HP m1000y, m1050y, m1070n, m1072n, m1080n Software Guide

...

HP Media Center PC

Software Guide

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Table of Contents

Using Media Center ...................................... 1

Getting Started with Media Center .........................................1

Media Center Features.......................................................... 1

Media Center Start Menu ...................................................... 4

Setting the PC Location for the Program Guide ......................... 5

Media Center Setup.............................................................. 5

Setting Up Media Center....................................................... 6

Media Center Menu Bars ......................................................9

Setting Media Center as the Automatic CD Player ..................10

Using Shortcut Buttons......................................................... 10

Using Media Center Help.................................................... 11

Changing Media Center Settings.......................................... 12

Using the Remote Control ........................... 13

Remote Control Buttons Overview......................................... 14

Remote Control Buttons .......................................................17

Using an HP Personal Media Drive ............. 23

Locating the Drive After Installation ....................................... 23

Assigning a Drive Letter to the HP Personal Media Drive.......... 24

Storing Files....................................................................... 24

Playing Media Files ............................................................24

Playing Music Files ............................................................. 25

Viewing Picture Files ........................................................... 25

Playing Video Files ............................................................. 26

Watching TV Programs Stored on the HP Personal Media Drive27

Recording TV to the HP Personal Media Drive ........................ 27

Recording TV Programs to the HP Personal Media Drive.......... 28

Disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive Safely ................. 29

Watching and Recording TV Programs........ 33

Watching TV .....................................................................34

Using Remote Control in My TV............................................ 35

Watching Live TV Using the Digital Video Recorder ................36

Using the Television Program Guide .....................................37

Downloading the Television Program Guide ..........................39

Changing a Postal Code to Receive the Correct Television Program

Guide........................................................................... 40

Setting up an Internet Dial-Up Connection.............................. 40

Adding Missing Channels to the Guide ................................. 41

Removing Channels from the Guide...................................... 41

Searching for TV Programs .................................................. 42

Recording TV Programs....................................................... 44

Changing TV Settings.......................................................... 48

Playing Recorded TV Programs ............................................ 49

Locating Recorded TV Programs for Viewing on the Desktop.... 50

About Recording Errors ....................................................... 51

Resolving Recording Conflicts ..............................................52

Deleting a Scheduled Program or Series................................ 53

Deleting a Recorded Program or Series................................. 53

Blocking Unwanted TV Programs and Movies.........................54

Setting Movie/DVD or TV Ratings .........................................54

Setting Caption Display .......................................................55

Displaying Teletext..............................................................55

Safeguarding Recorded TV Programs ....................................56

Managing Hard Disk Drive Space ........................................60

Playing Music Files ..................................... 63

Using Windows Media Player..............................................64

Creating a Music Library .....................................................65

Searching the Computer for Music Files.................................66

Adding CD Tracks to the Music Library..................................67

Playing Digital Music Files ...................................................68

Finding Music Files in My Music ...........................................69

Playing a Song...................................................................70

Setting Up an Automatic Disc Jockey.....................................71

Finding and Playing an Album .............................................71

Creating a Playlist...............................................................72

Selecting a Visualization......................................................73

Working with Pictures................................ 75

Using My Pictures in Media Center .......................................76

Organizing Pictures in My Pictures........................................77

Viewing Pictures in My Pictures.............................................78

Editing Pictures in My Pictures ..............................................81

Printing Pictures in My Pictures .............................................82

Copying Pictures to CDs ......................................................83

Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center ...........................84

Organizing pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ...........................85

Viewing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ................................89

Editing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ..................................91

Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus .................................92

Other Features of HP Image Zone Plus...................................92

Playing Videos........................................... 95

Organizing Videos .............................................................96

Playing Digital Videos in Media Center .................................97

Sorting Videos....................................................................99

Viewing Video Details .........................................................99

Recording Videos to DVD from a Digital Video Camera ..........99

Using Supported Video File Types.......................................100

Playing DVDs ........................................... 101

Changing the DVD Movie Language ...................................103

Changing DVD Audio Settings ...........................................103

Listening to FM Radio ............................... 105

Using the FM Radio and the TV Signal at the Same Time .......106

Playing FM Radio Stations .................................................106

Organizing Pre-set Radio Stations.......................................107

iii

Recording TV Shows to DVDs ................... 109

About Copying Recorded TV Programs to DVD.....................109

Copying Recorded TV Programs to DVD or CD.....................110

Watching Recorded TV Programs on DVD ...........................111

Capturing Analog Home Video ..........................................112

Using Double-Layer Technology and Media .........................113

Copy Protection................................................................114

Playing CDs and DVDs ............................. 115

Playing Music CDs with iTunes ...........................................115

Playing CDs and DVDs with Windows Media Player.............115

Playing DVD Movies with InterVideo WinDVD......................116

Playing Video CDs (VCD) with InterVideo WinDVD...............118

Playing Video CDs (VCD) with Windows Media Player 9 ......118

Creating (Burning) CDs ............................. 119

Creating (Burning) Music CDs with iTunes............................119

Creating (Burning) Music CDs with Windows Media Player ...119

Creating (Burning) Data CDs Using Windows XP..................120

Creating (Burning) CDs with RecordNow!............................120

Storing Files on a DVD or CD.............................................122

Copying a DVD or CD ......................................................124

Erasing a DVD or CD ........................................................124

About Removing Files in RecordNow! .................................125

Removing Files from a Recorded Data Disc ..........................125

Archiving Files on a DVD or CD .........................................126

About Image Files.............................................................126

Saving an Image.............................................................. 126

Burning an Image ............................................................ 127

About Recording Video Files ............................................. 127

Disc Labels...................................................................... 127

Creating Recovery CD/DVDs for the PC.............................. 127

Compatibility Information.................................................. 129

Compatible File Formats ................................................... 130

Disc Quick Reference ....................................................... 130

Disc Feature and Compatibility .......................................... 132

Optical Drive Quick Reference........................................... 133

Creating DVD Movies ................................137

Getting Started ................................................................ 137

Requirements for Capturing Video...................................... 138

Capturing Digital Camcorder Video ................................... 139

Capturing Web Camera Video.......................................... 139

Capturing Video with a Capture Card ................................ 140

Capturing a Still Image..................................................... 140

Editing Video Files in WinDVD Creator............................... 140

Authoring Your DVD......................................................... 143

Recording VHS Video Files Direct to DVD............................ 146

Converting Recorded TV to VCD or DVD Format .................. 146

Troubleshooting ........................................147

Problems and Solutions..................................................... 147

Index........................................................153

iv HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Getting Started with Media Center

Using Media Center

This guide can help you get started using Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition and other software programs. HP has combined the features of the HP Pavilion home PC with the Microsoft Windows® XP Media Center Edition operating system to create a powerful entertainment center for you.

Media Center Features

You can control the Media Center functions and navigate Media Center windows by using the remote control, the keyboard, or the mouse. You can easily switch back and forth between them by moving the mouse or by pressing a button on the remote control or the keyboard.

When using the remote control and the Media Center program, you can:

■ Watch, record, and play back television

programs.

■ Pause, rewind, and fast-forward TV programs.

■ Watch an instant replay.

■ Play back your digital videos.

■ View your digital pictures or play them as a

slide show with music. Easily print your photos.

■ Browse, select, and play music CD files with

full-screen visualizations.

With Media Center you can play all kinds of audio, video, and picture media by using a specially designed remote control. Media Center allows you to access an electronic Program Guide, which gets updated over the Internet. Whether you are recording TV programs or sharing a digital photo album, you can do all your entertaining using the powerful remote control.

You can run Media Center side by side with other Windows software programs. It’s possible to browse through your pictures, watch videos, play music, and even record TV while using other Windows programs.

■ Watch or listen to media while doing other

tasks on your computer.

■ Record your TV shows automatically while you

are doing something else.

■ Open specific windows in Media Center by

using the shortcut buttons on the remote control or on the front of your computer.

■ Update the Program Guide from the Internet.

■ Listen to FM radio stations.

Some of the Media Center features listed are for select models only.

■ Record CD tracks to your media library.

■ Play DVD movies. Resume playing your DVDs

where you left off.

■ Access streaming music and video

subscription services.

■ Navigate the Media Center program by using

either the remote control or the mouse and keyboard.

The Television Program Guide may not be available in all countries/regions.

Using Media Center 1

Getting the most out of Media Center

It is best to have the following items completed before trying to use Media Center; otherwise, many of the program features won’t be available to you. Before opening Media Center, make sure:

■ The HP Media Center PC is set up correctly.

For setup information, refer to the setup poster.

■ The remote control has two AA alkaline

batteries installed.

■ The remote sensor is properly plugged into a

USB connector on your PC and is placed where you can point the remote control at it.

Opening Media Center

To open the Media Center program:

■ Press the Start button on your remote

control.

■ Click Start on the taskbar, and

then click Media Center.

■ Click the Media Center icon

on your desktop. You can create a Media Center shortcut icon by clicking and dragging the Media Center icon in the Start menu to your desktop.

■ The remote sensor control cable is securely

plugged into the remote sensor and attached to your cable or satellite set-top box, if present.

■ The PC has a properly configured and

working Internet connection.

■ The PC is properly connected to your TV

signal source.

2 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Navigating Media Center

In the Media Center windows, a selected item such as a folder, file, or menu item is outlined with a green border.

To select items in Media Center, use the arrow buttons on the remote control, and then use the OK button to enter your selection.

If you have media playing, such as music or television, it appears in an inset window in the lower-left corner. To switch from watching your media in the inset window to watching it in fullscreen mode, use the arrows on the remote control to select it and then press OK.

Using Media Center 3

Media Center Start Menu

CDE FGH

L M

A Log off to end your Media Center session or

to switch users

B Use media playback controls

C Open Media Center Start menu

D Go back one screen

E Open Media Center Help

You can use the Minimize and Resize buttons to run Media Center side by side with another program from your desktop.

F Minimize Media Center window

G Resize Media Center window

H Close Media Center window

J Play FM radio stations

K Watch your home videos

4 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

L View digital pictures or play a slide show,

print photos

M Watch, record, and play back live TV

programs

N Play music files or music CDs

O Watch DVD movies

P Change Media Center program settings

Other menus not shown:

■ Online Spotlight — link to the Media Center

Web site for the latest information about your Media Center PC and software.

■ More Programs — link to other programs.

Once you open these programs, they appear in your Media Center Start menu.

Setting the PC Location for the Program Guide

During the initial setup of the PC, you specify your PC country/region location. Media Center uses this information to select the country/region for the Program Guide.

The Media Center PC uses United States as the PC location by default. If you did not select your correct location, and if this location does not match the ZIP code or postal code location you entered in the

To set the PC location

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and then click

Control Panel.

2 Click Date, Time, Language, and

Regional Options, if it is present.

3 Click Regional and Language Options. 4 Click the Regional Options tab.

Media Center Setup

Media Center Program Guide setting, an error message may appear. You may also see No data available in the Program Guide, or you may not be able to get the correct Program Guide.

To resolve this problem, set the location for your PC in the Control Panel first and then in the Media Center Settings window.

5 In Standards and formats, select your

language and country/region; for example,

English (Canada), from the drop-down list.

6 Select your location from the drop-down list. 7 Click Apply, and then click OK.

The first time you open Media Center, a setup wizard opens. Use the setup wizard to test your remote control and to configure your Internet connection, TV signal, and Program Guide. The Media Center setup wizard may take approximately 10 to 40 minutes to complete.

To complete the setup wizard you need to:

■ Be logged on as the administrator. For more

information, go to Microsoft Help.

■ Have an Internet connection already set up to

download your television service provider’s program guide.

■ Provide your ZIP code or postal code.

■ Provide the name of your television service

provider, if you subscribe to either cable or satellite TV.

■ Provide the brand of your set-top box, if you

use one.

You can click the Help button anytime while completing the setup wizard.

Using Media Center 5

Use Media Center settings to:

■ Change settings for

your television service provider.

■ Change settings for

your Internet Service Provider.

■ Manually update

the My TV Program Guide.

Setting Up Media Center

It is best to complete each step in the Media Center setup wizard to be able to use all the features in Media Center. You can select to bypass these steps and complete them later in the Settings window in Media Center.

Press the Start button on the remote control. The Media Center setup wizard opens. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the following

four steps:

■ Check your remote

control.

■ Change your postal

code to receive the correct Program Guide for your area.

1 Check the remote control

This step is an interactive test to make sure the remote control is working with the remote sensor. Before performing this test:

■ Make sure the remote control has two AA

alkaline batteries installed.

■ Make sure the remote control sensor is

plugged into a USB port on the PC.

■ Make sure you point the remote control at

the remote sensor.

■ Make sure the LED on the remote control

and the remote sensor blinks when a button is pressed.

6 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

2 Select the download method for your

Internet connection

In this step, you select options for your Internet connection so that Media Center can download and update your Program Guide and display information about your music CDs and other media.

a You can have Media Center automatically

download the Guide when connected, or you can manually download the Guide when you connect to the Internet. If you manually download the Guide, you need to connect to the Internet and then select Settings from the Media Center Start menu, select TV, Guide, and then select

Get Guide data.

b Test your connection to the Internet by

selecting the Test button.

