Basics of Panel Tech

Basics of Panel Tech

When doing a panel, unless you have detailed notes and other such visual aids on hand (or are doing a panel that doesn’t require visuals to begin with), you pretty much have to go mobile in some manner, using a laptop (or tablet if you could manage the peripherals somehow?) and a presentation of some sort. Showing pictures requires some kind of connection to either a projector or LCD TV. And then there’s sound connections, which requires an extra connection if you’re using a more basic output from your PC. I’m not the biggest tech expert, so bear in mind that this is primarily based on my research for my own situation, but I will try to cover a wide range of what a panelist needs.

Be aware that cons will not always have the tech you need, so be ready to bring your own as a habit. At the best, they may have default VGA male to male cables for projectors and TVs already there, so you may not have to use it, but assume that the con, especially if it’s new, doesn’t have this stuff just lying around, since there are limitations at times with adapters and how many TVs they could rent for the convention center. I’ve had it so they needed to move the TV from one room to another, so a bit of patience with the staff is needed as well. Sound is even more limited in con provided cables, usually just HDMI, so be ready to have your own solution to those problems, or you’ll be forced to use the mic and turn your speakers to max, like I did the first time it happened.

First off is video, since it’s the most common thing you’ll need cables for. The basic two outputs are VGA or HDMI, though RGB isn’t impossible, though I’m not sure how adaptors for that work related to VGA. VGA is considered a bit old fashioned, but many pre built laptops have VGA output ports, so you won’t have an issue there. And VGA is still common on both LCD TVs and projectors, so you don’t need to worry about needing the more modern alternative. HDMI is one of the more advanced video outputs and you usually have to pay a bit more for a laptop that has this kind of port on it. But it does solve the problem that comes up when you also want to have sound for your panel, since it does both as a digital instead of analog method, both video and sound channels combined. More on that later.

For Mac users, you’ll need a peripheral and the solution for connecting to VGA seems to be a bit more complex, since you have to daisy-chain a mini DVI to a DVI and then the DVI to VGA, since VGA is an older format. But Macs seem to have HDMI built in, so if you have that, it shouldn’t be an issue. Assuming you don’t, then finding an adaptor shouldn’t cost you much more than the combined cost of an HDMI adapter if you were buying for a PC with similar ports. My VGA cable cost me less than $5. HDMI could cost probably at least $20, but the cost probably varies by model and seller. I see HDMI male to male for about the same as my VGA, for instance.

When you plug in a VGA or HDMI, don’t expect the projector or TV to automatically recognize your computer. Sometimes you have to go into Control Panel and under Hardware and Sound (under Windows 7), click “Connect to a Projector” and things should go relatively well from there. There are some variations with screens and the difference between Duplicate and Extend can affect this. I usually go with Duplicate and if it makes your own laptop screen a bit more squished, it will return to normal after you disconnect from the TV or projector, whose display is optimal by comparison. Extend seems to not recognize anything beyond your desktop background, so it can be a good way to hide stuff on your desktop, such as trivia answers, but provide something to keep attendees’ attention.

Sound can easily be done simultaneously with video if you have an HDMI port (though I haven’t seen that in action myself), but if not, like myself, you have to work a new solution. Your headphones jack will be where you’re likely getting the sound from, unless you have a wireless solution, which I only know the abstract of. Assuming you don’t have a high end PC, you’re working with a VGA port and a 3.5mm headphone/speaker port. The two common ways that will work depend on the setup of the VGA. Some TVs and projectors need a 3.5mm male (that’s the headphone jack) to 3.5mm male, but others need a 3.5mm male to White and Yellow RCA cable. I’ve found cables for both of these setups for a combined cost that was a little over $10.

With HDMI, from what I’ve seen, it isn’t as simple as putting the HDMI cable in and then the sound works; you need an adapter attached to the HDMI cable. MTAC gave me this as a solution, though, as I mentioned, I didn’t have HDMI, so it’s possible that you could have a laptop with both VGA and HDMI, though why you would have both is beyond me, (even though I’m not the person to go to when you have technical or hardware questions). I was mistaken as a tech guy once, but wearing glasses will do that.

Most important of all is to test your setup pre con. Don’t assume your stuff works just because you bought it. Try with a few different TVs and see how it all connects. Otherwise you’ll have a basically useless set of cables on your hands. Getting multiple kinds isn’t a bad idea, though you don’t want to go overboard either. At least two possibilities is good, though if you’re just doing visuals, simply having a VGA male to male should suffice for pretty much any situation, since it hasn’t been phased out yet and probably won’t for a while, just like flip phones.

If I haven’t answered a question here, you can ask and I’ll do my best to give you a solution, though I can’t promise anything hands on with Macs, since I barely work with them at all.

Article by Jared Cowen