Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide
The only warranties for Hewlett-Packard products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. HP assumes no responsibility for the use or reliability of its software on equipment that is not furnished by HP. This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright.
Table of Contents Welcome ...................................................... 1 Playing Music Files ..................................... 29 Experience the Fun of Media Center ....................................... 1 Watch and record live TV...................................................... 1 The right music for the moment............................................... 1 Share your digital memories .................................................. 1 Transform your living space into a theater ....
Viewing a slideshow with music in HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................49 Editing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ..................................49 Using supported picture file types with HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................49 Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus .................................50 Creating a Backup Disc of Your Pictures ................................50 Burning a Label on a LightScribe Media Disc ...
Selecting videos ................................................................. 99 Selecting pictures ............................................................... 99 Selecting music ................................................................ 100 Setting the style ................................................................ 100 Adjusting audio and video settings ..................................... 100 Making the movie.............................................................
vi HP Media Center PC Software Guide
Welcome Experience the Fun of Media Center Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 lets you do amazing things with your HP Media Center PC. With a full range of easy-to-use digital entertainment features, you can experience TV, movies, music, and photos like never before. Media Center is simple and easy to use. You can easily find and choose your media. You can play movies, listen to music, view photos, and watch TV with a single remote control.
Using Media Center Features n If your HP Media Center PC came with a rewritable DVD drive, the drive is able to read and record to both DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW media. n Some of the Media Center features listed are for select models only. Some of the components listed in the HP Media Center PC documentation, such as speakers, are optional and sold separately. n You can control the Media Center functions and navigate Media Center windows by using the remote control, the keyboard, or the mouse.
Using Media Center Setting Up Media Center The first time you start your HP Media Center PC, a Media Center setup wizard opens. It is recommended to complete each step in the Media Center setup wizard to be able to use all the features in Media Center. The Media Center setup wizard may take approximately 10 to 40 minutes to complete. If there are steps you still need to complete, you can go to the Settings menu to do so. See the following procedure.
Media Center Start Menu C D E FG H A J K L M N O P B A B n Some of the features listed are for select models only.
Online Spotlight Online Spotlight is a link to the Microsoft Web site, where you can find the latest Media Center information and media offers and services. This site is periodically updated by Microsoft. Some of the services listed may not be available in some countries/regions. Your HP Media Center PC must be connected to the Internet to access the Online Spotlight Web site.
Media Center control menu To access the control menu in Media Center, move the mouse to display the menu bars. Select the Shut Down icon on the main Media Center window. Icon Action Log off and end your Media Center session and switch users From this control menu, you can select icons to perform various actions.
5 Enter your .NET passport information, and then select Sign In. Changing Media Center Settings In the Media Center Settings window, you can change settings for watching television, for viewing your pictures and slideshows, and for controlling sound and the display of all the Media Center windows. To change your Media Center settings: 1 2 3 Press the Media Center Start button the remote control. Select Settings. Select a category. on 4 5 Select one of the settings listed.
Media Center Settings categories n Some settings, such as parental control and caption display settings for TV and DVDs, are included with select models only. Not all channels support closed captioning. ■ TV to set up TV signal, audio, and closed captioning. You can download or edit the Television Program Guide, view or clear recording history, set hard disk drive recorder storage space, configure your display, and set recording defaults. ■ n 8 ■ Startup and Window behavior.
Using the Remote Control (Select models only) The remote control is designed to work with Media Center. You can use your remote control with Media Center to play CDs and DVDs, to view pictures, and to watch and record television programs. This remote control helps you navigate the Media Center windows on your computer just as a TV remote control helps you navigate cable TV options or control the playback of a movie in a VCR or DVD player.
Remote Control Buttons Overview The remote control is included with select models only. Features and location may vary. A DVD MENU A Standby puts the HP Media Center PC into and out of a power-reduced state. C RADIO B DVD Menu opens the Play DVD window or opens the main menu of a DVD movie, if available. C Music opens the My Music window. D Radio opens the Radio window. E Record records a selected television program and stores it on the hard disk drive when in Live TV mode.
X More information (i) displays available information about a selected media file and displays other menus. Y OK selects the desired action or window option and acts as the Enter key. Z CH/PG up (+) and down (–) changes the TV channels or moves pages up and down, depending on available options. Moves to the next DVD chapter. AA Mute turns computer sound off. The word Mute is displayed when Mute is turned on. BB Recorded TV opens the Recorded TV window where recorded TV programs are listed.
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Watching and Recording TV Programs Watch live TV or record your favorite shows for later playback. Use the Television Program Guide to find the show you want to watch or record. You can also record a show while watching another prerecorded show. n Digital video recording features and the Television Program Guide are for select models only. Navigating My TV From the My TV window you can search for and play your favorite TV shows.
Watching TV n You can change the channel by using the remote control while in full-screen mode or when the inset window is selected. You can go to live TV from anywhere in Windows Media Center by pressing the Live TV button on the remote control. While in the Guide, you can select a channel to see upcoming programs for that channel, by pressing the arrow buttons on the remote control. Before you can watch TV by using Media Center, make sure: ■ The computer is set up correctly for your TV signal source.
