AV SuperFriends

Recorded March 31, 2022 Chris and Marc were at NWMET 2022 in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in March and set up a table in the middle of the hallway to talk with as many people as possible about AV in higher education. In this episode, we're joined by Kramer's Kristen Garner to talk about building the relationship with higher education, updating firmware, and Kramer's recent purchase of UC Workspace. Kristen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisgarner/

Recorded March 31, 2022 Chris and Marc were at NWMET 2022 in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in March and set up a table in the middle of the hallway to talk with as many people as possible about AV in higher education. In this episode, we're joined by Robert Durbin from Crestron to talk high level concepts, Crestron's A+ program, the four flavors of DM, and using tin snips to modernize your DMPS products. Note: please don't modify your DMPS with tin snips. Robert's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-durbin-64b79852/

Recorded March 31, 2022 Chris and Marc were at NWMET 2022 in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in March and set up a table in the middle of the hallway to talk with as many people as possible about AV in higher education. In this episode, we grab Dave Stewart from Eastern Washington University (and Chris's former colleague!) and Kevin Gelman of Alfatron Electronics to talk about EWU's testing and implementation of advanced camera systems in their classrooms. Dave Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-stewart-558b7717/ Alfatron: https://www.alfatronelectronics.com

Recorded May 20, 2022 We start with a new story about Morehouse College wanting VR for everyone. It certainly seems more viable at smaller schools, but we're skeptical. Then, Chris wants help creating a truly useful sandbox space. Marc suggests lots of infrastructure, Justin recommends an area for bench testing and a nicer version for outside users, Larry talks about the concept of "a safe space to fail," and Jamie is building sandboxes all over campus on someone else's dime. Finally, Marc has a project at OSU involving VR and AR systems for agricultural programs and giving away devices to students. It sounds like a heckuva recruiting tool. News Stories discussed: https://edscoop.com/morehouse-college-vr-metaverse/ https://edscoop.com/ohio-state-ends-ipad-program/ https://dive4ag.oregonstate.edu/virtual-reality-field-experiences https://www.timelooper.com

Recorded May 6, 2022 Before the show even begins, Chris grabs the mic and expresses his frustrations with participants on video calls. It's 2022 and there's simply no excuse. Then, Larry poses an interesting question: If we all had the funding and time to update or replace almost every AV system on our campuses, how would we do it? Would we stay the course and get a few years ahead on refresh cycles? Would we dramatically shift directions, capabilities, and platforms? Or, would we panic and flounder while paralyzed with indecision? Finally, we respond to a listener question who wants to know how we onboard new equipment and track it through our various receiving, networking, integration, and support systems? While none of us have found one perfect software solution, there are some interesting options that don't involve a shared spreadsheet…

Recorded April 29, 2022 Hey, Rachel is back! Well, for the news segment, anyway. NAB was this past week and Rachel shares some insights into what trade shows might portend for the future. Then it's time to dive deep into the software we all use throughout all aspects of an AV project. Notes, task management, shared network folders, CAD, Sketchup, and everything in between. Also, if you're taking notes on your phone, yes, we all think you're texting. Stop it. Finally, we all have gear that just won't die and even after removing it from a system, we can't bear to part with it because we'll find a use for it somewhere, somehow. And in 2022, when DSPs are hard to come by, those old mixer amplifiers are looking pretty good… Article: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/04/28/nab-announces-attendance-of-52468-at-2022-show

Recorded March 31, 2022 Chris and Marc were at NWMET 2022 in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in March and set up a table in the middle of the hallway to talk with as many people as possible about AV in higher education. In this episode, we're joined by Marc Yakubisin from Diversified and talk through how integrators can be better partners with colleges and universities AND how those colleges and universities can be better partners with their integrators. Marc on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-yakubisin-836965a3/ Diversified: https://onediversified.com/ NWMET: https://www.nwmet.org

Recorded March 31, 2022 Chris and Marc were at NWMET 2022 in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in March and set up a table in the middle of the hallway to talk with as many people as possible about AV in higher education. In this episode, we're joined by new kid on the block, Joe Way from USC. We talk faculty feedback, incremental software upgrades to existing systems, faculty feedback, a deliberate design process, and faculty feedback. We also try to stump Joe by asking what he would do differently considering the past two years, but he's quite happy with his teaching and learning spaces. USC Learning Environments: https://itservices.usc.edu/spaces/ Joe Way: https://twitter.com/josiahway https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiahway NWMET: https://www.nwmet.org

Recorded April 8, 2022 Working with integrators and consultants is a necessary part of the job for any higher ed AV manager, and the AV SuperFriends have plenty of suggestions to make that process easier. Step 1, don't give away engineering and design. Step 2, don't give away consulting and end user interaction. Step 3, don't give away programming. Step 4, don't give away integration. In fact, just do it all in house. Marc has recommendations about working on capital projects, Larry is happy to work with outside experts on highly specialized projects, Chris wants integrator pricing estimates to be honest and not hide costs or overcharge, Justin has a well-established system at WKU of splitting projects into multiple phases so they can be budgeted and contracted separately, and Jamie wants to ensure that if an integrator is engaged, that he is in the loop as the liaison to ensure standards are being met and followed. We also discuss bringing new integrators onboard, building relationships, leveraging multiple suppliers for box sales, and when to expand those relationships with value-added services.

