CSE 100: A/V Setup for EE1 003

• the laptop

• and a blank VHS videocassette for the day's lecture

• the A/V key

• a spare pair of AA batteries (for video camera remote)

• a spare 9 volt battery (for wireless mic)

Instructions which can be omitted if the laptop is not going to be used are marked "(computer only)".

in Room 003

• podium - includes a room control touch-screen display (near center), a video monitor (directly to the left), some ports (i.e. plugs), and a drawer, where the wireless mic is stored.

• audio closet - directly behind the podium; usually locked.

• video closet - just like the audio closet, on the other side of the whiteboards; also usually locked.

• TV monitors - directly above each of the closets; will be used to check video camera alignment

• video camera enclosure - recessed in the wall at the back of the room, with a white-framed glass "door" that swings up.

1. At the podium, tap the touch-screen if it's dark ("asleep") to turn it on. Tap the End tab, wait a few seconds, then tap the Start tab. (This effectively resets the room conrol system.)

2. (computer only) Take out the laptop and the mouse from their carrying case. Plug the mouse into the laptop. (Finding the mouse/keyboard port: turn the laptop around to face it's back edge, and the port is the rightmost, small and round)

3. Unlock the podium drawer and take out the wireless mic and (computer only) the video cable (should have three rows of pins, five pins per row).

4. (computer only) Use the video cable to connect the laptop to the PC port on the podium.

5. (computer only) Back on the touch-screen, tap the Show Computer tab. Tap Large Screen, and a big screen should descend in front of the whiteboards.

6. (computer only) Boot up the laptop. Even if it's not done yet, press Fn-F8 LCD/CRT to cycle through three modes of operation: just LCD, just CRT (video output to screen), and both, which is the one we want.

   (The Fn key is near the left Ctrl key, works like a Shift key, and its label is written in purple. Wait a few seconds between keypresses, since it takes time for the screen projector to actually show the computer.)

7. Tap the Play Video tab, tap TVs and Aux. Turn on the little monitor to the right of the touch-screen. (You need to do this to monitor the video camera later.)

8. Check the wireless mic battery by turning on the mic and making sure the little red light turns off after a brief flash. A persistent light indicates low battery power.

9. Unlock the audio closet. The left door is locked with a sliding bolt on the inside of the top of the door. Tap the wireless mic and make sure that the very top level meter (the single one, not the paired one below) reponds.

   (Keep an eye on this meter throughout the lecture, in case the mic batteries go dead. The pair of level meters below monitor the room mics, which are the little ones embedded in the audiences' tabletops.)

10. Turn on the TV above the audio closet.

11. Go to the camera enclosure and stand on a chair to reach it. Without disturbing the camera mount, take out the power cable. Using the power outlets to the right of the enclosure, plug in the power cable. The camera should turn on immediately. (The outlets directly below the enclosure don't work. Go figure.) Leave the chair there, and loop the excess power cable over the handrail to ensure no one trips on it.

12. Go to the video closet and unlock it, just like the audio closet. There should be some video patch cables draped over the top of the component stack. Take one.

    In the lower of the two rows of video plugs, connect the following pair with the cable:

    • 9th from left, TIE CN / TIE

    • 14th from left, YDMV1 / IN12

13. Take the key and videocassette upstairs to the control room, taking the stairs to the right of the elevator.

in the control room

1. Make sure everything is turned on: Step behind the rack and open the door by pulling up on the little handle. Make sure all of the power strips are turned on:
   
   Locations of power strip switches are circled.

2. Turn on the VCR, which is kind of tucked under the mixer panel, and insert the tape. Using the remote, which should be right in front of it, carefully press the Record button, which is marked with the usual red dot and has some plastic tabs around it to prevent accidental recording.

3. Of the four small video monitors below, turn on the left two: "tape" and "cam". (Nothing should show up yet.)

4. Further below still, next to the PC, there should be two video cables, loosely bundled. Connect the one labelled CAMERA L1 to the video patch panel to your right, using the first plug (from left) in row L, which should be labelled RM 003 TIE. (At this point, both monitors should show the classroom, though the camera may be oriented/zoomed badly.)

5. Next, you'll connect two cables to the audio patch panel, located in the fourth rack from the left. In our equipment rack, next to the monitor, there should be three loosely bundled audio cables, of which we'll use two:
   • Connect the cable labelled AE 2 / WIRELESS to row AH, plug 1, labelled RM 003 TIE.

   • Connect the cable labelled RM MICS / AE-1 to row AE, plug 1, labelled RM 003 TIE

6. Back at our rack, put on the headphones and adjust settings on the mixer panel as follows:
   • Make sure all inputs are muted (red light on) except 5 and 11, whose green lights should be pulsing whenever sound comes through. Adjust the volumes of each of these two inputs using the sliders, if necessary.

   • If you can't hear anything, check the four SOURCE buttons on the right side of the panel, near the headphone plug, and make sure the first from the top (TAPE) is pressed. You can also adjust headphone volume using the knob directly above the SOURCE buttons.

7. Run back downstairs, lackey! You've got to adjust the camera.

back in Room 003

1. The left TV at the front of the room should be monitoring the video camera now. Go to the camera enclosure again and take out the remote control. Use the pan and zoom buttons to adjust the camera. Replace the remote when you're done.

2. Walk down to the left TV and turn it off. The podium monitor should still be showing the video camera image.

3. Now, to adjust the room lights on the touch-screen (right side):
   • If the overhead projector is being used, tap Present, which lowers the front lights.

   • If the computer is being projected, tap Notetaking, which turns off all but a few room lights.

When you're done...

in Room 003

• Make sure the video camera enclosure door is shut completely. Magnets should hold it shut.

• Reset the room control system by using the touchscreen: Tap the End tab, wait a few seconds, then tap Start.

• Make sure the wireless mic is off before returning it to its drawer.

in the control room

• Stop the tape and start rewinding while you unplug and tidy up cables. Place the remote control in front of the VCR.

• Make sure everything's turned off.