Controlling TV playback The personal video recorder functionality lets you record single shows or capture entire series for later viewing. When you open the My TV window and begin watching live TV, Media Center automatically begins recording the selected program in the background for up to 30 minutes. When you pause a live TV program while watching in full-screen mode, the time-shifting window appears. To record a program longer than the 30 minutes, you must select to record the program.
Using the remote control in My TV Button Action To freeze the live TV image, press Pause. While paused, My TV continues to record a pause buffer for up to 30 minutes. To resume watching TV where you left off, press Play. To stop live TV or a recorded program, press Stop once. To resume watching the program, press Play. To move forward in a live TV program that has been paused, or in a recorded program, press Fast-Forward (Fwd). To speed up the fast-forwarding, press Fwd two or three times.
Using the Television Program Guide The Television Program Guide (Internet service required) is a service contracted by Microsoft that provides TV listings information, such as channel, network, program title, summary, and scheduled broadcast times. This service is currently not available in some countries/regions.
Television Program Guide errors If there is no Guide data available when you try to download or search for Guide information, the following messages may appear: ■ Download Incomplete: We were unable to locate any Television Program Guide information for the following reason: Guide data is not available for the country or region setting you selected in the Control Panel Settings. ■ Search in My TV is unavailable because there is no Guide information.
If you press the Guide shortcut button on the remote control while you are already in the Guide, you can select one of the Guide filter categories, such as Movies, to search for a movie. Press the More information button on the remote control to access another menu for more options of searching the Guide.
Manually downloading the Guide 1 2 3 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Select Settings, TV, Guide, and Get Latest Guide Listings. Follow the onscreen instructions. The Guide can take up to 30 minutes to download, depending on the amount of data to download and the speed of your Internet connection. Adding a postal code to receive the correct Guide 1 2 3 Press the Media Center Start button the remote control. on Select Settings, TV, Guide, and Set Up Guide Listings.
7 Or 8 Select Share channel to share the channel with another channel. 9 Repeat steps 3 through 7 to add additional channels. Click Done when you have added all the channels. Click Save to add the channel. . Editing channels in the Guide Some program channels may not appear correctly in the Guide information. To edit the channel numbers that are incorrect for your TV provider information: 1 2 3 4 Press the Media Center Start button the remote control.
Searching for TV Programs n Using categories to search can help you find, for example, all football games. A title or keyword search displays every program that has “football” in the title or description. To find a TV program, you can enter a title or keyword or select a category in your Guide by using your remote control. 1 2 The TV search results do not include previously recorded TV programs. n 22 Select Title.
Searching for TV programs using categories You can search the Guide to find a TV program by selecting a category using your remote control. Some categories are not available in all countries/ regions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control, select My TV, and then select Search. Select Categories. Select a category of program types, such as Movies. Select an option such as Genres or Top Rated. Select a sorting option, such as By movie title.
Recording TV Programs w If you turn off (shut down) your HP Media Center PC, Media Center will not record a scheduled program. The HP Media Center PC must be turned on or in standby mode to record a TV program. The HP Media Center PC will not automatically go into standby mode if Media Center is open. Make sure you turn off the monitor and turn down or mute the volume if, for example, you have a scheduled recording in the middle of the night and do not want to be disturbed.
Recording programs without the Guide You do not need the Television Program Guide to record TV. You can record a TV program by pressing the Record button on the remote control while watching live TV, or you can select a specific date, channel, and recording time period in Media Center. To record a program without a Guide: 1 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control, press the Live TV button, and then press Record to begin recording your program.
Recording quality and hard disk drive storage space n Refer to Media Center Help for more information about recording errors, advanced recording features, and My TV settings. The space available for recording TV programs depends on your hard disk drive size, the percentage of hard disk drive space allocated to recorded TV, and the recording quality setting. To get the maximum recording time, change the recording quality to Fair instead of the default setting of Best.
8 Select the Recorded TV programs you want to copy to CD or DVD. 9 Select View DVD or View CD. 10 Select Create DVD or Create CD. Playing Recorded TV Programs 11 Select Yes. 12 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete burning your TV show to disc. n Refer to Media Center Help for more information about recording errors, advanced recording features, and My TV settings. Recorded TV is the storage place for all your recorded programs.
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Playing Music Files The HP Tunes and My Music areas in Media Center are great ways to play, organize, and back up your music files. HP Tunes is designed to work with the Apple iTunes program in your All Programs menu, and My Music is designed to work with the Windows Media Player program. HP Tunes n When a CD is in your drive, it takes longer to open HP Tunes. With HP Tunes, you can play your favorite music that you have added to your iTunes music library.
My Music With My Music, you can find and play your favorite music files and CDs you have added to the Windows Media Player Library. For more information about using My Music, see “Using My Music with Media Center” on page 36. My Music is designed to work with Windows Media Player n For more information on using the iTunes program, refer to the HP Support Web site at: http://www.hp.
Completing the iTunes setup wizard To use HP Tunes and iTunes with Media Center, you need to: 1 2 Initialize iTunes by completing the setup wizard. Add songs to the iTunes music library and create playlists. HP Tunes displays only the songs and playlists that are in iTunes. To complete the iTunes setup wizard: 1 2 3 4 5 Close Media Center, if open. Double-click the iTunes shortcut icon on the desktop. When the iTunes Setup Assistant wizard opens, follow the onscreen instructions. Close iTunes.
