Most of our classrooms have been upgraded to soundbars and projectors above the whiteboard. In these classrooms, there is a single HDMI cord and USB-C dongle to connect to your laptop. Some classrooms have special circumstances. Please test the audio and video before using a new room!
Connecting
- Turn on the projector. Point the remote at the projector and press the power button (for Epson projectors it is colored blue). You should hear a beep and the fan should start running:
- Turn on the soundbar. Point the remote at the soundbar and press the power button:
- Wait approximately two seconds and you should see three white lights and a blue/purple light on the front of the soundbar. After a few more seconds, the blue/purple light should go out leaving only the three white dots:
- Connect the USB-C dongle into your laptop and the screen should flash and then show on the projector:
Troubleshooting
If none of the settings have been adjusted from their defaults you should not need to change any settings. Here are the basic steps to try before asking for help:
Check Projector Input
On the projector remote press the HDMI button directly under the power button and make sure it is on HDMI 1 for plugging in with the HDMI cord and USB-C dongle. If your classroom has an Apple TV that should be on HDMI 2:
Check Soundbar Input and Volume
On the soundbar remote press the AUX button and make sure the three white lights are showing. If the three white lights are showing, try adjusting the volume buttons on the soundbar remote.
Check MacOS Sound Output
Open System Preferences -> Sound -> Output and select the projector. Make sure MacBook Air/Pro Speakers and External Headphones are not selected. If you are connected to an Epson projector it might say EPSON PJ and the type will be DisplayPort but that depends on the projector name and type:
Reboot Your Mac Computer
If the audio does not change no matter what you select please reboot your laptop.
Extra Features
Audio Passthrough
The newer Epson projectors all have audio passthrough turned on. This means you can connect your laptop to the projector the same as if you were going to project, turn on the soundbar, and the audio will go through the soundbar. This can be useful for playing music for your class while keeping your screen hidden.
A/V Mute and Freeze
If you are connected to the projector you can press the A/V MUTE button and it will blank the screen and mute any audio. If you want the students to see something on the screen while you work on your laptop, press the Freeze button on the remote:
