The AV SuperFriends are joined by Josh Kell, CEO of Horizon AVL System Integration, to talk eSports who has been working with Larry on an eSports arena at UNCG.

We talk about laying the groundwork for a successful, long-term, and competitive eSports program, getting 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.

It’s the season finale of Off the Rails!

The AV news is from the world of K-12 (because Chris didn’t read the headline), but is relevant to Higher Ed in that it’s about talking with users to determine needs and tasks long before selecting technologies.

We break format and stay on a single topic on the challenges with hiring AV staff. Jamie shares some of the issues he’s run into, especially with candidates who don’t read job requirements and standardized interview questions.

What defines classroom AV systems in 2021? Technology hasn’t really changed, but the tasks in those classrooms most certainly has changed which means we now select the technology differently. What was once considered an optional add-on is now a critical component and other items that were previously considered to be core components can be removed.

We also cover some recent news from QSC about on-going supply chain shortages. Rather than continuously delay orders, QSC is apparently telling industry 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.

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. Also, Justin and Don talk about the excellent scholarship and internship opportunities afforded by the AVIXA Foundation. Apply now!

Home telepresence devices are starting to appear that leverage your TV and comfy sofa for teaching and learning from home. Why did this take so long?

We share issues we’ve had with digital signage. We suggest blinding your students and faculty, using the devices that students carry with them, and booby trapping content players so they doesn’t sit on a logo for 8 months.

Also, what about using digital signage for academic purposes?

It’s Back to School season and have some survey results to discuss from Classroom Technology on the ways Online Learning is changing post-pandemic.

Next up, Marc knows what our top Help Desk ticket issues will be this fall and lets us all in on the secret and focuses on the dichotomy of experience between teaching and learning at home and from a classroom.

Finally, Jamie walks us through how UMKC does their room checks and the advantages of allocating resources to support that model.

Sharp/NEC announces a display with support for an insertable module with NDI and Dante and it could be a harbinger of things to come. Let’s hope we see more of this in the coming months.

We then review some disruptive technologies that are changing how we think about classroom AV systems. We also return to the idea of a PC as the center of the AV system.

Finally, should we really let the whims of 19 year old students determine the future of learning spaces? Like, for sure, boomer.

Biamp buys Neets, Control Systems from someone other than Crestron and Extron, and ePTZ cameras.

The AV SuperFriends talk sketchy articles pumping investment opportunities in products that don’t really exist and don’t do what you think they do. “Holograms” are not the next big thing.

Clay Stahlka from Starin shares an insider perspective in what’s going on with the commercial AV and electronics supply chain and has some suggestions on how to avoid getting stuck waiting for your gear to ship (hint: plan really, really early). Also, prices are going up because they can!

Trade shows are back! Which means lots of “awards” articles! We review one from ISE with some odd choices. Then, what is your AV department named? Is that name still valid in 2021 and if not, what should your AV department be named? Finally, what really happens when you press the “Power Off” button? LEED Green initiatives and remote power controllers and PoE shenanigans!