Daniel J SaitNew manufacturer-controlled AI platform madAssist launches with madVR Envy support, offering 24/7 guidance, troubleshooting and direct product configuration.
madVR Labs has launched madAssist, a patent-pending AI Product Expert platform designed specifically for complex technical products in the AV industry.
Launching with support for the madVR Envy video processor, madAssist is designed to support customers, dealers, integrators, sales teams and technical support personnel throughout the product lifecycle, from initial research and system design to setup, everyday operation, optimisation and advanced troubleshooting.
The platform can answer detailed product and compatibility questions, guide users through manufacturer-designed processes and, when integrated with a supported product, directly analyse and configure it.
madVR Labs says it developed madAssist after an extensive search of existing AI bots and general-purpose platforms failed to identify a solution capable of acting as a genuine expert for complex technical products.
Rather than simply searching documentation and generating responses, madAssist combines manufacturer-curated knowledge and support experience with guided walkthroughs, controlled messaging and, where supported, direct interaction with products.
Each deployment is built around a manufacturer’s own products, terminology, procedures and business rules. Manufacturers retain control over branding, voice and key messaging, with tools for building and refining the knowledge available to the system and maintaining answer quality while guarding against hallucinations and unpredictable responses.
The aim is also to extend the availability of specialist technical knowledge beyond conventional support hours, particularly where manufacturers are supporting customers and dealers across multiple time zones.
“We are fortunate to have technical experts who are among the best in our industry, but no human team can be available to every customer and dealer across every time zone, every minute of every day,” says Richard Litofsky, Co-founder and CEO of madVR Labs.
“madAssist extends their knowledge and reach so people can get expert help on their own timeline. With the Envy, it goes even further by analysing the product’s configuration, recommending the right settings and, with the user’s approval, applying those changes automatically.”
A personal product expert for Envy
For madVR Envy customers and dealers, madAssist is available now as a 24/7 product expert, handling everything from common questions and feature explanations to complete setup guidance, system-specific recommendations and advanced troubleshooting.
The platform can take account of other components within an installation, including the display, AV sources, AVR and system integration, as well as individual viewing preferences, such as whether a customer favours a purist presentation or a more enhanced image.
madAssist also integrates with Envy Commander, madVR Labs’ upcoming web-based interface for controlling and configuring the Envy. This integration is already operational for authorised participants in the Commander private beta.
Through a natural-language conversation, madAssist can securely connect to an authorised Envy and analyse its existing configuration. It can explain current settings, identify potential problems, recommend changes and, with prior permission, apply them directly.
It can also switch profiles, report firmware status and download a backup of the complete Envy configuration.
These direct analysis and control capabilities are currently available to customers and dealers participating in the Commander private beta and will become more widely available as Commander rolls out over the coming months.
A future update is also planned that will allow madAssist to ask customers about their equipment and viewing preferences before, with permission, carrying out a complete expert-level Envy setup tailored to the individual system.
“The Envy has always stood out for its best-in-class performance and madVR Labs’ rapid pace of innovation, and madAssist takes that innovation in a genuinely new direction,” says Julian Scott, Cinema Specialist at Habitech Ltd., exclusive UK distributor for madVR Envy.
“I’ve used it extensively over the past few months, and its depth of product knowledge is superb. It helped me isolate and resolve challenging EDID and HDMI 2.1 issues while getting MotionAI dialled in, then produced a clear, client-ready report.
“I can see madAssist saving dealers and support teams tremendous time while helping them deliver an outstanding customer experience.”
madAssist for AV manufacturers
The platform is not restricted to madVR Labs products. madAssist is also being offered to other AV manufacturers with complex product ranges, with each receiving its own branded deployment based around its products, technical knowledge, support experience, workflows, policies and brand voice.
Where suitable APIs or control platforms are available, the system can go beyond providing information and guidance to analyse and configure products, perform authorised actions, verify the results and document the outcome.
madVR Labs is currently selecting a limited number of initial AV industry launch partners.
madAssist will make its CEDIA Expo 2026 debut from September 2–4 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, where it will be demonstrated on the madVR Labs Booth 2047.
Visitors will be able to see the system answer everyday and advanced technical questions, guide users through setup and troubleshooting and analyse an Envy configuration. Demonstrations will also include recommending and applying settings through Commander, displaying actions live through Follow Mode, reverting changes following experimentation and documenting the outcome.
madVR Labs will also demonstrate its Dynamic Subtitle Overlay technology, MotionAI, HDR Dynamic Tone Mapping, AI-powered image enhancement and instant aspect-ratio management, as well as the Envy Core working with high-end televisions.
