I've been in the A/V business in one form or another for 28 years. I began the journey on an aircraft carrier fixing CCTV and pilot landing television systems, then moved into commercial A/V working as a field tech on presentation / videoconferencing systems. I was with Sony for a while - fixing broadcast cameras, then worked as a designer for a few more system integration companies.
I'm currently self-employed and program AMX systems for commercial installations. I'm not necessarily avoiding the residential side - I just can't get myself psyched about working in someone's home.
I'm also working on an application that provides control over a network from a PC interface (a potential mine field). I believe I started the project because someone at AMX told me it couldn't be done reliably...my AMX controller and DVD player say otherwise :).
Hopefully, I can make a coherent contribution now and then.
