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[keasy]

The school has a computer we use to run presentations and photographs to an HDTV in reception but it has now been deemed by the infinite wisdom of the local authority IT dept. to be to old and is set to be decommissioned. Regardless of the fact we have requested to keep it as it serves the sole purpose of running the TV they have refused.

This leaves us without a source to run photographs etc. so I've been asked to see about some sort of USB solution but the TV doesn't have built in USB.

I'm thinking a USB to DVI?VGA device would be ideal but don't seem able to find such a thing if it exists.
I've found plenty of devices that allow a secondary monitor to be ran from USB to a DVI monitor, in effect a type of video splitter but that's not what I need. I need it vice versa I need something I plug a USB stick into and that device attaches to the DVI as input, I don't need an output.


Anyone ever heard of such a thing ?

[Roscop]

What about an old school dvd player with a usb socket ? Or am I not understanding what you need

http://www.ebuyer.com/264670-sumvision-phoenix-dvd-player-sv70-divx-hdmi-dvd-player-1080p-divx-xvid-mp4-black-sv70dvd

£28 with postage

Theres these as well

http://www.ebuyer.com/225049-xenta-hdmi-upscaling-mini-media-player-divx-upscaling-hdmi-usb-sd-pdm05h


http://www.ebuyer.com/274064-cyclone-micro-2-full-hd-hdmi-1080p-multimedia-player-micro-2-

[Thermalsig]

Why don't you just grab an old pc laying around and stick puppy linux or mint on it? The most you would be out would be a cable if you needed one. I've got mint running beautiful on an 800 mhz laptop. It does everything you're asking for.

Sent by  Droid X while sniping squirrels from my roof.

[Wooster]

To add to Rosco's suggestion you can try Amazon as well: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sumvision-Cyclone-Primus-Media-Player/dp/B004CX5C8G/ref=sr_1_12?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1313430105&sr=1-12

[keasy]

DVD player won't do as there is no where to mount it and it would be deemed an appliance and as such needs bought via the authority and tested via the authority.


Therm, we have a PC as I said, it's being decommissioned, I can't stick another in as it's IT equipment and has to be above board.

[Condor Baggins]

What about a cheap laptop from Fleabay? The old man got a wee cracker off there for buttons.

[keasy]

You can't take that kind of thing into a school to be used on official equipment.


I can add a device such as I've explained but a laptop or any other computer would be deemed IT equipment and as such introducing it to the workplace to be used is sackable, same as any other workplace really.

[Roscop]

The wee media players that me and Wooster linked to would probably come under the appliance category as well then ?

Is it down to being electrically tested and stuff like that ?

[Thermalsig]

You can't take that kind of thing into a school to be used on official equipment.


I can add a device such as I've explained but a laptop or any other computer would be deemed IT equipment and as such introducing it to the workplace to be used is sackable, same as any other workplace really.

Ah, sorry. Didn't catch that part.

Sent by  Droid X while sniping squirrels from my roof.

[Condor Baggins]

The only way I can see around this is borrowing a school laptop from the relevant department when it's needed. 

[Hijpo]

How far away is the receptionists machine away from the tv? 

[gi joe]

What department do you work in?  Can you speak to the head of IT?  Because having worked for two public sector areas in IT, I know some departments, despite us telling them not to, would sometime order stuff without going through us.  We'd be annoyed but at the end of the day, end up having to, very basically, support it.  Other times we'd just say "That is equipment/software will not be supported".  So could it not be requested that you could keep the PC and it not be supported any more, so no calls are allowed to be raised for it?  As our clients technically funded the IT Department in both areas I worked, they could potentially overall some minor decisions like this.  Could yours not do the same?  If the school pays a budget to the IT department each year for it's services?

But what you want, I'm not sure exists without a PC or DVD being involved.  And if it's for presentations as well as photographs a PC is going to need to be involved somewhere.  Can only find this

http://www.lindy.co.uk/usb-2-to-vga-adapter/42799.html

But again, needs a PC and can't just run stuff directly off the USB stick.

[keasy]

That's just a video splitter again.


You're right though, I don't think such a thing exists.
I'll just tell the head the same thing.

[Hap Hazzard]

All singing all dancing , not a pc/dvd player in sight.

http://www.ambery.com/hidediphtvpl.html

If the schools got an hdmi camera run that through it.

I'm sure that they can buy a dvd player with a usb as that is the cheapest option.  A portable applaince test cost about £3.50, probably cheaper, as by law they have to test all their electrical equipment every year anyway. Sit it on a table below and run a long cable. Why mount it?

[Roscop]

What about using the A/V out from a digital camera to display a slide show direct to the tv ? No need for additional hardware then.

Of course thats assuming that the school has a digital camera that can do that