Adding Music to the iTunes Music Library n If your songs are listed as track numbers, make sure the PC is connected to the Internet so iTunes can find and display the song, album, and artist information. n If your songs don’t appear in HP Tunes, make sure your songs are added to the iTunes music library. You may need to close and open Media Center to update your display. For more information about adding songs and creating playlists in iTunes, see the Help menu in iTunes.
Using supported music file types You can play the following types of digital audio files in iTunes. By default, iTunes converts several file types to .aac files when you import them into the iTunes music library. Media Center cannot play .aac files from My Music. With iTunes, you can share .mp3, .aiff, .wav, and .aac files between other computers on a local network. Some file types, such as protected .wma files and other proprietary file types, cannot be played in iTunes. File extension File type .
Creating a Playlist with iTunes n If your playlist doesn’t appear in HP Tunes, make sure your songs are in your iTunes music library. You may need to close and open Media Center to update your display. A playlist is a customized list of songs that you saved together and can play later or record to CD. Using playlists, you can group various digital music files together and determine the order in which you want the files to play.
7 8 9 Drag and drop selected songs from your source to your new playlist. Click the Burn Disc icon in the toolbar area. When the disc is finished recording, the Burn Disc icon disappears. 10 Click Burn Disc to begin recording your playlist. For more information about creating music CDs with iTunes, click the Help menu in the iTunes menu bar. For help online, go to: http://www.hp.com/support Insert a blank CD-R disc into your drive.
4 n If the album art and song titles are not displayed outside of HP Tunes or the remote control next or previous buttons do not work, close HP Tunes, close Media Center, open Windows Media Player, choose Tools, Plug-ins, select HP Tunes Media Player plug-in and then make sure there is a check mark next to HP Tunes Media Player plug-in. 5 6 7 8 Click the Tools menu, choose Plug-ins, and then select HP Tunes Media Player plug-in. Make sure there is a check mark next to HP Tunes Media Player plug-in.
■ Play CDs or selected music tracks from your created Windows Media Player Library that you access in Media Center. ■ Select and edit a personalized list of songs from your library. ■ Delete songs from a music library or a queue list. ■ Burn your favorite songs to CDs. ■ Back up your music tracks to a DVD or to an HP Personal Media Drive.
Adding music files from a CD n Each time you add music files outside of Windows Media Player, you must add these music files to your Windows Media Player music library for Media Center to find them. Select the Tools menu, and then select Search for Media Files to add new music files to your library. To add the CD tracks to your Media Center music library: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control, and then select My Music. Insert a CD into the CD drive. Select Albums.
Using supported music file types You can play the following types of digital audio files in My Music. Refer to Windows Media Player Help for more information about supported file types. File extension File type .cda CD audio file .au, .snd Audio file .aif, .aifc, .aiff AIFF audio file .wav Windows audio file .mp3, .m3u MP3 file .wax, .wma Windows Media Audio file .asf, .asx, .wm, .wma, .wmv, .wmp, .wmx, .wpl, .wm, .wmd, .
Playing an album in My Music 1 2 3 4 5 6 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Select My Music. Insert a music CD into the CD drive. Select Albums. Select the album you want to play. Select Play. n You can select Visualize in the Now Playing window to see a visualization while you play a music track. Playing a song in My Music You can play a song from anywhere in My Music. You can select it from the View Song list, or from the Album, Artist, and Genre lists.
■ Select Songs, use the arrow keys to select a song you want, and then select Add to Queue. 2 3 Or ■ Select Albums or Playlists, select an album or a playlist, and then select Add to Queue to add the entire album or playlist to the queue. 4 Select OK. Use the Back button on the remote control to go back to the Songs, Albums, or Playlists menu if you want to select more songs to add to your queue list. Repeat step 1. After you add the last song for your queue list, select Play.
2 n If your HP Media Center PC is connected to the Internet, the CD track titles and cover art appear in Media Center. 3 4 Use the arrow buttons to navigate to the music you want to add to your playlist. 5 Press OK to select a song. 6 Select Add To Queue. A confirmation displays that the music was added to the list of music in the queue. 7 Select the inset window in the lower-left corner to go to the queue. On the Queue screen, select Edit Queue, and then select Save As Playlist.
Working with Pictures Use the HP Image Zone Plus and My Pictures areas in Media Center to view and print your pictures. HP Image Zone Plus HP Image Zone Plus is a software program located in your All Programs menu that works together with the HP Image Zone Plus area in Media Center. Both programs work together to organize, search for, and display your digital images. It is designed to organize your photos, scanned images, and video clips by date, keyword, or place.
Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center n For specific details on using the HP Image Zone Plus program, click the Help link in the control area of the program window. Some tasks you must do in the HP Image Zone Plus program on your desktop with your keyboard and mouse, and some tasks you can do from within Media Center with your remote control.
