Sometimes, the trickiest part of a presentation isn’t the delivery, but rather the struggle to get the projector technology working properly.
No problem, we’re here to help.
In this article, we’ll detail how to connect our projector rentals (in this case, a BenQ MH535FHD projector) with a laptop or other HDMI-based video source.
Here’s an overview of what will be discussed:
- Setup overview
- Connecting the power cord & HDMI
- Turning on the projector
- Adjusting zoom & focus
- Adjusting height & levelness
- The projector menu
- Selecting your video source
- The projector speaker
- The projector remote
- Turning the projector off
Setup Overview
When you get a projector rental from River City Events, it comes with six elements:
- Silver carrying case
- Instruction guide
- Projector
- Power cable
- HDMI cable
- Projector remote
Connecting the Power Cable & HDMI
After you’ve unpacked your projector from the case it comes in, there are two cables you’re going to need to connect.
The first one is the power cable, which is the same typical power cable used in most computer devices. Plug this cable into the large port on the back of the projector.
The second HDMI cable is for connecting the projector to the video source, which is typically the laptop or computer you wish to display via the projector.
There are two HDMI inputs on the projector you can plug this cord in. For simplicity’s sake, we recommend plugging in the HDMI cord to the ‘HDMI 1’ slot.
The next step is to take plug the other end of the HDMI cord into the video source—in this case, a laptop. It is important to note that whatever video source you are using has an HDMI port, as you can see in the photo below:
Plug the HDMI cord into this slot, and you’re good to go!
Turning On the Projector
To turn the projector on, click the on/off button on top of the device.
Shortly, you’ll hear the fan kick on, which will continue as the projector bulb comes up to temperature for brightness.
This process may take a few minutes, so don’t panic if nothing appears on your projector screen immediately.
Adjusting Zoom & Focus
After the projector gets up to the right brightness, you can now adjust both the size and sharpness of the projector’s image using the two wheels above the the bulb:
First, you’ll want to use the ‘ZOOM’ wheel to set the size of your picture:
Once you’ve got the size of the picture to where you want it, experiment with the ‘FOCUS’ wheel so that the image is sufficiently sharp:
Adjusting Height & Levelness
You’ll want to make sure your projector is at the right height and is level.
At the front of the projector, you’ll notice a small, screw-like foot.
This foot can be lengthened by loosening it or shortened by tightening it, allowing you to adjust the height of the picture:
At the side of the projector is another adjustable foot:
However, this foot controls the levelness of the projector’s image. By lengthening or loosening this foot, you can find the correct tilt to fit your projector screen:
The Projector Menu
On the top of the projector, you’ll notice several buttons. The most common button you will be dealing with is likely the ‘menu ‘MENU’ button:
Pressing this button will reveal an on-screen menu with a number of options for display, settings, systems, and information.
The default settings are likely going to be perfect for your application; however, the options are there if you so desire.
To exit the menu, simply click the ‘MENU’ button again and it will go away.
Selecting Your Video Source
The other button you may have to use is the ‘SOURCE’ button.
Now, if you only have one video source connected (which you will if you followed the steps above and plugged the HDMI cord into the HDMI 1 input), your projector will select the correct video source by default.
Should you have multiple inputs plugged into the source (say you are using HDMI 1 and HDMI 2), you may wish to switch between which input the projector is displaying on-screen.
There are also VGA, S-Video, and video sources that the projector is capable of displaying; however, these inputs are pretty much obsolete nowadays. HDMI is the easiest and best choice.
To switch your input, press the ‘SOURCE’ button to reveal another on-screen menu:
Select whatever input you need using the up and down arrow keys on top of the projector, and then click the ‘OK’ button to finalize your choice. The projector will then start displaying whichever input you have selected.
Projector Speaker
The projector has the capability to playback audio to a very small audience—maybe six to eight people at most. The audio can come into the projector via the HDMI cable (along with the video).
You can use the right and left arrow keys on top of the projector to control and manipulate the volume:
Projector Remote
For your convenience, a remote comes with the projector:
It has a wealth of different features, such as:
- ‘ON’ button
- ‘OFF’ button
- Video source buttons
- Cursor controls
- Volume controls
- Freeze button (allowing you to freeze a frame and turn off the projector)
As well as a number of other convenience features.
Turning the Projector Off
After you’re done with the projector for the day, we ask that you turn it off before you unplug it.
You can either turn it off using the ‘OFF’ button on the remote on the projector.
You have to push the button twice—once to bring up a on-screen prompt asking if you want to turn off the projector, and a second time to confirm your choice.
You will notice that the projector fan continues to run, cooling the bulb. Please do not move the projector until the fan has turned off, as this cooling process continues to ensure no damage occurs as a result of touching, overheated components.
Contact Us
We hope this article has helped make your presentation crystal clear!
Have questions?
We’d to love to help!
Call us at 780-424-6001 between 9 am to 5pm on Monday to Friday, or 10 am to 4pm on Saturdays, or leave us a message. If the message is urgent, you may reach out to the same number after hours.