Audio-Visual Center Glossary

(The links take you to pictures or specifications which open in a new browser window.)

Use these terms and you can hardly go wrong.

Services-

Cablecast: We broadcast media from the AV Center to your classroom through the campus closed circuit cable system. You fill out a form at our office or online for this service.

Over-the-Counter: You come to AV to check out equipment or media.

Equipment:

COMPUTERS:

Laptop: We provide Apple and Windows laptops. They all have Microsoft Office (Word, Excel & Powerpoint). You hook them to a Data Projector to display on a classroom screen.

Data projector: This allows you to project the image from a laptop or desktop computer onto a classroom screen. We have lots of different names for them, but if you ask for it by this name, we'll know what you mean.

Ethernet cable: Connects from OUR computers to the campus ethernet system. Ask for one if you're using our computers to access the internet. WIRELESS ACCESS IS SPORADIC IN SOME CLASSROOMS.

VGA adapter: All Apple and some Windows laptops use non-standard adpaters to connect to our VGA cables. We have created a page with the adapters for all Apple computers.

VIDEO:

Multimedia cart: A four-wheeled cart with a VHS VCR, DVD player, a Laserdisc player, TV tuner, amplifier, speakers and a projector on top. We can hook a laptop or video overhead to the projector. A very flexible piece of equipment, a classroom console on wheels.

Camcorder: We currently support Digital Video recording using tape or recording to a hard drive or flash card.

VCR/DVD Multiplayer: This little gem can do it all: VHS tapes, commercial DVDs, DVD-R, CDs, CD-R, CD-RW, mp3s, wma, photo CDs. We will need to know what classroom you will be using it in, to assure that the correct cables are included.

TV/VCR: We have a couple of TVs on a cart with a VCR/DVD player.

AUDIO:

CD/Cassette: This does three things: play CDs and cassettes in stereo and records cassettes in stereo. It does not come with a microphone. Please ask for one.

Phonograph: They are old and have not had a new stylus in quite a while. But they are a surprisingly refreshing trip through the way-back machine.

Sound system: This is a powered amplifier built into a speaker case. It is mono. We also have what is called a "slave" speaker which doubles the output. Some ways to use it:

• Ask for a wireless microphone to amplify your voice. Add a "slave" speaker to really get their attention.
• Ask for a cassette player to amplify music or speech recordings. Ditto the "slave".
• Hook it up to a laptop to hear sound files associated with Powerpoint. Ditto the ditto.

  PROJECTION EQUIPMENT:

Overhead Projector: To project transparencies on to a classroom screen.

Opaque Projector: To project opaque pages (from newspapers and magazines) on to a classroom screen.

Video Overhead/Document Camera: Uses a video camera perched on a overhead arm to take a video picture of whatever is underneath it. You need a data projector to get the image on the classroom screen. Works very well with our multimedia cart.

35mm Slide Projector: Your basic slide projector. Comes with an 80 slide carousel and a wired remote.