Video wall training for teaching How to get the best out of the Digital Humanities Lab big screen Emma Sherriff Digital Humanities Technical Manager

Why install a bespoke video wall? The Digital Humanities Lab is a £1.2m investment to create labs and research space for the examination and preservation of important historical, literary and visual artefacts; A spectacular digital showcase for our research and teaching; Examining sources under a digital magnifying glass; Reputational benefits and facilities equipped with advanced technologies.

Digital Humanities Seminar 1 facilities Custom built high-specification PC and technology unit; Connectivity via the lectern and laptop connections and access to power; Multiple room layouts available; Audio-Visual equipment for loan; Devices available to support teaching; Remote controlled blinds.

Video wall technical specifications Nine NEC MultiSync X554UN-2 commercial grade narrow bezel LED backlit screens; Crestron 16x16 Digital Media Matrix Switcher; Crestron MPC-M25 AV control panel; A 100V line speaker system with six speakers positioned to provide best coverage to the audience; 3 rows and 3 columns resulting in a total screen size of 3.646m width x 2.058m height, total 16:9 pixel count 5760 x 3240.

Achieve maximum impact for display • Use interactive maps; • Manipulate 3D models; • Showcase high resolution images from cultural heritage collections - Jpeg or TIFF images captured using DSLR cameras; • Play 4K video; • Enable engagement in virtual stories by using games consoles including XBOX one and Play Station 4, please contact us to check compatibility for older models; Blu-ray discs.

There are some things the video wall doesn’t do well: Black and white PowerPoint presentations, without interesting images, borders or video; Low resolution Jpegs or images downloaded from the web or taken on a camera phone; Webinars or Conference calls, our Recap installation is pending; Lapel microphone input.

Example 1: low resolution Jpeg image

Example 2: low resolution Jpeg image

Lab equipment and connectivity Wireless keyboard; Remote controlled clicker; USB memory sticks; Professional quality Audio-Visual equipment; Games consoles.

Video wall basics: practical tasks Power the Video wall PC; Login to your staff account; Connect a memory stick; Use the wireless keyboard; Open the web browser using the mouse pad; Select an image and use the zoom function; Play a youtube video.

Practical task: connect and display your devices Connect the Seminar room laptops; Share multiple displays in custom layouts; Connect a Video camera; Set up the Video wall with a games console, and play a game; Adjust the Audio setting; Log in to your staff account and enlarge the text size.

Multi-screen custom layouts and group work Useful for modules that apply digital methods to traditional texts, e.g. the English department’s Re-thinking Shakespeare module; Relevant for industry-specific experience such as Publishing Seminars, Film Business and media training; Advantageous for teaching around social media and writing; Analyse text and visual material with ease; Palaeographic study of handwriting can be enhanced with the zoom feature.

Practical task: setting up and delivering your PowerPoint presentation Connect your laptop at the lectern; Adjust the display settings, to extend the display to the Video wall; Adjust PowerPoint settings to display presenter view; Scroll through the presentation using the clicker; Play a video from a PowerPoint slide.

Demonstration: embedding and playing your video

Video wall top tips • The screen is 16:9 widescreen - select the right template when saving your slides in PowerPoint; • Images that fill the screen have maximum impact; • Remember that poor quality images will look worse on screen; • In PowerPoint, keep the content to the upper part of the screen, especially if teaching in theatre-layout; • You are able to stream video content and use our blu-ray player from the PC unit located in the Seminar room – our team can assist you with set up.

Next steps Contact the Digital Humanities Lab to request help or to arrange a test in advance; Arrange time to practice, to prepare; Read our ‘Guide to facilities’ and make your booking. Questions? digitalhumanities@exeter.ac.uk