Table of Contents
Video Desk User's Manual
1. Introduction
The video desk plays an important supporting role in two aspects of worship at Harundale Presbyterian. First, we use it to display the text of our Call to Worship and Responsive Readings for those within the sanctuary. Second, we record video and audio of each service to make available online for those who cannot attend in person. Ideally these two jobs are performed by two separate people but nothing prevents one person with great presence of mind from filling both roles.
1.1 Typical Workflow
For a typical worship service you must arrive in time to turn on all the equipment. Turn on the Mac and the PC using their power buttons. Turn on the cameras and sanctuary monitors using the touchscreen on the video cabinet.
The slide presentation is controlled from the Mac Mini connected to the middle and right monitors. The Mac operator opens the slide presentation in LibreOffice Impress, then advances the slides at the appropriate parts of the worship service.
The video recording is performed on the PC connected to the left monitor. The PC operator starts the recording at the beginning of the worship service and then chooses appropriate camera shots so that a viewer at home can follow along. Some of the available camera shots incorporate the PowerPoint slides so that a viewer can read along during responsive readings.
When the service is over the video and audio recordings should be copied from the PC to a USB thumb drive for ease of transport.1)
The following sections cover each of these topics in greater detail.
2. Powering On
The video cabinet, computers, cameras, and monitors must be turned on in the proper order to ensure they can find each other.
2.1 Power On the Video Cabinet
Power should be turned on to all three cabinets first. Turn on the UPS at the bottom of each cabinet first, then the red power switch at the top of each cabinet.
Devices in the video cabinet will begin to power up. It will take a minute or two for the start-up process to complete. While it's working you may proceed to the next step.
2.2 Power On the Mac Mini
The Mac Mini resides in the video cabinet but does not power on automatically; you have to press its power button to turn it on. The power button is on the right rear of the Mac. Press it once and a little LED will light on the front of the Mac telling you that it has begun powering on.
2.3 Power On the PC
The PC sits on the video desk behind the monitors. It's not convenient to reach but it does stay out of the way. Its power button is on the front and will light up as a blue circle when you press it.
2.4 Power On the Video Cameras
The method described here uses the Chrome web browser on the Mac to turn on the cameras. The same method would work from Chrome on the PC, and there is also a screen on the video cabinet touch panel to turn on each camera.