To set this up later or change your settings, you can select Settings from the Media Center Start menu, select General, and then select Set up Internet connection.

If you choose to manually download the Program Guide, it is best that you download it once per day.

If you are unable to identify which set-top box you have, the Media Center wizard prompts you to manually program the remote control buttons that control the set-top box.

Using Media Center 7

3 Set up television signal

This step makes sure your computer receives the correct TV signal and the correct Program Guide information. If you have a set-top box, the setup wizard programs your remote control to work with your set-top box so that you can view premium channels. Make sure the TV signal source is properly connected to your PC and the correct TV provider is selected.

a Select your TV service.

The Program Guide may not be available in all countries/regions.

b Select if you have a set-top box. Sometimes

a set-top box receives a TV signal. If you have a set-top box, the Media Center remote control needs to work with it.

c Prepare for set-top box setup. Make sure:

■ The set-top box is turned on.

■ The TV signal is connected to your

set-top box.

■ The set-top box is connected to your

computer.

■ The remote sensor control cable is

connected properly.

4 Set up the Program Guide

An Internet connection is needed to complete this step. If your computer isn’t connected to the Internet or if Media Center hasn’t configured your ISP information in step 2, you will see No data available in the Program Guide.

To set this up later, select Settings from the Media Center Start menu, select TV, and then select Guide, and then Reset Guide

lineup.

d Choose a working TV signal to use with

Media Center.

e Select how you change channels.

f Select your set-top box brand.

g Select a remote control code.

h Test channel changing.

i Set the IR signal speed.

j The Guide is automatically downloaded

when you complete all onscreen instructions.

To set this up later, select Settings from the Media Center Start menu, select TV, and then select Set

up TV signal.

8 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Media Center Menu Bars

When you move the mouse, the Media Center menu bars appear. When you use the remote control, or when you stop using the mouse (after 5 seconds), the menu bars disappear.

You can switch to the desktop at any time without closing or minimizing Media Center.

You don’t need to minimize the Media Center window to open another program or go to a Web site. You can just resize the Media Center window and then open another program by using the Start menu.

To display the desktop, select the Minimize icon by using the arrow buttons on the remote control or by using the mouse. You can also resize the window to display Media Center and a part of the desktop.

To return to Media Center, use the mouse to click the

Media Center icon on the taskbar.

Menu bar icon Action

Open Media Center main menu

Open Media Center Help files in a separate window

Go back one screen

Minimize Media Center window and view the desktop

Resize Media Center window

Close Media Center

Play selected media

Stop selected media

Record selected media

Replay, rewind (previous) selected media

Skip, fast-forward (next) selected media

Using Media Center 9

Setting Media Center as the Automatic CD Player

When you insert a CD while Media Center is active, your CD plays automatically after a few seconds. If you are not in Media Center, Windows asks you what you want to do with the CD. To avoid this message, you can select Media Center as the primary program to play CDs.

To select Media Center as the primary CD playing program:

1 Close Media Center. 2 Insert a CD into the drive. A message appears

asking you what you want Windows to do.

3 Select Play Audio CD using Media

Center.

4 Check the Always do the selected

action check box, and then click OK.

Using Shortcut Buttons

Remote control

You can use the remote control shortcut buttons, such as TV (My TV), Music (My Music), Pictures (My Pictures), and Videos (My Videos) to open specific windows in Media Center. Refer to “Using the Remote Control” on page 13 for more information about the shortcut buttons on the remote control.

10 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Keyboard

The keyboard shortcut buttons do not open the Media Center program. Refer to “Using the Keyboard” in the HP Media Center PC Getting Started Guide for more information about your keyboard shortcut keys.

Using Media Center Help

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Move the mouse to show the Media

Center navigation bar, and then select the Help (?) icon from any window in Media Center.

3 When Media Center Help files appear:

■ To open available files, select the

Contents tab and then click the (+) next to the topic. To view text about a topic, select the topic. The text appears on the right side of the window.

■ Select the Index tab and then scroll down

the list of topics, or type a descriptive word and click the Display button. To view a topic, double-click it.

■ Select the Search tab and then type a

descriptive word. Click the List Topics button. To view a topic, double-click it.

4 To return to Media Center, close the Help files

by clicking the Close button on the taskbar of the Help window.

When Media Center is open, you can also press F1 on the keyboard to open Media Center Help.

Using Media Center 11

Changing Media Center Settings

In the Media Center Settings window, you can change settings for watching television, for viewing your pictures and slide shows, and for controlling sound and the display of all the Media Center windows.

To change your Media Center settings:

Some settings such as parental control and caption display settings for TV and DVDs are included with select models only.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select Settings. 3 Select:

■ General to adjust the appearance of

Media Center window, adjust sounds, set parental controls to block unwanted TV channels or movie ratings, select caller ID settings, set up an Internet connection, or set up your remote control to work with Media Center and other settings.

■ TV to set up TV signal, audio, closed

captioning. You can download or edit the Television Program Guide, view recording errors, set hard disk drive storage space, and set recording defaults.

■ Music to select visualizations or song

information to display when playing asong.

■ Radio to organize or delete pre-set radio

stations.

■ DVDs to select a language for subtitles,

audio tracks, and menus of your DVDs. You can select audio settings for your speakers and program remote buttons for DVD.

■ Pictures to show pictures in random

order, in subfolders, and show captions, change transition time or background shade for slide shows.

4 Select one of the settings listed. Then, use the

arrow buttons to select an option or follow the onscreen instructions. If necessary, select Save to save your changes.

For more information about changing Media Center settings, refer to the Help menu in Media Center.

12 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

The remote control is designed to work with Media Center. You can use your remote control with Media Center to play CDs, DVDs, and videos, 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 cable TV remote control navigates cable TV options or controls the playback of a movie in a VCR or DVD player.

Remote control can:

■ Navigate and control all Media Center

windows.

■ Control the video or live TV display.

■ Place the computer in and out of

standby mode.

Remote control cannot:

■ Navigate the Windows desktop or control

other computer programs outside of Media Center.

Using the Remote Control

DVD

RADIO

RECORD

REPLAY

BACK

LIVE TV

REW

MUSIC

PICTURES

PLAY

PAUSE

VIDEOS

STOP

FWD

SKIP

GUIDE

RECORDED

The remote control can send a strong signal to the remote sensor from within a range of about 26 feet.

Make sure there is nothing blocking the pathway between your remote control and the remote sensor.

■ Be used as a VCR, DVD player, or stereo

remote control.

■ Turn the computer on or off (shut down PC).

■ Turn a TV that is connected to your computer

on or off.

VOLUME

MORE INFO

MUTE

ABC

GHI

PQRS

CLEAR

JKL

TUV

[

hp media center

CHANNEL/

PAGE

DEF

321

MNO

654

WXYZ

987

ENTER

Using the Remote Control 13

Remote Control Buttons Overview

Features and location may vary

A Standby puts the PC into and out of a

power-reduced state.

B DVD Menu opens main menu on a DVD

movie, if available.

CMusic opens the My Music window.

DRadio opens the FM Radio window.

ERecord records a selected television program

and stores it on the hard disk.

FREW (Rewind) moves the media backward at

two speeds.

GReplay moves media backward 7 seconds.

HPause pauses audio and video tracks, and

pauses live or recorded TV programs.

JBack returns PC to the previous window within

Media Center.

KArrow buttons move the cursor to navigate

within all Media Center windows. Advances to the next picture in a slide show.

LLive TV is a shortcut to the full-screen view of

live TV. It also moves to the current point in a live TV program after pausing live TV.

G H

DVD

B C

MUSIC

RADIO

PICTURES

VIDEOS

Q R

S T

RECORD

PLAY

REW

REPLAY

PAUSE

STOP

FWD

SKIP

BACK

GUIDE

LIVE TV

RECORDED

MUTE

CHANNEL/

PAGE

VOLUME

MORE INFO

MMore Info displays available information

about a selected media file. Allows you to rotate a picture in My Pictures.

NVolume increases (+) and decreases (–)

sound.

OMute turns computer sound off. The word

Mute is displayed on the screen when Mute is turned on.

PClear deletes selection and works as the

backspace button does on a keyboard.

14 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

ABC

GHI

PQRS

CLEAR

JKL

TUV

DEF

321

MNO

654

WXYZ

987

ENTER

[

hp media center

QTV opens the My TV window.

RPictures opens the My Pictures window.

SVideos opens the My Videos window.

TPlay plays selected media.

UStop stops media currently playing.

V FWD (Fast-forward) moves media forward

at three speeds.

WSkip moves media forward, for example,

30 seconds in videos and live TV, or one music track.

XGuide opens Television Program Guide to

display available TV channels and programs to watch and record.

YOK selects the desired action or window

option. It acts as the Enter key. If watching TV in full-screen mode, pressing OK switches back to the previous channel watched. Press again to toggle back. It acts the same way as a Jump button on some TV remote controls.

ZRecorded TV opens the Recorded TV window.

AA Start opens Media Center to the main

Start menu.

BB Channel/Page up (+) and down (–) changes

TV channel or moves page up and down, depending on available options. It also moves to next DVD chapter. The name of the TV show and channel are displayed.

CC 0 to 9 changes channels or enters text into

Media Center search or text box.

DD Enter selects the desired action or window

option. In full-screen mode, press Enter to jump to the last channel you were watching.

EE Print prints your pictures that you select in the

My Pictures window.

Using the Remote Control 15

To begin using your remote control

1 Point the remote control at the remote sensor.

The remote sensor should be located near your monitor or in a convenient place. Make sure there is nothing blocking the pathway between your remote control and the remote sensor.

2 To start Media Center and to open the

Media Center Start menu, press the Start button .

3 If this is your first time using the remote

control, the Media Center setup wizard opens. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the remote control setup steps.

If you have completed the Media Center setup wizard, the Media Center Start menu opens. Use the arrow keys on the remote control to select an item, and then press OK to select an option and to begin using Media Center.

16 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Remote Control Buttons

Direct access buttons

The direct access buttons open the main Media Center windows.

DVD

MUSIC

RADIO

Button Function

DVD

TV Opens the My TV window where you can watch and record TV, open your Television

Radio Opens the FM radio station window where you can select FM radio stations to listen to.

Music Opens the My Music window where you can browse and play music CDs and your

Pictures Opens the My Pictures window where you can search for, sort, and view pictures and

Videos Opens the My Videos window where you can search for, sort, and play back your video

Opens the Play DVD main menu where you can play your DVD movies.

Program Guide, schedule future TV recordings, and find your recorded TV programs.

music files.

slide shows that are stored in the My Pictures or the Shared Pictures folder in Windows Explorer. You can also view your pictures on other media such as a digital camera or a memory card.

files that are stored in the My Videos or the Shared Video folder in Windows Explorer. You can also view your videos on other media such as a memory card.

PICTURES

VIDEOS

Some older DVDs may not include a DVD menu.

Using the Remote Control 17

Make sure you turn off the monitor and turn down or mute the volume, for example, if you have a scheduled recording in the middle of the night and don’t want to be disturbed.

The PC will not automatically go into standby mode if Media Center is open. It is best to close Media Center before you manually place the PC in standby mode.

Standby button

The Standby button puts the computer in to and out of a power-reduced state, called standby, which runs the computer with minimal power until you give it a command. To take the computer out of standby, press the Standby button for at least one to two seconds on the remote control. It is recommended that you use this button when Media Center is closed.

You must press Standby for one to two seconds.

An LED (light-emitting diode) located under the Standby button blinks when the remote control is transmitting a signal to the remote sensor.

Recording in standby mode

Media Center can take the PC out of standby mode just before a scheduled show begins recording. The PC returns to standby mode when the recording is complete.

Media Center begins recording with the monitor and sound turned on unless you manually turn them off before the scheduled recording.

Media Center cannot record TV programs if the computer is turned off.

Remote control LED and the remote sensor LED

Under the Standby button is an LED that blinks when the remote control is sending a signal to the remote sensor.

The remote sensor displays a red LED when you press a button on the remote control (select models only). Some kinds of lighting may cause the remote sensor to blink without you pressing the remote control.

If you turn off (shut down) your PC, Media Center will not record a scheduled TV program. The PC must be turned on or in standby mode to record TV programs.

18 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Media playback buttons

These buttons allow you to play back picture slide shows, music files, playlists, music CDs, DVD

RECORD

PLAY

STOP

movies, home videos, and live TV, from within the Media Center program.

REW

PAUSE

REPLAY

FWD

SKIP

Button Function

Record Records TV programs. The Record button works only when My TV is used to play a TV

show. It is inactive when other media is playing.

■ Press Record once to record a TV show while watching live TV or while in the Guide.

■ Press Record twice to record a TV series while in the Guide.

■ Press Record repeatedly, until the record icon disappears from the Guide, to cancel a

recording.

Play Plays selected media.

Stop Stops selected media. When Stop is pressed while you are watching TV, the Media

Center pause buffer continues to record in the background.

REW

Rewinds selected media. Press REW again to increase the rewinding speed.