To create your picture catalog: 1 Using the mouse, double-click the HP Image Zone Plus icon on your desktop. 3 Or Click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, HP, and then click HP Image Zone Plus. The HP Image Zone Plus window opens. 2 4 At the top of the gallery window, click the My Images tab (A), and then click the Select All check box below it to see all of the images in the catalog. You can also select a drive under the Folders Menu (B) to browse for images.
Creating albums You can organize your pictures into albums by using the HP Image Zone Plus program. After you create your picture albums in HP Image Zone Plus, you can then view them in Media Center. To create an album: n After you create your picture albums in the HP Image Zone Plus program, you can view them in Media Center. 1 2 3 4 Using the mouse, double-click the HP Image Zone Plus icon on your desktop. Click the My Images tab. 5 6 Select the pictures that you want to place into an album.
Assigning a keyword to your pictures 1 2 3 4 5 Using your mouse, double-click the HP Image Zone Plus icon on the desktop. Click the My Images tab, and then click All by Keyword. Select a keyword from the available keywords list, and then use the arrow button to add the keyword to the Assign to all box. Click Assign, and then click OK. Or Select your picture by clicking it. You can select more than one picture, if desired. Click New, type a keyword, and then click OK.
Or n You must open the HP Image Zone Plus program from the desktop to assign dates, keywords, and places to your pictures. Select By place. Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to rotate the globe and numbers 1 through 5 to zoom in or out. When you have picked a location, press OK. Locations that have pictures assigned to them will have a colored dot on the map.
Viewing a slideshow with music in HP Image Zone Plus 1 2 3 4 5 6 Select My Music on the Media Center Start menu. Select the music you want, and then press OK on the remote control. If the music doesn’t start automatically, press the Play button on the remote control. Select HP Image Zone. Select the pictures, and then press OK. Select Play slideshow, and then press OK. When Media Center switches to full-screen mode, the inset window disappears, but the music continues to play.
Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus 1 n You cannot use the Print button on the remote control in HP Image Zone Plus. 2 3 4 5 6 n Any images you have not organized and edited in HP Image Zone Plus will not be backed up. Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Select HP Image Zone. Select the picture group you want to print from. Select Print images. Select the picture you want to print. Select Print. Follow any onscreen instructions.
Burning a Label on a LightScribe Media Disc Creating a label with LightScribe is a separate process from recording data, music, or picture files onto a disc. Depending on the LightScribe software you use, you can create a label before or after you burn files onto the disc. Labels can be a simple title and contents list, or you can get more creative by adding backgrounds and images. There are two ways to create a LightScribe disc label in HP Image Zone Plus.
9 Select a background, if desired, by clicking Background. Select one of the provided backgrounds or click More to find one of your own images to use as a background. 11 From the Disc Label menu, select LightScribe 12cm Disc. 12 Select a contrast level, and then click OK to begin burning the label. The disc is ejected when the label is complete.
Adding Pictures to My Pictures Adding picture files from your hard disk drive 1 2 3 4 5 6 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control, and then select My Pictures. Press the More information button on the remote control, and select Add Pictures. Select Add folders, and then select Next. Select Add folders on this computer, and then select Next. Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to select a location. Press the OK button to expand a folder.
Viewing Pictures in My Pictures After you organize your pictures in the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer, open Media Center to view your pictures: 1 2 n From the My Pictures menu, you can select Settings to: ■ Select a slide transition, a slide time delay, and a background color. ■ Include picture folders you have created. ■ Show captions. ■ Display your pictures randomly. Show song information during a slideshow. 3 4 Select My Pictures.
Viewing a slideshow with music in My Pictures 1 2 3 Select My Music on the Media Center Start menu. Select the music you want, and then press OK on the remote control. If the music doesn’t start automatically, press the Play button on the remote control. 4 5 6 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control to go back to the Media Center Start menu. Select My Pictures. Select the folder of pictures, and then press OK. Select Play SlideShow, and then press OK.
Editing Pictures in My Pictures Fixing red eye or contrast 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Select My Pictures. Select the picture you want to edit. Press the More information button on the remote control, and then select Picture Details. Select Touch Up. Select Red Eye or Contrast, and then press OK. After you select the options you want to fix, select Save. The picture is displayed with the new settings.
5 Select the arrows under the picture to move the picture side to side or up or down. Select the magnifying glass to move the cropping tool in or out. Select the rotate tool to move the cropping tool to a vertical or horizontal position. 6 7 After you select the options you want to fix, select Save. The picture is displayed with the new settings. Select Yes to save changes and replace the original picture file.
Copying Pictures to CDs and DVDs n In Media Center, all pictures are copied to CDs as .jpg files. You can copy your pictures to CDs and DVDs in Media Center or by using the RecordNow! program. Refer to “Erasing Rewritable Discs Before Recording” on page 67. You can also create a LightScribe label for your CD or DVD if you have a LightScribe optical drive and you use LightScribe media discs. Refer to “Disc Labeling with LightScribe” on page 73.
Playing Videos The My Videos window in Media Center makes it easy to play home video files you created or video files you downloaded from the Internet. n In My Videos you can: ■ Play videos that are stored anywhere on your hard disk drive. ■ View your videos in full-screen mode or from an inset window in Media Center. ■ Create a CD or DVD of your video files. ■ View small image (thumbnail) and title of video file. Each user has a separate My Videos folder that can be opened only by that person.
