AV SuperFriends: On Topic

AV SuperFriends: On Topic
Episode 50: Dollars and Sense

Recorded August 16, 2024

(Yes, I let AI write all this stuff - cjd)

Chris Dechter kicks off another Friday afternoon podcast adventure with the AV SuperFriends. Despite a larger panel and some absences, the team dives into the ever-thrilling topic of budgeting in higher education AV systems.Joined by a diverse panel including Marc Cholewczynski, Larry Darling, Justin Rexing, Lyle Waldron, and Donnie Merritt, the discussion revolves around the challenges and strategies of managing AV budgets across various institutions. From differing approaches to budgeting, to the impact of COVID-19 on funding, and the importance of standardization, the team explores how to stretch every dollar while maintaining functionality.They also touch on the importance of being at the table with university executives, understanding the real needs of teaching spaces, and the potential for rethinking AV standards in a post-COVID world.Whether you're dealing with a shoestring budget or trying to make the most of one-time funds, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for anyone involved in higher ed AV management.

Alternate show titles (from AI):

• The Budgeting Adventure
• Stretching Every Dollar
• AV Budget Woes
• Standards Are Not Brands
• The Art of Budgeting

Article discussed:
https://www.avnation.tv/2024/07/29/the-higher-ed-technology-storm-brewing/

Connect with our guests:
Don Merritt - Director, Instructional Resources at the University of Central Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmerrittphd/

Lisle Waldron - Manager, Multimedia and Audio-Visual Services at The University of Trinidad and Tobago
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lislew/

Real alternate show titles:

• I’m part of Florida now
• Magical Money from Heaven
• A Wish on a Monkey’s Paw
• Faculty don’t care what they’re touching
• I’m Justin on an Island
• The Good News is I have No Money

We stream live on the first and third Friday every month 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: [email protected]
► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss 

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewczynski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing
► Lyle Waldron: @lylewaldron
► Donnie Merritt: @donniemerritt

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

AVSuperFriends
On Topic Episode 49: Unique Boutique

Recorded (and streamed live) on July 26, 2024

No topic provided again this month, so we decided to look at the numbers for display technologies.  Where does it make sense to consider LCDs vs. projectors vs. LEDs?  Chris even built a spreadsheet of rough numbers because he’s a nerd that way.  Are LEDs becoming cheap enough to replace projectors?  Is anyone building LCD videowalls these days?  What are you installing on your campus?

Spreadsheet link: https://tinyurl.com/dkxv92t4

Alternate show titles:
I should have three or four and looking at more
Put the money on the wall

We stream live on the first and third Friday every month 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: [email protected]
► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewczynski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

AV SuperFriends: On Topic
Episode 48
Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice

Recorded June 26, 2024

No topic was provided this month, so instead we’re going to make this our summer Fourth of July special.   So, get out your flags, wake up the kids for the renewal of their annual loyalty oath, fire up the grills, smoker, or barbecue, light off the sparklers and firecrackers, and let’s celebrate America by blowing up a small part of it.  

We’ve each collected our favorite AV products, solutions, services, or approaches that we’d like to blow up.  Larry doesn’t like formal instructor stations in conference rooms, Marc hates giant card frames, Chris despises giant amplifiers powering only a few loudspeakers, Justin is not a fan of professional PTZ cameras with only USB output, and Jamie detests displays with onboard operating systems.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

We stream live on the first and third Friday every month 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
► Email: [email protected]
► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewycynzski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

AV Superfriends: On Topic
Episode 47: Just Don’t Do Zero Trust

Recorded (and streamed live) on May 17, 2024

This month’s topic is “InfoComm” so we saw that as an opportunity to discuss what trends we’re seeing, what we’re looking forward to and what types of products we’re looking for at the show.  We also teased some of the recordings and events we’ll be attending at InfoComm so follow us on the Tweeters and LinkedIn to find us on the show floor and get some special AVSF swag!

Alternate show titles:

• Networked… Stuff
• Zoom-enabled projector
• Smart-ish microphone
• The secret sauce is the software
• No-Jamboard
• Is it Azure ready?
• Oh, my gawd, no. Larry, that’s wrong.

We stream live on the first and third Friday every month 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
► Email: [email protected]
► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewycynzski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

AV Superfriends: On Topic
Episode 46: A Lazy Mistake

Recorded April 16, 2024

This month’s topic is “Commencement” and we don’t want to talk about that.  So, instead, we’re going to talk about working with students, graduating students to the next level of their academic and professional careers, and converting student workers into full time employees.  

