How to Connect a Laptop in a College of Communication Classroom

Steps in this Helpsheet:

Turn on the Projector

Touch the touch panel screen to wake it up.

Press the Source you want to use to begin. The Projector will power on automatically.

Be sure to press the LAPTOP button on this screen.  

Locate Cables

Locate the cable bundle on top of the desk. This cable bundle contains an HDMI connection, a VGA connection, a 1/8" mini audio plug

Connect Cables

Your Laptop should have a female VGA port on it. Different Apple brand laptops use various video adapters. If you do not have that adapter you check one out from technology services (see below).

The male audio cable goes where you insert your headphones.

Adjust Laptop Settings

Set your laptop resolution to one of the following

  • 1920x1080 60p
  • 1280x720 60p
  • 1024x768 @ 60Hz.

If using analog audio set the volume control on your Laptop to the maximum level.

There are three ways to connect your laptop

  1. VGA w/ mini plug audio (analog)

  2.  HDMI w/ mini plug audio (analog)

  3.  HDMI w/ digital audio (embedded audio)

    Recommend method is - HDMI w/ digital audio  


Locate the cables on the desk and choose  
how you want to connect your laptop. VGA or HDMI?  
This decision will be based on what connection your 
laptop has.  
 
If your laptop has an HDMI port or can be adapted to then use the HDMI cable only.             
Newer PC and Mac laptops may have an HDMI, mini-display port or display port. The later two can be adapted to HDMI.
Older laptops will have VGA or require VGA adapters. 
Mac laptops manufactured after April 2010 support digital audio output via the mini-display port which when paired
with the correct adapter means only the HDMI cable is needed. 
Older Mac laptops will need to use the Mini Audio Plug for the sound. 

Mac users see Step 4 for more details 

Mini-display port adapters can be acquired from Technology Services  
or Equipment Checkout in CMA 3.104.


Touch the screen to wake the system up and choose                          
LAPTOP as the source.


Choose the input method that corresponds to the cables                     
that you used to connect your laptop.

MAC USERS ONLY

If your laptop has an HDMI port or was manufactured after April 2010 follow the steps below.

If you do not see Crestron (HDMI) as an option under the output tab,  you will need to use the Mini Plug Audio for your sound.

How to change the Audio Output on your Mac laptop

You will only need to change this setting the very first time you connect your laptop to a classroom AV system

Click on the Apple icon and 
go down to System Preferences        

From the Hardware menu choose Sound

Click on the Output tab and choose 
Crestron for sound output

Adjust the Volume

PLEASE NOTE: The volume controls and the menu across the bottom persist regardless of what screen you are on. The laptop screen is shown here only as an example.


Press the PLUS sign as indicated near the top right corner turn up the volume
Press the MINUS sign as indicated near the center right of the touch panel to turn down the volume


Press the MUTE AUDIO button to silence the audio. Press it again to restore the audio.


 

Blank the Screen


Press the *BLANK SCREEN *button at the bottom right to blank the screen. Press it again to restore the picture.
Even though the class won't see anything on the screen, you will still be able to see the picture on the teaching console monitor.

Turn off the Projector

Touch the touch panel screen to wake it up, if needed.

Please note the Laptop screen is shown for example purposes only. You may press the OFF button from any page as the bottom menu persists across all screens. 


From any screen, press the OFF text in the lower left-hand corner.


Confirm that you want to shut down the projector by pressing YES.

The projector will need to cool down for several minutes before it can be turned on again.

Get Help

Emergencies

Call 911 for all emergencies

Call UT Police at 512-471-4441 for all other security concerns

Technology and Classroom Equipment

Contact Moody College of Communication Technology Services for issues with classroom equipment, checkout equipment, and computing.

Call us at 512-471-1199, e-mail us at comm-help@austin.utexas.edu, create a ticket in Moody College Service Manager or come see us at our walk-in helpdesk which is located in CMA3.104.
When you get off the elevator on the 3rd floor of CMA, we're immediately to your right.

Facility

Contact Jeff Bachschmid, the College Facilities Manager, by creating a ticket in Moody College Service Manager.