■ Moves the video backward.

■ Moves live TV program to the beginning of the 30-minute pause buffer.

■ Moves the Television Program Guide back 3 hours.

Pause Pauses selected media. Press Pause and then FWD repeatedly to play media frame by

frame in slow motion. To continue slow motion, you must press the FWD button more than once.

FWD Moves selected video media forward. Press FWD up to three times to increase the

fast-forwarding speed.

■ Moves MP3 music files forward.

■ Moves a video forward.

■ Moves the Television Program Guide forward 3 hours.

Press the REW or the Replay button and then the Play button to watch an instant replay.

Using the Remote Control 19

Navigation and other direct access buttons

These buttons allow you to move the cursor and to select actions within the Media Center windows.

BACK

GUIDE

LIVE TV

RECORDED

Button Function

Back Returns to the previous window.

Guide Opens the electronic Television Program Guide.

Arrows Move between menus, windows, or activities. Move the cursor to select actions within

the Media Center windows.

OK Selects a desired action and works as an Enter button. If you are watching live TV,

press OK to go to the previous channel. Press OK again to toggle back to the original channel you were watching.

Live TV Moves a TV program forward to the end of the pause buffer and resumes playing live

TV. When you pause a TV program, you can use the Live TV button to move forward to live TV.

Opens Media Center and then begins playing live TV in full-screen mode.

Recorded TVOpens the Recorded TV window where all your recorded TV programs are stored.

From this window, you can search for and play back a recorded show.

Start Opens the Media Center Start menu if you are in Media Center or if you are at the

desktop.

20 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Audio and video buttons

The audio and video buttons change channels, adjust volume, and show details of selected media.

VOLUME

MORE INFO

MUTE

CHANNEL/

PAGE

ABC

DEF

321

GHI

JKL

MNO

654

PQRS

TUV

WXYZ

987

CLEAR

ENTER

hp media center

Button Function

Vol ume

(+ and –)

More Info Displays media information. Some media may not include this information. This

Channel/Page

(+ and –)

Increases or decreases PC volume.

button displays details such as TV program summary or music artist. You may need to be connected to the Internet to receive TV programming or CD artist information. Displays options to rotate or print your pictures.

Changes channels up and down or moves the cursor to the next or previous page of options. Changes channels for live TV or moves to the next chapter of a DVD movie.

Mute Turns off the PC sound. The word Mute appears in the window when it is turned on.

Numeric

keypad

Changes channels and enters text. Enters text in the Media Center search feature. Each time you press a number key, a different character appears. When you find the character you want, press the Enter button or wait a few seconds.

Clear Deletes the last character entered. Clear works the same way as a backspace

command on a keyboard.

Enter Selects a desired action, menu, or window. Enter works the same way as the OK

button.

Print Prints picture files from the My Pictures window of Media Center. This button does

not print files from Windows Explorer.

Using the Remote Control 21

22 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Using an HP Personal Media Drive

The HP Personal Media Drive is an internal and 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. You can also use the HP Personal Media Drive to back up other drives on your PC.

The HP Personal Media drive is designed to:

■ Work with the Media Center PC and other

PCs that have a USB port.

■ Store large media files and personal files.

■ Transfer files between PCs.

■ Play media files.

■ Back up your files.

The HP Personal Media Drive is sold separately.

Locating the Drive After Installation

After you install the HP Personal Media Drive into the 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 24.

1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Click My Computer. 3 Select your drive under Hard Disk Drives. The

default name is HP Personal Media Drive.

Using an HP Personal Media Drive 23

Assigning a Drive Letter to the HP Personal Media Drive

The installation CD that came with your HP Personal Media Drive allows you to assign a drive letter to the HP Personal Media Drive.

To avoid multiple hard disk drives using the same drive letter when connecting and removing the drives, assign the letter Z.

You can permanently assign a drive letter to avoid the letter changing when you connect and disconnect this drive and other devices. Also, it is easier for a software program to locate files on the HP Personal Media Drive if a drive letter is assigned. Some programs may not be able to find files if the drive has a new drive letter.

It is best to always remove your drive safely to avoid errors. See “Disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive Safely” on page 29.

Storing Files

The best way to transfer files to the HP Personal Media Drive is to drag them from your local hard disk drive to your HP Personal Media Drive. This allows you to place files in specific folders so that they can be viewed in Media Center. Refer to the following procedures for more detailed instructions about creating these linked folders.

To assign a drive letter:

1 Click Start. 2 Right-click My Computer. 3 Select Manage and then click Disk

Management.

4 Right-click the HP Personal Media Drive. 5 Select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

HP recommends that you pick the drive letter Z.

6 Click Change and select a letter, and then

apply the changes by clicking OK.

Playing Media Files

You can play all kinds of media from an HP Personal Media Drive:

1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Click My Computer.

24 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

3 Double-click the HP Personal Media Drive icon

to locate your media file.

4 Double-click the file. Most media files open in

Windows Media Player.

Playing Music Files

You can play all kinds of music that are stored on HP Personal Media Drive. If you want the music files that are stored on your HP Personal Media Drive to appear in the Windows Media Player Library and the Media Center My Music window, you must create a link to this drive.

To do t h is:

1 Click Start on the taskbar, click My

Computer, and then double-click the

HP Personal Media Drive icon.

2 Create a personal music folder by right-

clicking in the folder and choosing New and then Folder. Type a name for your personal music folder.

3 Drag or copy your music files into this created

folder.

4 Open Windows Media Player by clicking

Start, All Programs, and then click Windows Media Player.

5 In the Windows Media Player window, click

Too ls, select Options, and then select the Media Library tab.

6 Click the Monitor Folders button. 7 Click Add to add a pathway to your

HP Personal Media Drive.

8 Browse to locate your created music file folder

on your HP Personal Media Drive, and then click OK.

9 Click OK, and then OK again to close the

Options window. Now your music files on your HP Personal Media Drive appear in the Windows Media Player library and in the Media Center My Music window when your drive is connected to the PC.

When you disconnect the drive, your music files may still appear in the Windows Media Player Library and Media Center My Music window. To refresh your PC, open and close Windows Media Player or Media Center. If that doesn’t work, restart the PC.

The installation CD that came with your HP Personal Media Drive allows you to set up folders so that you can access your music files with Media Center.

Viewing Picture Files

You can view your pictures stored on an HP Personal Media Drive. If you want the picture files that are stored on your HP Personal Media Drive to appear in the Media Center My Pictures window, you must create a pathway to this drive.

To do t h is:

1 Click Start on the taskbar, click My

Computer, and then double-click the

HP Personal Media Drive icon.

2 Create a personal pictures folder by right-

clicking in the folder and choosing New and then Folder. Type a name for your personal pictures folder.

3 Drag or copy your picture files into this

created folder.

4 Open the My Pictures folder on your local

hard disk drive by clicking Start, and then My Pictures.

Using an HP Personal Media Drive 25

The installation CD that came with your HP Personal Media Drive allows you to set up folders so that you can access your picture files with Media Center.

The installation CD that came with your HP Personal Media Drive allows you to set up folders so that you can access your video files with Media Center.

5 Right-click anywhere in the My Pictures

window, select New, and then select the Shortcut.

6 When the Create Shortcut wizard window

opens, click Browse and locate your personal pictures folder, select the folder, and then click OK.

7 Click Next and then click Finish. The

shortcut to your personal picture folder appears in the My Pictures window.

Playing Video Files

You can view your videos stored on an HP Personal Media Drive. If you want the video files that are stored on your HP Personal Media Drive to appear in the Media Center My Videos window, you must create a pathway to this drive.

To do t h i s:

1 Click Start on the taskbar, click My

Computer, and then double-click the

HP Personal Media Drive icon.

2 Create a personal videos folder by

right-clicking in the folder and choosing New and then Folder. Type a name for your personal videos folder.

3 Drag or copy your video files into this created

folder.

4 Open the My Videos folder on your local hard

disk drive by clicking Start, My Documents, and then double-clicking My Videos.

5 Right-click anywhere in the My Videos

window, select New, and then select the Shortcut.

8 Click Add to add a pathway to your

HP Personal Media Drive. Now your picture files on your HP Personal Media Drive appear in the Media Center My Pictures window when your drive is connected to the PC.

When you disconnect the drive, your picture files may still appear in the Media Center My Pictures window. To refresh your PC, open and close Media Center.

6 When the Create Shortcut folder opens, click

Browse and locate your personal videos folder, select the folder, and then click OK.

7 Click Next and then click Finish. The

shortcut to your personal video folder appears in the My Videos window.

8 Click Add to add a pathway to your

HP Personal Media Drive. Now your video files on your HP Personal Media Drive appear in the Media Center My Videos window when your drive is connected to the PC.

When you disconnect the drive, your video files may still appear in the Media Center My Videos window. To refresh your PC, open and close Media Center.

26 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

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 Connect your HP Personal Media Drive to the

PC with the PC turned off.

2 Turn on the PC and open Media Center. 3 Click Settings, TV, Recorder, Recorder

storage.

4 Under Record on drive select the HP Personal

Media Drive, select Save, and then select Yes. A Recorded TV folder is created and

placed in your HP Personal Media Drive. Recorded TV shows must be placed in this folder to access them with Media Center.

5 Under Record on drive, select your local hard

disk drive, select Save, and then select Yes.

6 Move or copy your recorded TV programs to

this Recorded TV folder on your HP Personal Media Drive. Now you can view your stored TV programs in Media Center, or you can double-click the file and view the show in Windows Media Player.

7 Close Media Center before disconnecting the

drive.

When you connect your drive, stored TV files appear in a few seconds after you open Media Center.

Recording TV to the HP Personal Media Drive

You need to close Media Center before removing or before connecting your HP Personal Media Drive for the stored TV files to update properly.

The HP Media Center PC was set up to record TV shows to your local hard disk drive when using Media Center. It is possible to change the recording pathway to an HP Personal Media Drive, but several errors can occur if the drive is unexpectedly or improperly removed.

It is best to record TV shows to your local hard disk drive and then copy the files over to your HP Personal Media Drive.

If you decide to change your recording path to the HP Personal Media Drive, listed below are some important things to consider:

■ The TV recording path does not default

back to your local hard disk drive after the HP Personal Media drive is disconnected. This means scheduled recordings may not be recorded. The recording error Low Disk Space may occur, and then your program will not be recorded. See “Changing disk allocation” on page 30 for more information about fixing this error.

■ When the drive is disconnected, the disk

allocation for Recorded TV shows reverts to 10% and your recorded programs can be lost if you have selected the “Keep until space is needed” setting in My TV. See “Changing disk allocation” on page 30 for more information about changing the allocation.

■ If you disconnect the drive while Live TV is

active, a video error can occur.

■ Recorded TV shows are not updated in Media

Center when the drive is removed.

■ The drive may be assigned a different drive

letter which prevents Media Center from recognizing the recording path or the stored Recorded TV files.

Using an HP Personal Media Drive 27

■ HP recommends

that you record TV programs directly to your local hard disk drive and then transfer the programs to the HP Personal Media Drive.

■ If you have

problems recording after you have changed the recording pathway, close Media Center and then open it, and then restart the PC.

Recording TV Programs to the HP Personal Media Drive

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 PC before disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive.

To record TV programs to the HP Personal Media Drive:

HP recommends that you record TV programs directly to your local hard disk drive and then transfer your recorded programs to the HP Personal Media Drive, if desired.

1 Change your recording pathway to your

HP Personal Media Drive. See “Changing the TV recording path to the HP Personal Media Drive” on page 28.

5 Close Media Center. 6 Restart your PC. You must perform this last

step or errors can result when recording to your drive.

2 Open Media Center.

7 Disconnect your HP Personal Media Drive

3 Record TV programs to the HP Personal Media

Drive.

safely. See“Disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive Safely” on page 29.

4 Before disconnecting the drive:

■ Make sure there are no scheduled

recordings or recordings in progress to avoid losing data.

■ Change the recording pathway back to

your local hard disk drive. See“Changing the TV recording path to the local hard disk drive” on page 29.

Changing the TV recording path to the HP Personal Media Drive

If you decide to change your recording path to record directly to your HP Personal Media Drive, Media Center creates a Recorded TV folder on your drive.

To change the Media Center TV recording path to your HP Personal Media Drive:

1 Assign a drive letter to your HP Personal

Media Drive. See “Assigning a Drive Letter to the HP Personal Media Drive” on page 24.

2 Open Media Center. 3 Select Settings, TV, Recorder, and then

Recorder storage.

28 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

4 Under Record on Drive, select “+” to select the

HP Personal Media Drive. You can also

set the disk allocation and recording quality settings in this window.

HP recommends that you know the drive letter assigned and the storage amount of your 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:

5 Click Save and then click Yes. 6 Close Media Center. 7 Restart the PC.

1 Open Media Center. 2 Select Settings, TV, Recorder, and then

Recorder storage. You can also set the disk

allocation and recording quality settings in this window.

3 Select your local hard disk drive (C:). 4 Click Save and then click Yes. 5 Close Media Center. 6 Restart the PC.

Disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive Safely

To disconnect your HP Personal Drive safely:

1 Close Media Center and all other programs

that may be accessing your HP Personal Media Drive. Make sure the activity LED is off.

2 Double-click the Safely Remove

Hardware icon in the system tray

at the bottom of the desktop. If this icon is hidden, click the arrows on the taskbar to display it. The Safely Remove Hardware window opens.

3 Double-click USB Mass Storage Device to

locate your HP Personal Media Drive. USB Mass Storage Device may be listed twice. One may contain a memory card reader or other mass storage drives.

4 Select your device that is labeled HP Personal

Media Drive, and then click OK. This name of

the drive may appear as Generic Volume followed by the assigned drive letter. A Safe to Remove Hardware message appears in the System tray at the bottom of your desktop letting you know that your drive is safe to disconnect.

5 Click Close. 6 Disconnect the drive from the PC.

If you attempt to disconnect the drive safely and a message appears telling you that you can’t, restart the PC; a program may still be using the drive.

Using an HP Personal Media Drive 29

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:

Some recorded TV programs with the broadcast flag turned on are copy protected and cannot be viewed on other PCs.

1 Open Media Center.

3 Change the disk allocation percentage setting

by selecting the “+” or “–“ option.

2 Select Settings, TV, Recorder, and then

select Recorder storage.

Updating recorded TV list after removing the HP Personal Media Drive

If you want to update your Recorded TV list after removing the drive:

1 Close Media Center.

3 If this does not update the files, restart the PC.

2 Open Media Center.

System requirements to view recorded TV programs on other PCs

To play back recorded TV files (.dvr-ms files) that were recorded on your HP Media Center PC onto another non-Media Center PC, the PC must have the following items installed:

■ Windows XP Operating System

■ Windows XP Service Pack 1

■ Windows Media Player 9

■ Software to play DVDs

■ The audio and video codec file that allows

Windows Media Player to play recorded TV programs (.dvr-ms files). You can find this file in Windows Update. Click Start, choose All

Programs, and then click Windows Update. You can also go to the Windows

Web site and search for this code file (Q810243).

If you want more information about this file you can go to:

http://www.microsoft.com

30 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Convenient media file locations

Most media files that you copy from CD or download from the Internet can be placed in specific folders on your local hard disk drive for easy access. For example, you download a music file from the iTunes Music Store, and place it into your My Music folder in My Documents.

Media file types Location

You may want to go to these locations to move or copy your files into your HP Personal Media Drive. Below is a quick reference of your digital media file locations on your local hard disk drive.

Folder

name

Picture files that you transfer from a digital camera, copy from a CD, or download from the Internet can be placed in your My Pictures folder on your primary hard disk drive.

Music files that you download from the iTunes Music Store or copy from a commercial CD by using Windows Media Player can be placed in the My Music folder on your primary hard disk drive.

Video files that you transfer from a digital video camera, copy from a DVD or CD, or download from the Internet can be placed in the My Videos folder on your primary hard disk drive.

Recorded TV files that you record from Media Center are automatically placed in the Recorded TV folder on your primary hard disk drive, unless you manually change the record path.

Click Start, My Documents, and then double-click My Pictures folder.

Click Start, My Documents, and then double-click My Music folder.

Click Start, My Documents, and then double-click My Videos folder.

Click Start, My Computer, Shared Documents, and then double-click the Recorded TV folder.

My Pictures

My Music

My Videos

Recorded

Some media devices and software programs default to these locations automatically.

Using an HP Personal Media Drive 31

32 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Watching and Recording TV Programs

The Media Center PC acts as a digital video recorder (DVR) which works with the Media Center remote control so you can watch and record TV programs at your own convenience and pace.

In My TV you can:

■ Watch your favorite television programs in

full-screen mode or in an inset window.

■ Check which TV programs you have

scheduled to record.

The digital video recording features are for select models only.

■ Pause, stop, rewind, and fast-forward live TV.

■ Record a single TV program or an entire

series. My TV manages the recordings for you and displays a message if there are any recording conflicts.

■ Create a recorded TV library.

■ Search for TV programs to watch or record

using the Television Program Guide.

■ Check the details of TV programs in the

Guide.

■ Browse for TV programs in Search by title,

keyword, or category.

■ Simultaneously watch a recorded program

and record a live program.

■ Set Media Center to block certain channels.

■ Find your favorite television programs by

organizing the Television Program Guide by different categories, such as movies or sports. Also, view a lineup for a specific channel.

A Scroll through the Television Program Guide

for programs to watch and record

B View a list of all your recorded programs or

find out why your program wasn’t recorded

C Quickly find a TV program or series to watch

or record using a descriptive word, program title, or program category

D Change recording priorities, TV Guide

settings, and other settings

E TV channel currently playing

Watching and Recording TV Programs 33

You can change the channel by using the remote control while in full-screen mode or when the inset window is selected.

You c an g o t o li v e T V from anywhere in Windows Media Center by pressing Live TV on the remote control.

You c an s el e ct a channel to see upcoming programs for that channel.

Watching TV

Before you can watch TV by using Media Center, make sure:

■ The computer is set up correctly for your TV

signal source. Refer to the setup poster for more information.

■ You have completed the Media Center setup

wizard.

To watch a television program

1 Press the TV button on the remote control.

The last channel selected or the first channel available begins playing next to the My TV menu.

2 Select a channel by using the Channel/Page

(+) or (–) buttons or by using the numeric keypad on the remote control, and then select Enter. The channel number and program information is displayed in the window.

3 To watch TV in full-screen mode, press the

Live TV button, or select the TV video screen, and then press OK.

4 To exit full-screen mode and return to the

previous window, press Back on the remote control.

5 Press the More Info button to display the

following information:

■ Channel number

■ Channel station identifier

■ Title of program

■ Time period of program

34 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

■ Actual time

■ Brief summary of the program

■ TV rating, if available

■ Type of program, such as sports

Using Remote Control in My TV

Remote Control

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 the 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. FWD allows you to skip 3 hours in the Television Program Guide.

To resume watching the program after pressing the Pause, Fast-Forward, Rewind, Replay, or Skip buttons, press Play.

To advance in live TV or in a recorded program by 30 seconds, press Skip once. You can repeatedly skip forward but only to the end of the pause buffer or the recorded program. Allows you to skip 12 hours in the Television Program Guide.

To move backward in live TV or a recorded program, press Rewind (REW). To speed up rewinding, press REW three times. To resume watching the program, press Play. REW allows you to go back 3 hours in the Guide.

If you close Media Center or leave the Guide page, Media Center defaults back to displaying all available channels.

To move backward in live TV by 7 seconds, press Replay. You can repeatedly rewind with the instant replay option but only to the beginning of the pause buffer or recorded program. Allows you to go back 12 hours in the Guide.

Live TV To maximize the TV viewing window to full-screen mode, press Live TV. Also, to

advance to the end of the pause buffer and resume watching the actual point in the live TV program, press Live TV.

More Info To see channel number, station identifier, title of program, time slot, and

category of program, press the More Info button while in full-screen mode.

Channel/Page To move to the next channel in the Television Program Guide, press the

Channel/Page (+) and (–) buttons.

Guide To open the Television Program Guide, press Guide. When in the Guide

window, press Guide again to view a categories menu. To filter your Guide to display only programs in a category, you can select a category, such as drama.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 35

For some countries or regions the Live TV button is labeled TV on the remote control.

Watching Live TV Using the Digital Video Recorder

The 30-minute pause buffer applies only when pausing, rewinding, and fastforwarding live TV. Media Center allows you to record a program for longer than 30 minutes.

When you select a channel and then press OK on the remote control, you can view two weeks of programming. Use the scroll arrows at the bottom of the window.

When you open the My TV window and begin watching live TV, Media Center begins recording the selected program in the background for up to 30 minutes.

This allows you to use your remote control to stop, pause, rewind, and fast-forward live TV programs within a 30-minute time range. Recording continues in the background. When you pause a live TV program while watching in full-screen mode, the time-shifting window appears.

You can always move to the actual point in the live broadcast by pressing the Live TV button on the remote control.

When you change the channel, Media Center deletes the previously recorded portion and begins recording again after a short delay.

You cannot use time shifting when recording a TV program. For example, you can’t pause a live TV program and then rewind to the beginning of the pause buffer and then begin recording. You can record a TV program only from live TV.

In the illustration below, note that the pause buffer time is highlighted in green. The pause buffer began recording around 3:55 and has recorded until 4:16. The program was then rewound and paused at 4:12.

The digital video recording features are for select models only.

36 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Using the Television Program Guide

In the Guide, you can scroll through a list of the current television programs and channels available from your television service provider. The Guide displays the channel and network, as well as the program title, scheduled time block, and a brief

Important information about the Television Program Guide

Television Program Guide data may not be available in your country or region. If there is no Guide data available when you try to download or search for Program Guide information, the following messages may appear:

■ Download Incomplete: We were unable to

locate any 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.

Recording TV without a Television Program Guide

You do not need the Television Program Guide to record TV. To record TV, set the recording manually:

description of the program. The number of days displayed depends on your television service provider. By selecting a program title, a detailed description of the program appears at the bottom of the window.

■ The current lineup and/or location selected for

the Guide is not supported.

■ The Guide information is either missing or

corrupt.

■ No data available.

■ Channel information is currently not available.

If you receive any of these messages, then the Guide data is not available in your country or region, and you cannot use Television Program Guide features. Check back periodically to see if Guide data has been provided.

The number of channels and calendar days of TV listings depends on your television service provider

1 Press the Start button on the remote control,

select My TV, Recorded TV, and then select Add Recording.

2 Select Channel and time. 3 Enter the channel number using the numeric

keypad on the remote control.

4 Select the (+) or (–) buttons and then press OK

on the remote control to scroll through choices and enter the recording frequency, date, start and stop times, and storage and quality options.

5 To set the recording and return to the Settings

window, select Record in the window, and then press OK on the remote control.

6 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 37

Make sure the PC has a connection to the Internet and that you have completed the Media Center setup wizard before you try to download your Television Program Guide or change the settings for your Guide.

Viewing the Television Program Guide

1 Press the Start button on the remote control. 2 Select My TV, and then select Guide.

3 Select a channel, and then use the arrow

buttons to view up to two weeks of programming for that channel.

4 Select a program, and then press OK to watch

or record the program.

38 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Downloading the Television Program Guide

You have three options to download the Television Program Guide:

■ Automatically connect and download the

Guide at a specified time each day. Some Internet Service Providers may not support this option.

■ Manually connect to the Internet, and Media

Center automatically downloads the Guide.

■ Manually connect to the Internet and then

manually download the Guide in Media Center TV Settings menu.

If the Guide has not been downloaded from the Internet because there is no Internet connection, you will see No data available next to each channel.

Manually downloading the Television Program Guide

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My TV, Settings, Guide, and then

select Get Guide data.

Media Center can be set up to automatically connect to the Internet and update the Guide. This option may not be available, depending on your Internet Service Provider. You can also manually update the Guide from the TV Settings menu.

3 Select Yes. The Television Program Guide

starts downloading from the Internet. This can take up to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of data to download and the speed of your Internet connection.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 39

Changing a Postal Code to Receive the Correct Television Program Guide

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

4 Enter your postal code, and then select Next. 5 To download your provider information and

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide, and then select

Reset Guide lineup.

then start downloading your Guide information, follow the onscreen instructions.

3 Select Next, and follow the onscreen

instructions.

Setting up an Internet Dial-Up Connection

To set up your Internet connection to bypass the Internet Service Provider interface, use this procedure.

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and then click

Control Panel.

2 Click Network and Internet

Connections, if it is present.

3 Double-click Network Connections. 4 In the Network Tasks area, click Create a

new connection.

5 When the New Connection Wizard opens,

click Next.

6 Select Connect to the Internet, and then

click Next.

7 Follow the onscreen instructions.

To go online after establishing your connection, click

Start, choose Connect to, and then select your Internet Dial-up connection.

40 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Adding Missing Channels to the Guide

Some program channels are seasonal and don’t appear in the Guide all the time. To add the names and numbers of the television channels you are missing or to change the associations between channel numbers and lineups:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

4 Use the numeric keypad on your remote

2 Select My TV, Settings, Guide, and then

select Add missing channels to add the names and numbers of the channels you are missing.

5 Enter the correct channel number, and then

6 Repeat steps 3 through 5 to add additional

3 Select Add channel.

7 Click Done when you’ve added all the

Removing Channels from the Guide

You may want to remove some channels from your Guide to prevent users from having access to them.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My TV, Settings, Guide, and then

select Edit Guide listings to remove the names and numbers of the channels you don’t want to appear in the Guide.

3 Select or clear a check box to add or remove

4 Select Save.

control or your keyboard to enter the name of the missing channel, and then select Next.

select Add.

channels.

the channel.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 41

■ 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.

■ The TV search

results do not include previously recorded TV programs.

Searching for TV Programs

To find a TV program, you can enter a title, keyword, or select a category in your Guide by using your remote control.

To search for a TV program

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control (select models only), select My TV, and then select Search.

2 Select Title. Use the numeric keypad on your

remote control or your keyboard to enter a program title word, and then press OK on the remote control.

Select Keyword. Use the numeric keypad on your remote control or your keyboard to enter a descriptive word that would appear in a program title or program description, and

Guide filtering features, such as searching by keyword or category, are available for select models only.

then press OK on the remote control.

3 To scroll through search results, use the arrow

buttons to select a program, and then press OK. If multiple times for the program are displayed, select a time and press OK.

4 To begin watching the program in full-screen

mode, select the program and then press OK. If the program is not currently playing, select Record or Record Series, and then press OK.

42 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Searching for TV programs using categories

You can search the Guide to find a TV program by selecting a category using your remote control.

To search for a TV program

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, and then select Search.

2 Select Categories. Select a category of

program types such as Movies or Sports, and then press OK on the remote control. All items that match the category are displayed in the search results. You can sort them by date or by name.

3 Use the arrow buttons to scroll through

search results and to select a program. Then press OK.

4 Select the program in the window, and then

press OK on the remote control to begin watching the program in full-screen mode. If the program is not currently playing, you can select Record or Record Series, and then press OK.

Recorded TVs Schedules window displays a list of programs scheduled to record in the future, beginning with the current date. Each program is listed individually even if it is a part of a series.

Record Series means that you select to record each episode of that program from one channel. Media Center won’t record duplicate episodes. Media Center also looks for alternative times to record an episode if a recording conflict happens.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 43

Recording TV Programs

If you turn off (shut down) your PC, Media Center will not record a scheduled program. The PC must be turned on or in standby mode to record a TV program. The 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 don’t want to be disturbed.

Media Center allows you to record TV programs so that you can watch them when it is convenient. You can record the program you are watching, or you can record a future program or series from the Guide, the Search, or the Recorded TV window in My TV. After you have scheduled the recording of several programs or series, you can change the priority order in the My TV Settings window.

To record a TV program you are currently watching, just press the Record button on the remote control once.

If a recording error occurs, the program will not be recorded unless the conflict is resolved. If you try to schedule a recording and another is already scheduled for the same time, a conflict window appears and gives you the option to record the new program or record the previously scheduled program.

Media Center automatically records until the program is scheduled to be over, as listed in the Guide.

To make sure your program is being recorded, select My TV, Recorded TV, and then select Scheduled. The Record icon also appears next to the program in the Guide while you are recording. The Record icon disappears when the recording is complete.

Recording icons

The Record icon appears in the Television Program Guide next to the program scheduled to record.

The Record Series icon appears in the Television Program Guide next to each occurrence of a program in a series that is scheduled to be recorded.

The Record Conflict/Error icon appears in the Television Program Guide and the taskbar if another program is scheduled to be recorded at the same time.

The Record icon in the taskbar

If a program is currently being recorded, the Record icon also appears in the taskbar. If you move your mouse over the icon, Media Center displays which program is currently being recorded. You can rightclick the icon to open Media Center and stop recording.

44 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Recording TV tips

■ If you are watching live TV during a scheduled

recording time, you can watch only the program being recorded. If you change channels, recording stops.

■ If you go to another area in Media Center, the

TV channel you last selected will be displayed in the inset window at the bottom of the window.

■ Some channels can be shared by two or more

networks, depending on the time of day. The Guide may display only one network’s programming. This may cause recording options to be unavailable. You may need to manually update the Guide before scheduling a recording.

Important information about My TV and FM Radio

In Media Center, FM radio shares the use of the single tuner card with My TV. In Media Center, you are unable to watch or record TV and listen to FM radio at the same time.

When Media Center is scheduled to start a recording, a warning appears that says FM radio stops when the TV recording starts. If you do not select Cancel recording, Media Center automatically stops radio and begins recording TV.

Standby mode and scheduled recordings

You should always close Media Center before you manually place the PC in standby mode, to avoid file corruption and other recording problems.

To copy a recorded TV program to DVD to view on a home DVD player, see “Copying Recorded TV Programs to DVD or CD” on page 110.

Recording TV from the Guide

To record a current or future program or series from the Guide:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, and then select Guide.

2 To find the program you want to record, use

the arrow buttons on the remote control, and then select the program. You can also press the numeric keypad on the remote control to go directly to a channel. Press the right arrow button in the Guide to select a program that will be broadcast in the future.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 45

3 Press the Record button on the remote control.

The Record icon appears next to the program in the Guide. Press Record twice to record a series.

The Record Series icon is displayed to indicate a series. Press Record again to cancel the recording.

Recording TV from Search

You can find a program to record based on a keyword such as an actor or director name, program title, or a category (select models only). To record a current or future program or series using Search:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, and then select Search.

2 Select Title, Keyword, or Categories.

For Title and Keyword searches, enter your descriptive search words. Media Center starts searching from the first letter you type into the text box. For a Categories search, select the category you want and press OK.

4 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

5 If there is a recording conflict, Media Center

displays a message and allows you to select which program you want to record.

Title search

3 Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the

search results to select the program you want to record, select the program, and then press OK.

46 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Keyword search

4 Select Record or Record Series in the

window, and then press OK. The Record icon for a single program or the Record Series icon for a series appears next to the program in the Guide. If there is a recording conflict, Media Center displays a message and allows you to select which program you want to record.

5 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

Recording manually

Recording a program manually allows you to select a specific date, channel, and recording time period. For some programs, you may want to begin recording before the scheduled beginning and after the scheduled ending of the program.

To manually record a program or series from Recorded TV:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, Recorded TV, and then select Add Recording.

2 Select Channel and time. 3 Enter the channel number using the numeric

keypad on the remote control.

4 Select the (+) or (–) buttons and then press

OK on the remote control to scroll through choices and enter the recording frequency, date, start and stop times, and storage and quality options.

Category search

■ Recorded TV

programs that have been copied to a DVD can be played on your PC and on some DVD players.

■ Recorded TV

programs can be backed up as part of a full system backup and restored to the same PC, but not to other PCs.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 47

5 To set the recording and return to the Settings

window, select Record in the window, and then press OK on the remote control.

6 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

Changing TV Settings

In the My TV Settings window, you can change several settings that control how Media Center plays and records TV programs, as well as how it plays DVDs.

The TV Recorder settings allow you to control your recording priorities and options in Media Center.

To manually record a program or series from the Guide:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, and then select Guide.

2 Select the program you want to record, and

then press the Record button.

Refer to Media Center Help for more information about recording errors, advanced recording features, and My TV settings

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select Settings. 3 Select TV.

6 Select Audio to select settings for sound,

captioning, and a preferred language.

7 Select Guide, and then select:

■ Edit channels to add or remove channels

from your Television Program Guide.

4 Select Recorder, and then select:

■ History to find out why programs weren’t

recorded. Media Center keeps a log of the last two weeks.

■ Recorder storage to change the amount

of recording space on your hard disk drive or change the settings that affect the recording storage space.

■ Recording defaults to change the

general recording settings that affect how and when your programs are recorded.

5 Select Set up TV signal to configure your

TV signal to work with Media Center.

■ Add missing channels to add the

names and numbers of channels.

■ Reset Guide lineup to set up your

Television Program Guide. You can change your postal code or television provider.

■ Get Guide data to manually update the

Guide from the Internet.

8 Select Adjust display settings to adjust

your TV or monitor settings for optimum picture quality.

9 Select My TV to select settings to start playing

TV automatically or only when you select Live TV.

48 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Playing Recorded TV Programs

Recorded TV is the storage place for all your recorded programs. In the Recorded TV window, you can sort your programs by name, date, or

To play a recorded program

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, and then select Recorded TV.

2 To organize all of your previously recorded

programs, select Sort by date, Sort by name, or Sort by category.

3 To begin watching the program, select the

recorded program you want to watch, and then press the OK button on the remote control.

category. You can also delete a recorded program or series of programs and check for any recording errors.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 49

To play recorded TV programs in Windows Media Player, a PC requires:

■ Windows XP

operating system.

■ Windows Media

Player 9.

■ A special Media

Center codec file that may be available through Windows Update (for select models only).

Locating Recorded TV Programs for Viewing on the Desktop

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and

then click My Computer.

2 Double-click the Shared Documents folder. 3 Double-click the Recorded TV folder.

4 Double-click your Microsoft Recorded TV

program file. A thumbnail picture of your recorded TV program is displayed by default.

5 To view your recorded TV program, use the

playback controls.

50 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

About Recording Errors

A recording error means that a program scheduled to record was not recorded. This can occur for several reasons. If your PC was turned off and not in standby mode during the time the program was scheduled to record, or if there was a recording

Common recording errors

Recording error Description of error

Redundant Program already exists in Recorded TV library or has been recorded

and deleted in the past eight weeks.

Missed PC was turned off during scheduled recording time.

Conflict Another program was scheduled to record at the same time.

Canceled You se l e cted Don’t record on the Program Info menu and canceled the

recording.

Repeat In Advanced Record, you selected First Run only for a series recording

so any programs in a series that are not first run are not recorded.

Error Unknown technical error:

■ Media Center failed to start the recorder.

■ TV signal was lost.

conflict with another scheduled program, a recording error occurs. If you were watching live TV when the program was scheduled to record and declined the prompt to change channels, a recording error occurs.

For more information about troubleshooting the recording conflicts, refer to Media Center Help.

■ Failed communication with the set-top box.

Not enough space Hard disk drive is full of recorded TV programs.

Deleted You deleted the program.

Partial Part of the program was recorded.

Viewing recording errors

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, Recorded TV, and then select Scheduled.

2 Select History.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 51

Resolving Recording Conflicts

If two recordings are in conflict, but one is scheduled to air at another time, Media Center displays a message with the option to record an alternate recording of one of the programs.

Media Center can record only one TV program at a time. If you schedule two recordings for the same time, a message appears telling you to resolve the conflict. If you don’t resolve the conflict, Media Center automatically makes the selection just before the program begins recording. Before the program records, a conflict icon (a red circle with an exclamation point) is listed next to the program in

Recording priority rules

Media Center selects which program to record based on the following priority rules:

1 A scheduled program that is not a rerun 2 The program that was scheduled first 3 Manual recordings

Often, Media Center is able to find an alternative date and time for recording one of the programs so that both programs can be recorded. If one recording partially overlaps another, Media Center records to the end of the first and then begins recording the second.

the Guide. Press the Start button on the remote control, select My TV, Settings, Recorded TV, and then select Scheduled.

To enable Media Center to resolve recording conflicts, you can set up how program recordings are handled. When you try to record a program and another is scheduled at the same time, Media Center prompts you to choose a program to record.

After you resolve a recording conflict, the conflict icon continues to appear for the program that is not scheduled to record so you can return to the conflict and reverse it, if needed.

If you are watching TV while recording a program, you can watch only the channel being recorded. If a recording is scheduled to begin and you are watching a different channel, a message appears giving you the choice to change the channel to begin the recording. If no choice is made, the channel changes automatically.

Resolving a recording conflict

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, Recorded TV, and

To s elect the recording start and stop times and other recording priority settings, select Record

settings or Series settings, and then

select the option you want.

52 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

then select Scheduled.

2 Select a program you want to change. 3 You have different options, depending on

what type of recording you have set.

■ Select Record or Don’t record in the

window and then press OK on the remote.

■ Select Record series or Cancel series.

Deleting a Scheduled Program or Series

To prevent recording conflicts, you may need to delete a program or series that is scheduled to be recorded.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, Recorded TV, and then select Scheduled.

2 Use the arrow buttons to select the program

title you don’t want to record, and press OK.

3 To remove a single program, select Don’t

record in the window and press OK on the

remote control.

To remove the entire series from the recording schedule, select Series, Cancel Series, and then press OK.

Deleting a Recorded Program or Series

To free up hard disk drive space, you may need to delete a program or series that has been recorded.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My TV, and then select Recorded TV. All the programs you have

recorded appear.

2 To select the program title you want to delete,

use the arrow buttons, and then press OK.

3 To remove that program from the hard disk

drive, select Delete in the window and press OK on the remote control, and then select Yes.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 53

Blocking Unwanted TV Programs and Movies

(Select models only)

If you set Media Center to block unrated channels, an error could occur. It is recommended that you make sure this option is not selected.

To do t h i s:

Parental control and caption display settings for TV and DVDs are included with select models only.

Some DVDs don’t have ratings assigned to them.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select Settings, General, and then select

Parental control.

3 Enter your four-digit code number. 4 Select TV Ratings.

Setting Movie/DVD or TV Ratings

(Select models only)

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select Settings, General, and then select

Parental control.

3 Enter your four-digit code.

5 Click Tur n on TV blocking. Make sure that

Block unrated TV programs is not

selected.

6 If desired, you can select the Maximum

allowed TV rating setting, select a rating,

and then click OK. Selecting this setting does not cause an error.

4 Select Movie/DVD ratings or

TV Ratings.

5 Select Turn on movie blocking or Turn

on TV blocking.

6 Select (+) or (–) to select a maximum allowed

movie rating.

54 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Setting Caption Display

(Select models only)

If you set Media Center to display captions while in window mode (not full-screen mode), the window or the caption text may flash as the text scrolls in the window. To fix this problem, change the display to full-screen mode or turn off the caption display option.

To turn off the caption display option:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select Settings, TV, and then select Audio.

Displaying Teletext

(Select models only)

To display the Teletext toolbar:

1 While watching TV in full-screen mode, press

the More Info button on the remote control to display the information bar.

2 Select the Tele t ext button on the information

bar. The Teletext toolbar will also appear at the bottom of the screen so that you can navigate the Teletext pages.

3 Click (+) or (–) next to the Caption display to

select:

■ On to view speech as text in a TV program

containing the captioning signal.

■ On when muted to display speech in a

muted TV program.

■ Off to disable caption display.

For more information about the Teletext toolbar, refer to the help menu in Media Center.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 55

About Teletext

Teletext is additional information that is broadcast within a TV signal. You can navigate the Teletext main page and subpages to find information such as the weather, sports scores, or community events. You can turn on subtitles in a specific language for a program you are watching. When a TV show is

Teletext may not be available for all the channels you receive. The Teletext button will only display on the information bar if Teletext is available for that channel. If you would like more information about which channels have Teletext available, contact your

TV service provider. recorded, the Teletext subtitles are stored with the recording so you can view the subtitles when you play the recording later.

Safeguarding Recorded TV Programs

Most television broadcasters do not encrypt programs, so a recording can be played on any Media Center PC. A recording of a broadcasterencrypted TV program, though, can be played only on the PC that recorded it.

When you record TV programs using Media Center, the TV program broadcaster may have an encryption code that Microsoft includes as a special code in the recorded files. This code is keyed to

or replace the hard disk drive in your PC. If you do

not have the backup CD after you perform a system

recovery or replace the hard disk drive, you will not

be able to play any previously recorded TV

programs that are broadcaster encrypted.

The procedures that follow describe how to prepare

your PC, make the backup files you need, copy the

file to CD, and use the backup CD to restore the files

to your PC after a system recovery. your PC and is required to play broadcasterencrypted TV programs previously recorded to your hard disk drive, copied to DVD, or copied to other media. When you perform a system recovery or replace the hard disk drive in your PC, you lose the special code.

You can safeguard your capability to play recorded TV programs by making a backup CD and using it as described in the procedures provided here. Make the backup CD now, before you need it, so that you can use the CD after you perform a system recovery

To safeguard your recorded TV programs you

need to:

■ Prepare the code key files.

■ Make a backup CD.

■ Perform a System Recovery, if necessary.

■ Use the code key backup CD after a system

recovery.

Important information about recorded TV programs

When you replace the hard disk drive, you lose any files or software that you created, saved, or installed on the PC. You also lose a special code that

Without the code, Media Center will not play the TV

programs previously recorded to disk or copied to

DVD or to other media. Microsoft includes in the files of the recorded TV programs.

56 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Preparing the code key files

1 After you set up your PC and turn it on,

complete the initial Microsoft Windows setup. Open Media Center and complete its setup.

2 Record at least one TV program. 3 Close Media Center. 4 Open the Microsoft Backup utility: Click Start

on the taskbar, choose All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Backup. The Backup or Restore Wizard

opens.

5 Click the Advanced Mode link near the

middle of the window.

The code key files and backup CD you make can be used in your PC only.

6 At the top of the Backup Utility window, click

Too ls and select Options.

7 Click the Exclude Files tab.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 57

8 In the Files excluded for all users box, put your

cursor over the vertical line between Filename and Application in the title bar, and then click and drag the line to the right to see the full entries.

9 Scroll down the list to see and then click the

entry: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\DRM\*

10 Click Remove, click Apply, and then click

OK. The Options window closes.

11 In the Backup Utility window, click the

Backup tab.

12 In the left box, click the plus sign (+) for Local

Disk (C:). The file tree expands. Click the plus sign (+) for Documents and Settings, click the plus sign (+) for All Users, and then click the

DRM box so a check mark appears.

13 Scroll down the list and click the System

State box so a check mark appears.

14 At the bottom of the window, beneath Backup

media or file name, click Browse. Because a diskette is too small to save the backup file on, you will need to save the file to the desktop portion of the hard disk drive before writing the file to CD. If the message Insert a disk into

drive A appears, click Cancel.

15 The Save as window opens. In the Save as

type box, select Desktop from the drop-down list. In the Save as box, use the default name (Backup.bkf) or type in a file name with the extension .bkf and then click Save. The window closes.

16 Click Start Backup in the Backup Utility

window. The Backup Job Information window opens.

17 Click Start Backup. The Backup Progress

window opens. When the process finishes, the window displays the message The backup is

complete.

18 Click Close.

19 Close the Backup Utility window. Continue

with the next procedure.

58 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Making the backup CD

1 Click Start on the taskbar, choose All

Programs, CD (DVD) Recorder, if present, RecordNow!, and then click RecordNow! again. The RecordNow!

window opens.

8 In the RecordNow! window, click the red

Burn icon. If a warning window opens, click OK.

9 Wait while the program writes to the CD and

the disc tray ejects.

2 Insert a blank CD.

10 Remove the CD, label it, and store it in a

3 Select the Data Projects tab, and then click

Data Disc.

4 Click Continue. 5 Click Add Files and Folders. The Select

files and folders to add window opens.

6 In the Look in box, select Desktop from the

drop-down list.

safe place for use with the next procedure. Click Done.

11 Close the RecordNow! window. 12 Because you do not need the backup file you

created, drag the file to the Recycle Bin on the desktop. This deletes the copy of the file that was on the hard disk drive.

7 Click the backup file (for example,

Backup.bkf) so it appears in the File name box. Click Add. The window closes.

Using the code key backup CD after a system recovery

1 Insert the backup CD you made into a drive.

The drive window opens and shows the disc contents.

5 When the What to restore window opens,

click Browse, and the Browse window shows the A: drive.

If the window doesn’t open automatically, click Start, My Computer, and then rightclick the drive icon to view the contents of your backup disc.

2 Double-click the backup file (for example,

Backup.bkf). The Backup or Restore Wizard opens.

3 Click Next. 4 Choose Restore files and settings, and

then click Next.

6 Click Browse again, and the window shows

Select file to catalog.

7 Click the drop-down menu arrow and click the

optical drive with the backup CD.

8 Click the backup file name. 9 Click Open and then click OK.

10 In the Items to restore box, click the plus sign

(+) for the backup file name. The file tree expands. Click the C box so a check mark appears. Click the System State box so a check mark appears.

11 Click Next.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 59

12 The Backup or Restore Wizard window shows

the message You have created the following restore settings. In the window, click the

Advanced button. Click Next.

13 A warning message window opens. Click OK

in the Warning window.

14 Select Replace existing files and then click

Next. Click Next again. Click Finish. The

Restore Progress window opens.

Managing Hard Disk Drive Space

15 Wait until the process completes, and then

click Close in the Restore Progress window.

16 A Backup Utility message window opens.

Click Yes to restart the PC. Wait until the restart completes.

Open Media Center and complete the setup. You

can now play previously recorded TV programs that

are broadcaster encrypted.

The hard disk drive space on your PC may differ from the space listed on this page. The Windows XP operating system, large data files, and software programs require disk space.

The space available for recording TV programs depends on your hard disk drive allocation, drive size, and default recording quality selections. The HP Media Center PC requires a certain amount of space to run your Windows XP operating system, run software programs, and store data files. If your hard disk drive becomes full, it may affect the PC speed and performance. You may need to free up storage space to record more programs or to

Increasing hard disk drive space

■ Adjust TV recording settings.

■ Adjust Recorder storage settings.

■ Use the Disk Cleanup Utility.

■ Adjust the System Restore settings.

optimize the performance of your PC. There are

several things you can do to optimize and increase

your hard disk drive space.

The PC comes with a hard disk drive. Depending on

your model, the hard disk drive has 80 gigabytes

(GB) to more than 200 GB of total disk space. The

PC comes with preloaded software programs and a

backup partition within the hard disk drive that takes

up a certain amount of space on the hard disk drive.

■ Delete recorded TV programs from the

Recorded TV folder in Shared Documents.

■ Uninstall software programs.

■ Archive TV programs to a DVD if your PC has

a DVD Writer drive. See “Recording TV Shows to DVDs” on page 109.

60 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Recording quality and hard disk drive storage space

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.

Adjusting TV recording and storage settings

Quality of recording

Best *3 GB/hour

Better *2.4 GB/hour

Good *2 GB/hour

Fair *1 GB/hour

*This table shows approximate sizes of recorded TV program files. Some files may be smaller or larger.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My TV, Settings, and then select

Recorder.

3 Select Recorder storage to change your

Disk allocation and Recording quality settings. Increase the percentage of hard disk drive space available for recorded TV programs in Default Settings. Select between 5 and 90 percent. The default is set at 75 percent.

Hard disk drive space used

To o ptimi ze sto rage space on your hard disk drive, you can change recording and storage settings in My TV.

The storage space for your PC may differ from the amount listed here.

Select Recording defaults to change your recording storage settings; for example, you can increase the available disk space. Select Fair as the default recording quality. The better the quality of the recording, the more space the file takes. Select Until I watch as the Keep setting for each recorded program.

4 Select (+) or (–) to select your options, and

then select Save.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 61

Using the Disk Cleanup utility

1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Choose All Programs, Accessories,

System Too l s, and then Disk Cleanup.

Adjusting System Restore settings

1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Right-click My Computer. 3 Click Properties. 4 Select the System Restore tab.

Deleting recorded TV programs

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and then click My

Computer.

2 Double-click Shared Documents, and then

double-click Recorded TV.

3 Select HP Pavilion (C:), and then click OK. 4 Select the type of files you want to delete. 5 Click OK.

5 Select HP Pavilion (C:), and then click the

Settings button.

6 Move the Disk space to use slider to a lower

setting to save disk space.

7 Click OK.

3 Right-click recorded TV files, and then select

Delete.

Uninstalling software programs that are not needed

1 Click Start. 2 Click Control Panel. 3 Double-click Add or Remove Programs,

if it is present.

4 Click the program, and then click the

Change/Remove button.

62 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

5 Click OK when the confirmation window

opens.

6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each program you

want to remove.

7 Click Close.

The My Music window in Media Center works with Windows Media Player to find and play your music files and CDs. You can use Windows Media Player to create your music library and then use Media Center to find and play your music using your remote control.

In My Music you can:

■ Play music CDs. Skip, shuffle, or repeat songs

or albums.

■ Play digital music files from a music library

you create and organize using Windows Media Player.

■ Search for music files by categories: album,

artist, playlist, song, or genre.

■ Download album information such as artist

name, song title, length of song, album name, label, year, and cover art.

Playing Music Files

■ Play a music playlist with a slide show.

■ Copy music tracks from a CD to your

Windows Media Library.

■ Display visualizations when playing

music CDs.

■ Buy music online from the Now Playing page

in My Music. The Internet browser opens the Windows Media Web site where you can listen to and buy music by the artist or album you are listening to at the time.

You can store your music files in the My Music folder or in other folders on your hard disk drive, but you need to add those files to the Windows Media Player Library for Media Center to be able to find and play them.

The PC must be connected to the Internet to view album information.

Playing Music Files 63

Using Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player allows you to copy digital music files and organize a music library that you can access by using the My Music window in Media Center. You can:

Media Center can find and play only those files that have been added to the Windows Media Player Library.

■ Create playlists of your favorite songs.

■ Create a music library by copying tracks from

CDs or adding music files from the Internet.

■ Organize digital music files by album, artist,

playlist, or genre.

■ Edit information about music files, such as the

song title, music type, or artist name.

■ Share music files with others.

■ Listen to a radio station on the Internet.

■ Play DVD and VCD movies.

■ Delete files from your music library.

64 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Creating a Music Library

When you add music files to your music library, they are placed into your My Music folder in Windows Explorer and in the Media Library in Windows Media Player. You can also find them in Media Center.

Adding music files

1 Click Start on the

taskbar, choose All Programs, and then click Windows Media

Player.

2 Click the Media Library tab on the side of

the window. The first time you select Media Library, a message tells you that Windows Media Player needs to search your computer for your music files.

3 Click Yes. Windows Media Player searches

for all available audio media and places them in the Media Library. If you choose No, you can go to the Tools menu and search for media to add later. Select drives, and then click Search.

4 To add files from a CD to your Media Library:

a Insert the CD.

b Select Copy from CD from the tabs on

the left.

Deleting music files

c Select the tracks you want to copy by

placing a check in the box next to the track.

d Select Copy Music in the menu bar.

You can select to copy your music files as MP3 files or as Windows Media Audio files (.wma).

5 Click the Media Library tab to see where

your new audio files have been placed. You can rename files by right-clicking the file, selecting Edit, and then typing a new name or genre over the old one. The way you label your music files determines the category in which they are placed.

The added music files can immediately be found and played back by using My Music in Media Center.

For more information about adding music files to the Media Library, use the Windows Media Player Help menu.

1 Click Start on the taskbar,

choose All Programs, and then click Windows Media Player.

2 Select the Media Library tab. 3 Select the file you want to delete.

4 Click the delete icon on the menu bar,

and then select Delete from Library.

5 Select the option to Delete from Media

Library only or Delete from Media Library and my computer, and then

click OK.

Playing Music Files 65

Searching the Computer for Music Files

You may have already copied and organized your music files on your hard disk drive. If so, you need to add them to the Windows Media Player Library to access them with the Media Center.

To add music files that are stored in your My Music or Shared Music folder on your hard disk drive:

For more information about music file formats, use Windows Media Player Help and Media Center Help.

Only supported audio file types are displayed in the My Music window. Unsupported files won’t play.

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and

then click Windows Media Player.

2 Click the Media Library tab. 3 Select + Add on the menu bar, and then

select By Searching Computer. Click the arrow on the search or drop-down list to search a specific drive.

4 Click Search. Windows Media Player

searches the selected drives for all supported audio files and adds them to the Media Library.

Using supported music file types

You can play the following types of digital audio files in Media Center. You can also select Media Center as the default player for any of the listed file types. Refer to Windows Media Player Help for more information about supported file types.

If Windows Media Player does not recognize all of

your audio files, try copying the files directly into

Windows Media Player. Refer to Windows Media

Player Help for more information.

The music files can now be found and played in the

My Music window in the Media Center. You may

need to close and open Media Center for the added

music files to appear in My Music.

File extension File type

.cda CD audio

.wav Windows audio file

.mp3, .m3u Audio files

.asf, .asx, .wax, .wm, .wma, .wmd, .wmv, .wvx, .wmp, .wmx

Windows Media audio files

66 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Adding CD Tracks to the Music Library

To add the CD tracks to your Media Center music library:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, and then select My Music.

2 Insert a CD into the CD drive. 3 Select the CD you want to copy from the My

Music main window.

4 Select Copy CD. The first time you copy a

music CD you must select your copy protection option, and then follow any onscreen instructions.

5 Select Yes to begin copying tracks to your

music library. This process may take several minutes, depending on the length of your music tracks.

6 Click OK.

Each time you add music files outside of Windows Media Player, you must use the Tools menu to add music files to your Windows Media Player Library for Media Center to find them.

Playing Music Files 67

You can place all your music files into the My Music folder or into other folders on your hard disk drive, but you need to add those files to the Windows Media Player Library for Media Center to be able to find and play them.

Playing Digital Music Files

When you first open the Media Center and open the My Music window, you may not find any music files listed unless there is a music CD in your CD drive or unless you have already added audio files to your Windows Media Player Library.

If you don’t have any music files listed, you need to add music files to the Windows Media Player Library and then restart Media Center to play your music files in Media Center.

When you copy music files using Windows Media Player and your computer is connected to the Internet, the CD information is copied and displayed in Media Center and in the Windows Media Player Library.

Playing a music CD using Media Center

If you insert a music CD when Media Center is not open, a message appears asking what you want to do. You can select Windows Media Player as your default audio player. If you have another program set as the default audio player, Windows opens this program and begins playing the CD.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

The PC must be connected to the Internet to view song information.

68 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

2 Insert a music CD into the CD drive; the CD

plays automatically in Media Center. If you have other media such as live TV already playing when you insert the CD, Media Center asks you if you want to play the CD. Select Yes to begin playing the CD.

Finding Music Files in My Music

After you have added and organized files in Windows Media Player Library, you can browse through your music files in the My Music window. You can search for music files by album title, artist, song title, or music genre. You can also use the search feature to quickly find a specific song, album, or artist.

To find a music file

1 In the My Music window, select Albums,

Artists, Playlists, Songs, or Genres to

display a list of all items in that category. In these windows you will have other options, depending on the category you select.

To d ispla y CD information such as song titles and cover art in Media Center or in Windows Media Player, your PC needs to be connected to the Internet. Without an Internet connection, the music files are labeled unknown, and only track numbers and playing times are displayed.

Select Search. Use the numeric keypad buttons on the remote control or your keyboard to enter a descriptive word, song title, or artist name and display a list of all the titles that match your entry.

Playing Music Files 69

When copying music tracks, a check mark appears next to the track after it has been copied to the music library.

You c an s el e ct Visualize in the Now Playing window to see a visualization while you play a music track.

2 Use the arrow keys to select a music file, and

then press the Play button on the remote control to begin playing that music file.

Playing a Song

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. You can also play a single song from a playlist:

1 In the My Music window, select Songs. The

list displays all the songs in your media library.

2 Use the arrow buttons to select a song, and

then press OK or Play on the remote control to play it.

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Setting Up an Automatic Disc Jockey

You can select to have Media Center randomly play all the available songs in one genre:

1 In the My Music window, select Genres. The

list displays all the genres available in your Media Library.

2 Use the arrow buttons to select a genre, and

then press OK on the remote control.

3 Use the arrow buttons to select Shuffle, and

then press OK on the remote control. All songs in that genre are randomly played.

Finding and Playing an Album

1 In the Media Center Start menu, select My

Music, and then select Albums.

2 To organize all of the albums available, select

View by list or View by cover.

3 To select an album, use the arrow buttons, and

then press OK on the remote control. You can also select:

■ Shuffle to rearrange the music tracks on

the album.

■ Play to play the album selected. The Now

Playing window opens, and the album starts playing.

When you select Buy Music, your Internet browser opens the Microsoft Web site. Here you’ll find information about the artist or album you’re currently listening to or similar artists. You have the option to purchase CDs.

Playing Music Files 71

When recording a CD track, Windows Media Player Library automatically skips over songs that are already included in the Library.

4 In the Play window, select a song and press

OK on the remote control. After play begins, you can also select:

■ View Song to view cover art and play

one track.

■ View Tracks to view a list of all tracks on

the album.

■ Shuffle to rearrange the play order.

■ Repeat to play the album again.

■ Buy Music to connect to the Internet, find

CD information, and buy music CDs. To go back to Media Center, press Start on the remote control.

■ Visualize to view a picture while listening

to a song.

5 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

Creating a Playlist

A playlist is a customized list of digital music files. Using playlists, you can group various digital music files together and determine the order in which you want the files to play. You can create a playlist that

includes several tracks from various CDs or even a

playlist that contains background music for a

slide show.

Use Windows Media Player to create playlists and

then play them back using Media Center.

To create a playlist

1 Click Start on the taskbar,

choose All Programs, and select Windows Media Player.

2 Select Media Library.

72 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

3 Click Playlists in the menu bar, and then

click New Playlist.

4 Type a name for your playlist, and then click

OK. The new playlist should appear under the

My Playlists area of the Media Player window.

5 In the Media Library, right-click the music file

that you want to add to your playlist, and then click Add to Playlist.

Selecting a Visualization

To select which visualization to display when you play a song:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control, select My Music.

2 Select Settings. 3 Select Select Visualizations.

6 Select your playlist from the Add to Playlist

window, and then click OK. Repeat this step until all of your files are added. You can now play your playlist in Media Center.

If your PC is connected to the Internet, the CD track titles and cover art appear in Media Center.

4 Select the visualizations you want by placing

a check mark next to each one.

5 Select Save. 6 Select a song visualization option and then

select Save.

Playing Music Files 73

74 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Working with Pictures

The My Pictures and HP Image Zone Plus areas in Media Center are great ways to view, organize, and print your pictures.

With My Pictures, you can organize your pictures into folders you create in the My Pictures directory in Windows Explorer. For more information about using My Pictures, see “Using My Pictures in Media Center” on page 76.

Working with digital images

You can connect a digital image source, such as a digital camera or a digital video camera, directly to the PC or through a docking station. Digital picture files you copy or download from the device appear

With HP Image Zone Plus, you can organize your pictures by assigning a date, keyword or place. For more information about using HP Image Zone Plus, see “Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center” on page 84.

in the My Pictures folder. You can copy digital picture files from the memory cards used by digital cameras and other digital imaging devices by using the memory card reader (select models only).

Worki n g wi t h Pic t ure s 75

Using My Pictures in Media Center

My Pictures is a folder on your hard disk drive in the My Documents folder, and it is a Media Center menu item which allows you to view and search for your digital images by using the remote control or the keyboard and mouse.

It provides all the tools you need for viewing,

organizing, editing, printing, sharing, and

protecting your digital images.

My Pictures Menu in Media Center

My Pictures Folder in Windows Explorer

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Organizing Pictures in My Pictures

For Media Center to find and display your pictures, they can be stored in several places:

■ The My Pictures folder on your

computer.

■ The Shared Pictures folder on your

computer, which allows you to share your pictures with others.

■ On other removable media such as a memory

card, a DVD-ROM, or a CD-ROM.

Creating picture folders in My Pictures

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and

then click My Pictures to open the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer.

2 Select the File menu, select New, and then

click Folder. Type a name for your personal picture folder.

3 Locate your picture files and move them to

the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer:

When you save pictures from your digital camera or scanner to your computer, Windows automatically stores them in the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer unless you manually store them in another place.

Before opening Media Center and viewing your pictures, you may want to spend some time organizing your pictures by creating picture folders in the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer.

■ Each user has a

separate My Pictures folder that can be opened only by that person. You can share pictures by storing them in the Shared Pictures folder.

■ When you

download pictures from the Internet, you can use the browser in Windows Explorer to place your pictures in the My Pictures folder.

a Click Start, My Computer, and then

select the drive or removable device where your pictures are located.

b Click and drag your photos to your

My Pictures folder.

c You can add, delete, rename, and

organize your picture files into specific folders within My Pictures, such as Vacation or Birthday.

Working with Pictures 77

From the My Pictures menu, you can select Settings to:

■ Select a slide

transition, slide time delay, and a background color.

■ Include picture

folders you have created.

■ Show captions.

■ Display your

pictures randomly.

■ Show song

information during slide show.

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 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My Pictures. The right side of the

window shows a small picture image (thumbnail) and, if you’ve organized your pictures into folders, folder icons. The pictures are displayed just as you organized them in the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer.

3 Use the arrow buttons on the remote control

to move through your picture files and folder files and select a picture.

4 Press OK to select a picture or folder to view.

The selected picture opens in full-screen mode.

5 Press OK again to zoom in 150%; press OK

again to zoom in 225%. Press the arrow buttons to pan across a picture. To return the picture to the original size, press OK a third time.

Using supported picture file types

If the message Image cannot be displayed

appears, the file may be corrupted or it may be an unsupported file type. You may need to edit your image with a photo editor and save it in a supported file format.

You can view the following types of image files in Media Center.

File extension

.jpg, .jpeg Joint Photographic Experts

.tif, .tiff Tagged Image File Format

.gif Graphics Interchange Format

.bmp Bitmap

.wmf Windows MetaFile

.png Portable Network Graphics

78 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

File type

Group

■ Only supported image file types are displayed

in My Pictures. Unsupported files are skipped in a slide show.

■ Folder icons appear even if the images inside

them cannot be displayed.

■ Corrupted and unsupported image file types

display a generic image icon but cannot be displayed in Media Center.

■ Some file types are supported only if

appropriate filters and software are installed.

Zooming in and panning across your pictures

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select a picture you want to view. 4 Press OK on the remote control once to

magnify 150%.

Sorting pictures

To organize your pictures by date or by name:

1 Select My Pictures on the Media Center

Start menu.

2 Select the folder of pictures you want to sort. If

you want to sort all your pictures, do not select a folder.

Viewing pictures as a slide show

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

5 Press OK again to magnify 225%. 6 Once you have zoomed in, you can use the

arrow buttons on the remote control to pan around the image.

7 Press OK again to return the picture to the

original size.

3 Select Sort by date or select Sort

by name.

5 Press the More Info button to display picture

information.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the folder of pictures you want to view

as a slide show, and then press OK.

4 Select Play slide show, and then press OK.

6 Press the Back button to go to a previous

picture. Use the arrow buttons to display the next or previous pictures.

If you do not select the pictures you want to view as a slide show, Media Center uses the first folder listed. If you have picture files that are not stored in folders you created, Media Center plays all files stored in the My Pictures folder.

Working with Pictures 79

Viewing a slide show with music

Use the scroll arrows at the bottom of the picture settings window to view all of the options.

1 Select My Music on the Media Center

Start menu.

2 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.

3 To go back to the Media Center Start menu,

press Start on the remote control.

Changing picture settings

Each user can set his or her own picture settings.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select Settings. You may need to select the

scroll arrows on the Start menu to view Settings.

3 Select Pictures. 4 Select an option. Press the OK button on the

remote control to select a specific setting.

4 Select My Pictures. 5 Select the folder of pictures, and then

press OK.

6 Select Play slide show, and then press OK.

When Media Center switches to full-screen mode, the inset window disappears but the music continues to play.

5 When you have selected all of your picture

settings, select Save.

Turning on or off photo captions

A caption displays the file name or title and the date the file was created or edited, whichever is first.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select Settings.

80 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

4 Select the Show caption check box and

then press OK.

5 Select Save, and then press OK.

Editing Pictures in My Pictures

To fix red eye or contrast in your picture:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the picture you want to edit. 4 Press the More Info button on the remote

control.

5 Select Touch up. 6 Select Red eye or Contrast and then

press OK.

