With the advent of Powerpoint presentation software and the vast resources of the internet, projecting computer images has become an essential teaching tool. This section will help you learn how this takes place and how to make your laptop work with our projectors. Because there are literally thousands of laptop configurations, models, screen sizes and screen resolutions out there, we cannot know how each laptop works.
Please understand that the information presented here is no substitute for reading your instruction manual, testing beforehand or a hands-on training. Spending 30 minutes testing the equipment BEFORE the semester starts can save you lost teaching time. Call us at 81494 for assistance.
We can provide BASIC troubleshooting and configuring to allow your computer to work with our projectors, but you will need to:
Whether you use
the console in a classroom or check out a projector from us, the hookup is the
same:
You attach a VGA cable FROM the laptop TO the projector or console.
The cable attaches to your laptop via the EXTERNAL MONITOR port on the back
of your laptop:
| Important note: Some laptops like the Sony Vaio, the Apple iBook, Powerbooks and MacBookPro do not have standard VGA monitor connectors. Make sure you have any adapters or docking ports with you or you will not be able to connect to our consoles. Please call Laurie at 338-1492 for a consultation if your laptop does not have the standard VGA connection pictured below. | |||
| This is the monitor out connector on the back panel of a Apple G3. The connection on a PC is identical. | |
This is a standard VGA cable connector. | |
In general, the order in which you do things with computers and projectors is very important:
This is important because when you turn on your computer, it looks to all the ports and connectors to see what's hooked up to it. So theoretically, the computer will know there is a projector connected and send the image that you see on the screen out to the projector.
ALWAYS CHECK THIS FIRST: Is the projector's input set to the correct COMPUTER input? If it is, try the following:
For PC users: If you get an image on the laptop screen but not on the projector, check the following:
So if you press the "Function F" key sequence once, you'll get an image on the projector, but your laptop screen will go black. Press the key sequence again and you'll see the image through the projector and on your laptop. (This information will be in your laptop's instruction manual.)
For MAC users OS X:
The instructions for setting your display and mirroring preferences are available in two formats: HTML and PDF.
Know your laptop! Read the manual and carry it with you. Always do a dry run before your class starts to work out any bugs.
The back story: When desktop computers were first introduced, the monitors all had the same resolution: 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels high.
Today, monitors and computers have advanced to the point where many different resolutions are possible from 640x480 up to 1920x1200 pixels. So-called "standard" resolutions are: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768. Anything else is going to cause problems with a projector.
(Just to confuse you further, some older laptops can only display 800x600 pixels using the laptop's screen, but can output to a video projector a 1024x768 resolution image. Laptops can even split the display so half the desktop is in the laptop's screen, the other half is sent to the video projector. Yikes. See why we recommend testing it first?)
To add to the fun, with some older or less expensive laptops, the electronics that control the display may not be powerful enough to send the computer's image to the laptop screen and to a projector at the same time. This means you will have to shut off the laptop screen to get an image on a projector.
Our projectors can display up to 1024x768 (higher resolutions will be compressed down to 1024x768).
So, what does this mean for you?
In a nutshell: If your laptop has a non-standard display, the laptop screen and the projector image may not match. For example, users of the Toshiba 8300 will note that the native resolution on the laptop is 1400x1050. That will cause all sorts of problems with our consoles. When you change the setting to 1028x1024, the laptop screen has black bars on the sides. This is normal. The same thing happens with Apple's G4 15" Powerbooks.
So what should you do? TEST it before you need it. Get into your classroom and try it before your first class.
One more thing... Set your color to 16-bit (Windows users). Some laptops won't mirror if the color is set to 32-bit.
How do you know what resolution you're using?
Windows 95 and above: Start>Control Panels>Display>Settings Tab. On the right, you'll see the current resolution setting and a slider to change it. (This is in your instruction manual or in the Help feature on your laptop.)
Mac OS X: System Preferences -> Displays. Apple iBooks and the 12" G4 Powerbook have three standard display options. Apple 15" & 17" G4 Powerbooks have non-standard display resolutions. You will also need to bring any monitor adapter that came with the laptop with you if you plan to use our projection systems.
More and more teachers are using websites as part of their curriculum, from iLearn to YouTube. If you need web access, do not rely on the SFSU wireless network. ALWAYS USE AN ETHERNET CABLE.
All designated classrooms at SFSU have an 10baseT ethernet jack. Our Classroom Database has complete information. Look in the column marked "DATA." If it's checked, there is a port in the room. We didn't install them, so we have no way of knowing where the jack is in the room. Look for a beige box on the wall with two jacks. The one marked with a star is the active one.
Also, we do not perform repairs on data connections and make no assurances that the port is active in each room. Please direct all repair questions concerning data jacks to DOIT at 338-1211.
Wireless internet users: Wireless access is sporadic in SFSU classrooms. You should always carry an 8 foot ethernet cable with you at all times. There are retractable ethernet cables available through on-line retailers (Macally, Targus, Belkin and Zip-Linq all make them.)
All AV Computers are configured for Internet access using the 10baseT cables provided by the AV Center. We do not provide technical service to configure your computer for ethernet access. Please call Computing Services for help (338-1420).
There are usually three reasons why
things go wrong with your connection:
Your computer is not configured to access the SFSU server properly.
The port in the room is not active.
There is something wrong with the ethernet cable.
There is no quick fix for ethernet problems.
Therefore: we recommend the following:
Nothing is 100%
reliable. If your class depends on a Powerpoint
or Word presentation, there are two back-up choices:
1. Get your presentation off your laptop and on to another form of computer
media. Purchase a Flash drive and copy your files on to it or burn it on to
a CD. Always carry it with you. In the event your laptop fails or will
not display properly, you can come to AV and check out one of our laptops.
2. Another option is overhead transparencies. Our Graphics
Department can assist you in printing transparencies from your presentation.
Also, have a dozen or so blank transparencies and a marker with you at all times.
It's not as cool as the laptop, but it's a whole lot easier to take a 10 minute
break while you come over to AV to sign out an overhead projector than to cancel
class. And yes, you have to come to the AV Center in person with your faculty
id card to check out an overhead. We need you to sign the paperwork at our office.
3. More tips are available here.
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