On the recent Webinar Wednesday, Chuck Espinoza emphasized one of the most overlooked yet critical components in AV over IP systems: cabling. Drawing from years of service experience at Aurora Multimedia, Chuck explained that nearly 75–80% of service issues ultimately trace back to cabling—not the hardware or software, but what he calls “meatware”: the human element.

Whether it’s poorly terminated Ethernet, HDMI cables bent at harsh angles, or fiber links improperly installed, cabling mistakes wreak havoc on network reliability. Chuck shared his three rules—hardware, software, and meatware—stressing that while hardware and software issues account for only a small portion of problems, user error and mishandling dominate the landscape.

He drove the point home with real-world examples, including a VPX device damaged by an upside-down HDMI jammed repeatedly into a port. For fiber, he warned that cheap cables or bad termination can cause spanning tree protocol failures, destabilizing an otherwise solid network.

The takeaway? Always certify your cables, use proper tools, and test from the physical layer up. It’s not glamorous, but it’s mission-critical.