Dell Micrsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Owner's Manual

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Dell™ Media Center

User’s Guide

w w w . d e l l . c o m | s u p p o r t . d e l l . c o m

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Notes and Notices

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

____________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2005-2006 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

February 2006

P/N P6712

Rev. A02

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Contents

1 Quick Start

Optional Remote Control Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	6
Starting Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7
Exiting Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7
Playing DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	8
Playing a DVD Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	8
Playing a DVD Already in Your Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10
Watching a DVD Movie in a Resized Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10
Viewing Your Pictures (Digital Photos) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	11
Viewing Pictures in Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	11
Viewing Pictures as a Slide Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12
Sorting Pictures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12
Viewing a Slide Show With Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	13

2 If Your Computer Has an Optional TV Tuner

Watching a TV Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	15
Television Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16
Using the Television Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16
Recording TV Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	17
Recording a Program Using the Television Program Guide. . . . . . . .	18
Recording a TV Program Using the Search Option . . . . . . . . . . .	19
Recording a TV Program Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21
Changing Your TV Program Guide Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	22
Changing Recording Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	22
Watching Recorded TV Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	23
Playing a Recorded TV Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	23

Contents 3

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3 Other Features

Using My Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	25
Copying a CD to the Media Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	25
Creating a Queue and Saving it as a Playlist Using the
Optional Remote Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	26
Playing Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	26
Using My Videos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	28
Organizing Your Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	28
Playing Digital Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	29
Using More Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	29
Sync to Device (Synchronization) Using the Optional
Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	29
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	31

4 Contents

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Quick Start

The Dell™ Media Center is your all-in-one computer entertainment center. Whether you want to watch or record TV programs, play or create CDs and DVDs, or view digital photos or videos from your video camera, Media Center does it all.

Here’s how your audio and video components work together with your Dell Media Center computer.

optional*

speaker system

flat-panel		Dell Media Center computer
monitor
TV
remote sensor*
remote control*	satellite or	digital camcorder
infrared transmitter*	cable receiver

The following instructions explain how to explore some of the more common functions of the Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system, using either your mouse/keyboard or the optional all-in-one remote control. For additional information, click ? to access the Media Center online help.

To use the optional remote, you must use the infrared (IR) transmitter if you have connected a digital cable TV box or a satellite receiver to your Media Center. Then, by pointing the optional remote control at the remote sensor you can control Media Center functions and change channels on your television through your digital cable TV box or satellite receiver.

Quick Start

5

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Optional Remote Control Buttons

NOTE: If you order an optional remote control, it may differ from the one described in this document.

		11
	1
	2	12
	3	13
	4
	5	14
		15
	6
	7	16
	8
	9

10 17

1	media control	Controls features for a TV, DVD, and CD.
	buttons
2	BACK	Returns the computer to the previous window
		within Media Center.
3	OK	Activates Media Center options you select.
4	START	Starts Media Center and opens the Media Center
		start menu window (see page 7).
		NOTE: The optional remote control does not wake
		the computer from hibernate mode.
		NOTE: For portable computers, the remote control
		does not wake the computer from standby mode
		while the computer is running on battery power.
5	VOL	Increases (+) and decreases (–) sound volume.
6	MUTE	Mutes the sound.
7	REC’D TV	A shortcut to the Recorded TV main menu.
	(recorded TV)
8	GUIDE	Opens the Guide (television program guide) (see
		page 16) to display available TV channels and
		programs you can watch and record.
9	numeric	Changes channels or enters text into the Media
	buttons	Center search or text box.
		NOTE: When entering text in a Media Center
		search or text box on a computer running Japanese
		Microsoft Windows XP, you can enter extended
		characters using the numeric buttons. Follow the
		instructions on the screen.
10	CLEAR	Deletes the selection and functions like the
		<Backspace> key on your keyboard.
11	standby	Puts the computer into a reduced power mode.
12	MORE	Provides more information about TV programs
		you can watch and record.
13	arrow buttons	Helps navigate within all Media Center windows.
14	CH/PG	Changes the TV channel and moves up (+) and
	(channel/page)	down (–), depending on available options.
15	LIVE TV	A shortcut to the full-screen view of live TV. It
		also moves to the current point of a live TV
		program after you pause the program.
16	DVD MENU	A shortcut to the main menu for your DVD.
17	ENTER	Selects the desired action or window option.

