Latest revision as of 20:59, 24 May 2011

Connecting a Laptop for Projection in the Seminar Room

SUMMARY

• Power up the projector (using its remote)

• Connect the VGA cable (and audio cable, if needed)

• Select "Laptop 1" on the A/V switch controller

• Select "VGA" input on the projector remote, OR

• Power down potentially competing devices (such as the DVD player) and select "auto" on the projector remote

In more detail, ...

Power up the video projector

• Find the video projector remote.

• Push the power button in the upper-right corner of the remote.

• Remember to turn off the projector by pressing the power button twice.

Connect the video cable to your laptop

• Find and connect the long black VGA cable which terminates on a DE-15 connector (having 15 pins in three rows).

• The other end of the VGA cable connects to the "Laptop 1" connector in the rack-mount audio/video (A/V) switch.

• There is also a "Laptop 2" connector having no cable.

• A small white mini display-port adaptor is available for adapting the VGA cable's DE-15 connector to MacBook Pro laptops. Connecting this adaptor causes the MacBook to put out (analog) VGA video instead of (digital) DVI on the cable.

• On a MacBook, the display normally changes resolution in response to plugging in the VGA cable, indicating that it has been recognized by the MacBook. This does not necessarily indicate recognition by the projector.

Configure the A/V Switch Controller

• The audio/video (A/V) switch controller is the little box next to the computer keyboard with an audio-volume slider and LED display. It controls the rack-mounted A/V switch just under the desktop. You should never need to press any buttons on the rack-mount switch, as the controller does this for you more conveniently.

• Use the push-buttons on the controller to select "Laptop 1" for video (and also for audio, if needed).

Trigger an input-scan by the projector

• Power down any potential competing sources of video such as the DVD player, ...

• Press the "auto" button on the projector remote.

    This causes the projector to search for an active input.
    A rescan is also triggered by unplugging and replugging the VGA cable.

• You should now see your laptop's output on the projection screen.

Connect audio cable

• Set the audio volume slider on the A/V switch controller near the middle and plug in the audio cable into your laptop's audio output jack.

• The long black audio cable for "Laptop 1" terminates on a standard 3.5 mm ("miniature") stereo TRS connector (also called a miniplug) that is compatible with the sound output jack on essentially all laptops.

• It is convenient to check for sound by tapping it with your finger to hear electrostatic "pops" in the speakers before plugging it into your laptop.

FAQ/Troubleshooting

• Sometimes the A/V switch needs to be rebooted by pulling out and replugging its power cable.

• Sometimes the miniDisplayPort-to-VGA adaptor has been "borrowed" - the same adaptor should also be in the Classroom and the Stage. Please return all adaptors to where you found them when done.

• Sometimes a MacBook Pro has to be rebooted to restore audio.

• If another device is grabbing the projector video input and you don't see how to power it down, you can press the VGA button on the projector remote to force that choice. Please set it back to "auto" when you are done.