LinkTheater – Wireless A&G Media Player P4LWAG v.
Introduction Product Diagram Getting Started Remote Control Initial Power-On Wired Setup Wireless Setup Viiv Setup AOSS Setup Manual Wireless Configuration Settings System Preferences Network Settings Display Settings Reset System Settings Choosing your Media Sources Installing and Configuring Buffalo PC Utility Installing and Configuring Windows Media Connect Connecting to a Media Server
Using LinkTheater Thank you for choosing LinkTheater! This manual should help you configure and use your new LinkTheater. Buffalo Technology’s LinkTheater P4LWAG Wireless-A&G Network Media Player is the missing link between your TV, home entertainment center, and computer network. Now, you can play the movies, music, and photos stored on your computers from the comfort of your living room, through your TV and home entertainment center. The LinkTheater can connect to wired or wireless networks. With 802.
TM RESET USB 2.0 port for use with memory keys and FAT32 USB hard drives Power/Standby switch Reset button; hold in with a straightened paper clip for 5 seconds to reset. RP-SMA for wireless antennas (attach antennas before use) + D4/Component HD video out (720p) S-Video port S-Video port RCA stereo audio out Toslink digital audio out (5.
Package Contents: • • • • • • • • LinkTheater Media Player (2) Wireless Antennas Remote Control with Batteries AC Power Adapter LinkTheater CD-ROM User Manual (this guide) Standard A/V Cable (Red, White, and Yellow RCAs) D4/Component Video Cable If any items are missing from your package, please contact Buffalo Technology’s Technical Support or contact the place you purchased your product from.
Hookup: The LinkTheater must be connected to a TV or monitor. Although the LinkTheater plays mp3s and other popular music formats, a TV or monitor is required to navigate and configure options on the LinkTheater. By default, the LinkTheater uses the standard 4:3 video mode over the yellow analog video connector, or an S-Video connector.
4 - Plug the Buffalo AC adapter into an AC power outlet. Buffalo recommends connecting the AC adapter to a power-strip with a surge protector to protect it from power surges caused by lightning. 5 - Plug the power connector from the AC adapter into the back of the LinkTheater. The ‘POWER/STANDBY’ light on the front of the LinkTheater will turn orange, then green. You do not need to press the power button on the front of the LinkTheater.
Remote Control The LinkTheater's navigation and settings are all done via the included remote control. To navigate through the menus, use the up, down, left and right arrows. To make a selection, press the ‘Enter’ key. Also, the left and right arrows can be used to navigate forward and back through the menus. Info – The info button will bring up information regarding the file that is currently being played back.
convenience, allowing you to quickly mute or raise/lower the volume without having to necessarily use the TV or sound system’s remote control. TM INFO SETUP REFRESH REPEAT VIDEO AUDIO Stop – The stop key will temporarily pause a slideshow that’s in progress. Track – The track button will skip forward or back to the next video, music, or picture file.
When the LinkTheater turns on for the first time, it will attempt to connect you to a wired or wireless network automatically. Which screens you see will depend on whether you’re connecting your LinkTheater with a wired or wireless internet connection. Wired Setup: If you are using a wired network and have plugged in an Ethernet cable, then the LinkTheater will automatically connect to the wired network. You should receive a message like this.
Wireless Setup: If you are using a wireless network, then the LinkTheater will give you three options to initially connect your device. Intel® Viiv™ Setup – If you have a Viiv™ PC on your network, it can instruct this device on how to set up. Turn to page 12 for wireless setup with a Viiv computer. AOSS – If your access point supports AOSS, then you can connect your LinkTheater to it wirelessly by just pushing a couple of buttons. Turn to page 20 for more information.
Intel® Viiv™ It's easy to install and use the LinkTheater with an Intel® Viiv™ PC. Your Viiv PC can configure your LinkTheater’s wireless settings for you. Begin by making sure that your PC has the latest patches and updates from Microsoft and Intel. Open the Viiv settings window by clicking the Viiv logo on your PC’s desktop or system tray. If your LinkTheater is connected to the network with a wired Ethernet connection and you’re using a Viiv PC, then turn to page 17.
