Podcast
AV SuperFriends: On Topic
Hosted by AV SuperFriends · EN
The AV SuperFriends discuss design, installation, and support of classroom and commercial AV integrations.
10episodes
Episodes
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72: We Won’t Do Anything Until That Form Is Filled Out
1w ago00:43:52Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On Topic - We won’t do anything until that form is filled outRecorded May 15, 2026This episode of On Topic gets into the glamorous, soul-polishing world of how AV projects actually begin, which is apparently somewhere between a formal intake form, a support ticket that got out of hand, a hallway ambush, and someone discovering the room needs power, asbestos abatement, and lots of opinions.The panel compares how different campuses define and initiate projects, from TeamDynamix and ServiceNow workflows to informal emails, consultation requests, facilities handoffs, and the dreaded “this was supposed to be a simple fix” scenario. A big theme is the messy boundary between support ticket, request, incident, problem, and project, especially when aging systems, construction needs, or money get involved.They also get into the joys and failures of project management platforms, Project, Planner, Smartsheet, TeamDynamix, ServiceNow, and the eternal higher-ed struggle of trying to force real work, real communication, and real accountability into software that was clearly designed by people who have never been asked do any of that.In short: projects should start with clear scope, timelines, goals, funding, stakeholders, and process. In reality, they start with an email that says, “quick question,” and end with everyone arguing over whether it was ever a project in the first place.Alternate show titles:Is this directed to me?Wow, that’s big!I don’t touch ticketsWhat if I email you?Hey, we’re going to do this thingWe’ll have the meeting eventuallyFacilities doesn’t do powerRequires a state employee to inspect the electricianWe get requests every which way from SundayWe want to drive everybody to a ticketRapid fire from wherever-the-hell-it-came-fromThat means it’s approved and no one wants to do that sh*tI don’t do projects, I do stories and epicsWe 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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70: Why Are You Doing Speechlift from the Can?
May 100:38:24Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On TopicWhy are you doing speechlift from the can?Recorded April 17, 2026In this episode, the crew turns a simple question about classroom speakers into a full-blown AV theology fight. Should small classrooms use ceiling speakers, front-wall point-source speakers, voice lift, program audio, or whatever happens to be lying around in the warehouse? Naturally, the answer is “it depends,” followed immediately by 35 minutes of everyone insisting their version of “depends” is the only sane one. The discussion gets into the real-world mess of higher ed classroom audio: even coverage, voice lift thresholds, ceiling lay-in speakers versus cans, front-of-room program speakers, accessibility systems, bad acoustics, noisy HVAC, amplifier/speaker mismatches, and the eternal question of whether “good enough” is actually good enough. Along the way, the panel debates physics, budget, installer convenience, student experience, and how many speakers it takes before a room becomes less of a classroom and more of an ersatz municipal warning siren.In short: if you’ve ever looked at a classroom audio system and wondered, “Why did they do it that way?” then this episode provides several answers… all of them wrong, all of them defensible, and most of them louder than necessary.Alternate show titles:It’s diapers… it dependsDo we still do speech just from the cansSAR method: sounds about rightHow many rooms do you have like this?Could they add a column in the middle?They can hear all the accounting numbers, they just can’t see ‘emNot the EASE software, but ease of installI had to throw them awayWe 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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69: It's Functioning, But Not Fully Functional
Apr 100:42:27Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On TopicIt's functioning, but not fully functionalRecorded March 13, 2026This episode of On Topic tackles “Spring cleaning” by focusing less on tidy closets and more on the grime higher ed AV teams create for themselves. The panel trades stories about delayed refreshes, inherited programming messes, legacy systems that refuse to die, rushed project deadlines, and the temporary fixes that somehow become permanent. Before you get clean, revel in the filth…It’s a funny, brutally honest look at technical debt, bad design choices, and the institutional rot that keeps old problems hanging around far longer than they should. If your campus has mystery cables, aging systems, and one room everyone’s afraid to touch, this episode will feel painfully familiar. Let’s get filthy!Alternate show titles:Budgets are optionalThose are sticky weird situationsNormally I’m shady and grossI wasn’t a pro, so I used two plussesGood luck, I’m sorryMuseum of AV decisionsIt did what it didBe here when the tree falls on the houseI feel like the whole university is guilty of thisJust everybody calm down!It’s gonna be… not badIf y’all didn’t take an entire month off for Christmas… 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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68: The Ten Suggestions
Mar 100:36:23Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On Topic The Ten SuggestionsRecorded February 13, 2026It’s March (yes, March– deal with it), the AV SuperFriends gather to lay down the law… higher ed AV law, that is. This month’s On Topic tackles the Top Ten Commandments of AV: the rules you should follow, the ones you sometimes break, and the ones you pretend you’ve always believed in.From protecting audio at all costs and designing for serviceability, to avoiding 4K hype, over-automation, USB abuse, and unlabeled cables, the panel debates what actually matters when building and supporting campus systems. It’s a fast-moving mix of standards, safety factors, lifecycle thinking, and a healthy dose of “why are we still doing this?”Opinionated, practical, and just irreverent enough, consider this your stone tablet for smarter AV design… subject to revision next month, that is.Alternate show titles:Sometimes you find yourself walking around thinking a lotToday’s commandments are…Do you want to disservice half the room?How do you get away with that?Is that in your scope to check?The university as a whole…Yes, if you’re touching the wallWe 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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67: If It Happened Last Year, You Can Ignore It
Feb 100:37:29Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On Topic - If it happened last year, you can ignore itRecorded January 16, 2026In this episode of On Topic, the panel leans hard into the “Groundhog Day” reality of higher ed AV, where every semester feels like a rerun of the last one. From the same classrooms and support tickets to the same mysterious $7 HDMI cable failures, the panel reflects on why our work so often feels stuck on repeat, even as we insist “this time it’ll be different.”With their usual mix of sarcasm, experience, and self-awareness, they review the projects, services, and processes that keep coming back year after year… sometimes for good reasons, sometimes because no one ever really fixes the root problem. It’s a funny, honest look at institutional memory, consultant déjà vu, and the strange comfort of knowing that no matter what changes, some AV challenges are forever.Alternate show titles:What failed last time?I’m a shopping cartNot every year… every DAYI’m afraid to ask the questionRoom with too many TVsIn cloud or on prem againCloud-based whatchamadoolieI’ll track your lifeDoes everybody get access?Hybrid bastardized versionWhat does that mean for YOUR internet of things?In my secret cloudCheck in to get the servicesI’ll flag it, but I won’t unflag itWe 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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66: KFC Classroom
Jan 101:04:42Tap to summarizeRecorded December 12, 2025It’s the AV SuperFriends New Year’s special, which means one part retrospective, one part speculation, and several parts nonsense. The panel looks back at their predictions for 2025 to see who deserves credit, who gets partial credit, and who should maybe stop predicting things altogether. From conference room technology to AV-over-IP realities, the team grades themselves with the kind of honesty only friends (and live chat hecklers) can provide.Then, eyes turn cautiously toward 2026. Expect bold takes on where AV is actually headed, which “next big things” might finally show up, and which trends are still just vaporware. Dante AV, displays, digital twins, medium conference room solutions, and the ever-present gap between marketing promises and real-world deployments all get their moment under the microscope.As always, it’s opinionated, occasionally insightful, and completely Larry-free. If you like your year-end AV and IT technology analysis served with sarcasm, self-awareness, and honesty, this one’s for you.Alternate show titles:50 percent with an asteriskA-S-T-R-XHot Dog CrapI’ve got a few or a couple or some number herePoE ToiletWhich Kinda WorksThis might be a run-on sentenceWe’ve never been closerRoom ClassicKFC is world wideWe 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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65: I’m Not Doing This Under My Desk
Dec 100:41:17Tap to summarizeRecorded November 14, 2025: The AV SuperFriends kick off their first holiday special of the season with a spirited look at the gear, gadgets, and AV workflows that should make life easier, but only if you also bought the missing accessories, licenses, adapters, or seventeen extra widgets the manufacturer forgot to mention. In classic Christmas fashion, the crew shares their “Batteries Not Included” frustrations: software that secretly requires expensive hardware, switchers that almost solve every problem but miss the basics, power supplies that mysteriously vanish from product boxes, and cloud-connected ecosystems with more prerequisites than a graduate-level course.Along the way, the panel detours into holiday lights, dubious Best Buy happenings, the return of RDL-style power-supply roulette, and the annual reminder that USB extension is still cursed. They also preview an upcoming deep-dive on enterprise cloud AV, tease the December call-in show, and, of course, deliver an unhealthy dose of seasonal immaturity.If you’ve ever unboxed a “perfect” AV solution only to discover it needs three more boxes, a license key, an aggregator VM, and a Christmas miracle to function, this episode is for you.Alternate show titles:I want that in my stockingHoliday ModeThe setting on your doohickyDon’t put it in holiday modeWho dropped the dogs offAllen Head Doll HouseIt does everything you want but nothing you needLeast offensive to “you gotta be kidding me”You can’t get this to thatYou can buy HDBaseT out, you just can’t get it inSimilar to Larry, but differentYou always have to buy the power supplies separateThey mostly lastThat’s not the answer; stop it!Some adult supervision required
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64: I Bet They're Super Tech-Savvy
