Recorded 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:

• Holiday Mode

• The setting on your doohicky

• Don't put it in holiday mode

• Who dropped the dogs off

• Allen Head Doll House

• It does everything you want but nothing you need

• Least offensive to "you gotta be kidding me"

• You can't get this to that

• You can buy HDBaseT out, you just can't get it in

• Similar to Larry, but different

• You always have to buy the power supplies separate

• They mostly last

• That's not the answer; stop it!

• Some adult supervision required

• I want that in my stocking

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 November 21, 2025

In this jam-packed episode, the AV SuperFriends welcome two guests from sunny Southern California, Raj Singh from USC and Joe Way from UCLA, to tackle one of the most challenging topics in higher-ed technology today: cloud-connected AV. The panel reviews what it truly means to run a "connected campus," exploring the benefits, hurdles, required workflows, stakeholder alignment, and how automation and virtualization are reshaping classroom support.

But it's not all cloud talk! USC and UCLA are days away from their big Crosstown Cup rivalry game, making this the biggest weekly rivalry segment of the season. Expect good-natured trash talk, playful jabs, and a surprisingly collaborative discussion between two AV teams who are supposed to be mortal enemies.

Along the way, the panel veers off the rails into corporate jargon, classroom design myths, camera panic ticket escalations, and the ever-expanding universe of AV podcasts and tools. As always, there's plenty of humor, plenty of trash talk, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Whether you care about AV architecture, cross-campus ecosystems, sports rivalries, or just want to hear two LA schools grin through their competitive tension, this episode has something for you.

Download AV Buddy:

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/av-buddy/id476993821

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ionpixel.avbuddynew

Connect with our guests:

Joe Way: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiahway/

Raj Singh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r5ingh/

Alternate show titles:

• AV in a Box

• Craft Brewing Cloud

• So when AWS goes down…

• We're sky-connected

• Simple scales and complex fails

• You all spent a crapton of money

• Adopting standards that are already pre-existing

• Tickets are the results of problems

• They don't know how to speak "us"

• They're saying crap I've never heard in my life

• No one cares about the network

• We want the AI applications to be on the ground

• I have a number and it is 10

• People view your strategy through their strategy

• Do NOT let me do installation

• I was high on something

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 October 16, 2025

In this special Perspectives episode, Justin and Chris recorded live from ETC 2025 in Raleigh, NC, setting up in the middle of the action to capture conversations with Frank Alaimo from UNLV and Jim Spencer from Legrand.

The panel digs into the real-world challenges facing campus AV teams today: modernizing aging classrooms, navigating procurement hurdles, managing user expectations, staffing shortages, and the never-ending push toward standardization and scalability. Expect candid stories, practical insights, a few jokes about geography and campus politics, and a grounded look at what's actually happening on campuses heading into 2025.

Whether you missed ETC this year or just want the hallway-track vibe, this Perspectives episode brings the conference floor straight to your headphones.

Connect with our guests: Jim Spencer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jspence4/ Frank Alaimo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-alaimo-cts-i-01872466/

Join us at ETC 2026: https://www.etcollaborative.org/

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 November 7, 2025

In this episode, Chris, Jamie, Marc, Larry, Justin, and special guest Craig Park tackle the complexities of large capital projects, the importance of early engagement with AV consultants, and the often murky waters of project communication.

The conversation takes a humorous turn as they explore the trials and tribulations of navigating institutional silos, the challenges of meeting evolving educational needs, and the inevitable "telephone game" that occurs in project management. With insights on everything from classroom design to the philosophical implications of technology placement, this episode is packed with practical advice and entertaining anecdotes because in the world of AV, nothing is ever straightforward!

Connect with Craig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigpark/

Listen to EdUp Smart Space: https://www.edupexperience.com/p/edupsmartspace/

Clark & Enersen: https://www.clarkenersen.com/

News article:

https://www.pages.biamp.com/index.php/email/emailWebview?email=OTI0LUpDWi03OTIAAAGd-OtXNgg1KlLd-RKlOt4vzDs3GRaZJ9NDForsuZXNtxtjAou5AngX71XLAYLZJ-EcPMbTf_pggjwyNPVJzRoBGWtpV3KKo2pwjw

AVoIP article:

https://www.avnation.tv/2025/10/06/av-over-ip-in-higher-education-from-hype-to-higher-purpose/

Alternate show titles:

• It's not about the person on the far end; I don't care about that

• The data says we need to care about our analog space

• We have a voice lift building over here

• We can almost leave the acoustician out of the room

• Oral clarity and visual acuity

• Top of mind or full of stomach

• How do we raise the bar instead of lower the bar?

