Common AV Mistakes Companies Make & How to Avoid Them

Many companies think AV problems are mainly technical. But in reality, most issues begin long before the equipment is installed. They often come from inadequate planning, incompatible systems, or rushed purchases. Tackling these challenges early is crucial, because effective AV impacts the smooth running of the entire business.

Let’s dive in and look at the most common AV mistakes companies make, and practical ways to avoid them.

Why AV Quality Matters

AV performance is often viewed as a purely technical concern, yet the consequences go far beyond technology. Poor AV quality affects company culture, client experience, efficiency, and even strategic outcomes.

When meetings start late because of tech problems, teams lose momentum. When audio is hard to hear, people stop paying attention and important information is lost. Together, these problems lower productivity, increase costs, and make the organisation look unprofessional.

Reliable AV matters for several reasons:

• Efficient Communication: Clear sound and video help people make decisions faster and work together better.
• Employee Engagement: Struggling with meeting technology is a common source of frustration for staff.
• Brand Perception: Clients and partners notice how smooth meetings run and form opinions about the company accordingly.
• Operational Continuity: Leadership briefings and crisis discussions depend on systems that work without fail.
• Cost Management: Poor equipment choices lead to expensive replacements and repeated troubleshooting.

High quality AV isn’t about buying the latest or most expensive equipment. It’s about careful planning, smart investment, and ongoing support so systems stay reliable.

9 Common AV Mistakes to Avoid

1. No Proper Assessment

One of the most common problems in AV planning is skipping a proper needs assessment. Many organisations start buying equipment without fully understanding the spaces, how they will be used, or what people actually need. This often leads to systems that do not meet operational requirements.

A proper needs assessment involves several elements:

• Understanding Business Use Cases: Meeting rooms are not all used in the same way. A boardroom, a hybrid huddle room, and a training room all need different audio setups, camera types, and control panels. Without asking users or holding short workshops, companies risk installing systems that do not fit real needs.
• Conducting Accurate Site Surveys: The layout and features of a room affect how AV performs. Ceiling height, room shape, wall surfaces, lighting, windows, and acoustics all influence which equipment will work best. Skipping this step can lead to microphones in the wrong place, cameras set badly, or uneven sound.
• Evaluating Existing Infrastructure: Many systems fail because the current infrastructure cannot support them. Network speed, power supply, rack space, cable paths, and air conditioning must be checked early. Reviewing these ensures the AV system will work properly and prevents delays or extra costs.
• Setting Success Criteria: Clear goals keep a project on track. Targets such as audio quality, camera coverage, and control panel workflows give measurable standards. These goals make sure everyone knows what to expect and avoid misunderstandings with vendors.

Tip: Starting every AV project with a proper assessment reduces risks, prevents unexpected costs, and ensures the system meets operational needs.

2. Choosing the Wrong Equipment

Procurement is often influenced by budget constraints or vendor recommendations rather than strategic suitability. This is one of the leading causes of poor system performance.

Common issues include:

• Buying Equipment Based Solely on Price: Low-cost hardware may seem appealing at first, but it often leads to reliability issues, limited scalability and shorter product lifecycles. Over time, this increases the total cost of ownership.
• Misunderstanding Technical Specifications: AV equipment often looks similar but performs very differently. Models vary in microphone pickup patterns, camera lens quality, speaker output, processing capability and control system integration.
• Selecting Incompatible Ecosystems: Mixing brands without considering interoperability frequently results in connection failures or unpredictable behaviour.
• Skipping Product Demonstrations: Without testing equipment in realistic conditions, decision makers cannot accurately evaluate usability or performance.

To avoid these issues, organisations should adopt a strategic procurement approach:

• Evaluate lifecycle cost rather than purchase price.
• Request live demonstrations and proof of concept setups.
• Prioritise hardware that aligns with existing platforms such as Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms or Google Meet.
• Select vendors with strong warranty options and long term support.
• Ensure all chosen equipment fits into the organisation’s broader technology roadmap.

