Instructional Media

Equipment Purchasing
 
 Bob Schieffer - Instructional Media Supervisor218-477-2337
 schief@mnstate.edu
 
 Instructional Media can assist you in your decision-making when purchasing TV, audio, AV or other presentation equipment. Instructional Media staff work to keep up to date on new technologies and current models equipment. We work with a variety of vendors to provide the university with the best service, reliablility and cost. We encourage departments to consult with us before equipment is purchased. Purchasing decisions made without Instructional Media involvement may affect later repair and maintenence support (see below).
 
 Repair and Maintenence issues
 Instructional Media has a limited budget for the repair and maintenence of both classroom and departmental portable equipment. To best utilize our resources, full support is offered to models of equipment that has been approved by our staff. If departments decide to purchase equipment that is not part of Instructional Media's maintenence plan, full support may not be offered in the repair and maintenence of this equipment. We will always assist in diagnosing and identifying repair options, but payment for repair from our budget will only occur with approved equipment. Instructional Media installs and maintains AV and TV equipment in university classrooms. Equipment is cared for on a regular schedule. Support for this maintenence comes from Instructional Media's budget.
 
 Classroom Installation
 Departments planning for installation of projection systems or other permanently installed systems are encouraged to include Instructional Media early in the planning process. With any installation, there are many issues that need to be addressed. Alteration of facilities must be done only with consultation with physical plant personnel. Wiring, screen installation and other items must meet with code requirements and ADA regulations. Along with the cost of individual pieces of equipment, installation also incurs expenses that need to be included in the project budget.
 
 Video/Data Projector guidelines
 Instructional Media has been involved in the purchase and installation of many video/data projectors on campus. Projectors that are installed in classrooms must meet these minimum specifications:
 • 1024x768 resolution
 • at least 2000 ANSI lumens
 There are also many instances where projector selections will have to be made to accommodate rooms with special uses and/or special circumstances. For instance, rooms with limited lighting control may need a brighter projector, departments projecting special media may need different input specifications or a higher contrast ratio, etc. In any case, consultation with Instructional Media is encouraged.