Select Wirelessly, then next. When you see this screen, go to your LinkTheater.
Power on the LinkTheater and select Yes to have Viiv configure your wireless connection for you. Your LinkTheater will give you a passcode. Write this down. You have ten minutes to type this into your Viiv PC. If time runs out on the timer, go back to the previous screen and select Yes again to get a new passcode.
Back at the PC, click next. Enter the passcode that you got from the LinkTheater. Click next.
Select media device and then next. Your LinkTheater is now connected to the network. Click next to begin building your media library. Turn to page 21.
If you’ve connected your LinkTheater to your network with a wired Ethernet connection, you can still add the LinkTheater to a Viiv PC’s list of devices. Installation with a wired Ethernet connection: On the Viiv PC, select add a device, then click start. Select connecting it to the router with an Ethernet network cable, then click next.
Select next. Select media device. When you see this screen, your device has been sucessfully added to the network. Select next to begin building your media library.
Building your Media Library: Select next. Read conditions. Select agree to continue. Select Standard Setup and then choose finish.
AOSS Wireless Configuration: To let AOSS configure your wireless network settings, select No, Use AOSS Instead. Now, press the AOSS button on your access point or wireless router. When you see this screen about 40 seconds later, your LinkTheater is connected to your wireless network.
Manual Configuration: If you chose the regular setup method, the LinkTheater will automatically detect all available wireless networks. Highlight the wireless network you would like to connect to and then press the right control button on the remote control.
Unless the chosen network is open, you will need to enter the encryption key (password) for the wireless network. Input the WEP (hex) or WPA Personal (alphanumeric) key into the key field. Highlight the key field, press the remote’s ENTER key, type the key in, and press ENTER again when finished. Use the 0-9 keys in sequence to type numbers and letters into the field (similar to how a cell phone works). For capital letters, please cycle through the lower case and numbers first.
If all goes well, you should see this screen.
Settings: The LinkTheater has various configurable settings that change how the device communicates with your network, when the screen saver turns on, what display mode you’re running, etc. This section will explain each feature in detail. To navigate to the Settings area, please use the control arrows on the remote control to highlight settings and then press the ‘Enter’ button or the right control. NOTE: Pressing the ‘Settings’ button on the remote control will accomplish the same task.
System Options: The System Options area allows you to change key settings of your LinkTheater. At a minimum, we recommend you configure your System Preferences and Network Settings. Specific instructions are included on the following pages. System Preferences – This area allows you to set the Screen Saver Delay, Slideshow Delay, Check the firmware version, and check for firmware updates.
System Preferences: Using the remote’s control arrows, change the Screen Saver Delay and Slideshow Delay to your desired settings. To change a setting, please highlight the specific item and press the ENTER key on your remote control. You can then increase or decrease the value by using the up and down controls on the remote. Once the value has been changed, press the ENTER button again to lock in the setting.
Mediaplayer - The Mediaplayer setup page tells you the name of the device and the version number of the firmware. It is not necessary to change the name unless you have multiple LinkTheaters and plan on using access control to prevent certain servers from working with certain LinkTheaters. Software - The Software setup page informs you of the software firmware version on the device as well as the serial number/MAC address. The Check for Updates Now option allows you to check for product updates.
Network Settings: The Network Settings area is used to connect your LinkTheater to the network, manage how it connects, and change proxy server settings. Use the remote control to navigate to the appropriate areas: Current Network Status – Shows the LinkTheater’s current network information including IP address information. Create New Profile – Begins a wizard that allows you to create and connect to a new wired or wireless network. Modify Profile – Allows you to edit an existing network profile.
Current Network Status: The Current Network Status will give you a quick snapshot regarding your network connection. It will inform you which IP address has been assigned to your LinkTheater and in the case of a wireless network connection, information regarding the wireless network. This is more of a diagnostic/information status screen. It is mainly used to verify whether you have properly connected to a network.
