Radio

The JBL Installed Audio Roadshow + Barco Alliance Partner Demo is making a stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct. 27, bringing hands-on demos, live system design discussions and direct access to manufacturer experts. I spoke with Pat Booth, CTS, DSCE, and John Rossman, CTS, both BDM II Technical Specialists at Almo Pro AV, about what […]

I sat down with Simon Holley, vice president of sales for the Americas at Sennheiser, about the company’s extended TeamConnect Bar M rebate program — a limited-time offer that gives customers a $300 rebate when purchasing the TC Bar M through an authorized U.S. reseller. We discussed why Sennheiser chose to extend the program through […]

AI start-up NetSpeek is engineered to solve problems before you ever realize you have them. That’s what NetSpeek EVP and GTM, Sam Kennedy, told gary on his Rants and rAVe’s videocast today. The idea is to add NetSpeek to any and all systems so that you never have to worry if a ProAV system is […]

I caught up with Bob Bonniol, ACT Entertainment’s director of innovation and an Emmy Award-winning director, producer and designer. He walked me through ACT’s next chapter, which centers on the concept of “theater everywhere.” Watch this episode to get his vision for ACT before you hit the LDI show floor. 

I sat down with Louis Hoxter (director of technical operations, Almo Pro AV) to dig into LinkLab — Almo’s newly rebranded services arm — and why distribution alone isn’t enough anymore. We covered what LinkLab is, why distributors like Almo need a services arm in 2025, and how integrators can benefit when distribution moves beyond […]

I sat down with Michelle Montazeri, a board member of the Digital Signage Federation, to hear what DSF is focused on heading into 2025 and 2026. She also gave me the details on the October 13 Signage Social at Google in New York City and explained why now is the time to get involved with […]

I was joined by Travis Cawthorne, Kramer’s director of products and training, to talk about the new MTX3-88-PR-PRO — an 8×8 matrix capable of switching and processing HDBaseT and USB-C video, as well as Dante and AES67 audio, while outputting from dual amps. Watch the videocast and check it out here: https://www1.kramerav.com/product/mtx3-88-pr-pro 

If you haven’t checked out Insta360’s line of UCC cameras, now is the time. The company has launched the Insta360 Wave, an AI-powered speakerphone designed to work seamlessly with its own cameras. I was joined by Michael Shabun, Insta360’s vice president of marketing and business development, to debut the product on this latest episode of […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I chat with Greg O’Rourke from Almo Pro AV about the upcoming E4 Experience in Chicago on Oct. 7 at the Drury Lane Conference Center. We cover what’s in store for attendees — from CTS-certified training and new product demos to networking opportunities. Greg also shares details on […]

On this episode of Rants & rAVes, I’m joined by Laura Janssen, director of workforce development at NSCA. We talk about the upcoming XBO Experience (Oct. 28-29, 2025, in Austin, Texas) — what it is, who should attend and why it matters — along with the workforce challenges facing the AV industry today. Laura also […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I sat down with Beth Dudley, director of public sector sales for Almo Pro AV, and Vicky Sanville, director of corporate and public sector sales for LG. We talked about how Almo and LG are making it easier to sell AV into the government and public sector — […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, Steph Beckett sits down with Greg O’Rourke to preview the upcoming E4 Experience in Santa Clara on Sept. 10 — the first E4 to debut under the newly rebranded Almo Pro AV name. Greg shares what this change means for the company and for attendees, while also highlighting […]

I caught up with Jason McGraw, group vice president of CEDIA Expo and Commercial Integrator Expo, to preview this year’s shows in Denver, Sept. 4–6 (with education starting Sept. 3). Jason walked me through what attendees can expect — from the trends shaping both residential and commercial AV to education highlights and key show floor […]

I was joined by Craig Ishii, Logitech’s product marketing guru and a well-known voice in the collaboration space, for a real-time video tour of the all-new Rally Board 65 — a 65-inch collaboration board that’s ready to go with Microsoft Teams and Zoom right out of the box. This behind-the-scenes walkthrough covers the full solution […]

Sharp didn’t just show up to InfoComm 2025 — they brought a plan, and it paid off. Not only did Sharp win our Best Booth Award, but the company also rolled out an all-new dvLED lineup that turned heads. In this episode, Gary chats with Mark Miller, Sharp’s dvLED product manager, about the latest in […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I spoke with Dan Smith, EVP of Almo Pro AV, following the news that DCC Technology has sold several of its IT-focused businesses in Europe. Dan clears up what this means for the ProAV side of the business — including the fact that Almo Pro AV is not […]