Note: When leaders approach procurement strategically, the result is a more stable, consistent and scalable AV environment.

3. Poor Infrastructure Planning

Even the best equipment will perform poorly if the underlying infrastructure is inadequate. Infrastructure failures often cause recurring issues that are difficult to diagnose and time consuming to fix.

Key areas frequently overlooked include:

• Cabling & Cable Management: Cables influence signal quality and system reliability. Incorrect cable types, poor termination, exposed wiring and improper shielding lead to audio dropouts, video distortion and equipment failures. Professional cable management also affects the visual appearance of meeting rooms, influencing client perception.
• Power Distribution: Many AV devices require stable and correctly allocated power sources. Overloaded outlets, poor grounding and missing surge protection shorten equipment lifespan and increase the risk of failure.
• Network Readiness: Networked AV, now widely used for camera control, audio processing and content sharing, depends on stable and correctly segmented networks. Without VLANs or proper bandwidth allocation, network congestion becomes a frequent problem.
• Physical Layout: Camera placement, microphone mounting height, speaker positioning and display viewing angles greatly affect user experience. Poor layout results in skewed camera angles, uneven sound coverage or visual discomfort.
• Room Environment: Temperature, lighting and acoustic conditions all impact system performance. For example, harsh downlighting can wash out faces on camera, and HVAC noise can interfere with microphone clarity.

Tip: Organisations can prevent these problems by seeing infrastructure as a key investment, not something to add on later. Working closely with facilities teams, IT departments and AV specialists is crucial to creating a reliable system.

4. Ignoring Audio & Acoustics

Audio quality is the most important element of any AV system. Users can tolerate imperfect video, but they will disengage immediately if they cannot hear clearly or if echo makes conversation difficult. Yet many organisations overlook acoustics entirely.

Common audio problems include:

• Reverberation: Sound bounces off walls, ceilings and floors, making speech unclear and tiring to listen to.
• Background Noise: Constant noise interferes with understanding speech and reduces focus.
• Distant Microphones: Distant microphones pick up less voice and more room noise, making communication difficult.
• Uneven Speakers: Some areas of the room are too loud while others are too quiet, creating an inconsistent experience.
• Poor DSP Settings: Incorrect DSP settings can amplify echo, reduce clarity, or create uneven sound across the room.

To improve audio performance, organisations should follow these practical steps:

• Add acoustic panels or ceiling tiles to control reflections and improve clarity.
• Use ceiling microphones or beamforming microphones for large boardrooms to capture voices accurately.
• Install sound masking in areas where background noise affects clarity.
• Conduct room tuning after installation to optimise DSP settings for the space.
• Consider dual microphones for long or irregularly shaped rooms to ensure full coverage.

Note: Treating acoustics as a core part of AV design can dramatically improve clarity, engagement and overall meeting experience. Even small upgrades often produce significant improvements in audio quality and user satisfaction.

5. Mixing Incompatible Systems

Fragmented ecosystems are one of the fastest ways to undermine AV reliability. When organisations combine equipment that was not designed to work together, inconsistency quickly becomes the norm.

Common problems include:

• Poor Communication: Equipment from different brands that doesn’t work together properly.
• Firmware Conflicts: Devices with different firmware versions causing errors or crashes.
• Confusing Interfaces: Inconsistent user interfaces that make it hard for staff to operate systems.
• Limited Support: Mixed vendor environments often provide fewer support options.
• Manual Intervention: Increased need for on-the-spot fixes during meetings.

AV systems perform best when they are standardised. This means selecting a single platform like MS Teams Rooms or Zoom, using hardware certified for that platform, and implementing control systems that provide a consistent user experience.

Benefits of standardisation include:

• Predictable user experience across all rooms.
• Simplified support and maintenance for IT and AV teams.
• Faster adoption by employees due to familiarity.
• Easier scaling across multiple rooms or sites.
• Lower long-term operational costs.

