How to Control Classroom A/V (TouchPanel)

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Overview

Most classrooms on campus are controlled by Extron control panels in order to streamline the user experience. This article focuses on TouchPanels, these are the newest control system on campus and are found in various buildings. The UI can be different on some of them, but the basic functionality is usually very similar. This article will be going over the newest iteration of the UI as of November 2024. Most of these touchpanels are cubby-style and are built into the desk, but they can be desktop or wall-mounted.

An isometric stock photo of an Extron TLP Pro 725c cubby-style touchpanel mounted in a wooden surface. The screen displays generic controls. The cubby contrains various cables, a pair of AC outlets and a pair of USB-A ports.

Getting started, make sure the cubby is flipped open, it is traditionally located in the rear-center of the lectern (it may be partially behind the computer monitor). The touchscreen is on the interior of the lid and the cubby will usually have a variety of things, such as laptop connections and a power outlet located inside.

 

User Control

Part 1A: Starting Up the System

The first screen that you will see is the START PAGE. This is the default screen of the system and has a couple options that users can use to start the system.

A screenshot of the start screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. Headed with the SUNY Broome logo, the background is a drone shot of the campus during fall. There are various buttons displayed, such as a start button labelled "press to begin", an accessablitiy mode button and volume controls.

On this page you will see the room name or number, the system startup button, the Accessibility Mode startup button, and volume controls. All pages on the touchpanel also display the date and time for your convenience.

 

To start up the system normally, simply tap the button in the middle of the screen, where it says "Press to begin"

A screenshot of the start screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. Headed with the SUNY Broome logo, the background is a drone shot of the campus during fall. There are various buttons displayed, such as a start button labelled "press to begin", an accessablitiy mode button and volume controls. The "Press to begin" Start button in the center of the screen is highlighted by a red square.

 

After doing this, the touchpanel will display the starting up screen.

A screenshot of the startup loading screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. Headed with the SUNY Broome logo, the background is plain gray with a loading bar as well as the text "Please wait while the system starts up" as well as "Please remember to shut down when done"

 

During this time, the room's display will be turned on. Once the system is ready, the user will be taken to the SOURCE SELECTION page.

A screenshot of the initial input selection screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. There is a blurred drone shot photo of the SUNY Broome campus in the background. The screen is headed with "Select a Source". There are vairous buttons on the screen. On the left, there is a " Display" label with an ON, Off, Mute, and Freeze button below it. In the center of the screen there are 5 input buttons. Including PC, Laptop HDMI, Laptop USB-C, Doc Cam, and Blu-ray. Each input button has a small indicator icon of the related device. On the right side of the screen, there are volume controls. There is a SUNY Broome "B" logo in the bottom left. To the right of that there is a generic date and time. In the bottom right there is a "Help" button as well as a red shutdown button.

 

Part 1B: Starting Up the System in Accessibility Mode

The other startup option that users have is Accessibility Mode. This is an alternate UI that is functionally the same, but has a higher contrast color scheme with larger buttons and fonts. To start the system in Accessibility mode, simply tap the "Accessibility Mode" button on the bottom left corner of the START PAGE.

A screenshot of the start screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. Headed with the SUNY Broome logo, the background is a drone shot of the campus during fall. There are various buttons displayed, such as a start button labelled "press to begin", an accessablitiy mode button and volume controls. The "Accessibility mode" button in the bottom left corner of the screen is highlighted by a red square.

 

After tapping that button, the system will have you confirm that you would like to start in Accessibility Mode.

A screenshot of a popup window on a touchpanel. In the center there is text reading " Would you like to start in Accessibility mode?". Under that text, there are two buttons, the left gray one reading "Cancel" and the right green one reading "Start"

 

The system will then start up just like the standard mode, but once it is done it will display the Accessibility Mode UI instead of the standard one. As mentioned before, while it looks different, it is functionally the same. This article will be using screenshots from the standard mode.

 

Part 2:  Initial Source Selection Screen

Source Select

After the system has fully started up, you arrive at the SOURCE SELECTION page.

