alice-e.book Seite 2 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Alice This manual and the software it describes are protected by copyright. The manual and software as presented are the object of a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with the license conditions. The licensee bears all risk in regard to hazards and impairments of quality which may arise in connection with the use of this product.
alice-e.book Seite 3 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Contents 1 1.1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 4 4.1 5 5.1 5.2 5.3 6 6.1 6.2 6.3 Welcome to Alice 5 Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Installing Alice 7 Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sound Card Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Installing Alice . . . .
alice-e.book Seite 4 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Typographical Conventions The following typographic conventions and symbols are used in this manual to make reading easier and to emphasize important information. Highlighting The table below explains the highlighting conventions used in this manual. Highlighting Function Example Quotation marks Keys, buttons, icons, tabs, menus, commands “Start / Programs” or “Enter” Capital letters Path and file names in running text SOFTWARE\INFO.
alice-e.book Seite 5 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Welcome to Alice 1 Welcome to Alice Alice is a user-friendly software package for the transmission and reception of audio and video data. The seamless synchronization of video and sound data through the monitor and sound card enables speech and moving images to be reproduced in high quality, both on your computer and the computer of the remote station.
alice-e.book Seite 6 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Package Contents 1.1 Package Contents When you have opened the product, you will have the following components in front of you: 1 Alice CD 1 Alice manual (the book you're reading now) The Product Identification Code is printed on the back of the CD case. This serial number is part of your license agreement with AVM. Be sure to keep it in a safe place. If any of these contents are missing, please contact your vendor.
alice-e.book Seite 7 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Installing Alice 2 Installing Alice Please check the installation requirements before installing Alice. Correct functionality can only be guaranteed if all the requirements are fulfilled. 2.1 Installation Requirements Your computer should fulfill the following requirements: Intel Pentium II processor or higher and 350 MHz (or a fully compatible computer); Your computer should be equipped with the MMX processor upgrade.
alice-e.book Seite 8 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Sound Card Information 2.2 Sound Card Information Alice can be operated with a number of different sound cards. You can use either headsets (headphones combined with a microphone) connected directly to a sound card or desktop speakers combined with a separate microphone. AVM recommends using a headset to ensure that transmission is as free of distortion as possible. Make sure that your sound card has full duplex capability, i.e.
alice-e.book Seite 9 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Installing Alice Input window for the Product Identification Code 6. The window for ISDN configuration opens. If your ISDNController is connected to a PBX, select the option “Operation at a PBX”. When this option is active, you must fill out the fields below it. Under “Outside line access” enter the number used by your PBX to obtain an outside line, usually “0”.
alice-e.book Seite 10 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Installing Alice Information for operation at a PBX Click “Next”. 7. Accept your entries by clicking “Install”. The program files for Alice are now copied to the specified folders. 8. If you would like to use Alice immediately after installation, leave the “Start Alice” option activated. Click “Finish” to end the installation. 9. Restart your computer if you are prompted to do so. This concludes the Alice installation.
alice-e.book Seite 11 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Removing Alice 2.4 Removing Alice Alice can be completely removed from your system by clicking the “Add/Remove Programs” icon in the Windows Control Panel. To remove Alice from your computer, proceed as follows: 1. Select “Start / (Settings) / Control Panel”, then doubleclick the “Add/Remove Programs” icon. 2. Click the “Change/Remove” button. 3. Select the entry “AVM Alice” which appears in the following list and confirm with “Change/Remove”. 4.
alice-e.book Seite 12 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Working with Alice 3 Working with Alice You have installed Alice on your computer. Now you can establish the first connection, download video data from a server or surprise your friends with pictures from your vacation. This chapter explains the most important steps for operating Alice. See the Online Help for detailed information about components, settings and operation of Alice.
alice-e.book Seite 13 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Clearing a Connection While Alice is connecting, the color of the screen changes and the LEDs to the left of the screen blink. The time needed for connecting is displayed in minutes and seconds. As soon as the connection has been established, the message “Connected with ” appears in the status window.
alice-e.book Seite 14 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Automatic Call Acceptance Automatic Call Acceptance When the “Automatic Call Acceptance” option is enabled, Alice accepts incoming video calls automatically. The connection to the remote site is established automatically. To protect your system from unwanted calls, you can define a PIN here that must be entered by the remote site in order to connect to your line.
alice-e.book Seite 15 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Editing a Phone Book Entry 2. Once you have entered all information, hold down the “Phone Book” button until the entry appears in the Phone Book. Editing a Phone Book Entry To edit an existing Phone Book entry, proceed as follows: 1. Highlight the Phone Book record by clicking with the right mouse button. 2. Select the “Edit” command from the context menu. 3. You can now edit the Phone Book record as desired.
alice-e.book Seite 16 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Quick-Dial Key Assignments 3.4 Quick-Dial Key Assignments Proceed as follows to assign a number to a quick-dial key. 1. Move the cursor to the status window. 2. Enter the description of the remote site to be assigned to the quick-dial key. 3. Enter a comma followed by the number, the IP address or the URL of the remote partner.
alice-e.book Seite 17 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 The Journal 3.5 The Journal The Journal logs all connections, both incoming calls and the connections you establish with Alice. Click the button on the left to open the Journal. Fields and Descriptions in the Alice Journal Field Description Date/Time Here you see the date and time when the connection was established. Duration/Charges These columns display the duration of the connection and the connection charges accrued.
alice-e.book Seite 18 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Displaying the Local Image 3.6 Displaying the Local Image If you have a camera connected to your computer, your local image will be transmitted to the remote site whenever a connection is established. You have the option of viewing this picture in a small square on your own screen to check how you appear to your conversation partner. Click the button on the left to view the local image.
alice-e.book Seite 19 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 About Alice 3.7 About Alice Alice is equipped with a small diagnostic program which displays the following information in a separate window: the currently installed version of Alice, the Alice product identification code, the computer's processor and operating system, the manufacturer's version of the CAPI 2.0 driver, the computer name and IP address, information about the sound and video devices connected to your computer.
alice-e.book Seite 20 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 How Alice Works 4 How Alice Works Using Alice you can establish connections to various remote sites over the ISDN line or an existing network connection. Alice can connect to video conference systems, content servers and remote sites equipped with Alice software or other software compliant with the international standards H.320 and H.323. Video camera Webcam Frame grabber card Video interface Microphone Alice H.320 Full-duplex soundcard H.
alice-e.book Seite 21 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Standards Used by Alice 4.1 Standards Used by Alice Alice uses the following standards: Standard Description H.320 An ITU (International Telecommunications Union) standard. General term for all audio and video transmission over ISDN. H.323 An ITU (International Telecommunications Union) standard. A package of standards for audio and video transmission via IP connections. H.221 / H.
alice-e.book Seite 22 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Standards Used by Alice 22 Standard Description AV-II An AVM standard for audio coding. In this standard a bandwidth of only 16 kBit/s is required for transmission of the audio data. The effective compression performed with AV-II makes more bandwidth available for transmission of the video data. AV-II also offers improved audio quality thanks to the increase in frequency range from 3 kHz to 7 kHz.
alice-e.book Seite 23 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Tips and Tricks 5 Tips and Tricks This chapter provides you with useful tips on using Alice and on solving problems that may arise during operation. 5.1 Selection of the Video Device: Alice Does not Display a Local Image Alice offers the option of switching among different cameras during an active connection. If no local image is displayed after you start Alice, it may be that Alice is using another video source installed on your computer.
alice-e.book Seite 24 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Dialing via an Internet Connection 5.3 Dialing via an Internet Connection In order to connect to a remote site via the Internet, you have to know its IP address. However, this address is usually assigned dynamically when you dial into the Internet Service Provider. The current IP address of your computer can be found in the Alice “Information” window.
alice-e.book Seite 25 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Information and Support 6 Information and Support Questions may arise occasionally when working with Alice. AVM provides numerous sources of information to assist you in your day-to-day work with Alice. If you are not able to resolve a problem yourself, AVM Support is available to assist you. 6.1 Where to Find Information There are various information sources available about the operation and features of Alice.
alice-e.book Seite 26 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Information on the AVM Home Page 6.2 Information on the AVM Home Page This manual and the Alice Online Help are the first information resources. The AVM web site offers detailed information on products and services and provides updates. Press releases about AVM and its products are also presented here. Just enter www.avm.de/en and off you go! 6.
alice-e.book Seite 27 Dienstag, 29. Juli 2003 2:50 14 Support by Fax Support by Fax If necessary, you can reach Alice Support at the fax number: +49 (0)30 / 39 00 44 31 Most of the additional information required appears when you click this button in Alice. Prepare the following information for your Support consultant: The Product Identification Code which is printed on the back of the CD case.
