Audio Video Technical Services

The Audio Visual Technician is responsible for the maintenance of Murdoch University's audio visual equipment in the lecture theatres and tutorial rooms. Further duties include training staff and students in the use of this equipment, emergency response, and small scale video copying and recording.

Servicing lecture theatre equipment

Before start of lectures each morning during semester, the AV Technician checks the audio visual equipment in all of the 15 lecture theatres on campus. These checks involve making sure that the systems are functioning properly and switches are set to their default positions. Also, two casual staff check the equipment in the 60 tutorial rooms around campus each morning.

Demonstrations to Staff and Students

Demonstrations can be arranged with the AV Technician to train staff and students in the use of the AVS equipment. Staff can arrange to be shown the use of the lecture theatre audio visual equipment as well as in the use of the AVS loan equipment (students have access to this loan equipment as well).

Staff should contact the AV Technician to arrange a time for training in the lecture theatre they're going to use (when the lecture theatre is not in use by other lecturers). Students should contact the AV Technician to arrange to come in to the AVS Office and be shown the use of loan equipment. When this involves the use of the LCD Data Projectors, the student should bring their laptop with them.

Staff can also arrange to be trained in editing their own video tapes for class presentations or research.

Audio Visual Equipment Loans

Audio Visual equipment is now avaliable for loan only from the ITS Service Desk in the Library. This equipment includes:

The portable LCD data projectors can handle (with compression) resolutions up to UXGA (1600x1200). All projectors on campus have a native resolution of 1024x768. Please contact AVS if you need to confirm projector resolution for your particular lecture theatre.

To connect a laptop to AVS equipment it must have a standard VGA video out port (some iMacs do not have this feature, and some slimline portable computers require an adapter).

There's more than what's been listed here, so if you're looking for a specific piece of equipment please ring the IT Service Desk on ext 7269 and ask if they have it available for loan. Booking requests should be sent by e-mail to avs@.murdoch.edu.au (not to the AVS technician's e-mail address). E-mails are essential for booking requests. We are unable to take phone bookings.

Request for equipment hire forms are available here :

Staff Loan Request Form (.pdf) - please see our page detailing standard equipment in teaching areas before ordering.

Student Loan Request Form (.pdf) - Students wishing to access equipment and services first need to obtain the approval of their Course Co-ordinator. Each request will be assessed by the co-ordinator of AVS on a merit basis.

Emergency Response

Telephone and on-site emergency response can be accessed by phoning the AV Technician on extension 2314. This service is for when lecturers are in or about to begin a lecture and find that they're having difficulty operating the equipment. Most issues can be dealt with over the phone, but the AV Technician has a vehicle to use in order to improve response time when on-site assistance is required. This service is provided between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm.

Video Recording and Copying

Video recording can be arranged from the major free to air networks in the Perth Area within copyright limitations. Staff wishing to make duplicates of off-air broadcast tapes must have their tapes clearly labelled as required by copyright law (for more information see the Murdoch University Copyright Compliance web pages). Copying of tapes from NTSC to PAL format requires the permission of the copyright holder. In most circumstances it is not necessary to transfer the tape to a different format because all AVS televisions and VCRs in lecture theatres and tutorial rooms are both PAL and NTSC compliant (some of the VCRs require the use of a physical switch on the unit to be set to PAL or NTSC, others are auto-sensing).

The cost of video cassette duplication is charged to the lecturer's department. Costs cover the price of the blank tape and setup of the equipment. There's a five dollar fee for copying one tape and a ten dollar fee for more than one. For more than four tapes an additional ten dollar fee is incurred for each set of four copies requested (this is due to the equipment limitations at AVS which permits the production of a maximum of four duplicate tapes per setup). Large quantity copying (more than eight copies) is sent off-campus to be done.

Basic video editing can be provided by the AV Technician. More lengthy or involved video editing is performed by the individual lecturers in the AVS Office after they are trained in the operation of the editing equipment.

There is one lecture theatre on campus that has the equipment to provide streaming audio and video. The Brian Hill lecture theatre is the first of its type in Australia. Staff wishing to enquire about this should contact the IT Network Manager, School of Media Communications and Culture, Division of Arts. AVS can provide loan equipment of a video camera and tripod for video recording of lectures.

First Line Maintenance

When the University's audio visual equipment malfunctions it can be brought in to the AVS Office for basic repairs and maintenance. If the repair or maintenance is involved, the equipment will be repaired by an outside specialist.

Technical Advice

Staff may contact the AV Technician regarding technical advice in audio visual equipment purchases.