In the center of the screen, you will see the available sources. This will vary classroom-to-classroom as not every room has the same equipment. The active source will be a different color than the rest.

To select your desired source, simply tap the respective button. The system will then take you to the DYNAMIC SOURCE SELECTION screen and display more information on the active source.

A screenshot of the initial input selection screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. There is a blurred drone shot photo of the SUNY Broome campus in the background. The screen is headed with "Select a Source". There are vairous buttons on the screen. On the left, there is a " Display" label with an ON, Off, Mute, and Freeze button below it. In the center of the screen there are 5 input buttons. Including PC, Laptop HDMI, Laptop USB-C, Doc Cam, and Blu-ray. Each input button has a small indicator icon of the related device. On the right side of the screen, there are volume controls. There is a SUNY Broome "B" logo in the bottom left. To the right of that there is a generic date and time. In the bottom right there is a "Help" button as well as a red shutdown button. The sources in the middle are highlighted with a red rectangle.

 

Display Controls

To the left of the source buttons, you will see the display controls. You will use this to control the display itself. Most classrooms allow you to turn the display ON/OFF, use VIDEO MUTE (this blanks the display without turning it off) or DISPLAY FREEZE (this freezes the current image on the screen). The VIDEO MUTE and FREEZE buttons will flash when they are active.

This can look a little different depending on the classroom equipment. There may be separate buttons for different displays, such as a TV or Projector. There also may be a button for Camera Controls if the classroom is equipped with a camera.

A screenshot of the initial input selection screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. There is a blurred drone shot photo of the SUNY Broome campus in the background. The screen is headed with "Select a Source". There are vairous buttons on the screen. On the left, there is a " Display" label with an ON, Off, Mute, and Freeze button below it. In the center of the screen there are 5 input buttons. Including PC, Laptop HDMI, Laptop USB-C, Doc Cam, and Blu-ray. Each input button has a small indicator icon of the related device. On the right side of the screen, there are volume controls. There is a SUNY Broome "B" logo in the bottom left. To the right of that there is a generic date and time. In the bottom right there is a "Help" button as well as a red shutdown button. The "Display controls" on the left are highlighted with a red rectangle.

 

Volume Controls

On the right side of the page, you will see the room's volume controls. The VERTICAL SLIDER controls the volume. Below that there is a MUTE button that mutes the audio. The MUTE button will flash while it is active.

A screenshot of the initial input selection screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. There is a blurred drone shot photo of the SUNY Broome campus in the background. The screen is headed with "Select a Source". There are vairous buttons on the screen. On the left, there is a " Display" label with an ON, Off, Mute, and Freeze button below it. In the center of the screen there are 5 input buttons. Including PC, Laptop HDMI, Laptop USB-C, Doc Cam, and Blu-ray. Each input button has a small indicator icon of the related device. On the right side of the screen, there are volume controls. There is a SUNY Broome "B" logo in the bottom left. To the right of that there is a generic date and time. In the bottom right there is a "Help" button as well as a red shutdown button. The volume controls on the right are highlighted with a red rectangle.

 

Part 3: Dynamic Source Selection Screen

Source Selection

After selecting a source, the system will display an alternate SOURCE SELECT screen. This screen moves the available sources to the top of the screen. They function the same as the previous screen.

A screenshot of the initial input selection screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. There is a blurred drone shot photo of the SUNY Broome campus in the background. The screen is headed with "Select a Source". There are vairous buttons on the screen. On the left, there is a " Display" label with an ON, Off, Mute, and Freeze button below it. At the top of the screen there are 5 input buttons. Including PC, Laptop HDMI, Laptop USB-C, Doc Cam, and Blu-ray. Each input button has a small indicator icon of the related device. In the middle of the screen, there is an an input control box with various buttons you would use to control a Blu-Ray player. On the right side of the screen, there are volume controls. There is a SUNY Broome "B" logo in the bottom left. To the right of that there is a generic date and time. In the bottom right there is a "Help" button as well as a red shutdown button. The inputs at the top of the screen are highlighted with a red rectangle.

 

Source Controls

The center of the screen will now display a box indicating the input you have selected. Within this box, you will see various information about the selected input. Some inputs, such as a Blu-Ray player, will have additional controls for the device in this box.