On today’s Rants & rAVes episode, I was joined by XTEN-AV founders Vibhav Singh and Sahil Dhingra to demo the latest AI-powered update to the XTEN-AV platform. It’s called XAVIA (pronounced ZAH-vee-uh), and it integrates OpenAI to guide users through AV system design — making it so intuitive, even someone brand new to AV can […]

At InfoComm 2025, Panasonic introduced a brand-new initiative called MEVIX — short for Media, Entertainment & Visual Transformation. I sat down with Panasonic Projector & Display Americas CEO Taka Uchida to talk about what MEVIX really means. It’s a shift toward human-centric experiences, powered by software, services and strong tech partnerships. Panasonic also made headlines […]

On today’s episode, I sat down with BrightSign CEO Steve Durkee to talk about where digital signage is headed. At InfoComm 2025, BrightSign introduced its Series 6 lineup — HD6, XD6, and XS6 players — all with built-in NPUs for running AI at the edge. Bottom line: BrightSign sees edge-based AI as a core part […]

On my latest episode of Rants & rAVes, AVI-SPL CEO John Zettel joined to discuss the company’s acquisition by 26North, announced Wednesday. 26North isn’t your average investment firm — watch this videocast to understand the philosophy behind the purchase and what you can expect going forward from AVI-SPL! 

I caught up with Dean Heckler, founder of Heckler, to talk about the brand-new products making their worldwide debut at InfoComm 2025. We also dug into a bigger question: What can we do to bring energy and excitement back to the AV industry? Dean shared his thoughts on innovation, design and what’s next for the […]

I was joined by Sudeep Trivedi, Logitech’s head of video collaboration alliances and go-to-market, to talk all about the company’s plans for InfoComm 2025. Logitech will showcase its latest innovations — including the Rally Board, Logitech Spot, and new daisy-chaining capabilities for Logitech Sight cameras. But that’s just the start. The company is also emphasizing […]

ViewSonic Business Line Director Jeff Muto joined me on this episode to explain exactly why integrators need to stop by booth 3127 at InfoComm 2025. From a new 138-inch foldable all-in-one LED to updated LCDs, collaboration displays up to 98 inches, and software tools designed for seamless integration, ViewSonic is bringing something new to every […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I caught up with Karen Castaño (Director of Sales, National Business Team) and Gisela Ramirez (Director of Sales, LATAM) from Almo Pro AV ahead of InfoComm 2025. They’re not only unveiling fresh branding but also bringing a stacked booth experience to the show floor (Booth #1615), complete with […]

Most people know Daktronics for its dominance in sports venues — but the company is setting its sights on the ProAV channel, too. I sat down with Jim Vasgaard, Daktronics’ sales manager for AV partner development, to talk about how the company plans to engage integrators at InfoComm 2025. In booth 4233, Daktronics will showcase […]

If you’ve worked with USB extension in ProAV, you’ve probably heard of Icron, aka ADI Icron. I sat down with Thomas Schultz, senior business manager, to talk about the company’s direction — and its latest launches headed to InfoComm 2025. We covered a lot: the new Raven 3301-ECO (a third-generation USB 3.2 extender), a powerful […]

WyreStorm is going all-in on workplace AV at InfoComm 2025. I sat down with Zec Voislav, WyreStorm’s director of product development, to talk through the company’s latest lineup — including a brand-new USB bridge, an HDI bridge and a new series of 4K PTZ cameras. But these aren’t standalone products. WyreStorm has built out a […]

I sat down with Jennifer Cheh, vice president of marketing and product management at Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, to get a preview of what the company has planned for InfoComm 2025. We talked through the “New Is Now” theme — a continuation from ISE — and why it matters. Jennifer also shared […]

I sat down with Catherine Koutsaris, product marketing manager at Matrox Video, for a sneak peek at what the company is bringing to InfoComm 2025. The big story? Matrox is highlighting how its full portfolio — including ConvertIP, SVM, IP KVM and the updated Mura DVW video wall appliance — works together as a seamless, […]

I was joined on this pre-InfoComm-2025 episode by Robert Detwiler, senior director of product management and training at Planar, to talk about everything the company has planned for the show. Robert shared a sneak peek at some of the new products launching next month, including the DirectLight Slim Series and a standout addition to the […]

I caught up with Tylor Chen, director of channel sales at Yealink, to talk about what the company’s bringing to InfoComm 2025 — and it’s a lot more than just sleek hardware. From the debut of the MeetingBoard Pro to the U.S. launch of AVOne, Yealink is doubling down on AI-powered collaboration and secure Android-based […]

Gary and I sat down with Peter Herr from Shure to talk about the company’s big InfoComm 2025 reveal — the IntelliMix Foundation system. We asked him what it is, who it’s for and why it matters. With built-in Windows compute and a focus on streamlining system design without giving up flexibility, this new solution […]