Brasenose College Staff Website

Amersi Foundation Lecture Theatre: A Technical Guide

This page offers technical guidance on the operation of the AV and ICT facilities in the room, as well as environmental controls such as lighting.

For guidance on room booking, please see here.

AV Overview
Selecting your screen(s)
Using a standalone smartboard
Lectern operation
Using the lectern: using the built-in PC
Using the lectern: connecting your device to the screens
Wireless presentation via ChromeCast
Microphone operation
What to do when finished
Environmental controls: operating the lights and blinds

AV Overview

There are three digital screens in the Amersi Foundation Lecture Theatre:

Screen Location Notes
Screen 1

On the right-hand wall as you enter the room

65” touch screen with built-in Windows PC and whiteboard functionality, plus USB ports for connecting personal storage media.

Can be used standalone or to mirror the display of the lectern PC or a personal device.

Presentation clickers are stored in the lectern for those wishing to use these screens as standalone devices.
Screen 2

Opposite the main door as you enter the room

65” touch screen with built-in Windows PC and whiteboard functionality, plus USB ports for connecting personal storage media.

Can be used standalone or to mirror the display of the lectern PC or a personal device.

Presentation clickers are stored in the lectern for those wishing to use these screens as standalone devices.
Projector

On the left-hand wall in front of the window to the quad

Used to either present from the lectern PC or to mirror the display of the lectern PC or a personal device.

The room also contains a lectern with a built-in PC which can mirror its display onto the different screens in the room; it also allows guests to connect their own devices to the screens/speakers in the room in order to present content.

Wireless presentation facilities in the room allow you to cast your device’s screen or stream media onto one or more of the screens in the lecture theatre.

Note that the devices in the lecture theatre run on Windows, so if you are an Apple user you will need to ensure any USB storage device you wish to connect uses the ExFAT file system to enable it to be readable by Windows.

Selecting your screen(s)

Output to the screens is controlled by two Kramer control panels – there is one on the wall next to the main door and one on the right-hand side of the lectern. All are touch screen and have the same range of options available. Touch one of these Kramer panels to initialise the software.

The next screen you will see is the room layout screen – this shows a bird’s eye view of the room and allows you to select which screens to use. Here you can also select Floor Box B (default lectern position) to access media controls when using the lectern.

Using a standalone smartboard for your session

Select either Screen 1 Only or Screen 2 Only from the floor plan on the screen, and then tap the Screen PC icon. The smartboard will emerge from the wall and you can interact with it as a standalone touch screen PC. It is possible to have both screens active at once by following the above steps for each of them.

You can connect your own USB storage into the USB port on the front of the device in order to load your own files such as presentations and videos.

The smartboards have built-in whiteboard capabilities to allow you to use the screens in a similar manner to a traditional whiteboard. Electronic pens are available by each screen and a guide to using Note, the whiteboard software, can be found here.

To turn off the smartboards, tap the power icon in the top left-hand corner of one of the Kramer panels (see screenshot above). You must ensure any USB devices are removed from the front USB ports of the smartboards before shutting down the system.

Using the lectern for your session

The lectern allows guests to:

  • Mirror the display of the built-in lectern PC onto one or all of the screens in the lecture room. Personal USB storage devices can be connected to this PC if guests would like to run their own media on the PC.
  • Connect personal devices to the screens and mirror their display onto one or all of the screens in the lecture room.

To set this up, use the Kramer panel to select the current position of the lectern (Floor Box B – green button):

Next, you will be presented with another menu that allows you to select what will be output to the screen(s), such as a device connected via HDMI, the built-in lectern PC or a device connected to the Amersi ChromeCast (wireless presentation):

Using the lectern: Using the built-in PC

Touch the Lectern PC button. You will then see a menu that allows you to select which screens in the lecture room the PC display should be mirrored to.

You can choose to output through Screen 1, Screen 2, the projector, or all three at once – simply touch the preferred option and the screens will start up.

You will be able to see the display of the lectern PC on the left-hand screen embedded in the lectern; whatever is on this screen will be mirrored on the displays you selected previously.

The lectern PC will log in automatically without the need for a username or password.

If you have an external USB storage device you wish to connect to the PC, you can do so by using the USB port on the white input panel on the top middle of the lectern. Simply plug your device into this USB port and the lectern PC will automatically detect it.

Please note that the lectern PC uses Windows, so if you are an Apple user you will need to ensure your USB storage device uses the ExFAT file system to enable it to be readable by Windows.

Using the lectern: Connecting your own device to the display screen(s)

Connect your device to either the HDMI or PC (VGA) inputs on the white input panel in the centre of the lectern. Once physically connected, and having chosen the correct position of the lectern using the Kramer panel, use the panel to tap either the HDMI or PC/VGA button depending on the type of cable you used to connect your device. For most guests, this will be the HDMI button.

The above display on the Kramer panel reflects the layout of the inputs on the lectern’s panel:

When you have selected your display, the next menu allows you to select the screen(s) to which you wish to output your display:

Your device’s display will now be shown on the selected screen(s). Please be aware that you may need to change the display settings on your device to mirror the output rather than extend it.

There is a power socket embedded in the top of the lectern which can be used to charge any personal devices.

Wireless Presentation via ChromeCast

It’s possible to wirelessly cast multimedia or share your device’s screen using the Google Home mobile app (or Google Chrome if using a laptop/tablet) by connecting to the Amersi Theatre’s ChromeCast.

Guidance on connecting to and using the ChromeCast can be found here.

Operating the microphones

In addition to the built-in microphone on the lectern there are four roaming microphones available in the room; two lapel microphones and two handheld.

These are stored in the lectern and can be operated as follows:

Handheld Microphones

There is a small white switch near the bottom of the microphone which can be pressed down for 2 seconds and released in order to power it on. The light will turn green to indicate the device has power.

To switch off the microphone, hold down this button again for 2 seconds and release. When the green light turns off the device has been successfully powered down.

Lapel Microphones

To switch these on/off, simply open the front panel and press the red power button. The microphone is powered on when you see numbers displayed on the LCD screen.

Please ensure all microphones are switched off and returned to the lectern when you have finished using them.

Spare batteries for the microphones are available in the lectern. Please inform a member of staff if you change the batteries so that they can be restocked.

After your event – what to do when finished with the room

When you have finished using the room, please return any equipment to the lectern and shut down the screens using the power icon in the top left-hand corner of any of the Kramer panel screens, rather than the power buttons on the smartboards themselves.

It is essential that you ensure any USB devices are removed from the screens before you power down the system.

Environmental Controls

Operating the lights

The lights in the room can be controlled either from the light switches next to the door or from either of the two Kramer panels (by the door or on the lectern).

To operate the lights from the Kramer panel, tap the Lights icon:

This will bring up the following screen which allows you to choose from a selection of preset lighting modes or lower/raise the brightness of the lights:

If using the lectern, you can also access these controls by tapping the Lights icon on the AV input selection screen:

Operating the blinds

Two remote controls are available for operating the blinds – one at each end of the room mounted on the wall.

The up/down arrow buttons control the direction of the blinds. Press the “my” button in the middle of the remote to pause the movement of the blinds if you do not wish them to be all the way up/down.