Macs in auditoriums and A/V booths

Question

Macs in auditoriums and A/V booths

I'm the leader of an audio/visual ministry team at my church. Currently there a Shuttle PC clone in the A/V booth that we use for recording audio from the main sound mixer during seminars and services. The other main use is for on-screen presentations via PowerPoint. This little Shuttle wannabe powers a 15" CRT and the main auditorium projector.

SOOOOO... my wife and I want to help modernize this A/V booth (mainly it's me, I admit) but can a Mac Mini (new or old) replace this cheapo-PC? My main concern is that Mac Minis cannot provide video "panning" for use with PowerPoint and the like.

Does anyone have any experience using any Mac mini in this capacity? What about an iMac (old or new)? My wife and I have to donate everything so the cheaper the better but there's got to be a way for a Mac to send it's PowerPoint or Keynote presentation to a second monitor (projector) and still let you do stuff in the background on the main monitor.

Thanks SO MUCH for your advice.

iMac G5 1.6 Ghz, Mac OS X (10.4)

Posted on Mar 20, 2006 4:54 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 20, 2006 11:32 PM in response to Jonathan Lucas

Being a "layman", I don't quite know what's video panning. I imagine it's to do with adding the illusion of movement to static images. I believe even the standard iLife suite coming with the mini (iPhoto, iDVD) can handle such things without problems. Also, Powerpoint on the Mac should be as good or better as on the PC. It's a few years back but I remember there were more animation options on the Mac than on the PC.

As far as two monitors are concerned, the mini is out, as it only has one video output. However, the new iMacs do have true dual monitor support, not just mirroring.

Another option could be to use the existing PC as a VNC client to drive the mini remotely. So the mini is in the booth and sends images to the projector. Through a standard ethernet cable, or WiFi, the retired Shuttle with the old monitor controls the mini. VNC support is built-in in the mini, starting with the Tiger OS (2005). All you need is a VNC client on the Shuttle. There are several free options for that.

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Answer 2

Mar 21, 2006 5:00 AM in response to Xiao Di Di

I am also a "layman." My understanding was that video "panning" simply meant that you could use 2 monitors at the same time and not just mirror whatever you've got on your primary monitor. And yes, I agree PowerPoint on the Mac IS superior to its Windows counterpart. Although I'll be pushing Keynote as well for the speakers who come there.

Good call regarding the iMac:

From http://apple.com/imac/graphics.html

"For the first time ever, iMac lets you use a second display in extended desktop mode, in addition to simply mirroring the first. The mini-DVI port lets you connect to DVI displays, VGA monitors and projectors, and S-Video and Composite connectors, with the appropriate adapter (sold separately)."

I guess I was hoping the Mac Mini could do it without having to shell out too much $$$.

The VNC option is foreign to me. Any suggestions for a starting point for me to learn about VNC in general and then any good VNC clients you've used before.

Tell me if I have this right...the shuttle could be a VNC client which means the Mini would be the VNC "server." The presentation could run on the Mini and in Keynote or PowerPoint I would select the show to run on the "primary monitor" and then the Mini sends that signal to the projector. Then, I go over the shuttle PC which is displaying the Mini's desktop?? I can then supposedly control the Mini in the "background" while the Mini is sending it's signal to the projector? I would think that if the mini is sending it's signal to the projector, that even if I accessed it via VNC, that all I would see is the same thing that would be on the monitor if I had it hooked to the Mini -- the presenatation.

iMac G5 1.6 Ghz Mac OS X (10.4)

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Answer 3

Mar 21, 2006 7:08 AM in response to Jonathan Lucas

Okay, so I played around VNC this morning. I now understand how it works. But I would that even if you logged on the Mac Mini via the VNC, that you'd only be able to view the PowerPoint presentation that was being broadcast to the Mini's primary monitor (projector).

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Answer 4

Mar 21, 2006 11:49 AM in response to Jonathan Lucas

Found this firmware modification that will allow iBooks, older iMacs, and eMacs to support true video spanning (not just mirroring).

Screen Spanning Doctor

http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html

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Answer 5

Mar 22, 2006 12:21 AM in response to Jonathan Lucas

Okay, so I played around VNC this morning. I now
understand how it works. But I would that even if
you logged on the Mac Mini via the VNC, that you'd
only be able to view the PowerPoint presentation that
was being broadcast to the Mini's primary monitor
(projector).

Yes, with VNC you will have the mini (server) display in a window in your client (e.g. PC), or also full-screen.

While it would be a challenge to do graphic work on the mini at the same time -- using the mini processor -- you could access all files on the mini, using Windows Share (SAMBA). So you could edit a presenation on the mini (or copy it to it), then run it on the mini when it's ready.

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Answer 6

Apr 4, 2006 4:21 PM in response to Jonathan Lucas

Xiao Di Di, thanks for your suggestions.

I ended up using the Screen Spanning Doctor firmware modification worked perfectly and the iMac in question now powers the projector at the church auditorium flawlessly.

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