301: Catch up from March: Roast of COVID

Recorded March 18, 2025

Better late than never! Host Tim Van Woeart sits down with Chris Neto (Midwich; creator of AV in the AM) and crew members Joe Way, Renee Benson, and James King to “roast” COVID—airing grievances, acknowledging what changed for the better, and, finally, putting the topic to bed. Five years on, they revisit how emergency funding, supply-chain chaos, and fast pivots reshaped classrooms, conference rooms, and the AV/IT relationship.

Topics Discussed:

• Why Tim wants to “roast COVID” and move on—capturing lessons without rehashing the past
• Emergency funding (CARES/HEERF): acceleration vs. sustainability of new classroom standards
• USB-C everywhere: single-cable BYOD, power/video/USB, and how it reshaped system design
• UC became IT: platform consolidation, management/security, and AV’s changing seat at the table
• From webcams to production gear: cameras, mics, lighting, and what “acceptable quality” means now
• Supply-chain improvisation: substitutions, spec flexibility, and finding new vendors (e.g., Ikron)
• Streaming beyond campus: bonded-cellular workflows for events when networks aren’t available
• Standardization vs. speed: documenting “good/better/best,” lifecycle planning, and supportability
• Community that stuck: AV in the AM, virtual happy hours, and peer networks as a lifeline
• What’s next: pushing past “good enough,” balancing convenience with craft, and closing the chapter

The AV Life is a Higher Ed AV Media production. More at higheredav.com.

Connect with Chris:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherneto/
Twitter (X) – hhttps://x.com/chris_neto


Connect with Tim:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-van-woeart-45416826/
Twitter (X) – https://twitter.com/TVanWoeart

Connect with The AV Life:
Twitter (X) – https://twitter.com/TheAVLifePod
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@theavlife3337