Recorded March 31, 2022 Chris and Marc were at NWMET 2022 in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in March and set up a table in the middle of the hallway to talk with as many people as possible about AV in higher education. In this episode, we're joined by Frank Alaimo and Andy Borts from UNLV to talk about their more measured approach to creating and supporting modern teaching and learning spaces. Frank shares his big, bold plan for the hardware and AV systems and Andy discusses his unique and highly successful model for faculty support using those systems. If you need guidance on how to implement campus-wide hybrid teaching and learning on your campus, this is the model to follow. UNLV RebelFlex: https://www.it.unlv.edu/classroom-technology/rebelflex NWMET: https://www.nwmet.org

Recorded April 22, 2022 After over a month away, we're back and have all sorts of things to talk about… but not on this episode. We start with more data from EDUCAUSE that suggests leadership should talk with their local IT staff who support the learning spaces on campus. It's a good article from a trusted source to forward on to your managers and directors. Then, what's all this event support we keep getting roped into? Can we build our learning spaces to support events or will users just want something else in addition? Marc wants to clearly define the support scope, Justin keeps running into his video production colleagues, Jamie is way ahead of the game with aux I/O in every classroom, and Chris would be happy if people would just stop putting gaff tape on his microphones. Finally, we all go over our clever little ways to avoid the dreaded capital asset tags. At least technology is getting cheaper… Article discussed: https://er.educause.edu/articles/2022/4/educause-quickpoll-results-learning-spaces-transformation

Recorded March 11, 2022 Jamie brings an article that describes two very different experiences with warranty and support… of socks. It's relevant in a weird way. And in a year when we're having to be extra flexible with our choices of equipment due to the supply chain madness, it does raise the question of just how much that manufacturer support weighs in our decisions of what to specify. Speaking of supply chain, let's talk supply chain! Marc can't plan for projects, Larry is wary of replacing anything until everything is here, Chris is using the summer for maintenance and staff training, Justin is tired of spending 50% of his time getting asked for schedule updates, and Jamie thinks 2022 might just be the year of deferred maintenance. We'll check back in 12… 16… 26 weeks… Article: https://www.residentialsystems.com/blogs/a-tale-of-two-warranties

Recorded March 18, 2022 We immediately derail the show with an in-depth discussion of blockchain and educational credentials. Larry and Marc have been looking into this and it seems to be the future of education… sort of. Then, we cover campus support structures. That is, how is your support team staffed? Is your install team your support team? Do you have your own support desk or do all the calls go to the university help desk— and can they actually help? Take notes! Finally, Chris wants to know what everyone thinks of auto-framing and auto-tracking cameras? Are they worth it over a regular PTZ camera or just another feature to be disabled? Article discussed: https://edscoop.com/territorium-credential-engine-learner-records/

Recorded March 4, 2022 Marc brings an article about the commoditization of IT skills as organizations mature. It spurs some good discussion for our next topic about hiring staff. So, is it better to hire an IT person who then learns AV or hire an AV person who then learns IT? Larry put a similar question out on Twitter related to hiring or growing programmers. Finally, Marc wants to know what out standard cabling infrastructure looks like. Are we following all the TIA standards and best practices or are we simply paying them lip service? Article discussed: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/reinvent-your-career-along-the-skills-pyramid/articleshow/39655798.cms (Alternate link) https://archive.ph/qOibz

Recorded February 18, 2022 If we're discussing emerging technologies in learning spaces, we're obviously going to talk about the metaverse… but not the one you're thinking of. Marc brings an article and associated study from Forbes and JP Morgan that reveals the plans that that the financial world has for the future. And no, it's not goggles. Larry also references an article from 2012 that raises many of the same issues. Links are all below. So, will the metaverse take over classrooms? Not in the Lawnmower Man way you're thinking, but definitely look for persistent, unique identifiers, NFTs, and blockchain technology to show up in your favorite content platforms, campus LMS, and productivity software. Once that groundwork is in place, look for similar integrations into your AV systems, too. Besides, the goggles do nothing. Story: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2022/02/16/jpmorgan-opens-a-bank-branch-in-the-metaverse-but-its-not-for-what-you-think-its-for/amp/ Report: https://www.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpm/treasury-services/documents/opportunities-in-the-metaverse.pdf Article: https://dmlhub.net/publications/connected-learning-agenda-for-research-and-design/index.html

Recorded February 11, 2022 QSC divides into two divisions, focusing on their pro audio products and burgeoning control and AV transport lines respectively. Is this a good move? Time will tell, but they certainly have the metrics to show what website visitors are looking for. Oddly enough, after this announcement, QSC held an event where they announced products in both lines. It was… weird. Then we dive into AV replacement cycles, refresh cycles, life expectancy— whatever you prefer to call it. Do we set arbitrary schedules of 5, 7, 10 years or tie AV refresh projects to capital projects and building renovations. Marc tries to forecast 20 years out, Jamie had a plan that all went out the window, Larry bases his plans on PC replacements, Justin doesn't have a budget, and Chris wants to upgrade everything when the first item dies. Finally, we celebrate the little widgets, tchotchkes, adapters, converters, and odds & ends that keep our AV systems running. These products are truly the glue that holds the industry together. Article: https://www.avnetwork.com/news/exclusive-interview-qsc-creates-two-independent-divisions

