Inside CI Tech Talk - News, Reviews and Interviews cover art

Inside CI Tech Talk - News, Reviews and Interviews

Inside CI Tech Talk - News, Reviews and Interviews

Written by: Home Cinema Alliance
Listen for free

The Inside CI podcast is dedicated to the custom installation (CI) industry, offering an insider’s perspective on the technologies, trends, and personalities driving the world of smart homes and professional AV.


Through relaxed, in-depth conversations, the show connects listeners with industry experts, manufacturers, and installers to explore everything from cutting-edge home cinema and automation systems to business insights and real-world project experiences. Rather than surface-level news, the focus is on authentic discussions—unpacking challenges, innovations, and the thinking behind the products and projects shaping the market.


Each episode gives listeners a chance to hear directly from the people at the heart of the industry, making it valuable for professionals, enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how modern connected homes come together.

Whether you’re an installer, a tech brand, or simply passionate about high-end AV and smart living. The Inside CI Podcast delivers practical insight, industry knowledge, and genuine stories from inside the world of custom integration.


Are you a CI Insider?


Get involved hello@insideci.com

© 2026 Inside CI Tech Talk - News, Reviews and Interviews
Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Are We Throwing Away Perfectly Good AV Tech?
    May 20 2026

    Send us Fan Mail

    A surprising amount of perfectly usable AV equipment gets tossed every year, not because it’s broken, but because the industry moves fast. At the CEDIA Tech of Business Summit, we sit down with Ian Morrish to talk about two ways the AV world can reduce waste and accelerate impact: Together for Cinema and GivingBack.tech.

    Ian shares what it looks like when our day-to-day tools become something bigger. Together for Cinema works with manufacturers, distributors, integrators, and volunteers to install cinema rooms in children’s hospices and other deserving venues across the UK. The project has already delivered 61 rooms, with more on the way, representing roughly £1.7 million in donated products and services. We talk about the moment the lights go down, and the projector fires up, and why hospices, while heavy at times, can also be some of the most dynamic, joyful places you’ll ever visit.

    Then we dig into GivingBack.tech, a practical platform for repurposing surplus AV gear. Instead of dumping B-stock, discontinued stock, or second-hand equipment, companies can list it, and charities or community interest companies can request what they need, with donors shipping directly to the beneficiary. It’s a simple workflow with a big payoff: less landfill, more working tech in the community, and real stories of corporate social responsibility that don’t feel performative.

    If you’ve ever wondered what to do with that replaced projector, old display, or leftover audio kit, this conversation gives you a clear next step.

    Subscribe for more interviews like this, share the episode with someone in AV, and leave a review telling us what piece of gear you’d repurpose first.

    Please sign up for the webinar on Friday, 22nd June - https://linkly.link/2iRcB

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Inside Weekly - From Garden Audio Fixes To Big-Screen World Cup Nights
    May 12 2026

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your outdoor speakers worked fine last year, so why do they suddenly fail the minute the sun comes out? We get honest about the unglamorous side of custom installation: springtime service calls, weather exposure, amps that finally die after years in an outbuilding, and the kind of “you cannot make this up” issues that show up in garden audio systems. If you are planning backyard entertainment for summer or the World Cup, you will hear what actually matters for reliability, brightness, and setup decisions.

    From there, we zoom out to the state of the AV and smart home trade. A recent industry poll shows the pain is spread across cash flow, margins, sourcing products, and marketing lead generation, with staffing and skilled engineers never far behind. We talk about what that mix means for integrators trying to stay busy, and why service, upgrades, and clearer outreach can keep work moving even when big projects slow down.

    We also share a behind-the-scenes look at a home cinema build, including a ceiling fabric solution that saved the install when access got tight. Then we hit the news: a new Denon AVR aimed at modern living rooms and gaming with a path to HEOS wireless surrounds, Lithe Audio expanding PoE speaker infrastructure to combine power and Ethernet, a fully hidden Dolby Atmos demo space at Harrods, and distribution moves like Waterfall Audio landing with Match Distribution.

    If you like practical installer lessons plus real product shifts in home cinema, AV networking, and immersive audio, hit subscribe, share this with a friend in the trade, and leave us a review.

    Get the latest News, Reviews and Opinions:

    HCA Tech Talk - https://linkly.link/2a0s3

    Inside CI - https://linkly.link/2cM2p

    Support the Podcast by using our Affiliated links:

    Start earning Microsoft points using the Bing app and get discounts on your Tech - https://linkly.link/2gVsi

    Support the podcast by shopping on Amazon - https://geni.us/npUEx

    An award-winning VPN deal from Surfshark - https://linkly.link/2cM3B

    Start your own podcast and receive $20 - https://linkly.link/2acMf

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 1 min
  • Quick Cast - We Are Turning Inside CI Into A Global Home For Industry Stories
    May 11 2026

    Send us Fan Mail

    A studio build is fun, but the bigger idea is even better: we’re creating a place where the AV industry can actually talk like humans. We start with a quick walk-through of Studio One at our East Sussex head office, which will become part of a two-studio setup designed for unboxings, first looks, interviews, and reviews. It’s not finished yet, and we’re honest about that, but the direction is clear: make better, more useful content for systems integrators and AV professionals.

    Then we pivot to the real reason we jumped into your feed: InsideCI.co.uk has two must-read articles from Darren at Cinema Lux and Mike at DirectlyAV. They recently travelled to Mumbai and visited an expo, meeting new people, business partners, and brands along the way. Trade shows shape what happens next in professional AV, home cinema, and custom installation, and firsthand notes like these are often more valuable than a press release because they capture what it actually felt like on the ground.

    We also lay out what we want Inside CI to become: not just advertising and headline news, but a global industry platform where integrators, distributors, manufacturers, and anyone in the AV world can share stories, lessons, and lived experiences, whether they’re smooth wins or hard days. If you’ve ever read something and thought, “OK, it’s not just me,” that’s the feeling we want to create more of. Please visit insideci.co.uk, share your thoughts, and if you want to write or submit news, email hello@insideci.com. Then subscribe, share, and leave a review so more industry voices find the conversation.

    Read the Articles - https://linkly.link/2imfm

    Get the latest News, Reviews and Opinions:

    HCA Tech Talk - https://linkly.link/2a0s3

    Inside CI - https://linkly.link/2cM2p

    Support the Podcast by using our Affiliated links:

    Start earning Microsoft points using the Bing app and get discounts on your Tech - https://linkly.link/2gVsi

    Support the podcast by shopping on Amazon - https://geni.us/npUEx

    An award-winning VPN deal from Surfshark - https://linkly.link/2cM3B

    Start your own podcast and receive $20 - https://linkly.link/2acMf

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
No reviews yet