Make
laptops & projectors cooperate
Some
of the technical
problems occurring in multimedia presentations concern
computer resolution settings, laptop battery conservation
features and, of course, problems within PowerPoint. Here's some of the most common problems and a solution for each.
problem
- there's an
image on the laptop screen, but all I see on the projection screen is the company's
logo
solution
- activate the monitor's out port
Many laptop users don't know
that their computers often require the user to manually export
a signal to a projector through a series of keyboard commands.
The procedure differs depending on the laptop, but it's
typically a combination of the function ("Fn") key
and the "F" key. Sometimes it also involves a key
with a box-like icon that represents the monitor.
Part of the
confusion stems from the fact that some laptops can
automatically detect a connected projector and export a
display signal. For this reason, you should connect and turn
on your projector before powering up your laptop. This gives
the laptop a chance to detect the projector, if it has that
ability.
If your screen
remains blank, then head for your user's manual to find the
key combination that will create a toggle switch between
internal (the laptop screen) and external (the projector or
monitor). Some laptops also have a simultaneous setting.
Wading through
a manual can be a drag, so a place to start is "external
display" listing in the help index. You can also jump
directly to the troubleshooting section or consult the laptop
maker's website.
problem
- my screen
went black in the middle of the presentation
solution
- change the laptop's battery-conservation settings to
"never"
Most laptops have a built-in
piece of battery-conserving software that monitors the mouse
and the keyboard and shuts off the screen (and eventually puts
the whole computer into "standby" mode) if it senses
there's no activity. If you use a remote during presentations,
your laptop can be fooled into thinking nothing is happening
and kill the show at the worst possible moment. If this
happens, just move the mouse or strike any key, and the laptop
should reactivate.
To prevent it
from happening, adjust your computer's power-conservation
settings. Windows users can access these by selecting Display
from the Control Panel, then clicking on the
"Energy-saving features" button at the bottom of the
Screen Savers page.
problem
- I get a pop-up menu every time I hit the
right mouse button to reverse my slide
solution
- turn off pop-up menu in PowerPoint
To correct this
wayward PowerPoint feature, go to the Tools pull down and click
on Options and then View. After hitting the View tab, you
should see a series of feature choices. The first box under
Slide Show is "Pop up menu on right mouse click."
Make sure this is not checked. This should solve the problem
and let you reverse with ease.
problem
- I upgraded my computer - now the image on my projector is
blurry
solution
- change your laptop's resolution setting to match your
projector's resolution and turn off your laptop's display.
Mismatched
resolutions are among the most vexing of laptop/projector
compatibility issues that tech support people hear about and
blurry images are a common manifestation of this problem.
Projectors and
laptop screens both have "native" resolutions that represent the
number of pixels they use to display images. Resolution is
measured in terms of horizontal and vertical resolution; for
example, an SVGA (800 x 600) screen uses 800 columns of pixels
(arrayed horizontally) and 600 rows of pixels (arrayed
vertically) to form its images.
Projectors and
laptops work best together when they share the same true, or native, resolution. If the laptop's screen
resolution matches the projector's native resolution, the
projector can display the laptop's output without adjustment,
because the laptop is already set up to display images with
exactly the same number and arrangement of pixels as that
found in the projector's LCD panels, DLP chips, or whatever
imaging device the projector uses.
However, if the
two resolutions don't match, the projector must scale
(either compress or expand) the image coming from the laptop
in order to display it. For instance, in an XGA (1024 x 768)
to SVGA (800 x 600) conversion, the scaler takes the laptop's
XGA image - made up of more than 786,000 pixels - and squeezes
it to fit into the 480,000-pixel array used by the SVGA-resolution
projector.
Most projectors
have built-in scalers for this purpose - but depending on the
quality of the scaling circuitry, the resulting images may not
look very good. Unwanted byproducts of compression can include
missing rows of pixels and image "artifacts," such
as one effect that makes a lowercase "e" look like a
lowercase "a."
Though vast
improvements have been made in the digital-image scaling
technologies used by some projector manufacturers, it's best
to avoid using the projector's scaler whenever possible,
either by using a high-quality external scaler or by changing
your laptop's resolution.
changing a
laptop's resolution
A quick way to
change laptop resolution in Windows operating systems is to
right-click on the desktop, then select Properties and the
Settings tab, where you'll find the controls for screen
resolution.
But don't count
your pixels just yet - keep in mind that many laptops will
continue to send their native resolution to the projector
unless the laptop's screen is turned completely off. For
example, a presenter might change the laptop's resolution from
XGA to SVGA to mate with a SVGA projector. The laptop, using
only the center of its internal display to show 800 x 600
pixels, would create a miniaturized onscreen image with a
black box around it. However, in many cases, the computer will
still be sending an XGA signal to the projector, because it
detects the internal display. This would cause a
worst-of-both-worlds scenario, with the projector compressing
the laptop's already-miniaturized internal image.
You'll need to
go back to the laptop manual to learn how to turn off the
laptop's screen. This isn't a perfect solution (especially for
a presenter with his back to the projection screen), but it
will eliminate the image degradation caused by scaling.
problem
- I
don't know what cable goes with what
solution
- spend a little quality time with your ports & cables
Mismatched or missing cables can be a significant source
of problems. The
solution to many compatibility problems is to get to know your
cables. Look them over and make sure the pins on the cable and
the ports match up.
source: Scott D. Smith, associate editor AV Avenue
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