Recorded February 4, 2022 In the AV news, we review Kramer purchasing UC Workspace, best known for their Quicklaunch software. I find this intriguing because as PCs become the center of conferencing systems, Quicklaunch provides a customizable unifying interface regardless of platform. Then Chris demands the rest of the AV SuperFriends help him determine the "best" method for integrating multiple (that is, more than one) PTZ cameras into a classroom system. Should we transport baseband video and switch the cameras outboard of the presentation system? What about IP network video direct to the PC and switching the cameras in software? Or, do we use USB cameras via extenders and switch the cameras on in software? While we don't determine the ultimate solution, we do come up with a common solution that works today and provides for future capability. We are all aware of that "last inch" between the AV system and the PC and have high hopes it will get solved in the future. Finally, it's the first ever AVSF Hall of Shame/Fame awards. Our first winner is an easy one, except when Jamie tries to extend that honor to all the products in the same family and Marc starts swearing. Article discussed: https://www.yahoo.com/now/kramer-acquires-uc-workspace-strategic-170000933.html

Recorded January 14, 2022 This month's topic was supposed to be about the return of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) and the upcoming HETMA Spring conference, but in light of ISE cancelling their show (again!) and "rescheduling" to May, we figured it was time to satirize the constant cancelling and rescheduling of large tradeshows and conferences by writing them an obituary. So, in loving memory… and such. HOWEVER… online conferences are emerging everywhere and the AV SuperFriends will be presenting a session at the HETMA Spring conference this month, so go sign up and bring your best questions. The link is below. This leads to our larger discussion of what the future of events will look like. Will we still have massive national expositions with tens of thousands of people? (Yes) Will we have more and more smaller, more targeted regional tradeshows? (Yes) What about mixed mode events with conference sessions presented locally, remotely, hybrid and everything in between? (Yes, yes, and yes). Besides, if nothing else, Larry and Chris will be there. Sign up for the HETMA Spring 2022 Conference: https://www.hetma.org News: https://www.ravepubs.com/ise-2022-postponed/

Recorded January 21, 2022 It's a lecture capture spectacular! The AV SuperFriends are joined by two guests, Michael Quinones and Raul Burriel, and with our powers combined… we are still unable to identify the perfect lecture capture system. Heck, we can't even really define lecture capture. But that doesn't stop us from walking through the earliest days of ITV systems, camcorders, VHS & DVD recording, and even famously abandoned systems like iTunes University (remember that?). We also review hardware encoders, capture software, local recordings, cloud delivery, and LMS integration. And, at the end, we all just use Zoom because that's what instructors know. Finally, Jamie shares a clever method for bootstrapping light video production switchers into his classroom systems. Despite everyone else's reservations, it is something worth considering. News: https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/02/24/study-finds-use-of-video-boosts-learning.aspx OSU Streaming Blog: https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/streaming/

Recorded January 7, 2022 With enrollment decreasing, some schools are looking to specialized learning spaces to match their specialized academic programs. Is this a harbinger of university learning spaces to come in the future? (Yes) Then, we cover a topic that has been rattling around in all our heads in different ways: the gap between pedagogical development and physical operation of a hybrid learning spaces. Our schools put lots of effort into assisting faculty in developing their curriculum for teaching in hybrid spaces and as AV nerds, we work hard to make those hybrid spaces as capable as possible, but those two groups don't often come together. It's part of the qualitative conversation we've been having and one that is only evident after we've gotten past the "make everything hybrid" phase of the last two years. Finally, we review the results of our first Technology on Trial on Extended Reality. It leads to some spirited discussion and not even the AV SuperFriends can agree on this one. Article discussed: https://hechingerreport.org/facing-an-existential-crisis-some-colleges-do-something-rare-for-them-adapt/

Recorded December 10, 2021 It's a prediction show! Educause suggests 10 IT-related trends we should all be aware of and we decide they're not in order, so we're starting with number 6. As with anything from Educause, it's highly-researched and detailed, but often just a little too milquetoast for our tastes. Then the SuperFriends each has a prediction for 2022. Some of us are suggesting general technologies (blockchain, AVoIP), others are focused more on the adoption of various technologies, and Larry is concerned that after almost two years of working, teaching, and learning from home, that "good enough" will be seen as good enough and cause all sorts of integration and quality issues. Have we really lowered the bar that much? (Yes). Article: https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/research/top-10-it-issues-technologies-and-trends/2022

Recorded December 17, 2021 Have y'all heard of this Metaverse thingy? It's exactly like Second Life from 2003, but… uh… new? And people want to live in it for some reason? I don't get it. No one does, but we're all playing along. So, we have a news story about a recent poll that says people want to work in the Metaverse because it'll… uh… increase… productivity… somehow? Then we introduce a new segment we call Technology on Trial where we select a new or emerging technology that is getting a lot of coverage and present arguments for and against. It's like Law and Order, but the listeners are the jury. Look for an upcoming Twitter poll to determine the outcome! Finally, we look back on our predictions for our fall semesters. Were we right in our prognostications about instructors and students having trouble adapting to hybrid learning environments? Hint: No… and yes! Articles dicussed: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/collaboration/nearly-half-employees-want-workplace-metaverse-08-12-2021/ https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/12/educause-quickpoll-results-xr-technology