We stream our recording sessions for On Topic live on or about 3pm Eastern / 12pm Pacific on the third Friday of each month.  Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn to join our next show.

▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀
► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends
► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends
► Email: [email protected]
► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewycynzski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

Recorded March 15, 2024

It’s time to get out the mops and brooms, clear out those storage closets, gather up all your old Class A amplifiers, analog cameras, and CRT monitors and throw them in the nearest waterway.  If anyone asks, you have a permit and you’re just returning those parts to nature.  Besides, it’s all biodegradable if you wait long enough… 

Marc is getting rid of wires, Larry is removing tiny displays from big rooms, Jamie is throwing away older monitors with weird resolutions, Chris is deleting transport controls, and Justin hates all the remotes with the buttons cut off.   
Let’s get cleaning! 

We stream our recording sessions for On Topic live on or about 3pm Eastern / 12pm Pacific on the third Friday of each month.  Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn to join our next show. 

▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀►
Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com►
Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends►
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends►
Email: [email protected]►
RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewycynzski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

On Topic Episode 44: The plan was flawless

Recorded (and streamed live) on February 16, 2016

This month’s topic is “rethinking spaces” so we decided to discuss projects that we’ve completed recently that we wish we’d approached differently. Marc hates microphones, Chris hates complexity, Justin hates how the AV services are marketed on campus, Jamie hates treating rooms as clones of one another, and Larry hates blanket approaches (and single monitors on lecterns).

We stream live on the 3rd Friday every month and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com

Alternate show titles:

• Ninja stars
• If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it at all
• Demanding higher quality
• That’s not what I mean by kit
• We’ve stopped giving everybody everything
• They didn’t need that thing to begin with

Donate to AVSF: https://www.avsuperfriends.com/support

AV Superfriends: On Topic
Episode 43: BYOD is an AV Rodent

Recorded January 19, 2024

Our topic for February is “things just won’t go away” or “things that keep coming back year after year” like Groundhog Day. We’ve each selected items that we all hope might see their shadow and disappear for a while. BYOD, VR, terrible marketing, wireless sharing, and more. We’re also testing some format changes to On Topic to keep the show shorter and LIVE on various platforms, so look for those unannounced live streams on the socials.

Alternate titles:
I was thinking about this hard
I still can’t stop
Bad marketing
This is why people strap goggles to their head to visit the zoo
It kinda fluctuates in and out
This is why people think holograms exist
Bring Your Own Goggles

▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀
► Website: https://www.avsuperfriends.com
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/avsuperfriends
► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avsuperfriends
► Email: [email protected]
► RSS: https://avsuperfriends.libsyn.com/rss

Individual Twitter links:
► Chris Dechter: @cdechter
► Jamie Rinehart: @avsfjamie
► Marc Cholewycynzski: @avdiplomat
► Rachel Bradshaw: @tempurity
► Larry Darling: @lsdarling1
► Justin Rexing: @justinrexing

On Topic Episode 42: People will start laughing at us
Recorded December 20, 2023

(Part 2 of 2)

It’s our third annual prediction show! And I predict we’ll do it again next year.

We first review our predictions from last year to see just how well we did. Some of us were dead on, others were hit & miss, and yet others seem to be deliberately vague just to claim accuracy regardless of outcome.

Then, we each prognosticate on what to expect in 2024. Much of it seems to be around AI and Teams. Sorry.

This discussion lasted almost an hour, so we split it into two episodes.


Alternate show titles:

• Don’t touch my pixels
• Don’t go anywhere near that V
• I’ve been exposed to more VR
• They’re strapping it to every product
• Show us on the doll
• Blown all over your campus
• Justin Time
• All unicorns and rainbows
• We gotta keep up with our sh*t

On Topic Episode 41: All of this is just BS
Recorded December 20, 2023

(Part 1 of 2)

It’s our third annual prediction show! And I predict we’ll do it again next year.

We first review our predictions from last year to see just how well we did. Some of us were dead on, others were hit & miss, and yet others seem to be deliberately vague just to claim accuracy regardless of outcome.

Then, we each prognosticate on what to expect in 2024. Much of it seems to be around AI and Teams. Sorry.

This discussion lasted almost an hour, so we split it into two episodes.

Alternate show titles:

• Don’t touch my pixels
• Don’t go anywhere near that V
• I’ve been exposed to more VR
• They’re strapping it to every product
• Show us on the doll
• Blown all over your campus
• Justin Time
• All unicorns and rainbows
• We gotta keep up with our sh*t