Ask the Programmer

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss topics relevant to AV programming, programmers, and those who work with audiovisual control systems. To join the conversation or ask a question to be featured on a show, reach out to @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on Twitter.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 16, 2026Episode 28528 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 279 - Disaster Recory and Testing Resiliency

James King and Steve Greenblatt talk about how to prepare AV systems and programming to recover from power outages, network failures, and other unexpected events. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

August 9, 2026Episode 28427 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 278 - Guest Lisle Waldron Shares Many Uses for AI in AV

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Lisle Waldron, Manager, Multimedia and Audio-Visual Services (MMAV) at The University of Trinidad and Tobago, to discuss his use of AI and the value it provides. Lisle previously appeared on episode 277. Lisle Waldron can be reached via phone, text, or WhatsApp at 1-868-683-2442. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

August 2, 2026Episode 28333 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 277 - Guest Lisle Waldron Shares a Teaching Passion, Tips for Programmers

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Lisle Waldron, Manager, Multimedia and Audio-Visual Services (MMAV) at The University of Trinidad and Tobago, to discuss his AV journey, passion for teaching, and insights for programmers. Lisle Waldron can be reached via phone, text, or WhatsApp at 1-868-683-2442. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

July 26, 2026Episode 28227 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 276 - Guest Jamison Vandenberg Helps Student Workers Pursue AV Careers

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Jamison Vandenberg, Academic Specialist Level 3 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, to discuss how he empowers student workers with the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in the AV industry. Catch Jamison's previous appearances on Ask The Programmer in episodes 275, 249, and 250. Jamison Vandenberg can be reached on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamison-vandenberg-04068430a/ or by email vandenbj@uwgb.edu. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

July 19, 2026Episode 28126 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 275 - Guest Jamison Vandenberg Shares About His First Time at InfoComm

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Jamison Vandenberg, Academic Specialist Level 3 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, to discuss his experiences, takeaways, and lessons learned as a first-time InfoComm attendee and instructor. Catch Jamison's previous appearances on Ask The Programmer in episodes 249 and 250. Jamison Vandenberg can be reached on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamison-vandenberg-04068430a/ or by email vandenbj@uwgb.edu. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

July 12, 2026Episode 28038 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 274 - Guest Colin Birney Shares His Mission for More Secure AV Systems

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Colin Birney, Co-Founder and Manager of Consulting Services at AV MSP and Vice President and Treasurer at AV Trust, to discuss his goal of raising awareness and improving the security of AV products and systems through AV Trust. Colin Birney can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-birney/. He can also be found at AV MSP https://av-msp.com and AV Trust https://avtrust.org. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

July 5, 2026Episode 27930 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 273 - Guest Colin Birney Shares His Journey to Becoming an AV MSP

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Colin Birney, Co-Founder and Manager of Consulting Services at AV MSP and Vice President and Treasurer at AV Trust, to discuss his AV journey and the value of managed services in the AV industry. Colin Birney can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-birney/ . He can also be found at AV MSP https://av-msp.com and AV Trust https://avtrust.org. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

June 28, 2026Episode 27826 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 272 - M/U/D AV Programmer Skills, Careers, Employment

James King and Steve Greenblatt debut a creative episode format called Maintain/Update/Deprecate. Questions are posed with three answers, which James and Steve each rank from best to worst and explain why. The theme of this episode is skills, qualities, and career growth for AV programmers. What skills are most important for the success of AV programmers? a. Platform expertise b. Software development c. Networking/IT What is most important for AV programmers’ careers? a. Certifications b. Experience c. Mentorship What is most important in hiring an AV programmer or any technical person? a.Technical capability b. Communication skills c. Cultural fit This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

June 21, 2026Episode 27728 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 271- M/U/D Future of Control, Useful User Interface, Control Architecture

James King and Steve Greenblatt debut a creative episode format called Maintain/Update/Deprecate. Questions are posed with three answers, which James and Steve each rank from best to worst and explain why. The theme of this episode is the selection and design of AV control systems. What is the future of AV control? a. Traditional dedicated control systems b. Software-based homegrown with off-the-shelf hardware control systems c. Control built into other products What user interface is most effective? a. Touchpanels b. Button panels c. Web pages What control architecture is most effective? a. Local control b. Centralized control c. Cloud control This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

June 14, 2026Episode 27621 min

Ask The Programmer Episode 270 - Dan Ferrisi Asks What Changed About AV Programming in Last 10 Years

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back guest moderator Dan Ferrisi, Group Director of Content + Editorial, Industrial + Tech at Emerald, to share his commitment to and investment in the AV industry and pose the question: How has AV programming or a programmer’s job become easier or harder over the last 10 years? Dan Ferrisi can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/), CommercialIntegrator.com, Securitysales.com, CEPro.com, and the Demand Gen report. Be sure to also check out Dan's previous appearances in episodes 269, 253, 254, 237, 236, 212, 213, 200, 199, 182, 181, 173, 174, 124, and 125. This podcast is supported by Control Concepts, the industry leader in AV software development and API integration. Control Concepts develops the building blocks programmers use to seamlessly integrate products or add functionality to their systems. To learn more, visit controlconcepts.net and ccisupported.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, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.