• Something is better than nothing

• That's like my happy place

• Why didn't you tell me I was being stupid?

• You didn't tell us loud enough…

• If a decision is being made that goes against the laws of physics…

• I didn't have gray hair before that meeting

• Oh, man, I've been loud

• I got a couple questions about Punch Out

• Design Bid Build Litigate

• We're doing all the easy stuff

• We're designing 50 year buildings with 8 year technology

• I don't have a solution for that

• It's never me; I don't own sh*t

• Checkbook of novelty checks

• We'll all end up on an island

• I haven't seen anything innovative in two and a half years

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 October 24, 2025

In 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 Troubles

• A Thanksgiving Roundtable of AV Shenanigans

• Gravy and Gadgets

• A Thanksgiving AV Extravaganza

• A Turkey-Themed AV Roundtable

Far superior human created alternate show titles:

• When you see people on stilts, you know it's a fancy joint

• This is actually fulfilling one of my life goals

• Mistakes were made

• The Whoa-Pro!

• It works right out of the box

• A hockey puck USB mic

• It has little legs on it, maybe not

• The turducken of meeting rooms

• They 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 around

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 throughout October 2025

The AV SuperFriends return for their annual Halloween adventure, and this year, the hauntings have gone stadium-wide. When the university football field is plagued by flickering lights, phantom crowd noise, and a scoreboard frozen at 13 seconds left, the team uncovers a century-old mystery: a championship game from 1925 that was never finished.

Armed with motion-capture suits, AR projection mapping, and one wildly unstable multicast tunnel, Marc, Larry, Jamie, Chris, and Justin must help the ghosts complete their final drive and face down legendary Coach Mortimer "Iron Whistle" Grange, who still believes the game isn't over until he blows the whistle.

🎃 Friday Night Frights, an AV SuperFriends Halloween Special.

Special thanks to Richard Mitchell and Michael Hooper.

All blame goes to Chris and Marc for this nonsense. ▀▄▀▄▀ 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 October 17, 2025

In our first ever live in-person episode of the Weekly Rivalry, the spotlight shines on Waco, Texas, as the Central Florida Knights take on the Baylor Bears in a thrilling showdown that transcends football. Justin and Chris with special guests Mike Ferry from UCF and Connor Krey from Baylor as they explore the intricate interplay between AV and IT teams that keep everything running smoothly.

As the two institutions gear up for a homecoming game, the conversation touches on everything from in-house integration, to the quirks of managing classroom technology, to playful debates over the best AV practices, surprising classroom transformations, and the realities of team collaboration. Plus, don't miss the rapid-fire questions in the fourth quarter, where quick thinking and AV knowledge can make all the difference.

As the game unfolds, the stakes rise, and the camaraderie shines through, proving that in the world of higher education AV, it's not just about the game. It's about the dedication to creating exceptional learning environments.

Connect with our guests:

Mike Ferry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ferry-52333137/

Connor Krey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-krey-b864235/

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

► 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 Oct 8, 2025

In this episode, the crew tackles the realities of higher ed AV projects that just don't go according to plan.

When timelines slip, budgets tighten, or rooms are handed over mid-flight, how do campus tech teams adapt and deliver before classes start? Chris, Marc, Larry, Jamie, Justin, and special guest Chris Gaut exchange tales about project rescues, impossible deadlines, and those "we don't need you… until we do" moments, whether it's taking over a half-finished install, fixing someone else's mistakes, or deciding when to step in (and when to let it burn).

Later, the discussion turns to mixed-use spaces and the eternal debate over surround sound in classrooms and auditoriums: what customers say they want versus what they really need.

In the news, Zoom wants to be your video content management platform, taking on Kaltura, Yuja, Panopto, etc. Good.

