diff --git a/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/EssentialsHuddleVTC/EssentialsHuddleVtc1PanelAvFunctionsDriver.cs b/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/EssentialsHuddleVTC/EssentialsHuddleVtc1PanelAvFunctionsDriver.cs
index 8082a6cb..77810c6c 100644
--- a/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/EssentialsHuddleVTC/EssentialsHuddleVtc1PanelAvFunctionsDriver.cs
+++ b/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/EssentialsHuddleVTC/EssentialsHuddleVtc1PanelAvFunctionsDriver.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
 using Crestron.SimplSharp;
 using Crestron.SimplSharpPro;
 using Crestron.SimplSharpPro.UI;
@@ -470,7 +471,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
 				Debug.Console(0, "*#* Room on: {0}, lastMeetingDismissedId: {1} {2} *#*", 
 					CurrentRoom.OnFeedback.BoolValue,
 					LastMeetingDismissedId,
-					lastMeetingDismissed != null ? lastMeetingDismissed.StartTime.ToShortTimeString() : "");
+                    lastMeetingDismissed != null ? lastMeetingDismissed.StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture) : "");
 
 				var meeting = meetings.LastOrDefault(m => m.Joinable);
 				if (CurrentRoom.OnFeedback.BoolValue
@@ -487,9 +488,11 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
 				}
 				else
 				{
+
+
 					TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.MeetingsOrContactMethodListTitleText, "Upcoming meeting");
-					TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingStartTimeText, meeting.StartTime.ToShortTimeString());
-					TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingEndTimeText, meeting.EndTime.ToShortTimeString());
+                    TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingStartTimeText, meeting.StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
+                    TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingEndTimeText, meeting.EndTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
 					TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingTitleText, meeting.Title);
 					TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingNameText, meeting.Organizer);
 					TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingButtonLabel, "Join");
@@ -512,7 +515,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
 					// indexOf = 3, 4 meetings :  
 					if (indexOfNext < meetings.Count)
 						TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingFollowingMeetingText,
-							meetings[indexOfNext].StartTime.ToShortTimeString());
+                            meetings[indexOfNext].StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
 					else
 						TriList.SetString(UIStringJoin.NextMeetingFollowingMeetingText, "No more meetings today");
 
@@ -1209,8 +1212,8 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
 			foreach (var m in CurrentRoom.ScheduleSource.CodecSchedule.Meetings)
 			{
 				i++;
-				MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 1).StringValue = m.StartTime.ToShortTimeString();
-				MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 2).StringValue = m.EndTime.ToShortTimeString();
+                MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 1).StringValue = m.StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture);
+                MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 2).StringValue = m.EndTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture);
 				MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 3).StringValue = m.Title;
                 MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 4).StringValue = string.Format("<br>{0}",m.Organizer);
                 MeetingOrContactMethodModalSrl.StringInputSig(i, 5).StringValue = "Join";
diff --git a/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/VC/EssentialsVideoCodecUiDriver.cs b/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/VC/EssentialsVideoCodecUiDriver.cs
index 6dba53f5..f3f707c3 100644
--- a/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/VC/EssentialsVideoCodecUiDriver.cs
+++ b/PepperDashEssentials/UIDrivers/VC/EssentialsVideoCodecUiDriver.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Text;
+using System.Globalization;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 using Crestron.SimplSharp;
 using Crestron.SimplSharpPro;
@@ -1008,7 +1009,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.UIDrivers.VC
 					// if it's today, show a simpler string
 					string timeText = null;
 					if (c.StartTime.Date == DateTime.Now.Date)
-						timeText = c.StartTime.ToShortTimeString();
+                        timeText = c.StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture);
 					else if (c.StartTime == DateTime.MinValue)
 						timeText = "";
 					else
diff --git a/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Global/Global.cs b/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Global/Global.cs
index aa71c1f7..121bc9b7 100644
--- a/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Global/Global.cs	
+++ b/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Global/Global.cs	
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using System.Globalization;
 using Crestron.SimplSharp;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using Crestron.SimplSharp.CrestronIO;
@@ -28,6 +29,10 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
 
         public static eCrestronSeries ProcessorSeries { get { return CrestronEnvironment.ProgramCompatibility; } }
 
+        // TODO: consider making this configurable later
+        public static IFormatProvider Culture = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("en-US");
+
+
         /// <summary>
         /// The file path prefix to the folder containing configuration files
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/essentials-framework/Essentials Devices Common/Essentials Devices Common/VideoCodec/VideoCodecBase.cs b/essentials-framework/Essentials Devices Common/Essentials Devices Common/VideoCodec/VideoCodecBase.cs
index c5cff74e..d34c9e3b 100644
--- a/essentials-framework/Essentials Devices Common/Essentials Devices Common/VideoCodec/VideoCodecBase.cs	
+++ b/essentials-framework/Essentials Devices Common/Essentials Devices Common/VideoCodec/VideoCodecBase.cs	
@@ -836,10 +836,10 @@ ScreenIndexIsPinnedTo: {8} (a{17})
 				//serials
 				tokenArray[stringIndex] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 1, meeting.Organizer);
 				tokenArray[stringIndex + 1] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 2, meeting.Title);
-				tokenArray[stringIndex + 2] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 3, meeting.StartTime.ToShortDateString());
-				tokenArray[stringIndex + 3] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 4, meeting.StartTime.ToShortTimeString());
-				tokenArray[stringIndex + 4] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 5, meeting.EndTime.ToShortDateString());
-				tokenArray[stringIndex + 5] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 6, meeting.EndTime.ToShortTimeString());
+                tokenArray[stringIndex + 2] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 3, meeting.StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
+				tokenArray[stringIndex + 3] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 4, meeting.StartTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
+                tokenArray[stringIndex + 4] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 5, meeting.EndTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
+				tokenArray[stringIndex + 5] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 6, meeting.EndTime.ToString("t", Global.Culture));
 				tokenArray[stringIndex + 6] = new XSigSerialToken(stringIndex + 7, meeting.Id);