A popular choice in our more modern teaching spaces, the High Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI cable is a cable capable of carrying high definition visual and audio information and can be found in our newer and refurbished rooms. It can be found on our more modern Trust PCs as well as feeding information into wall boxes. We also provide a HDMI cable on a small hook in nearly all of our rooms to allow you to connect your own device to the AV system. This is typically provided for laptops, where you'll find a matching female connector on the back or the side of your device, often accompanied by the HDMI logo.


The connector for this is usually black or grey in colour with gold/silver contacts and with the ability to carry audio as well as video doesn't require any additional connections.

Once connected, you can push your respective HDMI button on your room controller (please refer to your specific room guide on where to find this) to bring up your device on the screen.


A Note on Copyright Protection


As a method against piracy and the unauthorised use of copyrighted content, many commercial works provided on DVD, Blu-ray and through sources with a form of Digital Rights Management may have HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) applied to them. This technology is a deeply implemented form of securely displaying copyrighted or protected content, that only certified devices and it's connected displays can display.


For this to work, every device in the chain must be compliant with the stringent settings, down to the laptop you may be using. If this isn't compliant most of our systems will display a green screen to let you know. 


Therefore it's important to check the content you are due to play is compatible with your device. A number of our HD Enabled rooms (Lecture Room 2, Lecture Room 3, Seminar 4, Seminar 5, Meeting Room 1 and Meeting Room 2) are HDCP Compliant and we hope as upgrades continue to make all of our rooms accessible for copy protected content. With other rooms it's always worth checking in advance if: a.) The room is capable of playing the content and b.) Your equipment is compliant should you wish to use it.


No Image on the Screen?

Here's a few things to check:

 


  • Is the cable/adaptor connected securely? Check to make sure nothing is loose by applying gentle pressure to ensure the cable is securely held in place. There should be about a 1-3mm gap between your device and the edge of the connector at most.
  • If you've connected the HDMI cable to a faceplate, ensure this side is connected securely too.
  • Is the cable in good condition? Run your fingers along the length of the cable rolling it between your thumb and forefinger. Do you feel any abnormal lumps or kinks in the cable? Does the image turn blocky or disappear as your finger and thumb pass over it? If so, then the cable is damaged and will need to be replaced. Please contact the Reception or Blended Learning Team to request a replacement. 
  • Have you picked the right input on the controller? The options you are looking for will either say "HDMI" or "Toggle HDMI/VGA" depending on your controller. If the latter, try pressing the button one more time.
  • If you're on a Windows Laptop are you definitely outputting down the cable? For Windows 7 users and up, try holding down the Windows Key (between Left Ctrl + Alt) and pressing the letter "P". A small menu should pop up (pictured below). If you wish to just show your laptop screen, press "Duplicate". If you wish to show a second image, like you would with dual monitors (useful if you have presenter notes), select "Extend".



  • If you're on an older Macbook (without a HDMI port), are you using the official Apple branded adaptors? Cheaper versions have been known to cause issues with Macbooks and will often not be picked up by our larger switching systems. Please speak to our reception team if you need to try an alternative adaptor. 
  • If the adaptor/cable is fine, follow this article to check your display options. The terminology here follows similar rules as the Windows options with "Mirroring" giving the same result as "Duplicate" and "Extended Desktop" giving the same result as "Extend". Don't forget to press "Gather Windows" too to double check if your Mac has detected the AV system.

If you continue to experience issues after following these steps, please log a support ticket using the New Ticket button above. For urgent support in training, please contact our reception team in your respective centre or call the number at the top or bottom of this page in their absence.