AV SuperFriends

Recorded March 13, 2026 This 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 optional Those are sticky weird situations Normally I'm shady and gross I wasn't a pro, so I used two plusses Good luck, I'm sorry Museum of AV decisions It did what it did Be here when the tree falls on the house I feel like the whole university is guilty of this Just everybody calm down! It's gonna be… not bad If 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: [email protected] ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

Recorded March 20, 2026 In this episode, the panel tackles one of the most overdue conversations in higher ed: AV network security. The regular panel is joined by the founding members of AV Trust, Doug Schaefer, Colin Birney, and Frank Padikkala. The news segment focuses on cybersecurity education pipelines, exploring how earlier hands-on exposure and employer partnerships could help build a more prepared workforce for technical fields. The main segment discusses the newly launched AV Trust initiative and the broader challenge of securing AV systems that increasingly live on shared enterprise networks. The conversation covers everything from outdated firmware practices, rebadged hardware, and weak manufacturer documentation, to IoT risk, cloud-connected devices, and the need for AV professionals to better understand the language of IT and cybersecurity. Rather than treating security as a niche or optional concern, the panel argues that AV must mature into a more transparent, standards-driven, and collaborative part of the larger technology ecosystem. By the end, the episode lands on a clear takeaway: AV is no longer separate from the network, and security can no longer be someone else's problem. With AV Trust aiming to bridge gaps through education, standards work, and community participation, this episode is a candid, funny, and timely look at where the industry needs to go next. News article: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2026-03-18-what-happens-when-employers-co-design-the-cybersecurity-classroom Connect with our guests: Colin Birney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-birney/ Doug Schaefer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-schaefer/ Frank Padikkala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankpadikkala/ AV Trust: https://www.avtrust.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/av-trust Educause HECVAT: https://www.educause.edu/higher-education-community-vendor-assessment-toolkit ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC): https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CC Alternate show titles: You know what pays really well? Ransomware! Ain't no mountain high enough You can't stop me, but I'd love for you to participate A security-first mindset Security updates are tied to feature updates What's a risk profile? I have no idea what it does I'm clueless as far as security is concerned Security by obscurity The most miserable, hateful devices you can put on your network We do this really well with everyone other than IT Manufacturer X Model Y We have no idea what's on your switch The AV industry is way out over our skis I'm going to say something controversial A marketing company that will mail you a box I can probably tell if it's alive No amount of remote monitoring tells me that It can get to something, but it's not my network Security doesn't have to be a taboo topic that we all avoid 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: [email protected] ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

Recorded March 6, 2026 In this episode of Off the Rails, the panel opens with a conversation about AV Trust and what it means for cybersecurity, standards, and the growing expectation that AV systems have to be treated like serious networked technology, not mysterious boxes that somehow get a pass. Join us on March 20 when we'll have the whole team from AV Trust on the show to talk network security. From there, the crew turns to a much deeper discussion on design drawings and schematics. Where different designers start, how they think through a system, what belongs on a drawing, and how documentation shifts from rough concept to something another person can actually build, wire, label, and support. The back half turns into a familiar higher ed therapy session about the campus departments that try to "help" by buying their own gear, setting things up themselves, and only calling AV once the whole thing has gone sideways. So you get cybersecurity, design philosophy, workflow nerdery, and just enough support-tragedy storytelling to make the whole thing feel painfully relatable in the best AVSF way. News story: https://www.commercialintegrator.com/news/av-trust-cybersecurity-commercial-av-industry/146270 Connect with AV Trust: https://avtrust.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/av-trust/ Alternate show titles: This is a big deal Come on, do better! Almost as the mediator I told y'all Sports Bar Classroom I fill in the guts I kinda understand how this goes together It's just a lot of one-offs You must have gobs of network ports in your classrooms Eh, I have what I need… Most of my drawing drawings are in AutoCAD No, I just hate people screwing sh*t up I want one channel of mono There are times where that is the answer Welcome to my entire campus They're only calling because they want to be able to continue to call Your Layer 1 is solid as sh*t 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: [email protected] ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

Recorded February 20, 2026 The panel this week is full of guest voices. The news segment examines AI-driven collaboration tools, particularly automatic recordings and transcripts, and the governance risks they introduce. The focus isn't hype, but ownership, confidentiality, consent, and what happens when institutional policy lags behind platform features. Then the panel explores storytelling as a leadership skill. The discussion centers on intentional framing, timing, and how AV professionals can better communicate impact to stakeholders beyond technical specifications. The final segment discusses furniture development for learning environments. The conversation highlights how intentional furniture design influences pedagogy, flexibility, and long-term scalability, balancing showcase spaces with sustainable campus standards. News article: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2026/02/11/unc-admin-can-now-officially-secretly-record Connect with Eric Gleske: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-j-gleske/ Connect with Chris Kolavo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskolavo-cci/ Connect with Atkins Fleming: ** LINK REMOVED ** Computer Comforts: https://computercomforts.com/products/av-hub/ Alternate show titles: Be on your best behavior The invasion of privacy because of technology The potential to be virtual I'm a story teller We've had a fascinating journey Your COVID was longer than mine… That's great, Dr. Scientist! 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: [email protected] ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

Recorded February 13, 2026 It'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 lot Today'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 wall 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: [email protected] ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

Recorded February 6, 2026 ISE season is in full swing, and while much of the AV world is busy chasing booth demos and press releases from Europe, the AV SuperFriends are back doing what they do best: cutting through the hype. In this episode, the panel digs into the latest ISE announcements and trends, separating what's genuinely useful for higher ed from what looks great under trade-show lighting but falls apart in real classrooms. A major thread of the conversation focuses on rethinking camera deployments in teaching and meeting spaces. The crew challenges the default "one camera at the front of the room" mentality, unpacking how faculty behavior, room geometry, and instructional goals should drive camera placement, not product marketing. From multi-camera approaches to integrated camera bars and tracking features, the discussion centers on what actually improves teaching and learning versus what just checks a feature box. Naturally, the conversation eventually drifts into resolution arms races, with healthy skepticism about 8K's relevance and outright disbelief at the industry's eagerness to jump to 16K. News articles discussed: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/audio/biamp-workplace-update-heads-raft-of-company-innovations-04-02-2026/ https://ravepubs.com/sennheiser-launches-new-devicehub/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/lg-joins-the-rest-of-the-world-accepts-that-people-dont-want-8k-tvs/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josh-orenstein_8k-tv-is-officially-dying-and-the-production-activity-7424132250562392064-UOaD Alternate show titles: One step at a time, Marc This pane of glass is a pain in my ass Shoebox worth of sh*t I want to be all inclusive Listen, pal… You know what, maybe he's right? With as much proliferication… I haven't quite got to the "I'm yelling at you" part When it exposes itself… Four cameras! I heard that's supposed to save lives I heard that's the bees knees Oh, joy! I don't think physics works 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: [email protected] ► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support