Note: Following a standardisation strategy ensures long-term reliability and reduces disruptions.

6. Overlooking Network & Security Requirements

Modern AV systems are increasingly connected to networks, which means they need the same attention as any other device. Many organisations fail to apply proper cybersecurity practices to AV equipment, unintentionally exposing themselves to risks.

Common security oversights include:

• Default Passwords: Devices deployed with default or weak passwords.
• Open Ports: Unsecured network ports accessible in meeting rooms.
• Outdated Firmware: AV devices not updated regularly, leaving vulnerabilities.
• Network Mixing: AV traffic sharing bandwidth with critical network services.
• No Monitoring: No oversight of device behaviour or connectivity.

Recommended security measures include:

• Segment AV devices using dedicated VLANs.
• Require authentication for all device access.
• Apply firmware updates on a regular schedule.
• Use encrypted communication protocols wherever possible.
• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all AV endpoints.
• Work closely with IT security teams from the start of any AV project.

Note: Including AV in the organisation’s cybersecurity framework reduces risk and ensures systems remain compliant with corporate standards.

7. Not Training Users

Even the best AV system will fail if users do not know how to operate it. Many organisations underestimate how important training is for adoption, productivity, and support efficiency.

Common effects of poor training include:

• Late Meetings: Meetings start late because participants struggle to use the equipment.
• More Support Tickets: Simple problems generate unnecessary requests for help.
• Underused Features: Advanced features like content sharing or hybrid tools are not used.
• Frustration: Users lose confidence in the technology, affecting engagement.

Effective training approaches include:

• Deliver short video tutorials accessible directly from the room touch panel.
• Provide one-page quick guides for each room type.
• Offer brief in-person walkthroughs after installation.
• Identify early adopters who can act as internal champions.
• Include AV training in onboarding programmes for new employees.

Note: Investing in user training ensures the organisation’s AV systems deliver maximum value.

8. Skipping Testing & Commissioning

Commissioning is the process of verifying that an AV system performs reliably under all expected conditions. When organisations skip this stage, systems may appear functional during installation but fail once used in real scenarios.

Proper Commissioning Includes:

• Testing audio clarity in every seat
• Verifying camera tracking and framing
• Checking device connectivity and failover behaviour
• Confirming network bandwidth and stability
• Running end to end meeting workflows
• Documenting all configuration settings
• Providing a final acceptance report for leadership sign off

Tip: Fully test and verify your AV system before use to ensure it works as expected and to avoid hidden faults that are hard to fix.

9. No Maintenance Plan

AV equipment, like any technology, needs regular maintenance. Many organisations overlook this, which leads to unexpected failures or costly emergency fixes.

Why maintenance matters:

• Firmware Updates: Keep devices current with new features and bug fixes.
• Hardware Wear: Components such as cables degrade over time and need attention.
• Hybrid Work Requirements: Consistent performance is needed across multiple rooms.
• Remote Monitoring: Identifies problems before they affect users.

Key maintenance activities include:

• Scheduled system health checks.
• Firmware and software updates.
• Cleaning or relocating equipment as needed.
• Replacement of ageing components.
• Remote monitoring of device status.
• Periodic performance testing.

Note: A proper maintenance strategy protects the organisation’s investment and ensures consistent communication experiences across all rooms and locations.

Final Thoughts

AV systems are a critical part of modern business operations. They influence communication, productivity, employee satisfaction and leadership effectiveness. Most AV problems are preventable with careful planning, the right infrastructure, and strategic oversight from the start.

At DVI Solutions, we help organisations get AV right the first time. By avoiding the common mistakes outlined here, companies can ensure their systems are reliable, easy to use, and fit for purpose. With the right approach, AV stops becomes a tool that genuinely supports day-to-day operations and effective communication.

Transform your AV from a source of frustration into a tool that strengthens communication and collaboration. Contact us and let’s make your systems seamless, reliable, and effective from day one.