Recorded December 3, 2021 Are your AV devices secure? Probably not. Is your campus network secure? Fingers crossed! We start with some recent non-AV news about campus network security and ransomware that forced two entire community colleges to simply close temporarily. Then we discuss the current state of AV network security. How many devices do we all have out there on the network running firmware from years ago? Has that firmware been through a security audit recently? Or ever? Of course not! AV manufacturers have a bit of a cultural problem when it comes to security in that it often seems to be an afterthought-- even for native AVoIP devices or gear that requires a network connection to function. Finally, we commiserate about campus clients who want to second-guess project estimates. Over the last two years, everyone has gotten used to "good enough AV" experiences while teaching, learning, and working from home, but is that really good enough for a university learning space? Also, we just bought this TV at Best Buy. Can you just install that for us real quick? Article discussed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/11/30/butler-county-lewis-and-clark-community-colleges-hacked

Recorded November 17, 2021 It's the 2nd Annual AV SuperFriends Holiday Show! Yes, we're recording this in November, even before Thanksgiving, which just feels weird, but such are the necessities of podcast publishing schedules. In return, we've added some additional production to the show in the form of not-at-all annoying sound effects and background music! For our Holiday Show, we couldn't decide between a standard gift exchange and a White Elephant gift exchange, so we're doing both… virtually of course. We came up with rules: the gift must be AV-related, must exist in real life, but can cost any amount. It's a podcast, so play along, folks! This episode is really for us to have fun, but even so, there's some good-natured discussion of our various podcast-from-home arrangements, challenges with supply chains, and campus network improvements. So, a video wall for little Justin, a gold-plated microphone for little Rachel, a sound-proof booth for little Jamie, a set of packing crates for little Chris, network transceivers for little Marc, and new LED panels for little Larry. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Recorded November 19, 2021 Have you ever wondered why you work in AV? Well, here's the Top Ten reasons. It's a listicle and we love that. Oddly, it says you don't need an advanced degree but that AV is challenging. Weird. Then to the larger topic at hand: Metric AV. Wait, no. The metrics of AV. That is, how do we measure success? Jamie kidnaps people. Larry spies on them from the bushes outside. Marc puts together focus groups. Justin tells them only what they can't do. And Chris designs everything by powers of ten. But seriously, there are many quantitative ways to measure a functioning AV system, but what about the qualitative? Listen on! Finally, Chris went digging under his couch cushions and found $100,000 and wants help spending it. Despite Marc's best efforts, we're going to focus on the stuff! But for good reasons. How would you spend an extra $100,000? Article discussed: https://www.ravepubs.com/top-10-reasons-to-work-in-av/

Recorded November 12, 2021 Two of the AV SuperFriends have been to two large trade shows and conferences and lived to tell the tale. Larry and Chris were both at InfoComm in Orlando and EDspaces in Pittsburgh and, while both shows were smaller than in previous years, there were still large crowds, lots of people to talk to, and plenty of AV and learning spaces discussions. It was also a bit weird to see people from the neck down and not wedged into a box on Zoom. But that does raise the question: will manufacturers continue to make major announcements at large trade shows, or will they host their own events? Then, we return to the conversation about how to identify our departments on campus. We first discussed this in June and since then some of us have taken new positions and others have found themselves embroiled in a division-wide reorganization. How should we position our departments to campus? Are we too focused on the equipment in our classroom spaces and not enough on the larger learning experiences that take place outside those spaces? Or are we too centered on the academic aspect of our roles and not enough on the general construction-related tasks and responsibilities that many of us have? It's a pickle! Finally, we review some new trends in learning spaces—that is, trends of the physical environments. We're all seeing more learning taking place outside the four walls of a traditional classroom space, so how are we addressing the mixed hybrid online environments, informal spaces, classrooms without student seating, student seating outside of classrooms, and computer labs without computers. If nothing else, it's clear that everyone loves coffee. Furniture mentioned during the show: https://www.nookpod.com

This month we dive deep into the world of AVoIP. It's a thing. The cost-delta is over point-to-point transmission almost nil, the technologies and products are maturing, and it opens an entire new world of finger pointing and shirking responsibility! We first discussed AVoIP last October on Off the Rails Episode 4, so please give that a listen for more on how we're leveraging it at our institutions. Justin is still living in the wild, wild west of networking, Jamie is firing NDI down dark fiber, Marc is transporting all his production cameras over the campus LAN, Larry is building an AVoIP eSports arena, and Chris is swapping HDBaseT for IP in new general classroom designs because why not? While we all have different approaches, one item we all agree on is to work closely with your networking team. Some of us got lucky and just happened to be part of the Network/Telecom/Infrastructure teams and others had to go make friends to ensure their VLANs and ports were configured correctly. If you're not a first-name basis with your networking colleagues, you will be soon, so be proactive and get to know them before you start firing traffic across the network. We also do a quick Lightning Round about our preferred managed network switches and we're again all over the map. Cisco, Extreme, Luxul, Netgear, there's room for everyone! And even after all that, there's more to come, so stay tuned for the inevitable AVoIP part 3!

