Projectors

Projectors are installed in all classrooms and in the auditorium. All projectors connect via Airplay or an analogue video cable if no Apple TV unit is available

Important Usage Information!

 * NEVER UNPLUG A RUNNING PROJECTOR FROM MAINS POWER! Projector bulbs aren't like conventional lightbulbs and can't be simply turned on and off. They run at a very high temperature and require a slow startup and a managed shutdown to avoid premature and potentially catastrophic failure. Always turn a projector on and off using either the projector's control panel or the supplied remote control.
 * Projectors will display an onscreen message to alert you when a bulb is nearing the end of its life. Please report any warning messages to ICT Support staff as soon as possible. See below for information regarding a quick fix for projector bulb warnings.

No image displayed

 * Is it plugged in and turned on?

Incorrect image displayed

 * Input.gif the projector set to the correct input? Most projectors have several user-selectable inputs which accept a variety of different devices. Press the Source button on the remote control for Dell projectors to cycle between available inputs.
 * When using projectors with an attached Apple TV, ensure the Apple TV unit is present and connected properly.
 * When using projectors directly connected to a computer via an analogue video cable, ensure all video cables are secured connected.

Image size is smaller than desired

 * On Dell projectors (most classrooms) press the Auto Adjust button on the remote control.
 * On MacBook Pro computers, go to System Preferences > Displays and make sure "Overscan correction" isn't ticked. Overscan correction slightly reduces the image size to compensate for consumer TVs and other displays which would otherwise crop off the edges of material output from the Apple TV.
 * On MacBook Pro computers, go to System Preferences > Displays. There is a choice of "Best for built-in display" and "Best for Airplay" in the Resolution settings. Try both and see which offers the more usable image.

Projector displays a warning about the bulb nearing the end of its life

 * All projectors have a counter to measure the total usage of the projector bulb. When the bulb usage exceeds a set number of hours, usually several thousand hours or so, the projector will display on-screen warnings and/or amber flashing lights on the unit. As a quick fix turn the projector off and the remove the power cable for a few seconds before refitting it and turning the unit back on. Please report any projector displaying end-of-life warnings to ICT Support.

Lecture Theatre

 * The Lecture Theatre offers both Apple TV and a direct wired connection. There is a small switch box mounted on the rear of the projector, button "A" selects the Apple TV as a source and button "B" selects the direct cable input.

A bit of TV history...
Overscan was originally used in the early days of television to crop off the unwanted edges of an image. The edges of an image on an old TV were usually quite irregular because of the relatively unsophisticated analogue electronics, and would be distracting to the viewer. The obvious solution was to slightly enlarge the received image in order to move any unwanted artifacts beyond the viewable area, resulting in around 5% of the image not being shown.

Overscanning is unnecessary with modern digital sources as there aren't any unsightly edge irregularities to compensate for, but it's still present on virtually all current TVs with analogue inputs (such as SCART and composite video). More expensive TVs frequently offer an option to disable overscan. This option will improve image quality on any connected source (games console, HD media player etc.) and will present a complete image when a computer is connected.

One of the main differences between a computer display and a TV is that a computer display/monitor diplays the whole image, whereas the TV shows a slightly cropped image. This overscanning/enlargement is why the Mac's menu bar and dock (or task bar on a PC) may not be viewable if attempting to connect a TV as a second display.