Wired Profile: Select whether you wish to use DHCP (recommended) to automatically determine your network information from your router or whether you want to enter the settings manually. If you selected ‘Enter the Settings (Static Address)’ then the next setup page will ask your for network information. Please fill it out and navigate and click the ‘Continue’ button. If you selected ‘Connect Automatically (DHCP)’, then the above steps are not required.
Wireless Profile: When connecting to a wireless network, the LinkTheater will scan for visible wireless networks. The LinkTheater supports connections on three different wireless technologies: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. It will list all types of wireless networks together. It will also list if they’re using encryption and in certain cases what type. Once the wireless scan is complete, you will need to choose your wireless network. Press the remote’s ENTER or right arrow key to select a network.
Select whether you wish to use DHCP (recommended) to automatically determine your network information from your router or whether you want to enter the settings manually. If you selected ‘Enter the Settings (Static Address)’ then the next setup page will ask your for network information. Please fill it out and navigate and click the ‘Continue’ button. If you selected ‘Connect Automatically (DHCP)’, then the above steps are not required.
Modify Profile: Modifying profiles allows you to edit specific portions of existing profiles without the need for recreating them entirely. This may be used if a wireless network’s encryption key has changed, or if IP addressing has changed. To modify a profile, use the remote control’s navigation keys to go through the wizard. Once modifying a profile, the wizard is identical to the wizard used to create a network.
Remove Profile: You may want to remove older profiles that you are no longer using. To do this, select the profile you’d like to remove using the remote’s directional keys. Once selected, press the right arrow. NOTE: You cannot remove the profile that you are currently connected to. In this case, you will need to go back a page and use the ‘Connect to Profile’ and connect to a different profile. Additionally, you cannot delete the only profile that exists.
Profile Startup Order: The Profile Startup Order instructs the LinkTheater on how to connect to your network profiles. The network profile at the top of the screen is the first priority. This means that when the LinkTheater turns on, it will first attempt to connect to that network. If it cannot connect to the first profile, then it will try the second one, and so on. It’s important that your Profile Startup Order is correct.
Display Settings: The LinkTheater supports four display modes. Changing the display modes could result in your LinkTheater not operating properly so please make sure you know which modes your TV or monitor supports: Composite 480i 4x3 – This is the standard mode. It utilized the standard RCA (yellow) video cable or S-Video to transmit video data. 480i means the picture is displayed at the resolution 640x480 interlaced.
Reset System Settings: Resetting the system settings will return the product to default settings. This is the same configuration that the product was set in when it was brand new. All settings will be erased and you will need to reconfigure the product. Video modes will go back to Composite 480i 4x3 and network profiles will need to be reconfigured. You will be prompted twice to continue with the reset. Select Continue and Yes to reset your settings.
Choosing and Installing your Media Sources: Congratulations, at this point your LinkTheater is completely configured for your TV or monitor and your wired or wireless network. The default menu screen for the LinkTheater will be your hub for accessing multimedia content. The LinkTheater is one of the most versatile network media players available. It offers extensive playback support from many multimedia sources.
Browse Media: The Browse Media area allows you to access a variety of sources discussed earlier in this section. This guide will give instructions on how to setup a media server using the included Buffalo utility as well as Microsoft’s Windows Media Connect. If you are using a 3rd party DLNA or UPnP A/V media server, then please consult the documentation for the server application or device.
Installing the Buffalo PC Utility: Please follow the install steps below if you wish to use the Buffalo PC Utility (recommended): 1. Insert the LinkTheater CD-ROM into your PC’s CD-ROM drive. The program should automatically launch, if it does not, browse for the CD and run Setup.exe. 2. Press the ‘Start’ button. 3. Agree to the End User License.
4. Press ‘Start’. 5. The installation will complete. You will need to reboot your machine.
6. After the reboot, please launch the ‘Configure MediaServer’ program from the start menu. Configuring the Buffalo PC Media Server: Now that the Buffalo PC Media Server is installed and running, you must point it to the media on your computer.
There are two options for adding media: Add - By pressing the Add button, you can specifically pick a directory on your computer to share with the LinkTheater. If you wish to add multiple directories, then you can add them one at a time by repeating the process. Auto Search – Auto search launches a wizard that will help you automatically find your media. Press the Next button to continue.
