

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