I've been out for a long time, and am happy to be away, even though I really enjoyed it.

It's nice to know that the antiques I installed are still working to this day, and working well.

Turns out those old plasma displays didn't leak after all...LOL

What? They do leak! The internet says they do so it has to be true.
That is the reply I got from a BB employee when I told him I worked for Pioneer and was tried to correct what I overheard him telling a customer that.
When I realized I was wasting my time, I told him his store would be the first to get refill canister of plasm gas.

I’m an Audio Visual Specialist for a company of apx 400. When I applied for the “remote” position I assumed it meant traveling around the state to various regional offices. About 3 months in someone asked if I had taken equipment (monitor dock etc) home yet. That’s when I discovered that remote meant I worked from home!

I install and manage conference room equipment and accompany employees to in person events to assist with their presentation materials. I do a few other things like help IT make an Ethernet cable or assist someone with a graphic they are working on or tag along with inventory to help install cubicle workstation equipment.

I earn about 1/4 less but I’ve reduced my headaches by 1000%.

In case you need it:

Lucas! The “Prince of Darkness”! Lol

The AMX ones from 2009-2012 sure do.

Q- Do you know why English men drink warm beer?
A- Lucas Refrigeration

LMAO, let’s not even get started on the food!..

The amount of things we are expected to be experts in is too damn high.

My big complaint right now is Lutron QSX and Palladiom colors. They have 2 seperate colors the end in -GR and they arent even close. How the hell do you have a keypad color that you cant even match down Lutrons own product line?

I have to track this moronic choice on Lutrons part while juggling an infinite amount of nonsense across networking, control system issues, networking, security, surveillance, shades etc etc.

It will be interesting to see where things go as the gray beards in the heyday of this industry age out. Is anyone seeing young guns up and coming that have the skillset required?

Happy holidays old friends!

Like several others, I made a career change.  2024 was spent transitioning existing projects and clients to other integrators and settling into the new job.  Starting in 2025 most of my CI obligations were complete and I started working full-time for an exceptional long-term client.

I provide IT and tech support to my employer, his family, and a family office of approximately 20 employees who provide financial and lifestyle management services to the family.

The family owns seven large estate homes and a handful of smaller properties, which I still support, so I haven't completely broken away from CI work.

Same, but I just took a job with a sales rep firm as their "guru". I basically sit on calls and chime in when the customers have specific questions about integration / control systems / compatibility etc..

Also took out Elan and C4 from their showrooms and replaced it with RTI, created a one off UI, and programmed them both. Video walls, multiviewers, Always hated programming, but crashed coursed the entire software (ID11) in three months, I can pretty much do anything.

Most everyone here is lamenting the decline of the custom installation industry, including myself. What is the real reason?

Economy and DIY stuff

DIY is part of it but I also think of the trde off of quality with products of convenience.

On the video side people get a big TV and that's all they need. Most don't have any external sources like cable, sat, Blu-ray player, Kaleidescape, etc. They use the built in apps and that's it. Possibly add a Roku TV or an Apple TV. So easy, plug in the TV get it on wifi or wire it to the network. Done.

On the audio side it is a sound bar. Maybe they have a sub and a couple wireless speakers for surrounds. That is like high end today (cough/choke). True surround systems with a receiver or processor/amp are a rarity. Most are very happy with their sound bar system and they are pretty easy for most to DIY.

Even if we are mounting the TV/sound bar and setting up the system. We are not getting as much labor time per system. No where near as much labor as wiring all the speakers, sub. Setting up all the components. Programming a remote so it is easy to use and they don't have a half dozen remotes to use the system. Now we mount the TV, set them up with their apps, connect the sound bar to ARC and we are done.

There is no arguing that these systems are easier to set up and typically easy to use. For the true enthusiasts that want the best quality they will still get a 4K Blu-ray and/or kaleidescape, and a true surround/Atmos system. The TV/sound bar systems are in the good enough category for the majority of people.

For our business we do a lot more commercial work than we used to. I'm not sure if we would be still in business if doing mostly residential work like we did in the past.

That's all I use. A Fire tv omni oled 50" tv connected to my Roku Streambar Pro. I have no use for universal remotes any more. I have the separately sold Fire TV Pro remote, which allows me to program two of the 4 hdmi inputs to 1 & 2 keys on the remote. And I replaced the oem Roku remote with Roku Voice Pro 2 remote which Roku had sent me about five of them for free for helping on the former Roku Community website.