Audio / Video inventory for buildings

Discussions about using TVs, projectors, laptops, tablets, smartphones, DVD Players and other media players in meetinghouses including standards, management, how to connect to them, proper use, and support.
User avatar
johnshaw
Senior Member
Posts: 2273
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:55 pm
Location: Syracuse, UT

#11

Post by johnshaw »

Adam,

This experience, and my own validate one of my major issues of how this is working... The well off and wealthy have the means to 'bring in their own stuff' those not in that position can't. So we are enabling a problem the current budgeting was meant to try and eliminate. The wealthy can teach well, the non-wealthy must use the JUNK that exists in our meetinghouses, because there is no consistent Policy regarding AV equipment. If there were a policy like there is for clerk computers, and material center copiers, we could eliminate all our issues... or at least address them consistently.
davesudweeks
Senior Member
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 9:16 pm
Location: Washington, USA

#12

Post by davesudweeks »

And the direction from the scriptures is, "teach with the spirit." I have never seen "teach with the technology" anywhere in the Standard Works. Now, don't get me wrong, I love technology as much as the next person. However, I have seen examples where the instruction revolved around the technology instead of around the Spirit and the message. We would do well to keep the priorities straight.

I'll never forget a few years ago when our bishop stood at the pulpit to speak in Sacrament meeting, looked down at his device, turned ashen, and admitted, "I think I just deleted my talk."
User avatar
johnshaw
Senior Member
Posts: 2273
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:55 pm
Location: Syracuse, UT

#13

Post by johnshaw »

Dave,

I totally agree with the 'teach with the spirit' method, that seems a no brainer, but thanks for that reminder. Apparently, based on the actual existence of the material, 'The Church' or the 'living oracles' provide materials to enhance our classroom learning for Sunday School and Seminary particularly, but other classes as well, including Leadership training. I believe their intention is that 'when moved upon by the spirit' a teacher could enhance their lesson by choosing to 'follow the spirit' and show a dvd, or mormon message, World Wide Leadership Training, portion of a conference address. The Church provides for this inspiration with equipment that is shared in a building.

If we do not make the equipment modern, and equitable between the haves and the have nots --> then we take away a teacher's ability to respond to the inspiration they would receive to show some enhanced materials. Say Sis. Brown is 'inspired by the spirit' to show 'Cipher in the Snow' or 'The Last Leaf' or the David Archuleta final American Idol performance, we should be able to support that inspiration, rather than say... well, sorry, you were 'led by the spirit' to show that video, but you can't... because you are poor, and your meetinghouse AV is a bunch of Junk that never works. But hey, if you're wealthy and can bring in your 60 in LCD, with your laptop that has HDMI output, then you can respond to that inspiration.

Yes, this is a bit over-the-top... but I hope it makes my point.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#14

Post by russellhltn »

JohnShaw wrote:equitable between the haves and the have nots
How far are you going to push that? If someone doesn't own a given device, they're probably not going to be able to use it effectively if the library has one.
JohnShaw wrote:Say Sis. Brown is 'inspired by the spirit' to show 'Cipher in the Snow' or 'The Last Leaf' or the David Archuleta final American Idol performance, we should be able to support that inspiration,
Which raises an interesting question. From whence does that last bit of inspiration come from? Perhaps it would be best of teachers stick to what's in the library.
JohnShaw wrote:But hey, if you're wealthy and can bring in your 60 in LCD, with your laptop that has HDMI output
If I were bishop, I'd allow the laptop as a playback device, but tell the member to leave the LCD TV at home. The TV sets an unfair expectation on the next teacher (not to mention exposing their equipment to damage from constantly transporting it), but the laptop is what they are comfortable in using. What I don't want to see is a teacher fumbling with technology they are not familiar with.

As long as the library has a current catalog of media and matching playback devices, I think they're doing fine. It doesn't have to be big-screen blu-ray in 1080p surround-sound fed by a media server. Where is the proper line in spending the widow's mite?

Just because it's in the library, doesn't mean it will get used.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
User avatar
johnshaw
Senior Member
Posts: 2273
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:55 pm
Location: Syracuse, UT

#15

Post by johnshaw »

Ahh... you caught my joke about David Archuleta... I was going to use the Osmonds reunion, but thought maybe I'd bring my Mormon entertainer reference to the 21st century.....

Of course, I wasn't serious about the TV, though I have seen it done.

Windows Mite accounted for in my stake.... no worries there.. 25 year old televisions that only have an RF connector that MUST be held in place by a person while the VCR or the DVD is being played, as long as the correct cables are plugged into the RF modulator hanging off the back.

I believe our needs are simple

A working device that doesn't detract from the spirit while attempting to use the lesson enhancement, and works first time. There is a large difference to me between clicking Open, putting in a dvd, and pressing play --> and someone trying to figure out which cable goes where, why does my vcr or dvd have 3 cables (red/white/yellow) and my tv only has 2 and they are both yellow. What happens when the RF modulator is unplugged, or isn't connected via the RF connector. I connect the VCR directly to the RF, and need to unplug the RF modulator to use it, but the dvd plugs into the RF modulator, and the VCR must be unplugged from the TV for the DVD to work. You might think this is a joke, but it happens in my stake weekly.

Simple, works, don't need to be an AV geek to get it to work.... doesn't seem like a large ask
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#16

Post by russellhltn »

JohnShaw wrote:that MUST be held in place by a person while the VCR or the DVD is being played
I see that as grounds for repair/replacement.

JohnShaw wrote:and someone trying to figure out which cable goes where, why does my vcr or dvd have 3 cables (red/white/yellow) and my tv only has 2 and they are both yellow. What happens when the RF modulator is unplugged, or isn't connected via the RF connector. I connect the VCR directly to the RF, and need to unplug the RF modulator to use it, but the dvd plugs into the RF modulator, and the VCR must be unplugged from the TV for the DVD to work. You might think this is a joke, but it happens in my stake weekly.
I would expect a cart to have a TV and a VCR, DVD, or DVD/VCR all wired up and ready to go. Perhaps with a set of instructions as to how things should be set. (TV on CH 3, etc.) But I've noticed the carts in our library frequently seem to have things not connected.

This is less of a technical issue then breaking out the wooden ruler to use on the knuckles of those who don't put things back. The only technical fix for this problem is to get all-in-one TV/VCR/DVD. Then only wire is the power wire. The members usually get that figured out. <grin>
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
lmherdz
New Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:50 am

Re: Audio / Video inventory for buildings

#17

Post by lmherdz »

This is what the Keizer, Oregon stake has done
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsF6GlqWvno
Post Reply

Return to “Rich Media in Lessons and Training”