6 Quick Start

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Starting Media Center

Using the Mouse and Keyboard	Using the Optional Remote Control
1 Click the Start button and click Media	1 Press	.
Center.	The Media Center start menu window
The Media Center start menu window	opens.
opens.	NOTE: The optional remote control does not wake
	the computer from hibernate mode.
	NOTE: For portable computers, the optional remote
	control does not wake the computer from standby
	mode while the computer is running on battery
	power.

Exiting Media Center

Using the Mouse and Keyboard			Using the Optional Remote Control
1	Click	.	1	Press	and then press to move to
2	Click	.		.
			2	Press the OK button.

Quick Start

7

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Playing DVDs

Media Center allows you to watch DVD movies while using your optional remote control or your mouse to control the DVD menu items. If you play your DVD using another program, the use of some remote control buttons is not supported.

Playing a DVD Movie

•Although Media Center supports closed captioning, subtitles, and multiple languages, these options appear only if the DVD movie includes them.

•If your DVD includes its own playback software, Media Center may not start when you insert the DVD.

•To watch your DVD movie in Media Center, cancel the messages on the screen to use the DVD player software and then start Media Center.

8 Quick Start

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Using the Mouse and Keyboard		Using the Optional Remote Control
1 Start Media Center (see page 7).		1 Start Media Center (see page 7).
2 With the Media Center start menu window		2 With the Media Center start menu window
open, insert the DVD into the drive.		open, insert the DVD into the drive.
The DVD plays automatically after a few		The DVD plays automatically after a few
seconds.		seconds.
If you have another media playing, Media Center		If you have another media playing, Media Center
asks if you want to play the DVD. If you don’t		asks if you want to play the DVD. If you don’t
want to play the DVD, click the X. If you don’t		want to play the DVD, press the arrow buttons,
click an option, the DVD autoplays in full-screen		, to highlight the X, and then press the OK
mode after a few seconds.		button. If you don’t select an option, the DVD
3 If a DVD menu appears, click the menu items		autoplays in full-screen mode after a few seconds.
		3 If a DVD menu appears, use the menu items to
to control the DVD movie playback.		control the DVD movie playback.
4 Click Stop to stop playing the DVD.		4 Press STOP to stop playing the DVD.
The Stopped menu appears with the following		The Stopped menu appears with the following
options:		options:
• Resume — Begins playing the DVD where it		• Resume — Begins playing the DVD where it
was previously stopped.		was previously stopped.
• Restart — Begins playing the DVD at the		• Restart — Begins playing the DVD at the
beginning.		beginning.
• Title Menu — Allows you to go to the DVD		• Title Menu — Allows you to go to the DVD
main menu, if available.		main menu, if available.
• DVD Languages — Allows you to change		• DVD Languages — Allows you to change
the language for the DVD sound track,		the language for the DVD sound track,
subtitles, and menu.		subtitles, and menu.
• Eject — Opens the disc tray.		• Eject — Opens the disc tray.
5 To change the window size, click	on the	5 To change the window size, you must use the
taskbar of the DVD window.		mouse. Click	on the taskbar of the DVD
		window.

Quick Start

9

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Playing a DVD Already in Your Drive

Using the Mouse and Keyboard

Using the Optional Remote Control

1 Start Media Center (see page 7).		1 Start Media Center (see page 7).
2	Click Play DVD.	2 Press the arrow buttons,	, to
NOTE: If you do not see the Play DVD option,		highlight Play DVD and press the OK
		button.
press	on your keyboard to scroll through the list.
		NOTE: If you do not see the Play DVD option, scroll
	The DVD movie begins playing in full-	through the list by pressing	.
	screen mode.
		The DVD movie begins playing in full-
		screen mode.

Watching a DVD Movie in a Resized Window

Using the Mouse and Keyboard		Using the Optional Remote Control
1 While the DVD movie is playing, click		1 While the DVD movie is playing, press
.		.
The Media Center start menu window		The Media Center start menu window
opens with the DVD playing in the inset		opens with the DVD playing in the inset
window.		window.
2 To resize the window, click	on the	2 To resize the window, you must use the
taskbar and then manually adjust the		mouse. Click	on the taskbar and then
window size.		manually adjust the window size.
NOTE: If you manually resize the Media Center		NOTE: If you manually resize the Media Center
window, the DVD movie plays in the same window		window, the DVD movie plays in the same window
size.		size.

10 Quick Start