These rooms feature some unique capabilities. CAS 500 is an Access Grid Facility, and can be used for conventional videoconferencing (instructions). These features were built to support the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling. (Training is required.) As a result of these installations, these rooms can also support some other features of more general use:
Laptop presentations:
Either room can be used for laptop presentations via the VGA connectors on the wall. Presentations work best if your laptop is set to output 1024x768. If anything looks 'odd' about the video, push the APA button on one of the remotes (the remotes are the same for the projectors), which will reset the scan rates appropriately. There is always a remote in the lower cabinet in the far left corner of room 500.
In room 502, simply choose 'laptop' on the wall panel to view the output of the laptop (sometimes things get confused and you need to push this even if it is already lit).
In 500, 'laptop' must be selected in the equipment rack, which is locked; however, we try to encourage everyone who uses the room for other setups to return to this setting when they are done. You should also check that the projector is set to 'Input A', and if not use the remote to change the input setting. You can audio as well as video, but in room 500 the audio plays through the projector speaker which isn't very loud.
VCR:
There is a VCR in the equipment rack. This can be used to play videos on the main projector in room 500. Set the projector input to S-Video, and select 'VCR' on the switchbox in the rack.
Overflow:
If an audience grows too large to fit in room 502, 500 can be used to house an overflow audience (instructions). We have only one lavalier microphone, so audience questions cannot be heard, but a Powerpoint presentation can be seen equally well in both rooms, and in 500 the speaker can be seen on the main projector screen.