Recorded October 21, 2021 If you're reading this, the AV SuperFriends have been to InfoComm 2021 and lived to tell the tale. Well, at least two of us have (Chris and Larry). Everyone else skipped it and have been removed from the will. Speaking of InfoComm, we start with a listicle from rAVe Pubs about five trends to watch for at InfoComm 2021. Were these accurate predictions? As someone who attended, the answer is… sorta? And no, I did not look at IP-based KVMs. Then we all share unusual support tickets that we didn't see coming. There were a lot of predictions about how this first semester back would go, and as we're all past the half-way point, we can say that tickets have decided turned from quantitative to qualitative. That is, lots of request for improving the hybrid teaching experience, and less about "it's all broke." So, that's good. Finally, we introduce a new segment that we're calling "Dinosaurs of AV." We even have theme music. These are items that really shouldn't be part of a general classroom or teaching space and are due for retirement by asteroid. We'll periodically return to this list as it will only grow over time. Article: https://www.ravepubs.com/5-things-to-know-about-signal-routing-switching-before-infocomm-2021/

Recorded October 1, 2021 Hey, Classroom: Turn on projector. Turn ON projector. Hey, Classroom: Turn projector ON. Darn this voice control! On this episode, the AV SuperFriends share their current frustrations with supply chain issues causing delays in projects. We also share some solid suggestions on how to mitigate those challenges. Justin is Frankensteining systems out of whatever he has on hand, whereas Larry is ordering equipment for summer 2022 already. Next, who wants to talk about org charts? Trick question-- we all do! Marc is currently experiencing adventures in IT reorganization and it has raised the question of where AV belongs in the larger IT structure. Or does it? Regardless of whether your AV team is part of IT Support, IT Networking, or IT Academic Technology, we all agree that it's different everywhere. Finally, we're going touchless. That is, we promise to stop touching... things. Larry doesn't want people yelling into the void to operate classroom systems, Chris wants to schedule every space in order to automate as much as possible, Jamie still wants to use more arcade buttons, and Marc suggests even if we don't like the concept of touch-free UI, it's coming soon, one way or another.

Recorded September 17, 2021 Fire up your RGB LEDs, put on your headset, and get caffeinated! For this month's episode of On Topic, the AV SuperFriends are joined by Josh Kell, CEO of Horizon AVL System Integration, to talk about eSports. Josh has been working with Larry on a new eSports arena at UNCG and he provides a fascinating look at developing an eSports program holistically and not just piling a bunch of computers into a room and calling it good. Despite this being an AV-focused show, the technology itself isn't the most important aspect of eSports and we talk about laying the groundwork for a successful, long-term, and competitive eSports program, tying into existing academic programs on your campus, dogged persistence to get buy-in from university leadership, and ensuring everyone understands that eSports is not just video games. We also give a preview of the two workshops the AV SuperFriends are leading at InfoComm 2021. Join us on Tuesday, October 26 for the Higher Ed AV Project Life Cycle Crash Course, and the Higher Ed AV Design Challenge: Developing Flexible Institutional AV Standards. Links for Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-kell-50a24735/ Tweeters: https://twitter.com/AVLKell Company: https://horizonavl.com

Recorded September 10, 2021 It's the season finale of Off the Rails! We did it— an entire year of shows… and no on air fights. A lot of swearing by text (Chris), complaining about things (Chris), and getting frustrated at people not reading emails (Chris). Wait a minute… For Season 2, starting in a few weeks, or whenever we get around to it (Chris says "the first week of October"), we'll have more topics to discuss, more news, and more technology! And we might even get around to new commercials (which are already written but have been sitting since December). The AV news article discussed on this episode comes from the world of K-12 (because Chris didn't read the headline closely enough) but is quite relevant to colleges and universities in that it's about talking with users to determine needs and tasks long before selecting technologies. I think we all recognized it as best practice and wish it happened more often. Then, we again break format and stay on a single topic for the entire show— this time on the challenges, processes, and frustrations with hiring AV staff at our institutions. Jamie is in the middle of it right now and he shares some of the issues he's run into, especially with candidates who don't read job requirements and standardized interview questions. Is it best to hire someone with a solid technical background, or focus on the person and train them up to the position? All this and more! Article discussed: https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2021/09/how-choose-k-12-educational-technology-intentionally

This month's topic is "Time for Change," which we interpreted as "how do we think of classroom AV systems in 2021 as opposed to the same systems in 2019?" The technology hasn't really changed, but the tasks in those classrooms most certainly have changed, which means we now select the technology differently. But before we get into all that, we cover some recent news from QSC—or at least leaked from QSC via Rave—about how they're responding to on-going supply chain shortages. Rather than continuously delay orders, QSC is apparently telling their industry partners (but not necessarily their end-user customers) that some product lines simply will not be available for the foreseeable future. It's an interesting tact to be sure, and Jamie and Rachel are especially appreciative of it. Rachel also highly recommends an article by a colleague on communicating with customers during a crisis (linked below). Then we discuss what a classroom system should look like in 2021 or 2022. Sure, the general technologies are the same as we've been recommending for years, but now what was once considered an optional add-on is a critical component that is absolutely required for day-to-day teaching and learning. Additionally, "classrooms" clearly extend beyond the four walls of the physical room, so other technology items that were previously considered to be core components can be removed as they no longer easily tie into the new model of mixed hybrid and hyflex learning. Articles discussed: https://www.ravepubs.com/qsc-stop-fulfilling-orders/ https://castercomm.com/2021/08/27/three-pillars-that-should-define-your-crisis-comms/

