IT190 Foundations in Information Technology Kaplan University Unit 5 Chapter 8 Multimedia Devices Chapter 9 Video Chapter 10 printers

Multimedia Overview  The term multimedia has different meanings to different people because there are so many different types of multimedia devices. This chapter focuses on the most popular areas and you will find that other devices are similar to install and troubleshoot.  Multimedia devices: ◦ CD and DVD technologies ◦ Sound cards ◦ Speakers ◦ Cameras

Theory of CD Drive Operation  Data is stored on a CD with pits and flats. ◦ Pits are indentations along the track of a CD. ◦ Flats are lands that separate the pits in a CD.

CD-R and CD-RW  CD-R (compact disk recordable) is a CD drive that can create a compact disk by writing once to the disk. ◦ UDF (Universal Disk Format) is a CD-R drive standard used by some manufacturers. ◦ DDCD (Double Density CD) is a CD disk format that extends to 1.3GB. Drives that use this specification can also read regular CDs, CD-R disks, and CD-RW disks.  WORM (Write Once-Read Many) is a technology that writes data once to a disk.

CD-R and CD-RW  CD-RW (CD rewritable) or CD-E is a CD drive that can write data multiple times to a particular disk. ◦ Dye-Polymer is a technology for making CD-E or CD-RW disks by laser-heating the disk surface to produce light reflecting bumps.  MultiRead or MultiRead2 is an OSTA specification that states the CD-RW drive is backward compatible with CD-ROM and CD-R disks.  Multisession – A feature which allows a CD-R or CD- RW drive to support multiple sessions.  MRW - named Mount Rainier. MRW provides an improvement on UDF by saving to CD and DVDs as if they were hard drives.

DVD Drives  DVD-ROM is a technology that produces disks with superior audio and video performance and increased storage capacity. ◦ In DVD drives, the MPEG-2 video must be converted, and the decoder is the way to convert the data. ◦ DirectX is a Microsoft DVD technology that integrates multimedia drivers, application code, and 3- D support for audio and video. ◦ Region Code is a setting on a DVD drive or disk that specifies a geographic region.

Other DVD Technologies  Types of DVD Technologies: ◦ DVD-RAM uses a phase technology like CD-RW and allows data to be rewritten on a DVD-RAM disk. ◦ DVD-R uses WORM technology to use one or two sides of the disk. ◦ DVD-RW (DVD-ReWritable) uses 4.7GB disks that can be erased and rewritten to the disk. ◦ DVD+RW (DVD Read and Write) is a drive that can be read from, written to, and discs holds 2.8GB per side.

Blu-ray Drives  Blu-ray – an optical disc technology that uses blue laser technology instead of the red laser technology currently used by CD/DVD drives.  Blu-ray has a higher data transfer rate than DVDs and stores 27GB on a single side disc or 50GB on a dual-side disc.  Blu-ray was developed for high-definition video and data storage.

Preventive Maintenance for CD/DVD Drives and Discs  If the laser lens gets dust, dirt, or moisture on it, the drive may report data or read errors. ◦ Laser Lens or Objective Lens is a special component of the CD drive that is responsible for reading information from the CD disk.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Drive Problems  Troubleshooting CD/DVD Drive Problems: ◦ Always use the latest drivers. ◦ Correct any interrupt, DMA channel, and I/O address conflicts. ◦ Verify that the CD or DVD is installed in the drive. ◦ Check power connections, cabling, and configuration settings.

Sound  Sound Card Features: ◦ MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is used to create synthesized music and found on a sound card. ◦ MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a sound format that compresses an audio file and has the extension of MP3. ◦ AAC (Advanced Audio Compression) is a sound file format that provides file compression superior to MP3.

Speakers  Speaker Features: ◦ Power Rating is how loud the volume can go without distorting the sound and is expressed in watts-per-channel. ◦ Frequency Response Range is the range of sounds a speaker can reproduce. ◦ Shielding cancels out and keeps magnetic interference from devices.

Troubleshooting Sound Problems Troubleshooting Sound Problems: ◦ Verify that the sound card is secured in a PCI or ISA slot and no cuts are present in the speaker wires. ◦ Verify installation of the correct sound drivers. ◦ Verify that there are not any resource conflicts. ◦ Check the speaker’s connection to the back of the computer.

Scanners  A Scanner is an input device that allows documents including text and pictures to be brought into the computer and displayed, printed, etc.  The most common types of scanners: ◦ Flatbed ◦ Sheetfed ◦ Handheld ◦ Film ◦ Barcode Reader  Scanners attach to the computer using one of three methods: ◦ Parallel ◦ USB ◦ SCSI ◦ IEEE 1394 (FireWire)

Soft skills – Use Appropriate Language As no one knows everything about technology, a technician should be humble. Do not use a condescending tone with the customer. Do not use acronyms or technical lingo. Keep your tone professional.