Using Supported Video File Types n For more information about supported video file types, refer to Media Center Help menu. You can view the following types of video files in Media Center. Other file types are supported if your HP Media Center PC has the correct software installed. File extension File type .avi Video file .mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .m1v, .mp2, .mpv2 Movie file .wm, .asf Windows Media file .
Playing DVDs Watching DVDs in Media Center allows you to control the playback with your remote control. If you play your DVD in another program outside of Media Center, you will not be able to use the remote control. Playing DVD Movies in Media Center 1 2 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Insert the DVD into the drive. If you have other media playing, Media Center asks if you want to play the DVD. Select Yes or No.
Changing the DVD Movie Language To select DVD language settings for subtitles, closed captioning, and viewing the DVD: 1 2 3 4 5 6 In the Media Center Start menu, select Settings. In the Settings window, select DVD. In the DVD Settings window, select DVD Language. Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to select (+) or (–). Press OK on the remote control to scroll through the languages available.
Listening to FM Radio If your HP Media Center PC is equipped with a radio tuner input (FM Tuner In), Media Center can play FM radio. The Radio window in Media Center makes it easy to play FM radio stations using your remote control. n In Radio you can: ■ Listen to FM radio stations. ■ Set up presets of your favorite radio stations. ■ Delete or organize your radio station presets. ■ Use the time-shifting features: pause, rewind, and fast-forward up to 30 minutes of radio programs.
Playing FM Radio Stations n You must go through the TV tuner setup wizard before you can play your radio stations. 1 2 3 4 Connect the FM radio antenna to the back of the HP Media Center PC, to the connector labeled FM Antenna In. Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Select Radio. Enter a radio station number by using the numeric keypad on the remote control or your keyboard. Or Select the Seek (–) or (+) buttons for Media Center to find the next playable station.
Organizing Radio Station Presets 1 2 3 4 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control. Select Settings. Select Radio. Select the Up arrows and Down arrows next to each preset station to move it to a different position. Or Select the Delete icon (X) to delete a preset station. Or Select Auto Sort to sort your preset stations in numerical ascending or descending order. 5 6 Select Save to save your changes. Select Back to return to the previous window.
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Creating Audio and Data Discs (Select models only) This chapter contains the procedures you must perform to record (or burn) music and data files to recordable CD and DVD discs. It also includes information about labeling your discs using the LightScribe labeling technology included on select models. For information about recording video files to DVDs, see “Sonic MyDVD Video Projects” on page 81. Your HP Media Center PC may include one or more CD, DVD, or combination optical drives capable of recording.
Working with Audio CDs Sonic DigitalMedia Plus enables you to create audio CDs that play in your car or home CD player, and on PCs. You can create two main types of music CDs: ■ n IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law. Uncompressed — Typical CD format like you would purchase on a commercial CD. This type of CD will hold 10 to 20 songs depending on their length.
Audio CD tips When recording music files, it is important to note that: ■ To play your music CD in a home or car stereo, it needs to be recorded as a music CD in CD audio (CDA) format, not as a data CD. ■ As you add music files in the recording session, DigitalMedia Plus calculates and displays the amount of recording time available to record additional music files. ■ ■ If your recording fails, manually select a slower recording speed, if available, each time you make a recording.
Creating jukebox discs n DigitalMedia Plus scans for all audio files, even the sounds from your operating system. If you don’t want to display some of these sounds, you can select the Options icon (wrench), and then select Audio. Select Hide Audio Files Shorter Than (in seconds), and then type the number of seconds, and click OK.
Data disc tips When storing data files on a disc, it is important to note that: ■ ■ You can add new data files to a CD-R, DVD-R, or a DVD+R in a later recording session, until the disc is full. With DVD+R or DVD-R discs, insert your partially recorded DVD, click the Wrench icon to display the Options window, click Data, select the first Write-Once DVD Compatibility option, and then click OK.
Copying a DVD or CD n IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law. Sonic DigitalMedia Plus enables you to make copies of an existing music or data disc. You can configure Sonic DigitalMedia Plus to verify that: ■ Data files have been copied without errors by performing the procedure described in “Verifying data disc recorded without errors” on page 70.
Working with Image Files The Sonic recording programs can convert all the files from a CD or DVD and convert them into a single .iso file, or a series of .gif files (none exceeding 2 GB) known as an image file. You can use the image file to reproduce the original disc. Image files are typically used when you need to make multiple copies of the same disc.
LightScribe requirements n You can open Express Labeler from within DigitalMedia Plus by clicking Tools, and then Label Disc. Burning a label with LightScribe requires three things: ■ LightScribe-enabled DVD drive (select models only) ■ Labeling software that supports LightScribe ■ LightScribe discs (sold separately) Burning a LightScribe label with Sonic Express Labeler 1 2 n 3 LightScribe creates a grayscale (monochrome) image similar to a blackand-white photograph.
