Audio Visual Equipment in Media Centre

Please note that this page deals only with the equipment that has something to do with a computer. Enquiries about 'traditional' audio-visual equipment such as televisions and overhead projectors should be addressed to the RFB Custodians (tel 35013).

Click on the rooms menu (to the left) for detailed descriptions of the equipment in that room.

As you may expect the audio-visual equipment in the Media Centre is slightly more complex than elsewhere. This means that our standard, very strong recommendation that you familiarise yourself with the equipment in any of our rooms before your lecture goes double for the Media Centre.

Detailed instructions are also posted in the Media Centre adjacent to the equipment.

This page consists of three sections:

How to use the VCR

How to use the DVD player

How to use the projector with the PWF or a laptop

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HOW TO USE THE VCR

• Switch the 'core' power 'ON' from the dado trunking on the wall beneath the TV
• Power up the VCR player using the blue button on the right hand side of the remote control
  
  
  
• Insert video tape into the machine
  
  
  
• Use the standard buttons to navigate the tape
• Use the 'EJECT' button to remove videocassette once finished

Setting up A V Receiver

Manual method (recommended)

• Switch on AV receiver by pressing the 'STANDBY/ON' button
• Select the labelled VIDEO button to play a video cassette
• Use the 'MASTER VOLUME' knob to set the play volume
  

Method using the remote control

	Power on the AV receiver by pressing 'ON'
	In the 'INPUT SELECTOR' boxed area, press 'Vi' (button no. 1)
	Use the 'VOL' button situated on the right hand side of remote to increase/decrease the play volume
	In the 'LISTENING MODE' boxed area, press 'STEREO' or 'SURR' to have stereo sound or surround sound. This will be seen on the AV receiver display panel
	Please do not press any other buttons on the AV receiver remote

Setting up Monitor Display (using the remote control)

	Power on the display using the green button on the remote
	In the 'INPUT' boxed area, press 'VIDEO 1'
	Turn down 'VOLUME' to minimum

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HOW TO USE THE DVD PLAYER

• Switch the 'core' power 'ON' from the white dado trunking on the wall beneath the TV
  
  
• Power up the DVD player using the 'red' button on the remote control
  
  
  
• Use the 'OPEN/CLOSE' button to slot DVD into player or to eject DVD once finished
  
  
  
• DVD player is ready to go - use the standard buttons to navigate the DVD

Setting up A V Receiver

Manual method (recommended)

• Switch on AV receiver by pressing the 'STANDBY/ON' button
• Select the labelled DVD button to play a DVD
• Use the 'MASTER VOLUME' knob to set the play volume
  

Using the remote control

• Power on the AV receiver by pressing 'ON'
• In the 'INPUT SELECTOR' boxed area, press 'DVD' (button no. 6)
• Use the 'VOL' button situated on the right hand side of remote to increase/decrease the play volume
• In the 'LISTENING MODE' boxed area, press 'STEREO' or 'SURR' to have stereo sound or surround sound. The receiver display will indicate your choice
• Please do not press any other buttons on the AV receiver remote.

Setting up Monitor Display (using the remote control)

	Power on the display using the green button on the remote
	In the 'INPUT' boxed area, press 'DVD/HD1'
	Turn down 'VOLUME' to minimum

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HOW TO USE THE PROJECTOR WITH THE PWF OR A LAPTOP

• Make sure that the data projector is on
• Log in to the workstation using your PWF account. (If you don't have a PWF account please complete the application form available from the Computing Service website here well in advance)
• Ensure that the data projector is set to the right output source (data) and it should 'just work'.

If you want to play a DVD through the computer the DVD player software is located in Start, PWF Programs, Utilities, Media Players. However, the sound output from the surround sound system attached to the screen is infinitely superior to that of the data projector (the latter cannot be heard in the whole room) so we recommend that you use this instead.

If you want to connect a laptop to the projector

If you require audio, disconnect the thin black cable marked 'Audio' from the green socket on the back of the PWF and connect it to your laptop's audio output:

Please do not diconnect any cables from the wall socket, which should be left as pictured:

When you've finished, please:

• Reconnect any cables you have used as illustrated above
• Put the data projector to sleep (standby) to reduce the wear on the bulb (they are unbelievably expensive!)
• Please don't switch the projector off at the wall as the bulb may blow if it's not allowed to cool down properly

A polite request. As a courtesy to your colleagues please just logout of the computer, but leave it switched on. The computers in all our teaching rooms have to boot over the network which may take some time and delay the start of the next lecture.

Please also make sure you leave the equipment in a working state for the next lecturer. This is more important in this room than elsewhere. The major source of disruption to teaching in the Media Centre is random button pressing that leaves the system misconfigured for the next lecturer. If you think you've done something that's changed the configuration or that's resulted in unexpected results please let us know so that we can fix it. We'd rather know sooner rather than later!

Using the Data Projector and PWF Workstation

Simply make sure that the data projector is on before you start and login to the workstation using your PWF account- you can't login to the machine without one! If you don't have a PWF account please complete the application form available from the Computing Service website here well in advance. Ensure that the data projector is set to the right output source (data) and it should 'just work'.

If you want to play a DVD through the computer the DVD player software is located in Start, PWF Programs, Utilities, Media Players. However, the sound output from the surround sound system attached to the screen is infinitely superior to that of the data projector (the latter cannot be heard in the whole room) so we recommend that you use this instead.

When you've finished, please put the data projector to sleep to reduce the wear on the bulb (they are unbelievably expensive!) and please don't (on the same cost basis) switch it off at the wall as the bulb may blow if it's not allowed to cool down properly.

A polite request. As a courtesy to your colleagues please just logout of the computer, but leave it switched on. The computers in all our teaching rooms have to boot over the network which may take some time and delay the start of the next lecture.

Please also make sure you leave the equipment in a working state for the next lecturer. This is more important in this room than elsewhere. The major source of disruption to teaching in the Media Centre is random button pressing that leaves the system misconfigured for the next lecturer. If you think you've done something that's changed the configuration or that's resulted in unexpected results please let us know so that we can fix it. We'd rather know sooner rather than later!