Recorded August 20, 2021 One of the things we all love about our jobs at colleges and universities is working with students. They're a fantastic resource, eager to help, keen to help, and willing to hop on a bike and race across campus at a moment's notice. On this unusual episode of Off the Rails, we stay on topic and focus entirely on our interactions with student staff in our departments. We're joined by Don De Mello and Lawrence Eng of Oregon State University to talk about their top tier program for recruiting, hiring, mentoring, training, and preparing students for professional positions after they graduate. We talk about everything from writing the position descriptions for students, treating them like professional staff, integrating them into the working environment, and growing them as professionals and even programmers. Also, Justin and Don talk about the excellent scholarship and internship opportunities afforded by the AVIXA Foundation. Apply now! Don De Mello: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-demello-7b352117/ Lawrence Eng: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-eng-763b188/ AVIXA Scholarships: https://www.avixa.org/about-avixa/who-we-are/avixa-foundation/scholarships AVIXA Internship program: https://www.avixa.org/about-avixa/who-we-are/avixa-foundation/internships/av-interns

Recorded August 13, 2021 We're back! It's been a weird couple of weeks with some of the AV SuperFriends moving across town, some moving across the country, and others staying right where they are. Summer is full of vacations and travel… and so many AV installation projects! And what better way to close out summer than with a discussion of digital signage on our campuses? We first try to define digital signage in a very general sense and then describe some of the issues we've had deploying, supporting, and maintaining it at our institutions. Jamie describes how to blind your students and faculty, Rachel suggests we use the devices that students carry with them, and Chris shares how to booby trap digital signage content players so they don't sit on a logo for 8 months. We then talk about how we might use digital signage players and displays for academic purposes and vice versa. After all, we've got a bunch of displays around— we might as well turn them into informal huddle spaces or support the teaching in the space. Also, we discuss some AV news about something that should have happened a year ago— Zoom support on Smart TV streaming boxes. Well, at least on one box from Amazon. Where are the home telepresence devices? News story: https://www.techhive.com/article/3627488/amazons-second-gen-fire-tv-cube-now-lets-you-make-zoom-calls.html

Recorded July 7, 2021 It's Back to School season, so get some new shoes, a nice shirt for the first day, a new Trapper Keeper and pencil bag, and let's all take an awkward picture by the front door on the way out to catch the school bus. And, we have some survey results to discuss— and we love our surveys! — from Classroom Technology on the ways Online Learning (whatever that means) is changing post-pandemic. The students are driving change, so it'll be interesting to return to this topic after a year and see how we did. Next up, Marc knows what our top Help Desk ticket issues will be this fall and lets us all in on the secret. Are you prepared? It really focuses on the dichotomy of experience between teaching and learning at home and from a classroom. And it will inform AV design for years to come. Also, get rid of your codecs in classrooms. Finally, do you have rooms you haven't been in for over a year? Well, chase those spiders away, those rooms need to be 100% for the start of Fall classes! Jamie walks us through how UMKC does their room checks and the advantages of allocating resources to support that model. Article discussed during the show: https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/06/22/how-the-pandemic-changed-higher-eds-priorities-for-online-learning.aspx

Recorded July 9, 2021 In AV news, Sharp/NEC announces a new display with support for an insertable module (SDM, the replacement for OPS) that has NDI and Dante onboard. While that sounds as exciting as burnt toast, it could be a harbinger of things to come— displays (and general AV devices) with support for multiple AVoIP transport protocols on a single NIC. It's clearly the way of the future, so let's hope we see more of this in the coming months. Speaking of harbingers, we then review some disruptive technologies that are available today and changing how we think about designing classroom AV systems. Some of these technologies are so disruptive, we're including them in our newest classroom standards… if that makes sense. We also return to the idea of a PC as the center of the AV system, instead of the monstrous $5,000 all-in-one switcher. Finally, students are keeping us on our toes as we have to adapt to their learning styles and comfort with multiple, simultaneous content streams— official and unofficial— during classes. Should we really let the whims of 19 year old students determine the future of learning spaces and AV design? Like, for sure, boomer.

Recorded July 2, 2021 Biamp buys Neets and presumably looks to get into the larger ecosystem of AV control. And that raises some interesting questions about control systems. Aside from the big two, Crestron and Extron (AMX no longer counts), we're seeing a ever-increasing number of smaller companies introducing solid control options, often at a significant savings. We've tried a few from Atlona, QSC, and others and they show real promise. Also, what's the deal with these ePTZ cameras? Are they worth it? Spoiler: for the most part, yes. Articles and links from the show: https://neets.io https://www.biamp.com/company/press-releases/press-release-detail/biamp-acquires-neets-a-s https://www.avinteractive.com/news/business/biamp-broadens-control-range-neets-acquisition-22-06-2021/ https://www.ravepubs.com/biamp-control-system-manufacturer/

Recorded June 11, 2021 It's summer! Spend the next three hours as the AV SuperFriends review all their summer projects, one by one. No, that's boring and tedious. We're all doing the same thing you're doing at your school. Instead, let's talk supply chain. We're joined by Clay Stahlka, Senior PreSales Engineer at Starin to talk about the current situation regarding the AV and electronics supply chain. Clay shares his insider perspective and gives some great tips on planning projects early in order to get your gear on time. Marc also shares an article about holograms (which don't really exist). They're the future! No, no they're not, but not because we don't all want a Star Trek Holodeck— Rachel reminds us that there's simply no content for holograms (which still don't exist). Connect with Clay Stahlka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clay-stahlka-cts-d-06205941/ Articles from the episode: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-companies-want-to-make-holograms-part-of-routine-office-life-11623232800 https://blog.google/technology/research/project-starline/