4 In the Step 2: Edit area: When you are satisfied with the appearance of your label, insert the LightScribe media disc (label side down) into the disc drive tray, and then click Print. a Click Disc Titles to display the Edit Text window. Enter text for the title and subtitle. b Click Tracks to display the Edit Track window. Click New to display the Track window. Enter text to identify the first track or file (you can optionally enter artist and date, or length), and then click OK.
Disc Features and Compatibility Table Disc File type Can be recorded onto Plays in PC Plays in home or car stereo Plays in home DVD player CD-ROM Data No Yes No No Music No Yes Yes Varies by model Data Yes Yes No No Music Yes Yes Varies by model Varies by model Data Yes Yes No No Music Yes Yes Varies by model Varies by model Data No Yes No No DVD movie No Yes No Yes DVD+R and DVD-R Data Yes Yes No No DVD movie Yes Yes No Varies by model DoubleLayer D
Optical Drive Quick Reference Table Optical drive can: CDROM CDRW DVDROM DVD+RW/+R DVD-RW/ –R DoubleLayer DVD Combo CD-RW/ DVD Read CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Read DVDs No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Read data on a CD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Play music Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Record data or music to disc for storage or backup No Yes No Yes Yes Yes View DVD movies No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Record DVD movies No No No Yes Yes No Play games Yes Y
Software Quick Reference Table (Select models only) Your HP Media Center PC includes a number of software programs that: With this program: ■ Record and play CDs. ■ Record data CDs. ■ Import and edit video files. ■ Record video CDs and DVDs. ■ Organize digital media files. The following table describes the functionality specific to each of these programs. Use it to determine which program to use to perform a task.
With this program: Sonic DigitalMedia Plus Sonic MyDVD Plus (Select models only) Windows Movie Maker 2.0 You can: ■ Record data and music files. ■ Record a copy of an existing music or data CD to use on the HP Media Center PC. ■ Create customized music CDs from CDs in your collection, or from .wav, .mp3, or .wma files. These CDs can be played in your home or car stereo. ■ Copy and share data files. ■ Create archive CDs or DVDs from files on your HP Media Center PC.
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Creating Video Discs and Movies (Select models only) Your HP Media Center PC may come with the following movie making programs (select models only). ■ Sonic MyDVD ■ Sonic DigitalMedia Plus (which includes MyDVD) ■ Windows Movie Maker ■ muvee autoProducer (select models only) n IMPORTANT: HP right. supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.
Note that the Direct-to-Disc Wizards do not include the editing features that are available from the standard interface. You can edit a project created with a wizard before burning it to a disc as described in: ■ “Editing the style of a video project” on page 84. ■ “Editing movie files” on page 84. Creating a Video Project To create a video project: 1 2 3 Click Start, choose All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home. Click the Video tab to display the Video Guide.
Capturing video to a video project You can capture live video or still images by connecting a Web camera or digital video camera to your PC’s front-panel USB connector (select models only). The video capture is added to your video project and stored in a file on your hard disk drive. To add a video capture to a video project: 1 2 3 6 Optionally, set a Capture Length, chapter points, or scene detection. Click the corresponding Help icon to display the online help for each of these features.
Adding submenus to a video project Each project element (video file, still picture file, and slideshow) that you add to the video project is represented in the main project window. Each menu displays six items before a new menu is automatically created and linked to the previous menu by a Next button. You can manually add submenus to a project and use them to organize topics associated with the theme of your project.
To edit your video files: 1 2 3 4 5 If your project is already open, click Edit Movie and skip to step 5. 6 Click Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home. Click the Video tab, and then File, New Project or the Open Existing Project. In the Sonic MyDVD window, click Edit Movie. If you have already captured video files for this project, they appear along the bottom as a storyboard. If you have video files on your hard disk drive you would like to add to this project, click Add Files.
Creating a Video Project with Direct-to-Disc Wizard Sonic MyDVD includes Direct-to-Disc Wizards that guide you through the steps you must complete to create a DVD or VCD video project. A video project is a way to group, organize, store, play, and burn related video and still digital files. 1 2 3 4 5 7 Click the Video tab and then Direct-to-Disc. Click DVD or VCD depending on the type of project you want to create. The Direct-to-VCD or Direct-to-DVD Wizard displays.
Video Quality and Disc Size Sonic MyDVD includes four DVD video quality (bit-rate) settings, and a Fit-to-DVD option that can be applied to a video project or to individual movie files. The DVD quality settings are: ■ HQ (High Quality) — Best audio and video quality, but requires the most disc space per second of video. Good choice for video files that contain high-speed action (for example, motor sports). ■ SP (Standard Play) — Good audio and video quality with most video sources.
88 ■ The video quality depends on your PC’s speed and graphics processing abilities. Some PCs may be unable to capture video at the HQ setting. ■ These are estimated recording times. The maximum duration is reduced if you use animated menu buttons or backgrounds. Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide ■ To choose the audio format, see “Changing the audio format (DVDs only)” in the online help. ■ Your version of MyDVD may not support Dolby Digital audio.
Creating Movies Using muvee autoProducer (Select models only) Creating personalized and professional-looking video movies is simple with muvee autoProducer, a software program on your PC. Basic Steps to Make a Movie The basic steps to produce a movie with muvee autoProducer are: 1 2 Capture digital video: Capture live or recorded video to your hard disk drive directly from a compatible digital video camcorder (only from the desktop muvee autoProducer version).
