# Supplemental Reading for Projectors

## <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Projectors</span>

<span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Projectors are display devices for when you need to share information with people in the same location! Most projectors can be used just like any other display on a computer, and with a few differences, can be troubleshot just like any other display device. For example, projectors can have </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**dead**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> or </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**stuck**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**pixels**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">, and can acquire </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**image burn-in**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">, just like other types of displays.</span>

## <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Connectors and Cables</span>

<span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">You will connect a computer to a projector using a display cable like </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[VGA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector)</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">, </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[DVI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#Connector)</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">, </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[HDMI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Connectors)</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">, or </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[DisplayPort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#Full-size_DisplayPort_connector)</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">. When you do this, the computer's operating system will detect that a new display has been added. Depending on what your computer's video adapter supports, this new display can be </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**extended**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> or </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**mirrored**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> just like if you had added a second monitor!</span>

- <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[Windows - How to connect to a projector or PC](https://support.microsoft.com/help/27911/windows-10-connect-to-a-projector-or-pc)</span>
- <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[MacOS - How to connect a display, TV or projector to Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchl5fdd37ce/mac)</span>
- <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[Ubuntu - How to connect another monitor to your computer](https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/display-dual-monitors.html)</span>

<span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">A lot of times, display issues with projectors come down to the connectors and the cables that you are using. Because people frequently connect and disconnect from projectors, the cables and connectors can become worn out or damaged. Always consider this early in your troubleshooting if the projection display flickers or disappears.</span>

## <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Device Drivers</span>

<span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Just like other display devices, if your computer does not correctly recognize the display resolution of the projector it may default to a very low-resolution </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**VGA mode**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> like 640x480 or 1024x768. If this happens, your computer may need a device driver for your projector. Take a look at the support website for your projector's manufacturer!</span>

## <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Lighting</span>

<span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Older projectors often rely on expensive, hot, very bright </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**incandescent**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> bulbs, or </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**lamps**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">. If a projector gets too hot for the lamp to safely operate, the projector will shut down. If the lamp burns out, the projector will either not work or will shut itself down. It is increasingly common for projectors to rely on LED lights, rather than incandescent lamps. These LED lights have far fewer issues with overheating, and have much longer lifespans than incandescent lamps.</span>

## <span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Calibration</span>

<span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Sometimes, like when a projector is first installed, reset, or moved, you will need to </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">**calibrate**</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> the projector image to account for the distance and angle that the projector is installed at. If the image is skewed or </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">[keystoned](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_effect)</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">, you might need to recalibrate the projector geometry. Calibrating the image involves focusing the image, and making adjustments to the image to make it square and aligned with the projection surface. Every projector is a little different, so refer to the vendor documentation to complete this task!</span>