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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => Pro AV Forum => Topic started by: Steve Crump on January 22, 2018, 01:13:13 PM

Title: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Steve Crump on January 22, 2018, 01:13:13 PM
Here is what I want to do:
I want to install maybe a 60" or larger LED monitor/screen on the wall in my shop so I can review building plans before we plot.
I thought I would simply buy a monitor, mount it on the wall and use a Apple TV module I already have.
I thought I would simply open the file in Acrobat on my iPad and link to the Apple TV using Airplay and it would be simple.
Will I tried a trial run at home before purchasing a monitor/screen, I couldn't find an option to link from Acrobat to Apple TV. Apps like YouTube are no problem, but I can't figure out how to link from Acrobat.

So what is my best solution?

All the files come to us via email and are downloaded to a network drive for storage. The PC screens we work with are just not large enough to get a good look at a full drawing page. And I am really getting tired of plotting twice as many drawings pages than we need.

This will be installed in a break/meeting area. All the equipment will need to be wall mounted with a wireless touch screen control located at the break area table. I really don't want to install cable from the large display to the table and I need the remote touch surface to be small so when we are not looking at plans it can be easily put away. So the area can go from plan preview, back to break area quickly.

Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Tom Burgess on January 22, 2018, 02:15:05 PM
If you have to display your content wirelessly you could mount a WePresent 1600 behind the display and use its compatible apps for screen sharing.

What are you wanting to accomplish with the touch screen controller other than power on / off, volume up / down, and input select?
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Scott Holtzman on January 22, 2018, 02:27:45 PM
If you have to display your content wirelessly you could mount a WePresent 1600 behind the display and use its compatible apps for screen sharing.

What are you wanting to accomplish with the touch screen controller other than power on / off, volume up / down, and input select?

What kind of touch screen are you going to use?  How will you select the file? 

Windows allows you to connect a wireless projector I wonder if Apple has same option.

Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Steve Crump on January 22, 2018, 02:37:46 PM
What are you wanting to accomplish with the touch screen controller other than power on / off, volume up / down, and input select?
[/quote]

No sound required.
I guess one of these approaches.
1. Using an iPad type device to open the PDF file and then send the image to the screen just to preview. No type of editing. Just the ability to open, maybe zoom in on the file. Once we preview, the files will be opened and plotted from a different office desktop.

2. I could place a small PC on the same wall as the screen and use the touch screen/pad to control the PC remotely to open the file and preview. This will be used only to open and view, no plotting or editing.
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Steve Crump on January 22, 2018, 02:50:06 PM
What kind of touch screen are you going to use?  How will you select the file? 

   


Not really sure about which touch screen/pad. That really is part of the question. Selecting the file is another question.

This is my not my area of expertise and I could probably work out a scenario to get by, but I usually find out when I do that I have a substandard system and spent to much $ or for a little more $ I could have had a more capable system.

Scenario: Using a touch screen type device iPad/Android (doesn't really matter which to me); simply access a drive on our office network, open the file for preview, have the file displayed on a large wall mounted screen for us to view. Just don't want to routinely have to deal with a mouse and keyboard, (other than maybe periodic maintenance). Want to be able to control all with a small touch surface.
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: TJ (Tom) Cornish on January 22, 2018, 05:32:47 PM
Use a PC to drive your screen.

If possible, get a 4K TV - that is MUCH more usable for what you're trying to do than 1080P.  Otherwise it's just a bigger version of a low-res (at 60" anyway) PC monitor.
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: veditor78 on January 22, 2018, 09:50:37 PM
Use your AppleTV and use the Mirror function on the iPad to show your iPad screen on the TV. It should work for what you want.

Here's and Apple Support page on how to do this.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289

I recently installed a WePresent 1600 and the only advantage over an AppleTV is you can have multiple devices connected at one time. For the cost of it I wouldn't recommend it for your purpose.
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Tom Bourke on January 23, 2018, 02:45:12 PM
Use a PC to drive your screen.

If possible, get a 4K TV - that is MUCH more usable for what you're trying to do than 1080P.  Otherwise it's just a bigger version of a low-res (at 60" anyway) PC monitor.
This.  Just a basic computer with the appropriate out to the TV.  At home I use a couple of wireless keyboards with a touch pad as TV remotes.  Logitech k400
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Steve Crump on January 23, 2018, 03:06:51 PM
Use a PC to drive your screen.

If possible, get a 4K TV - that is MUCH more usable for what you're trying to do than 1080P.  Otherwise it's just a bigger version of a low-res (at 60" anyway) PC monitor.

One of the guys at the shop is going to Best Buy in the next town over to pick up a 70" TV while they are on sale.
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Steve Crump on January 23, 2018, 03:08:56 PM
Use your AppleTV and use the Mirror function on the iPad to show your iPad screen on the TV. It should work for what you want.

Here's and Apple Support page on how to do this.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289

I recently installed a WePresent 1600 and the only advantage over an AppleTV is you can have multiple devices connected at one time. For the cost of it I wouldn't recommend it for your purpose.

Tried this and it worked great. I do have another question, will an iPad mirror to a smart TV without the Apple TV interface?
Title: Re: How to preview PDF files on a wall mount LED monitor/screen
Post by: Jordan Wolf on January 23, 2018, 07:44:40 PM
You can look into AirServer (https://www.airserver.com) - it’s a program that is hosted on a computer that you AirPlay the iPad to and mirror the display of the computer onto the monitor.