Locating the two versions of muvee autoProducer n To view help files, press the F1 function key on the keyboard. You can access two versions of muvee autoProducer (select models only): Desktop Click Start on the desktop taskbar, and select All Programs, muvee Technologies, muvee autoProducer, and then muvee autoProducer to open muvee autoProducer. This version of muvee has more features, such as video capture and disc recording. See “Using muvee autoProducer” on page 91.
Using muvee autoProducer Getting started To open muvee autoProducer (select models only): 1 2 3 Click Start on the taskbar. Select All Programs, muvee Technologies, muvee autoProducer, and then muvee autoProducer to open muvee autoProducer. 4 Open a project by selecting, from the File menu, either New Project or Open Project. Select one of the button options: n You can also launch the muvee autoProducer program from within Digital Media Plus, under the Video tab: muvee autoProducer.
Capturing video from a DV camcorder You can capture (copy) digital video files to your hard disk drive by using muvee autoProducer either: ■ Live (known as camera mode) using a compatible DV camcorder. See “Capturing live video from a DV camcorder” on page 92. Or ■ Recorded (known as VCR mode) using a recorded tape in your DV camcorder. See “Capturing recorded video from a DV camcorder” on page 92.
8 9 Click Capture Folder to specify a folder for the captured video file. 10 Click the Done button to automatically add captured video files to your movie project. Click Filename to specify a file name for the captured video file. Adding videos To add video files to your movie production on the desktop: 1 2 3 4 5 Select the Add video button in the video/pictures area. The Add Picture window opens. c Use the magicMoment controls to mark video scenes to include and exclude: Browse the folders.
For best results with the production of your movie: ■ ■ Keep each magicMoment to less than 10 seconds. Keep the total duration of magicMoments to less than 50 percent of the duration of your movie. It is recommended to select only a few scenes. d Click OK when you finish marking scenes. The window closes. Note that the video clip is marked on the lower left side.
Selecting the style The muvee autoProducer program comes with a set of style templates for setting the pace, scene transition effects, and caption fonts. The style you use also affects how muvee autoProducer combines the video, picture, and music files in your movie project to produce the final movie. For example, using the Cinema style results in a movie that is moderately paced, color enhanced, and uses a wide-screen format. To select a style, just click on a style from the list.
Adding an opening title and closing credits You can personalize your movie project by adding an opening title and closing credits: 1 2 Click the Title/Credits button. The muvee Title and Credits window opens. 3 Click the Credits tab: a Select a Credits effect from the drop-down window. Click the Title tab: b Type the text you want to appear at the end a Select a Title effect from the drop-down of your movie in the Enter your credits here box. window.
Saving the movie project Once you are satisfied with the look of your movie project, you are ready to save it. You can save the movie to a file on your hard disk drive or create a VCD or DVD disc. 1 2 Change the video and audio settings of the movie file type as required (advanced users only). Click the Save muvee button. The Save muvee window opens. Choose the movie file type to save to your hard disk drive: 3 4 Click the Save button.
Using muvee in Media Center Getting started in Media Center To open muvee autoProducer unPlugged in Media Center: 1 Press the Media Center Start button on the remote control to open Media Center. If you were working in muvee and closed the program, muvee will reload your previous session settings. Select a button to continue with the previous session or select New Session to start a fresh session.
Selecting videos To add video files to your movie production: 1 2 Select the Select Video button to browse through video folders on your PC for video files to use in your movie production. Select a folder with pictures in it, using the arrow buttons on the remote control: ■ Select the My Videos button to access the My videos folder and subfolders. Or ■ Select the Shared Videos button to access the Shared videos folder and subfolders.
Selecting music n Click Select All to choose all music files in a folder. Click Clear All to remove all music files from the Selected music column. To add music to your movie soundtrack: 1 2 Select the Select Music button to browse through folders on your PC for music files to use in your movie production. Select a folder with music in it, using the arrow buttons on the remote control: ■ Select the My Music button to access the My Music folder and subfolders.
repeated check box to repeat video clips and pictures for the full duration of your music files. 4 ■ If the total duration of your video and picture files is longer than the duration of your music, place a check in the Allow Music to be repeated check box to repeat music for the duration of the video clips. ■ Place a check in the Keep video and pictures in sequence check box to maintain the selected sequence. Select Next to confirm your settings and proceed to the next step.
Upgrading muvee autoProducer You can purchase an upgraded version of muvee autoProducer with the following enhancements: 102 ■ MPEG-4, DivX, .
Using an HP Personal Media Drive The HP Personal Media Drive is sold separately. It can be used as an internal or external USB hard disk drive designed to quickly and easily increase your storage capacity and to transfer media files such as digital photos, music, videos, and other important files from one PC to another. You can also use the HP Personal Media Drive to back up other drives on your HP Media Center PC. n The HP Personal right. Media Drive is sold separately.