Video Overview  Video should be considered a subsystem that consists of: ◦ the monitor ◦ the electronic circuits which send the monitor instructions ◦ the connecting cable

Types of Monitors  Digital ◦ Accept digital signals from the video adapter ◦ First monochrome and first two types of color monitors ◦ Limited number of colors  Analog ◦ Utilize analog waveforms to generate colors ◦ Color variations are limitless Note: Video adapter must match the type of monitor.

Monitor Terminology and Theory  Resolution ◦ The maximum number of pixels of a monitor. ◦ Illustrated by two values separated by an x, meaning by.  Example of a monitor resolution is 640 x 480.  640 = # of pixels that fit horizontally  480 = # of pixels that fit vertically ◦ Depends on the combination of the monitor and adapter.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)  LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) ◦ A video technology used with laptops and flat screen monitors. ◦ The two types of LCD are passive matrix and active matrix.  Passive matrix (least expensive) ◦ Made up of rows and columns of conductors, with the pixels located at each intersection. ◦ Each pixel has 3 cells in a color monitor, one each for red, green, and blue. ◦ Not as bright as active matrix displays.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)  Active matrix (more expensive) ◦ Have a transistor for each pixel. ◦ Number of transistors determine maximum resolution. ◦ Also known as TFT(Thin Film Transistor), which use three transistors per pixel, one for each color. ◦ Brighter than passive matrix.  Flat panel ◦ Monitors for desktop computers that use LCD technology. ◦ Viewing area the same as the LCD measurements. ◦ Take up less desktop space, and use less power than CRTs.

Monitor Preventive Maintenance  Cleaning the screen may be performed using anti-static wipes.  Do not get liquid near the edge of the CRT, it may leak into the monitor.  The case may be cleaned with a soft dampened cloth and one of the following: ◦ Mild household detergent, glass cleaner, or isopropyl alcohol. ◦ Spray cleaner onto the cloth, not the monitor.

Monitor Energy Efficiency  APM (Advanced Power Management) ◦ Developed by Microsoft and Intel. ◦ Allows BIOS to control hardware power modes.  ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) ◦ Microsoft introduced on Windows 98, 2000, XP, and Vista. ◦ Expands control to power modes for CD/DVD drives, network cards, printers, and other attached devices.

Troubleshooting Video  Try simple solutions first: ◦ Check power cables and that monitor is turned on. ◦ Ensure monitor cable is securely connected to the video adapter. ◦ Check settings and controls. ◦ Check to see if any new software or hardware has been installed, or if an upgrade has occurred. ◦ Replace subsystem components with known good ones.  Raster ◦ A monitor’s brightness pattern – a bright white screen. ◦ If it appears, most likely the problem is the video adapter.  Troubleshooting tips can be found on page 368 in the book.

Soft Skills – Attitude  A good technician with a good attitude:  Is proactive rather than reactive.  Seeks solutions instead of excuses.  Accepts responsibility.  Cooperates and enjoys working with others.  Maintains professionalism.  Embraces problems as challenges. 1-24

Categories of Printers Types of Printers:  Dot Matrix Printers – Also called an impact printer because of the printer physically impacting a ribbon that places an image on the paper.  Ink Jet Printers – A type of printer that squirts ink through tiny nozzles to produce print. Ink jet printers produce high-quality, high-resolution, color output.  Print Cartridge – Also called an Ink Cartridge -The container that holds the ink and the nozzles for the ink jet printer.  Laser Printers – A type of printer that produces output using a process similar to a copy machine.

Printer Preventive Maintenance  Dot Matrix Printers and Ink Jet Printers require little maintenance except for cleaning.  Laser Printers do require periodic maintenance. ◦ The Ozone Filter removes the gas as well as any toner and paper dust particles and must be replaced after a specific number of usage hours. ◦ The Fuser Cleaning Pad or Fuser Wand is the pad located above the laser printer’s fuser roller that lightly coats it with silicon to prevent the paper sticking to the roller and must be cleaned at regular intervals.

Windows Printer Troubleshooting  Windows has a printer Troubleshooter Tool. ◦ Windows XP access the tool with START – HELP AND SUPPORT – TROUBLESHOOTER

General Printer Troubleshooting  A printer problem is normally found in one of following areas: ◦ The printer ◦ The printer cable ◦ The communications port

Ink Jet Printer Troubleshooting  Ink Jet Printers Troubleshooting Areas: ◦ The printhead must be cleaned. ◦ The printhead must be aligned to print precisely on the paper.

Laser Printer Troubleshooting  Laser Printers Troubleshooting Areas: ◦ Clean Fuser pad for toner particles. ◦ Adjust the RET (Resolution Enhancement Technology) setting to adjust the toner output.  Toner Puddling is a side effect where too much toner appears to be in one area of the paper. ◦ Ensure fresh dry paper is used in the printer. ◦ Clean the rollers to prevent paper jams. ◦ Not enough memory to accept the data to be printed.

Soft Skills – Work Ethics  Ethics – A set of morals by which you live and work.  Employers want employees with high standards of ethics; people who are honest, trustworthy, and dependable.  Always be professional.  Being ethical establishes a good reputation. 1-31