I
PRACTICAL TIPS
I n this occasional series, we will be advocating a do-ityourself approach to overcoming simple technical problems in teaching.
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Videophobia-A Practical Guidefor Sufferers ly Peter Goodge, BA, M.SC,and Dr Michael Varnam, MB, BS, FRCGP, DRCOG Videophobia is an occupational disease; most of its victims are medical teachers. Commonly found symptoms include anxiety about using video equipment, recurrent nightmares about video faults, and tremor of the hand when reaching for the PLAY button of a video recorder. Severe cases may resort to defensive fantasies (e.g. a belief that high-technology video equipment is unreliable), or denial of reality (e.g. denial of the increasingly important role of electronics in medical education). The illness usually has a long history. Many sufferers claim to have been initially interested in using video in their teaching, but early problems with picture quality, sound, or just getting the machine to go led to feelings of helplessness or frustration. The next stage is one of aggressive reaction and is characterized by the thumping of televisions, frantic forcing of plugs into sockets, and general verbal abuse of the equipment. The third and final stage is one of trauma; victims can always recall awful stories about important meetings that fell apart because ‘the video wouldn’t work’. We hope this article provides videophobics with some practical guidelines on self-treatment. We suggest you keep this article close at hand when you next use video; refer to it if you encounter problems. The article is based upon our work with videophobic medical teachers in general practice. We have been developing a workshop on consultation skills which makes extensive use of video. Victims who would like to know more about the workshop please contact us at the address given at the end of this paper.
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
Not plugged in. Socket not switched on.
Ensure plugged in, ensure power switch on.
Recorder not switched on. Fuses blown.
Replace, Call engineer if fuse blows again.
If portable recorder, batteries flat.
Recharge, replace, or operate from mains adaptor.
Playback Problems 1. Recorder dead
Controls do not function. No lights show.
146
Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
Tape has come to its end. Cassette loaded badly. PAUSE switch ON.
Rewind. Remove cassette and reload. Hit PAUSE switch to switch it off, or hit PLAY. Switch recorder to O N (or TV). Most recorders have two O N switches.
2. No playback: tape does not moue Controls do not function. Recorder’s light do show. Cassette spools do not move.
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Recorder switched to TIMER or STANDBY. Dew light on (Marked ‘Dew’). Recorder left in cold environment.
Open cassette loading system. Leave to stand for 60 minutes at room temperature.
TV not connected to recorder.
Check connection(s).
T V not tuned properly.
Press correct tuning button on T V (i.e. correct channel select butt on). Adjust tuning knob on T V to get recorder’s picture. Replace with correct tape (or start recording). Call engineer.
3. Tape moues, but no picture on TV Recorder seems to be operating. TV shows wrong picture or just noise.
Blank tape in recorder. Very dirty drum head on recorder.
4. Snow, streaks or bars on picture Poor picture, containing a lot of noise, may even break up altogether.
Recorder’s tracking adjustment is wrong for the particular tape.
Adjust recorder’s tracking knob slowly. Try one direction then the other until best picture is obtained.
5. Picture shows a herringbone pattern of interference
Frequency of the signal emitted by the recorder is close to a broadcast signal, and they interfere.
Change output frequency of recorder with ‘RF’ control at rear of recorder. Tune T V to the recorder’s new signal frequency.
If recorder has no RF adjustment , contact engineer. Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
147
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
6. Short, fine, white horizontal lines dart across screen
Worn tape, or very poor quality tape.
Replace. Try to avoid using the PAUSE switch-it wears tapes out.
7. White sparks on screen
Static electricity has accumulated on the recorder’s head drum.
Contact engineer .
Picture is grainy. Colour poor. Sound worse.
Recorder’s’head is dirty.
Contact engineer.
9. Distorted image
Cassette cold.
Leave out of recorder for 60 minutes at room temperature. Call engineer.
8. Picture becomes worse over a period of weeks
T V may need specialist adjustment.
10. Picture o n b black and white
TV not quite tuned properly. Recorder has a colour switch which is set to off or BIW.
Retune TV. Look for switch, check that it is set to colour.