Locating the Drive After Installation After you install the HP Personal Media Drive into the HP Media Center PC, you can find the drive in My Computer. The HP Media Center PC automatically assigns a drive letter which may change unless you assign a drive letter. See “Assigning a Drive Letter to the HP Personal Media Drive” on page 104. 1 2 3 Click Start on the taskbar. Click My Computer. Select your drive under Hard Disk Drives. The default name is HP Personal Media Drive.
Playing Media Files You can play all kinds of media from an HP Personal Media Drive: 1 2 Click Start on the taskbar. Click My Computer. 3 4 Double-click the HP Personal Media Drive icon to locate your media file. Double-click the file. Most media files open in Windows Media Player. Playing Music Files You can play all kinds of music stored on the HP Personal Media Drive.
n You need to close Media Center before removing or before connecting your HP Personal Media Drive for the stored TV files to update properly. Watching TV Programs Stored on the HP Personal Media Drive To play back recorded TV files stored on your HP Personal Media Drive, you must: 1 2 3 4 Connect your HP Personal Media Drive to the HP Media Center PC with the power turned off. Turn on the HP Media Center PC and open Media Center. 5 6 Click Settings, TV, Recorder, Recorder storage.
When you set the TV recording pathway to your HP Personal Media Drive, Media Center stores the recording buffer data for pausing live TV on your drive. This means that if live TV is playing, you won’t be able to remove the drive safely. To avoid this scenario, change the recording pathway back to your local hard disk drive, and then restart the HP Media Center PC before disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive.
Changing the TV recording path to the local hard disk drive To change the Media Center TV recording path to your local hard disk drive: 1 2 Open Media Center. Select Settings, TV, Recorder, and then Recorder storage. You can also set the disk allocation and recording quality settings in this window. 3 4 5 6 Select your local hard disk drive (C:). Click Save, and then click Yes. Close Media Center. Restart the HP Media Center PC.
Changing Disk Allocation If you experience a Low Disk Space error message, and you want to change the disk allocation to a higher percentage for your HP Personal Media Drive: 1 2 Open Media Center. 3 Select Settings, TV, Recorder, and then select Recorder storage. Change the disk allocation percentage setting by selecting the (+) or (–) option.
110 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide
Index A C adding CD tracks to the music library 38 music files to the music library from the hard disk drive 37 adhesive disc labels 75 appending discs 71 archive files 72 camcorder capture 92 capturing video in video projects 83 requirements 81 CDs archive files 72 burning tips audio discs 69 data discs 71 closed-session 68 compressed 69 copying 72 creating a music CD in My Music 42 data 71 erasing rewritable 67 image files 73 jukebox 69 playing in My Music 40 verifying data integrity 68, 70 closed-sess
desktop switching from Media Center 5 DigitalMedia Home adding files, adding files, video projects 82 Direct-to-Disc wizards (MyDVD) 82, 86 discs drive compatibility 75 erasing rewritable 67 features and compatibility 76 labeling adhesive 75 after burning with iTunes 74 with LightScribe 74 driver updates, LightScribe 73 DV camcorder capture 92 DVD movies changing audio settings 62 language 62 playing in Media Center 61 DVDs 97 archive files 72 burning to disc 85 copying 72 data 71 data discs, burning tips 7
H M HP Image Zone Plus 44 HP Personal Media Drive 103 HP Tunes creating a queue list 34 playing CDs 33 using iTunes with Media Center 29, 30 M4A files 68 Manual, muvee 101 Media Center navigating 5 playing DVDs 61 resizing window 5 Start menu 4 toolbars 5 using muvee autoProducer 98 using with another program open 5 Media Center, what you can do in My Music 29 in My Pictures 43 in My TV 13 in My Videos 59 in Radio 63 memory card reader 43 movie making programs 81 MP3 files 68 music burning CD 34 music CD
opening the desktop version 90 opening the Media Center version 90 preview movie 91, 96 Preview window 101 rotate images clockwise 94 save movie 91, 97 select style 91, 95, 100 setting the duration of video 95 upgrading 102 using 89 using the magicMoments feature 93 muvee autoproducer unPlugged Media Center version 98 My Music 29, 100 copying music to CD 42 creating a queue list 40 deleting music from the My Music library 38 finding and playing an album 41 playing a song 40 playing an album 40, 41 playing m
R radio connecting antenna to PC 63 getting reception 63 Radio window 63 organizing pre-set radio stations 65 playing FM stations 63 playing radio in Media Center 63 recording radio programs 65 RealOne Player, features 78 recorded TV 27 recording CDs, VCDs, and DVDs see: burning DVDs 89 options in My TV 24 radio programs 65 time DVDs 87 for each disc size 87 VCDs 87 TV shows 24 how to stop recording 24 recording TV shows making sure a show is being recorded 24 manually 25 single shows or series, canceling 2
still image files 99 storing data files 71 style 100 sub-menus in video projects 84 supported DVD formats 84 video file formats 83 SVCD 97 T Television Program Guide filter categories 19 no data available 18 recording TV programs 24 searching for TV programs 22 setting up a download method 19 using the More information button 19 viewing 18 troubleshooting image not displayed in My Pictures 49, 55 radio reception 64 unable to get correct Television Program Guide 6 TV copying TV shows to CDs or DVDs 89 playi