Recorded June 18, 2021 Trade shows are back and that means lists upon lists of trade show awards! We look at a list from ISE by Commercial Integrator and CE Pro and note some awards that make sense and some that seem suspicious. Also, Jamie really doesn't like "listicles" like this. Then, let's talk AV department branding and identity? What is our current AV department called? Are those names out of date or still accurate? What should we be called in 2021? In a super non-scientific study, Chris gathered 25-30 names from universities around the country (but he didn't note which name came from which school) and we're pretty sure some version of your department name is in there somewhere. Hopefully this spurs some similar discussions at your school. Finally, what actually happens when someone presses the "Power Off" button on your touch panels or button panels? Are we really powering off equipment or just telling the users that so everything is ready immediately for the next user? What about remote power control? Are you using that and if not, why are you doing it wrong? PoE is great until it isn't. And Justin reveals that all the instructors at WKU are required to strap two yard sticks together and flip the rocker switches on the back of ceiling-mounted projectors at the end of every class. Top New Technology Awards article: https://www.commercialintegrator.com/product_news/2021-top-new-technology-awards-winners/ Department Names: Academic Technology and Media Services Audiovisual Educational Technology and Media Services Audio Visual & Systems Technology AV & Event Services AV Operations AV Services / Audiovisual Services AV Solutions Audio/Video Services and Engineering Classroom Support Services Classroom Technology and Media Classroom Technology Services Classroom Technology Support Classrooms, Digital Media and Events Collaboration and Classroom Technologies Desktop and Classroom Technology Instructional AV Instructional Technology Interactive Video Services Learning and Technology Spaces Learning Environments Learning Experience & Technology Learning Spaces Media Services / Media Services Technology Media Productions and Audio Visual Services Multimedia Classrooms Office of Classroom Management Teaching and Learning Technologies Technology Management Services Technology Support Services Video Communication Services

Recorded June 4, 2021 It's June so hopefully you have your summer orders submitted because it's too late now! We start with a quick look at AVIXA's recent survey on commercial AV salaries, certifications, and job satisfaction and how those might be reflected in Higher Ed. We then review a report from Commercial Integrator about the future of distance learning written by non-educators, though one of them does mention pedagogy. Speaking of which, Larry suggested we share our current AV industry pet peeves and there is no shortage of things that are bothering us, be they from manufacturers, integrators, vendors, or even other universities. In the interest of time, some of us didn't get to all of our list, so there's plenty more where that came from. It was quite cathartic, actually. Finally, while it may be well known to some, we didn't realize that Zoom is providing full commercial AV designs for everything from conference rooms to classrooms to telepresence suites. The designs are quite comprehensive, but use multiple manufactures where they're not always necessary (in our opinion). If nothing else, the Zoom designs are a good place to start. Links from the episode: https://go.avixa.org/webmail/888683/42579103/2e447cf9a9d892949d1ab60e0c1cab8e36844b94be6a7d8e8412cc0915030fb8 https://www.commercialintegrator.com/download/a-look-at-distance-learning-in-2021-and-beyond/ https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/sections/360009297492-Professional-Services-ProAV-Designs

Recorded May 14, 2021 The AV SuperFriends welcome Mandy Beckner, President and Chief Operating Officer at THE rAVe Agency to the show and peer into our Magic 8 Ball to determine what tradeshows, conferences, and events are going to look like in the future. The 8 Ball says "Reply hazy, try again," which isn't terribly helpful. Some events are already returning with various approaches to COVID-19 safety while others are seemingly going to wait out 2021 and hope for better luck in 2022. Regardless of the status of your favorite conference or tradeshow, online events— or some variation thereof— seem to be here to stay. In a world where information is king, how do you sell the shared conference experience over the actual information? Are manufacturers, sponsors, presenters, and attendees alike willing to admit that it's not just about the information, but the larger experience? News stories discussed: ISE throws in the towel in Amsterdam and Munich What Is the Future of the Edtech Conference?

Recorded May 21, 2021 Let's start with some AV industry news about two integrators merging. Wait, why are we covering this? Ah, because Marc sees this as a coordinated move into the education vertical. After all, schools have money (CARES or otherwise), a need to spend it, and generally their staff are easy to push around. Next up, it's summer project show & tell! We each talk about a project that we're looking forward to— Marc is building an aquarium, Chris is describes the Phil Collins Sussudio Stustudio, Larry is focusing on eSprouts (or perhaps eSports), Justin is cranking out Zoom Rooms, and Jamie is laying the groundwork for zero latency direct fiber connections between campuses. Rachel then surprises us all with an under-the-radar project about standardized 3D content formats that is likely years away, but sure sounds cool. Finally, we dive deep into difficulties finding AV integrators with availability for our projects in recent months. Most of us prefer to do everything in house, but as COVID upgrades in 2020 took the place of a regular replacement cycle, we're effectively a year behind, so our university AV staff are booked for 2021 and there's still more to do. On the other hand, a lot of schools don't do their own installs and never have, so they are reliant upon AV integrators. But what happens when those integrators aren't available because they're all busy with other commercial projects— especially the myriad of "return to the office" upgrades? AV News articles: https://www.avnetwork.com/news/trox-and-tierney-merge https://www.commercialintegrator.com/business_resources/sales_marketing/trox-acquires-tierney-to-expand-education-client-base-across-north-america/ https://www.trox.com/20210426-trox-and-tierney-unite