Recording Problems (Note: If problems occur whilst recording, check that the equipment will playback satisfactorily before considering the following) 1. Tape does not move when record selected
Recorder plays back correctly, but tape will not move when RECORD pressed. I48
Record tab removed from cassette. Camera’s pause control on.
Put sticky tape over tab hole. Push camera’s PAUSE switch. Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
~
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
Camera connections faulty. Camera switched off.
Check connections. Ensure power to camera, and switched on. Set input select switch to CAMERA (or to LINE if camera connected to rear of recorder). Switch test card signal off.
2. Tape moves, but records improperly
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Recorder appears to operate correctly, but the wrong picture, or no picture at all, is recorded.
Recorders input select switch wrong.
Recorder’s test card signal still switched on. Lens cap still on.
Remove.
3. Picture records, but odd colour People and objects are in strange colours.
Colour adjustment of camera wrong. TV colour adjustment wrong.
Adjust controls marked ‘colour balance’. Adjust ‘colour’ control on TV.
Too little light.
Bring in extra lights, or record at a better time of day. Widen aperture to get more light in the camera. Move camera, move lights out of picture, draw curtain.’
4. Picture records, but poor detail Not possible to make out detail in parts of the picture, which just look a uniform grey or black.
5. Sound faint
Camera’s aperture adjustment wrong. Bright lights in picture (e.g. window). Microphone too far away. Microphone incompatible with recorder.
Move microphone, or people. Exchange for one of correct impedence (specified in recorder’s handbook).
Microphone too far away. Microphone omnidirectional.
Move microphone or people. Ask supplier for cardioid or unidirectional type.
6. Extraneous sound recorded Noises from elsewhere are recorded.
Acknowledgement We would like to thank Pfizer Ltd for their practical help and financial support in developing the consulting skills workshop. Much of the material for this article is taken from the workshop’s handbook, and we are grateful to Pfizer Ltd for permission to use it.
Further Information Enquiries about the workshop on using video in teaching consultation skills should be addressed to: &off Bemtteac!, Workahop Co-ordinator, P f k r Ltd, Sandwich, Kent.
Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
149
PRACTICAL TIPS
I n this occasional series, we will be advocating a do-ityourself approach to overcoming simple technical problems in teaching.
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Videophobia-A Practical Guidefor Sufferers ly Peter Goodge, BA, M.SC,and Dr Michael Varnam, MB, BS, FRCGP, DRCOG Videophobia is an occupational disease; most of its victims are medical teachers. Commonly found symptoms include anxiety about using video equipment, recurrent nightmares about video faults, and tremor of the hand when reaching for the PLAY button of a video recorder. Severe cases may resort to defensive fantasies (e.g. a belief that high-technology video equipment is unreliable), or denial of reality (e.g. denial of the increasingly important role of electronics in medical education). The illness usually has a long history. Many sufferers claim to have been initially interested in using video in their teaching, but early problems with picture quality, sound, or just getting the machine to go led to feelings of helplessness or frustration. The next stage is one of aggressive reaction and is characterized by the thumping of televisions, frantic forcing of plugs into sockets, and general verbal abuse of the equipment. The third and final stage is one of trauma; victims can always recall awful stories about important meetings that fell apart because ‘the video wouldn’t work’. We hope this article provides videophobics with some practical guidelines on self-treatment. We suggest you keep this article close at hand when you next use video; refer to it if you encounter problems. The article is based upon our work with videophobic medical teachers in general practice. We have been developing a workshop on consultation skills which makes extensive use of video. Victims who would like to know more about the workshop please contact us at the address given at the end of this paper.
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
Not plugged in. Socket not switched on.
Ensure plugged in, ensure power switch on.
Recorder not switched on. Fuses blown.
Replace, Call engineer if fuse blows again.
If portable recorder, batteries flat.
Recharge, replace, or operate from mains adaptor.
Playback Problems 1. Recorder dead
Controls do not function. No lights show.
146
Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
Tape has come to its end. Cassette loaded badly. PAUSE switch ON.
Rewind. Remove cassette and reload. Hit PAUSE switch to switch it off, or hit PLAY. Switch recorder to O N (or TV). Most recorders have two O N switches.