Nov 100:38:19Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On Topic"I Bet They're Super Tech-Savvy"Recorded October 24, 2025In this Thanksgiving special, the crew gathers at the bustling Circus Circus in Las Vegas (by way of theater of the mind). Chris, Jamie, Marc, Larry, Justin, and special guest Frank Alaimo, dive into the chaos of AV integration during the holiday season, while serving up piping hot takes and mashed-up opinions.As they navigate the complexities of holiday technology requests, the conversation hilariously veers into the world of DIY AV setups, unexpected tech purchases, and the challenges of integrating consumer-grade equipment into professional environments. From the infamous ‘hockey puck’ microphones to the wild world of Raspberry Pi lighting setups, nothing is off the table.So loosen your belts, grab a plate, and settle in for a feast of sound, humor, and a few too many turkey puns!Connect with Frank: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-alaimo-cts-i-01872466/AI-generated alternate show titles:Turkey Talk and Tech TroublesA Thanksgiving Roundtable of AV ShenanigansGravy and GadgetsA Thanksgiving AV ExtravaganzaA Turkey-Themed AV RoundtableFar superior human created alternate show titles:When you see people on stilts, you know it’s a fancy jointThis is actually fulfilling one of my life goalsMistakes were madeThe Whoa-Pro!It works right out of the boxA hockey puck USB micIt has little legs on it, maybe notThe turducken of meeting roomsThey start banging it out and you’re like “Oh!”What do you think is going on in this classroom, dude?This is news to me!An army of fruit rolling aroundWe 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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63: I Hope AQAV Isn’t Listening to This…
Oct 101:07:21Tap to summarizeAV SuperFriends: On Topic - I hope AQAV isn’t listening to this…Recorded September 19, 2025It’s October, and the AV SuperFriends are leaning into the spooky season with a conversation that’s equal parts eerie and insightful. They tackle some of the haunted house problems in higher ed AV: ghost signals that won’t quit, obsolete equipment that seems impossible to kill off, and the slow creep of outdated standards lurking in classrooms everywhere. Joining the discussion are special guests Gary Cummins Indiana University and Neal Feuerhelm from the University of Illinois, who weigh in on how their campuses are handling the monsters of modernization. From faculty demands for shiny new gear to the challenges of keeping hundreds of teaching spaces alive and stable, the group debates what’s worth upgrading, what’s better left buried, and how to keep technology aligned with real teaching and learning goals.And since it wouldn’t be fall without a little football, the episode features a spirited Weekly Rivalry matchup between Illinois and Indiana. Much like on the gridiron, each university makes its case for AV dominance, touting classroom innovations, campus traditions, and the resilience of their teams. The friendly trash talk goes into overtime with lightning-round questions and leaves listeners with one key takeaway: in higher ed AV, rivalries may be playful, but the commitment to delivering reliable, effective teaching technology is very real.Connect with our guests:Gary Cummins - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-cummins-5690026b/Neal Feuerhelm - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nfeuerhelm/AI-generated Alternate Episode Titles:Spooky Trends & a Big Ten ShowdownEther Killer and the Haunted ClassroomWhen Old Gear Refuses to DieSpooky Season, Creepy Standards, and a Big Ten ShowdownGhosts in the Machine: Higher Ed’s Halloween SpecialHaunted Touch Panels and Other AV NightmaresRivalries, Revenants, and Room SchedulersFar Superior Human-Generated Alternate Show Titles:You want all those ports back?They went from putting everything on there to nothingThere’s not enough of it to justify putting in a special thingAre you too busy to finish a thought?Your standards are at random heightsThe consumerification of all our AV productsThat meant it was dead, not asleepEither one, I don’t want to do anymore…Live grounding bus barI don’t know how many pools you have on campusWe got a name for thatIt involved a lot of lubeTurn it to 11You can’t really touch the HTMLIt’s the viewer’s problemWe stream live every Friday at about 300p Eastern/1200p 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/rssDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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62: Back-to-School Chatter
Sep 100:38:04Tap to summarizeAV Superfriends: On TopicEpisode 62Back-toSchool ChatterRecorded August 15, 2025In this episode, Chris, Jamie, Larry, and Justin revel in the chaos and excitement of back-to-school preparations and reminisce about their experiences from ten years ago while tackling the challenges of the new academic year.The discussion kicks off with a lighthearted look at the absurdities of the back-to-school rush, including the frantic requests from faculty and the inevitable tech hiccups. The team shares their thoughts on how far AV technology has come in the past decade and reflects on the lessons learned along the way. From the struggles of outdated systems to the thrill of new installations, they cover it all.As they navigate through their own back-to-school stories, the panelists reveal their personal strategies for managing the busy season and keeping their sanity intact.AI-generated alternate show titles:Back to School: AV EditionLessons Learned: A Decade of AVThe Back-to-School Survival GuideAV Flashbacks: 10 Years of ChaosTech Trials and TriumphsFrom Panic to PreparationAV SuperFriends: Back to School MadnessNavigating the New School YearFar superior human created alternate show titles:They hibernate and then re-hatchLooks like an owl winking at youEverybody loves whiteboardsThat whiteboard is structuralThese were working before they touched themYou know who didn’t say that?He… didn’t get firedIt’s my first day!I’ve been flat on purposeDumb questions like “Are you done yet?”We stream live every Friday at about 300p Eastern/1200p 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► Email: mailbag@avsuperfriends.com► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rssIndividual Twitter links:► Chris Dechter: @cdechter► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie► Marc Cholewczynski: @avdiplomat► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1► Justin Rexing: @justinrexingDonate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support
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