Select which drive or drives you’d like to include in the search. Press the Next button. Additional options are available. We recommend that you keep the options as is. Press the Next button when ready. After the search completes, you will be asked to confirm which folders you’d like to add to the media server. Checked folders will be shared, unchecked folders will not. Once you have analyzed the list, press the Confirm button.
The Options tab at the top of the program will let you turn off and on file sharing. It also has important options, including the ability to control whether the media server starts when your computer starts, etc. If you want to immediately turn off file sharing, the button Turn OFF File Sharing can be pressed. You may want to turn on Access Control to prevent certain devices from accessing your media content.
Press the Next button: Additional options are available. We recommend that you keep the options as is. Press the Next button when ready. Select how you wish to prohibit access. Select the specific method in which you wish to grant access to devices. Once complete, press Next and continue using the wizard.
You can continue to add more access grants by pressing the Add button again. The access rules will appear in the main application console: Congratulations, you’ve completed the install and configuration of the Buffalo PC Media Server.
Installing and Configuring Windows Media Connect: Please follow the install steps below if you wish to use Windows Media Connect. If you’ve already installed the Buffalo PC Media Server utility, then using Windows Media Connect may not be necessary. Windows Media Connect is available only on Windows XP systems. It’s Microsoft’s software that streams multimedia content to devices like LinkTheater.
Windows Media Connect software will appear on your display. Windows Media Connect operates out of your system tray; double click on its icon at any time to display the program. Once Windows Media Connect is running and displayed on your screen, the ‘Devices’ page will be displayed. The first step is to press the ‘Add…’ button.
The Windows Media Connect Wizard will open. Select ‘Device 1’ from the list and press the ‘OK’ button. If more then one device was listed then multiple media players are available on your network; in this case we recommend adding all of them or determining which one is the specific LinkTheater being used by turning LinkTheater on or off and seeing how the list is affected. The device will then be added to the list of support devices. Your Windows XP machine can now stream media to LinkTheater.
Press on the ‘Sharing’ tab to the left. Press the ‘Add’ button to specify a folder to share to LinkTheater. Browse to a folder that contains data you would like to share with LinkTheater by pressing the ‘Browse’ button. Give it a name that you would recognize and select the privacy settings that apply to your environment (the default values are acceptable in most cases). Press the ‘OK’ button when finished. Press ‘Yes’ if any dialog boxes appear.
Add as many folders as you would like to share with your LinkTheater. Repeat the previous step as many times as necessary. Select ‘Settings’ on the left. If you will use Windows Media Connect often, check ‘Automatically start folder sharing when Windows starts.’ Then Windows Media Connect will always be running. If you prefer to launch it manually when needed, then leave the box unchecked. Press ‘Close’ to finish.
Connecting to a Media Server using Browse Media: Browsing media from different media servers is virtually identical. The following steps will show you how to navigate and choose files for playback. Depending on which server you use, the steps may be ever so slightly different. To begin accessing media, highlight ‘Browse Media’ on the LinkTheater’s display and press the remote’s right control arrow. Depending on which servers are installed and running on your network, you will see them available.
Media is broken down into three categories: Music, Pictures, and Video. This guide will break down navigation based on these three categories. Turn to page 47 for more on navigating music, page 49 for more on navigating pictures, and 51 for more on navigating video.
Browsing Music: Media Servers will be default sort your music based on data found inside of the music files. It will attempt to sort it based on several pieces of information include artist, title, genre, album name, etc. Please select a method to sort your music by. If you wish to see all the files in their folders, then select the ‘Folder’ option. Selecting ‘All Tracks’ will put all of the pictures in one large list, disregarding any folder structure.
Depending on how you sorted your music in the previous step, your navigation will differ. Select the folder, artist, genre, etc that you’re interested in hearing. NOTE: This screenshot shows ‘Artist’ based sorting. Depending on which navigation you use, you will ultimately find songs and/or playlists listed. To play a song or playlist, select it and press the ENTER key or right control arrow on the remote.