2. No playback: tape does not moue Controls do not function. Recorder’s light do show. Cassette spools do not move.
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Recorder switched to TIMER or STANDBY. Dew light on (Marked ‘Dew’). Recorder left in cold environment.
Open cassette loading system. Leave to stand for 60 minutes at room temperature.
TV not connected to recorder.
Check connection(s).
T V not tuned properly.
Press correct tuning button on T V (i.e. correct channel select butt on). Adjust tuning knob on T V to get recorder’s picture. Replace with correct tape (or start recording). Call engineer.
3. Tape moues, but no picture on TV Recorder seems to be operating. TV shows wrong picture or just noise.
Blank tape in recorder. Very dirty drum head on recorder.
4. Snow, streaks or bars on picture Poor picture, containing a lot of noise, may even break up altogether.
Recorder’s tracking adjustment is wrong for the particular tape.
Adjust recorder’s tracking knob slowly. Try one direction then the other until best picture is obtained.
5. Picture shows a herringbone pattern of interference
Frequency of the signal emitted by the recorder is close to a broadcast signal, and they interfere.
Change output frequency of recorder with ‘RF’ control at rear of recorder. Tune T V to the recorder’s new signal frequency.
If recorder has no RF adjustment , contact engineer. Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
147
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
6. Short, fine, white horizontal lines dart across screen
Worn tape, or very poor quality tape.
Replace. Try to avoid using the PAUSE switch-it wears tapes out.
7. White sparks on screen
Static electricity has accumulated on the recorder’s head drum.
Contact engineer .
Picture is grainy. Colour poor. Sound worse.
Recorder’s’head is dirty.
Contact engineer.
9. Distorted image
Cassette cold.
Leave out of recorder for 60 minutes at room temperature. Call engineer.
8. Picture becomes worse over a period of weeks
T V may need specialist adjustment.
10. Picture o n b black and white
TV not quite tuned properly. Recorder has a colour switch which is set to off or BIW.
Retune TV. Look for switch, check that it is set to colour.
Recording Problems (Note: If problems occur whilst recording, check that the equipment will playback satisfactorily before considering the following) 1. Tape does not move when record selected
Recorder plays back correctly, but tape will not move when RECORD pressed. I48
Record tab removed from cassette. Camera’s pause control on.
Put sticky tape over tab hole. Push camera’s PAUSE switch. Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
~
Signs and Symptoms
Differential Diagnosis
Management
Camera connections faulty. Camera switched off.
Check connections. Ensure power to camera, and switched on. Set input select switch to CAMERA (or to LINE if camera connected to rear of recorder). Switch test card signal off.
2. Tape moves, but records improperly
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Flinders University of South Australia on 01/04/15 For personal use only.
Recorder appears to operate correctly, but the wrong picture, or no picture at all, is recorded.
Recorders input select switch wrong.
Recorder’s test card signal still switched on. Lens cap still on.
Remove.
3. Picture records, but odd colour People and objects are in strange colours.
Colour adjustment of camera wrong. TV colour adjustment wrong.
Adjust controls marked ‘colour balance’. Adjust ‘colour’ control on TV.
Too little light.
Bring in extra lights, or record at a better time of day. Widen aperture to get more light in the camera. Move camera, move lights out of picture, draw curtain.’
4. Picture records, but poor detail Not possible to make out detail in parts of the picture, which just look a uniform grey or black.
5. Sound faint
Camera’s aperture adjustment wrong. Bright lights in picture (e.g. window). Microphone too far away. Microphone incompatible with recorder.
Move microphone, or people. Exchange for one of correct impedence (specified in recorder’s handbook).
Microphone too far away. Microphone omnidirectional.
Move microphone or people. Ask supplier for cardioid or unidirectional type.
6. Extraneous sound recorded Noises from elsewhere are recorded.
Acknowledgement We would like to thank Pfizer Ltd for their practical help and financial support in developing the consulting skills workshop. Much of the material for this article is taken from the workshop’s handbook, and we are grateful to Pfizer Ltd for permission to use it.
Further Information Enquiries about the workshop on using video in teaching consultation skills should be addressed to: &off Bemtteac!, Workahop Co-ordinator, P f k r Ltd, Sandwich, Kent.
Medical Teacher Vol 6 No 4 1984
149