News: https://www.zoom.com/en/products/video-management/

Connect with our guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-gaut-430607174/

AI-generated alternate show titles:

• We Didn't Start the Fire (But Facilities Did)

• Let It Burn: A Project Management Love Story

• Scope, Schedule, and Smoke Damage

• The Great Handoff Heist

• Pumpkin Spice and Panic Season

• Who Signed Off on This?

• Surround Sound in the Storage Closet

• AV Triage: Do No Harm, Fix Everything

• Hot Mics and Hotter Deadlines

• Off the Rails: Now with 30% More Fire

Far superior human created alternate show titles:

• Am I paying for this bill?

• It might not be a… synchronous course

• It's not that I'm not positive on AI…

• Buy low, sell high

• You have steak in the game

• Two people in one rack

• I want some pain to be felt

• Owner Found Equipment

• If you've got a PM who's going through a bumpy divorce

• This is oddly specific

• We're outside their sphere of control

• Justin and his crazy ass hairbrained AV shit

• There's no submittals for lighting control…

• Malicious compliance

• This is my cousin Shmustin

• I'm picturing Justin in tear-away cargo pants

• We call that surrounded by sound

• That's why you do mono everywhere

• They both like high quality projection

• I'm not doing it, that's stupid

• Choose your own adventure

• No, because I lied to them

• Mano-a-mono

• Math that out

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

► 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 October 3, 2025

In this episode, the crew gears up for the 2025 ETC Conference in Raleigh, NC, swapping predictions, travel plans, and a few questionable presentation ideas. Brandon Pope from NC State and Tim Cichos from Notre Dame join to preview what attendees can expect from the conference, from the carefully planned venues and community spirit to the sessions that promise to mix genuine insight with the usual mischief.

The news segment debates goggles, infinite desktops, and TikTok eyewear that no one asked for. The panel also unpacks how AV and IT teams evolve from specialized support units to campus-wide partners. The Weekly Rivalry returns with campus tech bragging rights on the line with football-style scorekeeping applied to AV, IT, and higher ed technology showdowns.

News story: https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-halts-vision-pro-overhaul-focus-ai-glasses-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-10-01/

Connect with our guests:

• Tim Cichos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tcichos/

• Brandon Pope: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-pope-nc-edtech-profile/

ETC Conference: https://www.etcollaborative.org/2025-annual-conference

AI-Generated Alternate Titles:

• Pumpkin Spice and Patch Cables

• The ETC Pre-Game Show

• Stuff, Things, and Infinite Desktops

• TikTok Goggles for Higher Ed

• Flooding the Zone with AV Wisdom

• The Carolinas Conference Countdown

• Mannequins, MacBooks, and Mayhem

• Raleigh Rally: The AV SuperFriends Hit the Road

• Goggles, Gremlins, and Great Expectations

• Prepping for ETC Like It's Finals Week

Far superior human-generated alternate titles:

• Infinite Desktop

• Your desktop is in my airspace

• Will it increase their band-width?

• I think what Chris said is the important part

• Little did you know, I'm the CFO

• The rest of us are pretty much useless

• Is this about BBQ again?

• Sneakernet Days

• I'm going to see all this BS about AI

• I didn't on purpose go there

• That's what the snap monkeys are for!

• From central to not-central to central again

• Spend Money!

• Frugalivity

• Just don't put sound in your rooms

• They were keeping puddles in there

• Brian's Brains

• I've lost every time since

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

► 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 September 19, 2025

It'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 Showdown

• Ether Killer and the Haunted Classroom

• When Old Gear Refuses to Die

• Spooky Season, Creepy Standards, and a Big Ten Showdown

• Ghosts in the Machine: Higher Ed's Halloween Special

• Haunted Touch Panels and Other AV Nightmares

• Rivalries, Revenants, and Room Schedulers

Far Superior Human-Generated Alternate Show Titles:

• You want all those ports back?

• They went from putting everything on there to nothing

• There's not enough of it to justify putting in a special thing

• Are you too busy to finish a thought?

• Your standards are at random heights

• The consumerification of all our AV products

• That meant it was dead, not asleep

• Either one, I don't want to do anymore…

• Live grounding bus bar

• I don't know how many pools you have on campus

• We got a name for that

• It involved a lot of lube

• Turn it to 11

• You can't really touch the HTML

• It's the viewer's problem

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

► 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