A screenshot of the initial input selection screen of a typical SUNY Broome touchpanel. There is a blurred drone shot photo of the SUNY Broome campus in the background. The screen is headed with "Select a Source". There are vairous buttons on the screen. On the left, there is a " Display" label with an ON, Off, Mute, and Freeze button below it. At the top of the screen there are 5 input buttons. Including PC, Laptop HDMI, Laptop USB-C, Doc Cam, and Blu-ray. Each input button has a small indicator icon of the related device. In the middle of the screen, there is an an input control box with various buttons you would use to control a Blu-Ray player. On the right side of the screen, there are volume controls. There is a SUNY Broome "B" logo in the bottom left. To the right of that there is a generic date and time. In the bottom right there is a "Help" button as well as a red shutdown button. The Blu-Ray control box in the center of the screen is highlighted with a red rectangle.

 

Part 4: Additional Information

Shut Down

When you are done using the AV system, please shut the system down using the red SHUTDOWN button in the bottom-right of the touchpanel.

This shuts off the projector, resets some settings to their default value, and returns the system to the START screen. This ensures the next user gets a fresh experience. 

Alway shut off the projector when it is not in use, even if there is another class in the room. This ensures the longevity of the brightness and lamp of the projector.

 

Help Screen

For your convenience, there is a HELP button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. When pressed, a popup will appear with ITS contact information. Please report any issues that you may have with the AV system, we will fix it as soon as we can.

 

Extra Features

As mentioned previously, there is a large variety of AV systems across campus. Some rooms may have features that others do not or be missing features. If you are unsure of how to use something, give it a try! If you are unsuccessful, email ITSupport@sunybroome.edu, or submit a CSR for more information.

 

Troubleshooting

ISSUE: The touchpanel is black

Solution: The touchpanel is motion activated and will wake when it detects someone is near it. Sometimes this may not work. If it doesn't wake on its own, give the touchpanel a few taps in the center of the screen. For a cubby style touchpanel, you can also close and re-open the screen. If this does not work, contact ITS immediately at ext. 5011, email ITSupport@sunybroome.edu, or submit a CSR.

 

ISSUE: The touchpanel is on, but says it is disconnected from its controller

Solution: Contact ITS immediately at ext. 5011, email ITSupport@sunybroome.edu, or submit a CSR.

 

ISSUE: The display will not power on after pressing the START button

Solution: Tap the DISPLAY MUTE 1 or 2 times to ensure it is not on. If the display will not power on, please do not attempt to turn it on manually. Contact ITS immediately at ext. 5011, email ITSupport@sunybroome.edu, or submit a CSR.

 

ISSUE: The display is powered on, but states no signal

Solution: Please do not attempt to manually change the input or unplug anything. Contact ITS immediately at ext. 5011, email ITSupport@sunybroome.edu, or submit a CSR.

 

ISSUE: The desired input is selected, but it is not showing on the display

Solution: Tap the desired input button anyway, the control panel and the switcher occasionally go out of sync. Alternatively, check to confirm that the desired input device is powered on.

 

ISSUE: There is no sound

Solution 1: Confirm that the volume on the device is not muted or turned down. The volume should generally be set to max on the device. 

Solution 2: Ensure the correct audio output is selected in Windows. The correct audio output is ExtronScalerD or HDMI Audio Output (This may be called something different depending on the room you are in, if you are unsure, try them all!). Here is a link to Microsoft's video on how to change audio devices.

Solution 3: Tap the AUDIO MUTE button 1 or 2 times to ensure that the audio mute is not on.

Please do not attempt to control volume in any way other than the touchpanel. Room audio control is intended to be controlled by ONLY the AV system.

 

If any of these troubleshooting steps do not solve your problem, please submit a CSR.  If the issue is urgent, contact ITS immediately at ext. 5011, or email ITSupport@sunybroome.edu.

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Submit a ticket or call the ITS Service Center.

Details

Details

Article ID: 10700
Created
Tue 11/26/24 2:55 PM
Modified
Fri 9/25/26 4:46 PM