Ask the Programmer

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss why it is essential to have a fully functioning program that runs an AV system and just as critical to have well-written code that can be easily modified and updated. A special thank you to viewer/ listener feedback from @bryankaioshin regarding a suggestion for covering suggestions for getting into programming. Please tune into our previous episodes 187 and...

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss the importance of maintaining, managing, and updating campus and enterprise standards. A special thank you to viewer/ listener feedback from @jamesbond-lb7se regarding a suggestion for covering Programming Best Practices. We look forward to covering this in more depth in a future episode. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future ep...

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss tips for programmers on managing their time and being disciplined about working efficiently. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on X/Twitter or Bluesky and be sure to include #AskThe...

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss certifications for programmers and the actual value they provide, considering the criteria of unfiltered knowledge, time investment, career advancement, and practical use. We previously discussed programming certifications and credentials for programmers in episode 23. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask...

James King and Steve Greenblatt revisit one of the most popular episode topics on the Ask The Programmer podcast: The Future of AV Programming. The discussion includes how the vision for AV programming has changed, how the visibility for forecasting more than 1-2 years into the future has become very difficult, and what tools programmers should look to leverage if they are not doing so already. To...

James King and Steve Greenblatt celebrate another holiday season on Ask The Programmer and discuss the role that a programmer's technical knowledge plays in selecting, setting up, and troubleshooting technology gifts as automated decorations. What is your favorite technology gift for a programmer? To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Program...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Marc LaVecchia, Owner of BMA Software Solutions, to continue the conversation about modules, drivers, and plugin and the critical importance of manufacturer support for AV programmers. Marc LaVecchia previously appeared on Ask The Programmer Episodes 132 and 133. Marc LaVecchia can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-lavecchia-3a9815/...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Marc LaVecchia, Owner of BMA Software Solutions, to discuss his article in Commercial Integrator entitled Modules, Plugins, and Drivers: The Case for Supporting Them https://bit.ly/41nWRAz where he makes a case to manufacturers about the critical nature of supporting AV programmers by providing proven and tested API integrations. Marc LaVecchia previous...

ames King and Steve Greenblatt discuss how to budget for AV programming, including defining a practical scope, understanding how to estimate costs, and educating on how to effectively approach the programming of AV systems. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to...

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss how to find a job and advance your career as a programmer in the AV industry. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on X/Twitter as well as Bluesky and be sure to include #AskTheProgram...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome guest Britt Yenser, AV Manager at Northampton Community College, to discuss her questions about programming as she progresses on her journey of learning and mastering AV programming, including: - Are you choosing hardware, or does someone else select the hardware you program in your systems? - I struggle with the visual feedback and don’t know why. What can...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome guest Britt Yenser, AV Manager at Northampton Community College, to discuss her AV journey and her quest for learning and growing as an AV programmer. We discuss what goes into successful programming and what qualities and skills contribute to an effective programmer. Britt Yenser can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt-yenser/) or X/Tw...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back George Chacko and Rich Miller from Pace University and Next LVL Learning to share the details of the upcoming AV Talent Summit on November 20 and 21, 2024. The two-day event will encompass a student day discussing AV careers, experiences, and opportunities and a professional day with networking and learning opportunities. George Chacko and Rich Miller p...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back George Chacko and Rich Miller from Pace University to share the details of their recently founded non-profit, Next Level Learning Inc., which aims to get young people excited about the experiences and opportunities in the AV industry starting as early as K-12. George Chacko and Rich Miller previously appeared on Ask The Programmer episodes 128, 129, 143...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Total Tech Summit panelists: Brittany DiCesare, Director of Sales and Operations Control Concepts; Alex Fortin, President NDS Integration; Jarrod Hillman, President Hillman Audio Video; and Shawn Hansson, CEO and Founder Logic Integration, to discuss the importance of being a business-minded organization in the AV industry, the value of contributing to...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Total Tech Summit panelists: Brittany DiCesare, Director of Sales and Operations Control Concepts; Alex Fortin, President NDS Integration; Jarrod Hillman, President Hillman Audio Video; and Shawn Hansson, CEO and Founder Logic Integration, to discuss business frameworks and why they are valuable for all members of any organization. Brittany DiCesare can be f...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security with Emerald, to discuss his question about the importance of skilled programmers in a time of increased network reliance. Dan Ferrisi can be reached at @danferrisiedit on Twitter, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/, and at CommercialIntegrator.com and Securitysales.com. Meet Dan and l...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security with Emerald, to discuss his question about ways that manufacturers can make programming easier. Dan Ferrisi can be reached at @danferrisiedit on Twitter, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/, and at CommercialIntegrator.com and Securitysales.com. Meet Dan and learn more about the Total...

In this special episode, James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security with Emerald, to discuss the importance of business-focused events in the AV industry, particularly the Total Tech Summit. To learn more about the Total Tech Summit and to apply to attend, visit https://totaltechsummit.com. Also, follow hashtag #totaltech24 on social media. Dan Ferri...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Hope Roth, Q-SYS Ecosystem Communities Platform Manager, to discuss her new role and its value to AV programmers and Q-SYS. Check out Hope in her previous appearances in episodes 164, 165, and 179. Hope Roth can be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-roth-0a44b8a/ and on the Q-SYS Communities: https://developers.qsc.com/s/. To join the c...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Hope Roth, Q-SYS Wizard, to discuss the importance, value, and different approaches to mentorship including the newly launched WAVIT Mentorship Program. Check out Hope in her previous appearances in episodes 164 and 165. Hope Roth can be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-roth-0a44b8a/ and on the Q-SYS Communities: https://developers.qs...

Steve Greenblatt interviews co-host James King about his AV journey, the impact of programming, and how he developed his passion for AV. James can be found on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/james-king-nj. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stev...

James King interviews co-host Steve Greenblatt as he shares his AV journey, the influence of programming, and his visionary ideas and experiences. Connect with Steve on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/stevegreenblatt or Control Concepts at controlconcepts.net To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leav...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back guest Aaron Baker, Classroom Support Technician, Stephen F. Austin State University, to discuss the difference between working with internal and external programming resources and how to successfully leverage both options. Aaron Baker can be reached on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bakeraarond/ and on the HETMA Community at HETMA.org. To join the...

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome guest Aaron Baker, Classroom Support Technician, Stephen F. Austin State University, to discuss his AV journey and how he went from being a student worker to an AV Tech to program AV systems using his background in computer science. Aaron also shares ideas for getting more students interested in AV. Aaron Baker can be reached on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin...