HP COMPAQ PRESARIO 6500 User Manual

Compaq Presario

DVD Writer User’s Guide

For use with your DVD Writer/CD Writer

© 2002 Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P.

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Contents

Using the DVD Writer/CD Writer ...........1

DVD Writer/CD Writer Drive Features.....................1

Locating Software .................................................2

Recording with the DVD Writer/CD Writer ..............3

Recording Audio and Data Files .............................4

Recording music files .........................................5

About recording music.......................................6

Recording data files ..........................................6

About recording data ........................................ 7

About recording files to disc............................... 7

Editing Video Files ................................................ 8

Editing video with Studio ...................................8

Recording Video Files.......................................... 10

Capturing video by using MyDVD .................... 11

Creating a DVD movie .................................... 12

Editing DVDs and VCDs .................................. 13

Watching DVD Movies ........................................ 14

Using Compatible Discs....................................... 15

Software Quick Reference.................................... 18

More Information................................................ 22

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DVD Writer User’s Guide

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Using the DVD Writer/CD Writer

Your PC includes the DVD Writer, which is a
DVD and CD rewriteable (DVD+RW/+R/CD-RW)
optical drive. This guide tells you about the
DVD Writer/CD Writer drive features, and tells
you how to use the drive with the included
software.

DVD Writer/CD Writer
Drive Features

The DVD Writer/CD Writer is a multipurpose
rewriteable drive that can read audio, data, and
video files and can record, or write, in both CD
and DVD formats.

This DVD Writer/CD Writer drive enables you to:

■

Create custom audio, data, and video files
that can be recorded onto CDs or DVDs.

■

Store large amounts of data.

■

Record directly to a DVD or VCD (video CD)

from a video source such as a digital video

camera, a TV tuner or a VCR.

■

Store, edit, and preserve video files from

various video sources.

■

Play music CDs and DVD movies.

■

Read data CDs and DVDs.

■

Create VCDs and DVDs.

■

Create music CDs.
An important feature of the DVD Writer/

CD Writer drive is its high compatibility
with other devices.

■

The CDs that you create play in most home

and car stereos and in most computer

CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives.

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Note:

■

The DVDs that you create are compatible with

CD-R discs are more compatible with home and
car stereos than CD-RW discs.

some DVD video players and with most
computer DVD-ROM drives.

Your DVD Writer/CD Writer drive can read and
record the following audio formats:

■

WAV, MP3, WMA, and CDA for CDs

■

WAV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, WMA, and
Layer 2 files for DVDs

Your DVD Writer/CD Writer drive can read and
record the following video formats:

■

MPEG-1 and MPEG-2

■

AVI and WMV

Locating Software

To open the DVD Writer/CD Writer software
programs, click Start on the taskbar, choose
All Programs, select the program folder, and
then click the program to open the software.
Most programs are listed in this menu, and others
are listed in submenus. Refer to the table in the
section “Software Quick Reference” to determine
the best programs for the tasks you want to do.

If a program has been recently updated by the
manufacturer, you may have a software update
CD included with your PC. You may need to
install this CD before using the DVD Writer/
CD Writer drive. Follow the installation
instructions that came with the CD.

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Recording with the
DVD Writer/CD Writer

When you first insert a CD or DVD into
your DVD Writer/CD Writer drive,
Microsoft
for the type of disc you insert.

®

Windows® XP gives you options

For example, if you insert a blank CD-RW disc,
you can select any of these options:

■

Open a writeable CD folder by using

Windows Explorer.

■

Create a disc by using RecordNow.

■

Take no action.

Note:

If this window of options does not appear, you

can click Start, My Computer, right-click the
DVD Writer/CD Writer drive icon, and then select
one of the available options. You can also open a
program before you insert a disc, select an action,
and then follow onscreen instructions within the
program.

You can choose to have a specific action occur
automatically each time you insert a blank CD by
selecting the Always do the selected action box.

If you later decide that you want to change the
option you have set:

1 Click Start.

DVD Writer User’s Guide

2 Click My Computer.

3

3 Right-click the DVD Writer/CD Writer drive

icon in the section Devices with Removable
Storage, and select Properties.

4 Click the AutoPlay tab.
5 Click Select an action to perform, select

an action, and then click OK.

Or

Click Prompt me each time to choose
an action, and then click OK.

Here are some of the other options you can
choose:

■

To view the files on the disc you inserted, click
Start, My Computer, and then double-click
the DVD Writer/CD Writer drive icon under
Devices with Removable Storage.

■

To open a particular program, click Start,
choose All Programs, and then click the
program you want.

If you insert a blank or data disc, a window
with options for blank or data discs opens.

If the option you want is not listed, you can select
Take no action, and then click OK. The
window closes, and you can then manually
select a different option through the Start menu
on the desktop.

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Recording Audio
and Data Files

You can record and customise audio files
and back up large data files to CD-R, CD-RW,
DVD+R, and DVD+RW discs by using the
RecordNow program.

For best recording results, don’t perform any
other tasks while recording.

W

Important:

When making a copy of a CD or DVD,
RecordNow can record only to the same disc type
it records from. For example, you can record a
DVD only to a DVD+R or DVD+RW disc and you
can record a CD only to a CD-R or a CD-RW disc.

Recording music files

You can use RecordNow to create music CDs
from various audio files that are downloaded
from the Internet, recorded from your hard drive
files, or recorded from other CDs. CD-R discs
play in most home and car stereos. CD-RW discs
play only in some stereos.

Warning:

not use sticky labels. They can cause the
DVD to play erratically. Instead, write on
the DVD with a felt tip pen to label it.

hen labelling your DVDs, do

To use RecordNow to record music files:

1 Click Start, choose All Programs,

RecordNow, and then click RecordNow.

The RecordNow main window opens.

2 Click Make a Music Disc.
3 Select one of these options:

■

Make a Music Disc from Audio Files

(Create a music disc from MP3/WMA or
WAV files on your hard drive.)

■

Make a Music Disc from other CDs

(Create a new music disc from tracks taken
off your music disc collection.)

■

Make a Disc for an MP3 Player

(Create a disc specifically for MP3 players.)
4 Insert the blank CD-R or CD-RW disc.
5 Follow the onscreen instructions. Click the

Help button for more information about the

RecordNow program.

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