In the interest of full disclosure, I am not an A/V geek. I have only spent my entire career in or on the periphery of the A/V industry.

I mean, A/V geeks push the cart around the school. They wear bifocals with tape around the nose and they are very susceptible to bullies’ wedgies.

However, over the years I have gotten to know a lot about A/V. This tiny industry is chock full of acronyms, slang and terminology that nobody would know if they’re not around it every day.

Does knowing these terms make you an A/V guy (gal)? Here are 10 A/V terms and concepts that only an A/V geek would know.

RGB/RGBS/RGBHV -  Even if someone was to know what they mean, they don’t have a clue what “Sync” is.

DSP - Only A/V folks know it, and most of us still don’t really get it.

1080i vs. 1080p - My favorite pastime is going to Best Buy and asking the associate what the real differences are between 1080i and 1080p. Turns out they only look like A/V geeks.

YUV vs. YPrPb vs. Component - Yep, they are all the same. I’m sure we set it up that way to confuse people.

RS 232/422/485 - Perhaps some early computer/IT folks know it, but only A/V professionals are still using it.

A/D & D/A - Is this an attention disorder?

Matrix Switcher - Is that a movie mash up featuring Keanu Reeves?

VTC/VC/UC - Although no one has successfully defined “unified communications,” we surely all have an opinion of what it is.

Keystone - Isn’t that a really bad beer?

Crestron/Extron/AMX - We commercial integrators may think these are big companies, but if you aren’t in this industry you have no idea what these companies are and what they do.

The list of nerdisms could go on, but the point is simple: If you know more than five of these, then you are an A/V geek. (Although, the fact that you are reading this magazine is already a dead giveaway).

So I guess I am an A/V geek after all. In actuality, minus the wedgies, I’m OK with that.

About the author

Daniel L. Newman

Daniel L. Newman, currently serves as CEO of EOS, a new company focused on offering cloud based management solutions for IT and A/V integrators. Newman has spent his entire career in various integration industry roles. Most recently, he was CEO of United Visual where he led all day to day operations for the 60-plus-year-old integrator.

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