Browsing Pictures: Media Servers will be default sort your pictures based on what folder they’re in or what date they were created. NOTE: Some media servers may have other sort options. Please select a method to sort your pictures by. If you wish to see all the files in their folders, then select the ‘Folder’ option. Selecting ‘All Pictures’ will put all of the pictures in one large list, disregarding any folder structure. Once you have selected a sort style, then press the remote’s right control button.
Browsing Videos: Media Servers will be default sort your videos based on what folder they’re in or what date they were created. NOTE: Some media servers may have other sort options. Please select a method to sort your videos by. If you wish to see all the files in their folders, then select the ‘Folder’ option. Selecting ‘All Pictures’ will put all of the pictures in one large list, disregarding any folder structure. Once you have selected a sort style, then press the remote’s right control button.
Connecting to a USB Device: Browsing media from USB Devices is simple. Start by plugging the USB device into the LinkTheater’s USB port. Highlight ‘Browse USB’ and press the right control button on the remote control. NOTE: To use a USB device on the LinkTheater it must be a USB mass storage class device with a FAT32 file format.
Press the right control arrow once the USB device has been highlighted. Multimedia files on the USB devices are not sorted like they are on DLNA Media Servers and Intel Viiv zone servers. Instead, they are just navigated using the folder structure that is on the USB device. Select a folder if one exists.. To play a file, select it and press the ENTER key or right control arrow on the remote. Pressing the Play/Pause button will play all of the files, one file after another in alphabetical order.
Digital Audio / Surround Sound: The LinkTheater supports surround sound (AC3, Dolby Digital, etc.) by utilizing the TOSLINK/Optical audio connector on the back of the LinkTheater. The LinkTheater does not ship with a TOSLINK cable, but they are readily available from almost any electronic’s store. The LinkTheater can natively pass AC3 and other digital formats to an audio receiver to decode.
For best results, Windows computers streaming media to your LinkTheater should be running DirectX9.0c. You may install DirectX9.0c from the Buffalo software disk as well. An electronic copy of the LinkStation user manual (this guide) is available from the disk as well. The electronic copy of the maual is in PDF format. To read it, you will need a PDF reader like Adobe’s Acrobat, included on the disk for your convenience.
Specifications PC-P4LWAG LinkTheater Supported Multimedia Formats Video Formats MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XviD, WMV, H.264 (MPEG4 AVC) Audio Formats MP3, WAV, WMA, M4A (AAC), LPCM, AC3 Image Formats JPG, BMP, PNG Video Modes 480i, 480p, and 720p Wired LAN Interface Interface Transmission Speed Connector Type Access Method IEEE 802.3 (10BASE-T), IEEE 802.3u (100BASE-TX) 10 / 100 Mbps RJ-45 CSMA/CD Wireless Network Interface Standards IEEE802.11a / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.
Contact Information is different for America and Europe. North America: Buffalo Technology USA Inc. 4030 West Braker Lane, Suite 120 Austin, TX 78759-5319 General Inquiries: Monday through Friday 8:30am-5:30pm CST Direct: 512-794-8533 | Toll-free: 800-456-9799 | Fax: 512-794-8520 | Email: sales@buffalotech.com Tecnical Support: North American Technical Support by phone is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (USA and Canada). Toll-free: (866) 752-6210 | Email: info@buffalotech.
Multimedia Product Warranty Buffalo Technology (Buffalo Inc.) products come with a one-year limited warranty from the date of purchase. If the Buffalo product malfunctions during the warranty period, Buffalo Technology will replace the unit, provided the unit has not been subjected to misuse, abuse, or non-Buffalo technology authorized alteration, modifications or repair.
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Potential restrictive use This device is a 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless LAN transceiver, intended for indoor home and office use in all EU and EFTA member states, except in France, Belgium and Italy where restrictive use applies. In Italy the end-user should apply for a license at the national spectrum authorities in order to obtain an authorization to use the device for setting up outdoor radio links. In Belgium there is a restriction in outdoor use.