7 After you select the options you want to fix,

select Save. The picture is displayed with the new settings.

Rotating pictures

If your picture appears horizontally or vertically and you want to change the orientation, you can change it in Media Center:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the picture you want to rotate. 4 Press the More Info button on the remote

control.

5 Select a Rotate button, and then press OK.

Working with Pictures 81

Printing Pictures in My Pictures

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the picture you want to print. 4 Press the More Info button on the remote

control. Select Print, and then Print again.

Press the Print button on the remote control.

You may need to set up your printer before you can print from Media Center. Follow any onscreen instructions.

Setting up your printer

Set up your printer before you try to print your pictures with the remote control.

1 Connect your printer to the PC and install the

printer drivers for your printer, if necessary. Follow the instructions that came with your printer.

2 Click Start on the taskbar, and

then click Printers and Faxes.

3 Right-click your printer icon and then click Set

as Default. A check mark appears next to

your printer.

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Copying Pictures to CDs

1 Click Start on the taskbar,

and then click My Pictures.

Locate the files you want to copy. Click Start, My Computer, and then select the drive or removable device where your pictures are located.

2 Select the files you want to copy by pressing

the Ctrl key and then selecting each picture.

3 Select Copy to CD from Windows Explorer

in the area Picture tasks. The CD recording program opens.

4 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete

recording your pictures to CD.

For more information about creating picture CDs, see “Creating (Burning) Data CDs Using Windows XP” on page 120.

Working with Pictures 83

For more information on using the HP Image Zone Plus program, click the Help link in the control area of the program window.

Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center

HP Image Zone Plus is both a software program and a Media Center menu item which allows you to view and search for your digital images by using the remote control or the keyboard and mouse.

HP Image Zone Plus is a software program to organize your photos, scanned images, and video clips by date, keyword or place. It provides all the tools you need for viewing, organizing, editing, printing, sharing, and protecting your digital images.

Below is the HP Image Zone Plus program window with the features highlighted.

HP Image Zone Plus Menu in Media Center

HP Image Zone Plus Window

A Go to My Pictures is toggle switch to the My

Pictures directory in Windows Explorer.

B Mode tabs are used to view images, edit images,

and create projects with your images.

CView tab are used to view all images, folders, and

albums.

84 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

DHelp is a link to HP Image Zone Plus help topics.

E Work area, or Gallery, shows selected images

with a black box under them.

F Gallery shows unselected images with white boxes

under them.

G Selection tray displays selected images.

Organizing pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

The HP Image Zone Plus program and Media Center work together. Before you can view and search for your pictures in Media Center, you have to set some things up in HP Image Zone Plus program.

To start organizing your pictures in HP Image Zone Plus:

1 Create your image catalog. This indexes all

of your pictures so you can assign dates, keywords and places to your files. See “Creating your picture catalog in HP Image Zone Plus” on page 86.

2 Assign dates, keywords and places to your

pictures. See “Modifying a date assigned to your pictures” on page 87, “Assigning a keyword to your pictures” on page 88, and “Assigning a place to your pictures” on page 88.

HP Image Zone Plus Window

3 You can edit your images from this window

too. See “Editing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus” on page 91.

4 When you have finished organizing your

images, open Media Center to view, play a slide show, and search for your photos by the labels you have established. See “Searching for pictures in HP Image Zone Plus” on page 89.

For more information about changing picture dates, assigning keywords and locations, and performing searches of your pictures, go to the help files inside the HP Image Zone Plus program.

HP Image Zone Plus Window in Media Center

Worki n g wi t h Pic t ure s 85

You can click Go to My Pictures folder at

the top of the HP Image Zone Plus window to open the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer.

Creating your picture catalog in HP Image Zone Plus

The first time you open the HP Image Zone Plus program, a message appears asking you if you want to create a catalog by indexing images in the My Pictures folder and its subfolders. This catalog allows you to search for your pictures by date, keyword or place by using HP Image Zone Plus.

1 Double-click the HP Image Zone

Plus icon on your desktop.

Click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, Pictures (Photos), and then

click HP Image Zone Plus. The HP Image Zone Plus window opens.

3 At the top of the gallery window, click the My

Images tab (B) and then click View All (C)

below it to see all of the images in the catalog. You can also click View Folders or View Albums to browse for images.

4 Click Help (D) for more information about

creating your picture catalog in HP Image Zone Plus.

2 When the catalog message appears, click

OK to index the PC images and place them in

the HP Image Zone Plus catalog.

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Updating your catalog when you add new pictures

If you add new pictures to your My Pictures folder, you need to open the HP Image Zone Plus program and locate the new image to be able to view it in Media Center. This action updates your HP Image Zone Plus program to include the new image in the catalog.

1 Double-click HP Image Zone Plus icon on

the desktop.

Creating albums

You can organize your pictures into albums by using the HP Image Zone Plus program. After you create your picture albums in the HP Image Zone Plus program, you can then view them in Media Center.

To create an album:

1 Double-click HP Image Zone Plus icon on

the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab. 3 Select View All and then select your pictures

which you want to place into an album.

4 Click the View Albums tab.

Modifying a date assigned to your pictures

Digital cameras assign a creation date to digital images. HP Image Zone Plus automatically recognizes this creation date and organizes your pictures by date.

To change a date:

1 Double-click HP Image Zone Plus icon on

the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab. 3 Select View All.

5 Select My Albums Menu and then select

New Album. Your album appears in the

View Albums tab.

6 To change the title of the album, just select it

and type in a title. You can now view your albums in Media Center.

3 Right-click a picture, and then select Modify

Image Date.

After you create your picture albums in HP Image Zone Plus program, you can then view them in Media Center.

Scanned images are stamped with the date they are scanned.

2 Click the My Images tab and then click the

View All tab under the My Images tab.

4 Select a date, and then click Modify.

Working with Pictures 87

Assigning a keyword to your pictures

You c an a ss i gn m or e than one keyword. You c an a ls o ed i t o r delete assigned keywords.

There are multiple ways to move around the HP Image Zone Plus map: you can click and drag, point and click, click and drag the small globe.

1 Double-click the HP Image Zone Plus icon

on the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab and then click the

View All tab under the My Images tab.

3 Select your picture by clicking it. You can

select more than one picture, if desired.

4 Click By keyword, on the left side of the

window.

5 Click Assign.

Assigning a place to your pictures

1 Double-click the HP Image Zone Plus icon

on the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab and then click the

View All tab under the My Images tab.

3 Select your picture by clicking it. You can

select more than one picture, if desired.

4 Click By place on the left side of the window.

6 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.

Click New, type in a keyword, and then click OK. The new keyword is added to the

keyword list. Use the arrow button to add the keyword to the Assign to all box.

5 Click Assign. 6 Click the map to find your location. Each time

you click the map, it zooms in closer. Use the arrow buttons surrounding the map to move around on the map. When your location is in the center of the cross-hairs, click Assign.

7 Click OK. 8 Click Close.

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Searching for pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

You can search for pictures by date, keyword and place by using your remote control or mouse in Media Center. HP Image Zone Plus automatically organizes your pictures by date, based on the date assigned by the camera when the picture was taken, or the date the picture was scanned.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select HP Image Zone.

Select By keyword. Select a keyword and then press OK on the remote control.

You must open the HP Image Zone Plus program from the desktop to assign dates, keywords, and places to your pictures.

3 Select Search. 4 Select By date. Use the number keypad on

the remote to enter the start and end date range. The date range of the pictures you selected is displayed in this window.

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 which have pictures assigned to them will have a colored dot on the map.

Viewing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

Viewing a slide show

When viewing images, you can view a slide show of all your images, individual albums or pictures selected from a search.

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

4 Select Play slide show, and then press OK. 5 Use the media playback keys on the remote

2 Select HP Image Zone. 3 Select the date of the pictures you want to

view as a slide show, and then press OK. If you do not select the pictures you want to view as a slide show, Media Center displays all pictures.

control or the controls that appear at the top of the window to control the playback of your slide show.

Working with Pictures 89

Viewing a slide show with music

1 Select My Music on the Media Center

Start menu.

2 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.

Changing view and slide show options

You can change the way pictures are displayed:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select HP Image Zone. 3 Select Settings.

Using supported picture file types

HP Image Zone Plus supports the following types of image files, video files and audio files.

3 To go back to the Media Center Start menu,

press Start on the remote control.

4 Select HP Image Zone. 5 Select the pictures, and then press OK.

4 Select your settings. Use the scroll arrows at

the bottom of the window to view all the setting options.

5 Select OK.

■ Only supported image file types are displayed

in My Pictures. Unsupported files are skipped in a slide show.

If the message Image cannot be displayed

appears, the file may be corrupted or it may be an unsupported file type. You may need to edit your image with a photo editor and save it in a supported file format.

File extension

.jpg Joint Photographic Experts

.tif Tagged Image File Format

.gif Graphics Interchange Format

.bmp Bitmap

.fpx FlashPix Bitmap

.pcx Bitmap Graphics (PC

.pdf Graphics file

.png Portable Network Graphics

90 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

File type

Group

Paintbrush)

■ Corrupted and unsupported image file types

display a generic image icon but cannot be displayed in Media Center.

■ Some file types are supported only if

appropriate filters and software are installed.

Editing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

You can make changes to your pictures and video clips in HP Image Zone Plus. Some of the editing features include: removing red eye, cropping or resizing images, rotating images, and adjusting the color, brightness, and sharpness of your images.

To edit your pictures:

1 Double-click HP Image Zone Plus icon on

the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab. 3 Select View All. 4 Select the picture you want to edit. 5 Click the Edit tab.

Updating edited picture files in Media Center

After you make edits to your picture files, you need to update the files before they can be displayed correctly in Media Center. To update the files:

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

For more information about the editing tools, refer to Help in the HP Image Zone Plus program.

6 Select an editing tool on the left side of the

window and make the edits to your picture. For more information about the editing tools, click Help and then select Edit Help.

7 When you have made your edits, click Save

to save the edits to the picture or click Save As to create an edited version of the original

image.

4 Under Thumbnail options, select Refresh and

then select OK.

2 Select HP Image Zone. 3 Select Settings.

5 Select View all images. Your edited

pictures should now be displayed.

Working with Pictures 91

You cannot use the Print button on the remote control in HP Image Zone Plus.

Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

1 Press the Start button on the remote

control.

2 Select HP Image Zone. 3 Select the picture group you want to

print from.

4 Select Print images. 5 Select the pictures you want to print. 6 Select Print. Follow any onscreen

instructions.

You may need to set up your printer before you can print from Media Center. Refer to “Setting up your printer” on page 82.

Other Features of HP Image Zone Plus

Copying Pictures to CD

Refer to “Copying Pictures to CDs” on page 83.

Creating projects

You can create and print projects such as photo album pages, cards, and flyers with HP Image Zone Plus. For more information, see make creative projects in Help.

92 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

You can create multimedia CDs with your images.

You can add your own audio and text, or you can

allow the software to add default audio and text.

For more information, see make a multimedia cd

in Help.

Using Backup and Restore

You can create backup discs of all the images on your PC. You can also restore images either from a backup disc or from a automatically created digital negative.

HP Instant Share

You can share your images with friends and family. After you select images on the My Images tab, you can post the images to the HP Instant Share Web site and send a link to the images on the Web site by e-mail.

You can also create online albums if you want to organize your images on the Web site. If available in your region, you can order professional quality prints from an online service. For more information, see share your images in Help.

Working with Pictures 93

94 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

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.

Playing Videos

In My Videos you can:

■ Play and scroll through videos that are in the

My Videos or Shared Video folders in Windows Explorer by using your remote control or your keyboard and mouse.

■ View your videos in full-screen mode or from

an inset window in Media Center.

■ Browse your videos straight from the device

on which they are stored. Media Center recognizes removable media from a CD or DVD drive or from a digital video camera.

■ Display your video details such as the name

and date your video file was modified.

■ Sort videos by date or name.

■ View small image (thumbnail) and title of

video file.

■ Scroll through your digital videos and folders

by clicking the page up and page down buttons using the mouse.

Each user has a separate My Videos folder that can be opened only by that person. You can share videos with others by storing them in the Shared Video folder.

Playing Videos 95

Organizing Videos

When you attach a digital video camera to your PC, Windows asks you how you want to capture your video. You can choose from various software programs to capture and then edit your video file.

Most programs automatically save your file to the My Videos folder in Windows Explorer. If not, move your videos into the My Videos or Shared Video folder in Windows Explorer for Media Center to be able to find and play them.

Once you have placed all your videos into the My Videos or Shared Video folder, you can rename, add, delete, and organize them into folders.

To organize and store your videos,

click Start on the taskbar, click My

Documents, and then double-click

the My Videos folder.

If you want to share your videos with others, place

them in the Shared Video folder. To do this, click

Start on the taskbar, click My Documents, click

the Shared Documents folder under Other

Places, and then double-click the Shared Video

folder.

You can add, delete, edit, rename, and organize

your video files into folders you create in the Shared

Video folder. The videos can now be played in

Media Center.

96 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

HP m1000y, m1050y, m1070n, m1072n, m1080n Software Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual