Sound and projection
In a room you work with two screens: the console, for you, and the projection, for the audience. The projection plays the sound; the console stays silent. This page covers setting both up, the room’s sound, and controlling media during the game.
The console and the projection
Section titled “The console and the projection”The console has three views: Console (your controls), Projection (what the big screen shows) and Participant (a read-only preview of what a phone shows).
To put the projection on the big screen:
- In the console, choose Projection window, at the end of the second row. It opens the projection in a new tab.
- Drag that tab out of the browser window, onto the projector or the second screen.
- Choose Fullscreen in it.
- Click once anywhere in the projection and choose Turn sound on.
The browser allows sound only after a click in the window that plays it, not in the console. Once is enough for the whole room.
The console never plays the quiz’s sound, so you can keep it on a laptop facing you. Use Chrome or Edge for the console and the projection: they are what QuizDock is built and tested on.
Project from another computer
Section titled “Project from another computer”When the projector hangs on another computer than yours, make a screen on that computer the room’s projection:
- In the console, choose ⋮ next to Projection window: Project from another computer.
- On the computer connected to the projector, open the address it shows, or scan its QR code. Its Share sends that address alone, through the share sheet or the clipboard.
- That screen shows a Projection code of 4 digits, in its bottom-left corner.
- Type it in Code shown on that screen and choose Make it the projection. The console says “That screen is now the room’s projection.”
The screen stays the projection when it reloads or reconnects. Then choose Fullscreen and Turn sound on in it, as above.
Only the projection (the window Projection window opens, or a screen you paired) drives the media: it plays the sound, the console waits for it before a question with media, and the other devices follow its place in a sound or a video. Any other screen opened with the PIN is a copy, like a participant’s: it follows the game and drives nothing.
Room sound
Section titled “Room sound”Room sound sets the effects and the music the projection plays around the questions. Everything is off in a new room. Open it from the console’s second row, in the lobby or at any moment of the game.
| Effect | When it plays |
|---|---|
| Answer received | Each time an answer comes in. |
| Question start | When each question appears, except a question that plays its own sound or video. |
| Time’s up | When the question ends: on zero, or as soon as everyone has answered. |
| Countdown | Over the last five seconds of the time, the end sound on zero. Stops if everyone has answered. |
| Music | A background track while players answer. It steps out while a question plays its own sound or video, and between questions, then comes back where it was. |
Each effect is either Built-in (synthesised) or A sound from the library…: upload one, or take one of your sounds or of the instance’s. The music is None or a sound from the library. Hear “{name}” (here only) plays a sound on your own device to check it. When the quiz’s theme has a sound of its own for an effect, it plays instead of the built-in one; a sound you pick here still wins.
Three levels balance the room: Media (the quiz’s own sounds and videos), Music and Effects. Projection sound switches the projection’s sound off and on; while it is off the console shows Room muted, and the levels are kept for when it is back.
The projection plays all of it. Participants following from home also hear the music and the effects; phones in the room stay silent. See Remote participants.
The quiz’s own sounds and videos
Section titled “The quiz’s own sounds and videos”Which devices play a question’s sound or video follows the quiz’s Who hears the sound, a question’s Who hears this sound, and the lobby’s Who hears the sound in this quiz for this room. Every sound is played at the quiz’s Sound levelling, so the volume stays even. See Media.
During a question with media, the console shows the transport:
- play and pause, and Restart the media from the top;
- click the waveform to move in the sound.
Moving in the sound does not change the timer. On a question set to Start the timer when the media ends, the sound cannot be moved until it ends (“The answers open when the sound ends”), and pausing pauses the game.
Waiting for the media
Section titled “Waiting for the media”Before a question with media, every device that plays it loads the file. The console shows Next media loaded: 12 / 14 devices, and whether the projection is ready. The question starts when every device is ready, or when the wait runs out (10 seconds by default, set for the instance). Start anyway starts without the late devices; Still loading: names them.
Animations
Section titled “Animations”Animations switches the transitions between steps on and off for this room. Turn them off for a slow projector. A device whose system asks for reduced motion keeps simple fades only.
Each device’s own mix
Section titled “Each device’s own mix”Every device has This device’s mix: its own volume and mute for Questions, Music, Effects and Interface. It changes only that device. The room’s music and effects are yours to set.
Questions
Section titled “Questions”Why is there no sound on the big screen?
Section titled “Why is there no sound on the big screen?”The projection window needs one click, in that window: choose Turn sound on. Then check that Projection sound is on in Room sound, and the computer’s own volume and output.
Why do I hear nothing on my laptop?
Section titled “Why do I hear nothing on my laptop?”The console is silent on purpose. Sound comes from the projection window. To check a sound, use Hear “{name}” (here only) in Room sound.
Can the phones in the room play the sound?
Section titled “Can the phones in the room play the sound?”Yes, with Every device. Phones that share a room then echo each other, so keep it for players in different places.