Recorded May 14, 2021 We start with our take on an article from Inside Higher Ed, which says "Students Want Online Learning Options Post-Pandemic." In related news, water is wet and my son wants only hot dogs for dinner. Next, we take a deep dive into the world of training, professional development, and industry certifications. Most of us have a collection of letters we can attach to our signatures when the moment calls for it, so we wanted to talk about which ones we consider truly valuable and which certifications we look for when reviewing job applications. Finally, it's a lightning round of unique control options we have implemented. That is, something beyond a standard touch panel, button panel, or keypad. Jamie games us all on a creative solution. Article discussed: Students Want Online Learning Options Post-Pandemic

Is AV part of IT? It's a topic that keeps coming up in the larger higher ed AV circle and it's the focus of our discussion this month. Did you know there are still schools out there who don't consider their AV department to be under the auspices of IT? Some are located in the library, some are under the Provost, some are under facilities, some are part of the TV/video production team, and some are part of events. And, in our collective not-so-humble opinion, those schools need a new org chart. After all, AV and IT use many of the same technologies, the same standards, and certainly the same infrastructure, so why shouldn't we all be one big happy family? We also play a game of "You might not be using AVOIP if…"

Recorded April 23, 2021 What does the phrase "distance education" mean at our institutions? Is it the same as "online education" or are those distinct models? And are we going to change those definitions post-COVID? We discuss a few recent news stories that higher education is considering looking into possibly doing some sort of distance education model… whatever that might mean. We also beat up each other over our past terrible, terrible choices in flexible AV furniture and moveable lecterns. We've all done it and it never works as well (or as often) as we'd like and costs way, way too much. Don't do it! Finally, we're joined by Aaron Peterson, an engineer from an AV integration firm, who wrote in with comments about our previous discussion on "Is Higher Ed AV part of Pro AV?" and was brave enough to come on the show and talk with us. Thanks, Aaron! Articles referenced during the show: https://www.commercialintegrator.com/markets/education/distance-learning-education-nsca-almo/ https://www.commercialintegrator.com/av/rosemont-college-hybrid-learning/ https://educationdata.org/online-education-statistics

Recorded April 9, 2021 Is Higher Ed AV a type of Professional AV? There certainly are enough universities acting as in-house integrators, but we know it isn't always that cut and dry. The fact that a university paid for a boundary mic on a pole tells us there is still work to be done. Seriously, a boundary mic on a camera extension pole, and people are proud enough to make press releases about it. What are some indicators you look for when you are talking to other universities to determine that they have their ducks in a row? Internal programming staff? What about industry certifications and an emphasis on training? What's important and what's just noise. And how does the rest of Pro AV see Higher Ed AV? (Here's a hint: letting someone charge you to put boundary mics on poles stuck to the ceiling doesn't help our image) How have we had to prove ourselves to architects, consultants, manufactures, and integrators to ensure they're listening to us? Install Fail: https://www.ravepubs.com/videosonic-chooses-mxl-ac-404-mics-for-zoom-room-application/

On a recent episode, we peered 20 years into the future to imagine what universities and learning spaces might look like. The most fun aspect of that discussion was trying to the envision technologies that would be in use at the time. It was a balance between outlandish and very real technology of 2021, even if it currently exists only as a tech demo. On this episode, the AV SuperFriends are all on the same page about what the next groundbreaking AV technology might be— and it's not exciting to the end-users, but it is to the nerds in all of us. Hint: we're looking for the "Dante of video."

Recorded March 26, 2021 We start by discussing our love/hate relationships with a specific large interactive monitor. We still aren't sure if we like it or not, but it seems to be the best tool for the job. That might be damning with faint praise, but when it does everything you want but nothing you need, I'm not sure you will get a better endorsement. Chris walks us through AV history as he describes the path that brought us to the one true aspect ratio we should be using. Oh, there are others, but should you really be using them? Finally, Larry explains his concept of hybrid learning vs hyflex learning, using delicious, nutritious, scrumptious hot dogs. It's actually quite clever, and it allows Justin to make a lot of wiener jokes.

Recorded March 19, 2021 This entire episode is about 4K resolution and all the benefits and issues that come along with it. And by 4K, we mean UHD or 3840 x 2160. Larry asks, if you were planning a new classroom building, would you design entirely to make the most use of 4k resolution in standard classrooms? Does that mean every room with 20-foot ceilings for properly-sized displays? If so, those rooms might not sound great, but they'd sure look fabulous! With a screen that large there isn't a bad seat in the room! In fact, with a screen that wide there aren't many seats in the room, but hey, that helps with social distancing and maximum occupancy. What about 4K and hybrid learning? Would you add 4K cameras for all your Zoom and Teams needs? Wait, what's this 360p number in the corner… Stick around after the show for an outtake where Justin doesn't get the very common AV "what's your New Year's Resolution" joke.

This is a recording the AV SuperFriends did with Erik Ofgang of Tech & Learning about podcasting in education and podcasting for educators. We cover everything from what types of microphones are best, to how many co-hosts you should have (hint: less than five), to how often you should publish, to developing your story before going shopping. Thanks to Erik for putting up with us! Erik's article is available here: https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/podcasting-for-educators