1. Setting up a Multimedia System
Ian Ramsey
C of E School
GCSE ICT
Entertain me
Setting up a Multimedia System

2. Starter:
Make a list of all the devices you can think of that can be used for:
Watching films
Listening to music
Playing games
Device
Used for what?
Do you use this device?
Phone
All
Yes
iPod

3. Lesson Objectives: By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
list the criteria for selecting a laptop
use the criteria to select a laptop to meet a user’s needs
be aware of safety and efficiency when disposing of a computer.

4. Chapter Overview:
This chapter is about using digital devices for relaxing and socialising.
In it you will be looking at:
laptops and high-definition, digital televisions
games consoles and media players
home networks
Internet service providers
Internet-based services
copyright
privacy, cyber crime and staying safe on the Internet.

5. Setting up a multimedia System:
Jamie has worked all summer and has saved up enough money to buy himself a system he can use for his favourite pastimes – watching films, listening to music and playing games.
He has an Internet connection in his house. There is no phone line in his bedroom, but he already has a laptop and a DVD player connected to a TV. Before he buys anything, he needs to do some research into what is available.
The list of devices available is large and growing all the time, so how would you choose?
First you need to ask yourself two questions:
What do you need the system to do? (What is its purpose?)
Who is going to be using the system, and are they familiar with using digital devices?

6. Setting up a multimedia System:
Here are Jamie’s replies:

7. Key Word Search: Key words and phrases
Thinking about Jamie’s replies, note down in the table below, key words that you would enter into a search engine to research the devices available.
Key words and phrases
Good HDTV’s
Online gaming devices
MP3 Music Players
Newest Computers
HDMI Cable
Good Headphones
Suggested keywords: games consoles, music players, MP3 players, HD films/movies, online games, best MP3 player, etc.
Think about how can you refine your searches to get more useful results.

8. HDTV – high-definition TV
Choosing a Laptop
From the list that you made in the Starter Activity, you will have realised there are many devices available: media players, desktops PC’s, laptops, HDTV, games console, Blu-ray, DVD, MP3 player, etc..
As Jamie does not have unlimited funds, he has decided to use a laptop as the basis of his multimedia system and connect it to an HDTV to watch films. As his laptop is a few years old, he has decided to buy a new one.
HDTV – high-definition TV
High definition (HD) – The picture on a TV screen is made of lines and of pixels. In a conventional TV there are 625 lines, which are refreshed 25 times per second. HD has either 720 or 1080 lines, so it produces a clearer, sharper picture.
HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) – required for connecting devices to show high definition video.

9. Choosing a Laptop
You need to consider the following when deciding which laptop to buy:
Features – a list of what a device includes, e.g. LCD flat screen, DVD-RW (re-writer), webcam, touch sensitive screen.
Functions – a list of what the device’s features can do, e.g. connect to a network, play high-definition films, access the Internet, play sound at hi-fi quality. Most of the digital devices that people buy have far more functions than they need or use.
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) size – multimedia like video, images, graphics, and MP3 audio files need lots of storage capacity.
Performance – processor speed, e.g. 166 GHz and size of RAM (random access memory), e.g. 4GB.
Connectivity – the range of peripheral equipment the computer can connect to through its interfaces such as USB, HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth.
Future proofing – You do not want to buy something that will be out of date and unusable very quickly.
Upgradability – some games need a larger hard disk drive; you need to be able to upgrade easily as it would be too expensive to keep buying new computers.
Support – You may need help with setting up and using devices, or they may break down and need repairing. Some suppliers offer better support than others.

10. Looking a laptop features
Jamie has narrowed down his choice to three laptops. A table has been put together below containing the information to help you compare their features and functions.
Laptop 1
Laptop 2
Laptop 3
Display
15-inch widescreen
16-inch widescreen
17-inch widescreen
Processor
1.6 GHz
1.8 GHz
2.8 GHz
Memory
1 GB
3 GB
8 GB
Hard disk drive
120 GB
200 GB
1 TB
Optical drive
DVD-RW
Blu-ray disk read only DVD-RW
Blu-ray combo read and write
Wireless enabled No
Yes
Card reader
USB ports 2 4 8
Web cam
HDMI port
Support
1 year return to base
2 years return to base
2 years onsite
Price
£300
£450
£1,200
1 terabyte (TB) = 1000 gigabytes

11. Task 3.1
Using the table on the previous screen, please complete task 3.1 to make some decisions about the laptops.
Start
All Programs
ICT
Edexcel GCSE Active Teach – Student
Click on the pair of Binoculars at the top of the page
Click on select – find a resource drop down menu
Select – Unit
Unit 1
Chapter 3
E-task 3.1
Play
You must click the Submit button after each question.
Read the feedback before you move on.

12. Be safe/be efficient
Jamie will now need to dispose of his old equipment carefully, as his laptop, DVD player and television all contain materials that can harm the environment and are classed as hazardous waste. He can either take them to a waste disposal site or he could give them to an organisation which recycles computer equipment by donating them to other users.
Before he disposes of his old laptop, Jamie must ensure that he deletes any files stored on the hard drive that might contain private or personal information about him, such as his name or password.
He should uninstall any software packages that he plans to re-install on his new computer, so as not to breach the licensing agreement.
The most effective way for Jamie to do this is to reformat the hard disk drive.

13. Results Plus Examiner’s tip!
Exam Question
Exam Question
You will be asked to identify suitable digital systems to be used in particular contexts.
This is an example of a question about a method of input.
Mark wants a ‘hands-free’ games console.
Give two ways in which a game can be controlled hands free.
Results Plus Examiner’s tip!
Names of particular games consoles will not be awarded marks here. The question is looking for ‘hands-free’ methods of input to a game. This ia a developing area so an interest in new controllers or new games will be helpful.
Ideas that would be accepted are: balance board, voice activation, thought generation, pressure pad, breaking a light beam.

14. Knowledge check
State 3 of the key things to think about when selecting which devices to use or buy
Answer:
What should you do before disposing of an old computer?
Answer:
What do you think are the advantages of recycling an old computer?
Answer: