HP m1050e, m1050y, m1177a, m1264n, m1265c Software Guide

...

Microsoft Windows XP

Media Center Edition 2005

Software Guide

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Table of Contents

Welcome...................................................... 1

Experience the Fun of Media Center ....................................... 1

Using Media Center Features.................................................2

Using Media Center ...................................... 3

Setting Up Media Center.......................................................3

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

Using Instant Messaging in Media Center................................ 6

Changing Media Center Settings............................................ 7

Finding Additional Media Center Information .......................... 8

Using the Remote Control ............................. 9

Remote Control Buttons Overview.........................................10

Watching and Recording TV Programs........ 13

Navigating My TV..............................................................13

Watching TV .....................................................................14

Using the Television Program Guide .....................................17

Searching for TV Programs .................................................. 20

Recording TV Programs....................................................... 22

Playing Recorded TV Programs ............................................ 25

Playing Music Files ..................................... 27

HP Tunes ........................................................................... 27

My Music .......................................................................... 27

Using HP Tunes with Media Center.......................................28

Adding Music to the iTunes music Library .............................. 28

Playing CDs with HP Tunes .................................................. 31

Creating a Playlist with iTunes.............................................. 31

Creating and Editing a Queue List with HP Tunes ...................32

Creating Music CDs with iTunes ........................................... 32

Using My Music with Media Center......................................33

Adding Music to My Music Library ....................................... 34

Playing Music Files in My Music...........................................36

Creating a Queue List in My Music.......................................38

Finding and Playing an Album in My Music........................... 38

Creating a Playlist in My Music............................................ 39

Copying Music Files to CD in My Music................................40

Working with Pictures................................ 41

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................41

My Pictures ........................................................................41

Working with Digital Images................................................41

Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center ...........................42

Viewing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ................................46

Editing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ..................................46

Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus .................................47

Using My Pictures in Media Center .......................................48

Adding Pictures to My Pictures .............................................49

Viewing Pictures in My Pictures.............................................50

Editing Pictures in My Pictures ..............................................52

Printing Pictures in My Pictures .............................................53

Copying Pictures to CDs and DVDs.......................................54

Playing Videos........................................... 55

Playing Digital Videos in Media Center .................................56

Using Supported Video File Types.........................................56

Transferring and Recording Video Files .................................57

Creating a CD/DVD from Video Files....................................57

Playing DVDs ............................................. 59

Changing the DVD Movie Language .....................................60

Changing DVD Audio Settings .............................................60

Listening to FM Radio ................................. 61

Playing FM Radio Stations ...................................................62

Organizing Pre-set Radio Stations.........................................63

Using the FM Radio and the TV Signal at the Same Time .........63

Creating (Burning) CDs and DVDs ............... 65

Creating (Burning) CDs and DVDs with RecordNow!...............65

Storing Files on a DVD or CD...............................................67

Copying a DVD or CD ........................................................69

Archiving Files on a CD or DVD ...........................................69

Recording Video Files..........................................................69

Using Disc Labels................................................................70

Creating Recovery CDs/DVDs for the PC...............................70

Using Compatibility Information............................................70

Identifying Disc Feature and Compatibility .............................71

Using the Optical Drive Quick Reference Table ......................72

Using the Software Quick Reference Table.............................73

Table of Contents iii

Importing, Editing, and Burning Videos ...... 77

Using InterVideo WinDVD Creator........................................77

Using muvee autoProducer unPlugged...................................77

Getting started with WinDVD Creator ...................................78

Identifying Requirements for Capturing Video

with WinDVD Creator.....................................................79

Capturing Digital Camcorder Video

with WinDVD Creator.....................................................79

Capturing Analog Video with WinDVD Creator......................80

Editing Video Files with WinDVD Creator ..............................81

Authoring Your DVD with WinDVD Creator ...........................83

Recording VHS Files Direct to DVD with WinDVD Creator .......85

Getting Started with muvee autoProducer...............................85

Adding Videos to Your Movie with muvee autoProducer..........86

Adding Pictures to Your Movie with muvee autoProducer.........86

Adding Music to Your Movie with muvee autoProducer ...........87

Setting the Style in muvee autoProducer.................................87

Changing the Settings in muvee autoProducer ........................88

Making the Movie with muvee autoProducer ..........................88

Recording muvee autoProducer Movie to Disc

with WinDVD Creator.....................................................89

Using an HP Personal Media Drive..............91

Setting Up the HP Personal Media Drive

to Work with Media Center ............................................ 92

Locating the Drive After Installation....................................... 92

Assigning a Drive Letter to the HP Personal Media Drive ......... 93

Viewing and Storing Files ................................................... 93

Playing Media Files............................................................ 93

Playing Music Files............................................................. 94

Viewing Picture Files........................................................... 95

Playing Video Files............................................................. 95

Watching TV Programs Stored on the

HP Personal Media Drive................................................ 96

About Recording TV to the HP Personal Media Drive .............. 96

Disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive Safely................. 99

Changing Disk Allocation ................................................... 99

Updating Recorded TV List after Removing the

HP Personal Media Drive.............................................. 100

System Requirements to View Recorded

TV Programs on Other PCs ........................................... 100

Index........................................................101

iv HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Experience the Fun of Media Center

Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 lets you do amazing things with your HP Media Center PC. With a full range of easy-to-use digital entertainment features, experience movies, music, and photos like never before.

Media Center is simple and easy to use. You can easily find and choose your media. You can play movies, listen to music, view photos, and watch TV with a single remote control. Combined with the powerful features of your HP Media Center PC, you’ll enjoy the rich sounds and brilliant images for a great entertainment experience.

Watch and record live TV

With Media Center you can pause, advance frame by frame, skip ahead, or use instant replay to catch every moment of live TV. Use fast-forward to bypass unwanted content. When you are not able to watch your favorite show, you can use Media Center to record it.

Record TV with ease by using the Television Program Guide to select the shows you want to record. You can record one show or an entire series and watch it when it is convenient for you. You will never miss a moment of your favorite shows.

Welcome

The right music for the moment

Browse your entire music library by artist, genre, and song. Select a playlist or a single album, or do a random shuffle from your music collection. You can even play songs from your iTunes music Library.

Transform your living space into a theater

Whether you are watching a DVD movie or your own home videos, Media Center delivers a rich viewing experience with a high-quality digital sound system. Use the remote control and sit back and enjoy the show.

Share your digital photos

Organize your photos with HP Image Zone Plus, and then search for photos or albums with the ease of the remote control. Create and view personalized slide shows for viewing on your TV or PC. Add music and have fun viewing your digital memories.

Welco me 1

Using Media Center Features

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

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

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 on any TV or PC in the house.

■ 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.

■ Record CD tracks to your media library.

■ Play DVD movies. Resume playing your DVDs

where you left off.

■ Listen to FM radio stations.

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.

■ Access streaming music and video

subscription services.

■ 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.

■ Communicate with your friends and family by

using instant messaging.

■ Enjoy Media Center remotely (select

models only).

■ Easily back up your media files to CD, DVD,

or another hard disk drive such as the HP Personal Media Drive.

2 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Setting Up Media Center

Using Media Center

The first time you open Media Center, a setup wizard opens. It is best to complete each step in the Media Center setup wizard to be able to use all the

Completing the setup wizard steps

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

features in Media Center. The Media Center setup wizard may take approximately 10 to 40 minutes to complete.

Listed below are some of the items included in the setup wizard:

■ Check for your Internet connection.

An Internet connection allows Media Center to download and update your Television Program Guide and display information about your music CDs and other media.

■ Configure your TV tuner, TV signal

source, and Television Program Guide. You need to provide information

about your TV signal source and your TV signal equipment (set-top box, cables, and so on). This step makes sure your computer receives the correct TV signal and Television Program Guide information. If you have a cable box or satellite receiver, the setup wizard programs your remote control to work with them.

You mu s t sub s c ribe with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to have an Internet connection.

■ Optimize how Media Center looks on

your display. You can change display settings such as brightness, contrast, RGB color and centering.

■ Set up your speakers. Select how many

speakers you have and test them.

You can change your Media Center settings in the Settings menu.

Using Media Center 3

Media Center Start Menu

CDE FG

Some of the features listed are for select models only.

A Access a menu to exit Media Center, to

shut down or to restart the PC, to log off to end your Media Center session, to put the PC into standby mode, or to switch users

B Use media playback controls: Play,

Stop, Pause, Skip, Fast-Forward, Replay, Rewind, and Record, Volume Up/Down, Channel Up/Down

C Open the Media Center Start menu

D Go back one screen

E Open the Media Center Help

F Minimize the Media Center window

G Resize the Media Center window

H Close the Media Center window

N O

J Go to the Media Center Web site for the

latest Media Center information

K Watch your home videos

L View digital pictures or play a slide

show; print photos

M Watch, record, and play back TV

programs

N Play music files or music CDs, create

and edit playlists, and record music files to CD

O Play FM radio stations

P Find utilities and programs: instant

messaging, video editing, and creating CDs/DVDs

4 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Other menus not shown:

■ HP Image Zone — View digital pictures,

play a slide show, and print photos

■ HP Tunes — Play music from your iTunes

music Library or from music CDs

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.

You can control the Media Center functions and navigate Media Center windows by using the remote control, the keyboard, or a mouse.

To select items in Media Center by using the remote control, 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.

■ Play DVD — Watch DVD movies

■ Settings — Change Media Center program

settings

Using Media Center 5

You can use the Minimize and Resize buttons to switch to the desktop or to run Media Center side-byside with another program.

Media Center menu bars and PC control menu

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.

To access the PC control menu from Media Center menu, move the mouse to display the menu bars. Select the Tur n Off icon on the main Media Center window.

From this menu, you can select icons to perform various actions.

Icon Action

Using Instant Messaging in Media Center

Log off and end your Media Center session and switch users

Turn off the PC

Restart the PC

Put the PC in a reduced power state — standby mode

Media Center supports instant messaging so you can communicate with your friends and family while

From most areas in Media Center, you can press Ctrl + D on the keyboard, or select a media file and press the More Info button on the remote control to access the Messenger login screen.

you are doing something in Media Center. You always have the option to turn this feature on or off.

You can use your remote control to log in and type messages. You can even have multiple conversations.

6 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Logging in to your messenger account

1 First, you must go to http://www.msn.com to

set up your messenger account. You will need a .NET Passport to log in to messenger. A .NET Passport is an e-mail address, a login name, and a password. Make sure you verify the account with MSN before you try to log in from Media Center.

2 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control to open Media Center.

3 Select More Programs,

and then select the

Messenger icon.

4 Select Sign In.

Changing Media Center Settings

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

5 Enter your .NET Passport information, and

then select Sign In.

To change your Media Center settings:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings. 3 Select a category. 4 Select one of the settings listed. Then, use the

arrow buttons to select an option or follow the onscreen instructions.

5 Select Save to save your changes.

Using Media Center 7

Some settings, such as parental control and caption display settings for TV and DVDs, are included with select models only. Not all channels support closed captioning.

Media Center settings categories

■ TV to set up TV signal, audio, and closed

captioning. You can download or edit the Television Program Guide, view or clear recording history, set hard disk drive recorder storage space, configure your display, and set recording defaults.

■ Pictures to set slide-show settings.

■ Music to select visualizations or song

information to display when playing a song.

■ DVDs to select a language for subtitles, audio

tracks, and menus of your DVDs, program the remote control buttons for your DVDs, and select closed captioning. You can also access audio settings for your speakers. You must use a mouse or keyboard to select the audio settings.

■ Messenger and Caller ID to allow instant

messages within Media Center and set notifications for caller ID.

■ Radio to organize or delete pre-set radio

stations.

■ General to set:

■ Startup and Window behavior.

■ Visual and Sound Effects to set

transition animations and sounds when navigating in Media Center.

■ More Program Options to change

settings for other programs on the PC.

■ Media Center Setup to configure your

Internet connection, TV signal, speakers, TV, or monitor; access Windows updates; run Media Center setup again; set up remote desktop; and reset Start Page defaults.

■ Parental controls to block unwanted TV

channels and block unwanted TV and movie ratings, change access code, and reset parental controls.

■ Automatic Downloads Options to get

media information about CDs, DVDs, and movies from the Internet and to select how to download the Television Program Guide.

Finding Additional Media Center Information

To learn more about using Media Center, refer to the online and other Help files located in Media Center. Using your mouse, click the Help icon in the Media

Center toolbar.

You can select Online Spotlight from the main Media Center menu to go online for the latest Media Center tips and other information.

8 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

■ Help to find help about using Media Center

and your hardware.

Also, you can access the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Reference Guide when you go online to the HP Support Web site at:

http://www.hp.com/support

To find your online documentation, search for your model number and then click Manuals.

Using the Remote Control

The remote control is designed to work with Media Center. You can use your remote control with Media Center to play CDs, DVDs, to view pictures, and to watch and record television programs.

This remote control helps you navigate the Media Center windows on your computer just as a TV remote control helps you navigate cable TV options or control the playback of a movie in a VCR or DVD player.

The 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.

DVD MENU

RADIO

RECORD

REW

REPLAY

MUSIC

PICTURES

PLAY

PAUSE

VIDEOS

STOP

FWD

SKIP

The remote control has a range of about 26 feet.

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

■ Shut down or restart the PC.

■ Log off from Media Center or switch users.

The remote control cannot:

■ Navigate the Windows desktop or control other

computer programs outside of Media Center.

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

control.

■ Turn on or off a TV that is connected to your PC.

■ Turn on the P C.

BACK

VOLUME

LIVE TV

CLEAR

GHI

PQRS

MUTE

GUIDE

ABC

JKL

TUV

CH/PG

RECORDED TV

DEF

321

MNO

654

WXYZ

987

[

ENTER

Using the Remote Control 9

Remote Control Buttons Overview

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.

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.

Features and location may vary

A Standby puts the PC into and out of a

power-reduced state.

B DVD Menu opens the Play DVD window or

opens the main menu of a DVD movie, if available.

CMusic opens the My Music window.

DRadio opens the Radio window.

E Record records a selected television program

and stores it on the hard disk drive when in Live TV mode. The Record button is inactive for all other media.

F Rew (Rewind) moves the media backward at

two speeds.

GReplay moves media backward 7 seconds.

HPause pauses audio and video tracks and live

or recorded TV programs.

JBack returns PC to the previous window within

Media Center.

KArrow buttons move the cursor to navigate

and select actions within all Media Center windows.

LStart opens Media Center to the main

Start menu.

MVolume increases (+) and decreases (–)

volume.

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

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

OGuide opens the Television Program Guide.

PClear deletes the last character entered.

G H

DVD MENU

MUSIC

RADIO

PICTURES

VIDEOS

Q R

S T

RECORD

PLAY

REW

REPLAY

PAUSE

STOP

FWD

SKIP

BACK

VOLUME

CH/PG

MUTE

GHI

GUIDE

ABC

JKL

TUV

RECORDED TV

DEF

321

MNO

654

WXYZ

987

LIVE TV

PQRS

[

CLEAR

ENTER

DD EE

10 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

QTV opens the My TV window.

R Pictures opens the My Pictures window.

S Videos opens the My Videos window.

TPlay plays the selected media.

UStop stops the 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.

X More (i) displays available information about

a selected media file and displays other menus.

YOK selects the desired action or window option

and acts as the Enter key.

ZCH/PG up (+) and down (–) changes the TV

channels or moves pages up and down, depending on available options. Moves to the next DVD chapter.

AA Mute turns computer sound off. The word Mute

is displayed when Mute is turned on.

BB Recorded TV opens the Recorded TV window

where recorded TV programs are listed.

CC 0 to 9, #, * are the numeric keypad buttons to

change channels or enter text into a Media Center search or text box. Each time you press a number button, a different character appears. Press the Enter button to select a character.

DD Enter selects the desired action, menu, or

window option.

EE Print prints your pictures that you select in the

My Pictures window of Media Center.

Using the Remote Control 11

12 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Watching and Recording TV Programs

Watch live TV or record your favorite shows for later playback. Use the Television Program Guide to find the show you want to watch or record.You can also record a show while watching another prerecorded show.

Navigating My TV

From the My TV window you can search for and play your favorite TV shows. Use the following menu items to help you locate what you want to do:

■ Live TV: Watch, pause, fast-forward, or

rewind your favorite TV shows. You can watch recorded TV shows while recording another show. Use the More information button on the remote control to display TV show information.

■ Recorded TV: View a list of recorded

programs by date or title, view a list of programs scheduled to be recorded, play a recorded program, find out why a program wasn’t recorded, or add a TV recording manually.

■ Search: Quickly find a TV program or a

series to watch or record by entering a descriptive word, program title, or program category.

■ Guide: (Not available in all countries/

regions.) Scroll through the free Television Program Guide to find programs to watch and record. You can record specific TV shows or a whole series to your hard disk drive or an HP Personal Media Drive.

■ Movies: (Select models only.) Go online to

find movies to watch now or later. Get the latest information about movies on TV: read reviews, see cast lists, find other times the movie is broadcast, view the DVD cover, browse for related movies, and find other movies with the same cast members.

Digital video recording features and the Television Program Guide are for select models only.

The Movies online information feature is available for some countries/regions.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 13

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

You ca n go to l i ve TV from anywhere in Windows Media Center by pressing Live TV on the remote control.

You ca n sele c t 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 and the HP Media Center Getting Started Guide for more information.

■ You have completed the Media Center setup

wizard. If you have not completed the setup wizard, refer to “Completing the setup wizard steps” on page 3.

Watching Live TV

1 Press the TV button on the remote control or

select My TV from the main start menu. Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to select Live TV, and then press OK. The last channel selected or the first channel available begins playing.

2 Select a channel by using the CH/PG (+) or

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

3 Press the More information button to

open another menu with the following options and information:

■ A zoom option.

■ Access to Messenger and Settings

windows.

■ Program information such as channel

number and station, title and time period of program, actual time, and a brief summary of the program and TV rating, if available. Recording options are also shown.

14 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

4 To exit full-screen mode and return to the

previous window, press Back on the remote control.

Controlling TV playback

The personal video recorder functionality lets you record single shows or capture entire series for later viewing.

When you open the My TV window and begin watching live TV, Media Center begins recording the selected program in the background for up to 30 minutes. When you pause a live TV program while watching in full-screen mode, the time-shifting window appears.

You can return to 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.

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.

The digital video recording features are for select models only.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 15

Using the remote control in My TV

Button Action

To freeze the live TV image, press Pause. While paused, My TV continues to record a pause buffer for up to 30 minutes. To resume watching TV where you left off, press Play.

To stop live TV or a recorded program, press Stop once. To resume watching the program, press Play.

To move forward in 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 play a recorded TV program or to resume watching a program after pressing the Pause, Fast-Forward, Rewind, Replay, or Skip buttons.

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 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 move back 3 hours in the Guide.

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

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

More information

CH/PG To move to the next channel or page in the Television Program Guide, press the

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

16 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

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 move back 12 hours in the Guide.

advance to the end of the pause buffer and resume watching the live TV broadcast, press Live TV.

To see the channel number, station identifier, title of program, time slot, and category of program, press the More information button while in full-screen mode. If you select a recorded show and then press the More information button, you can access more information about a program, stop or delete a program, record a series, change the “Keep Until” setting, copy a selected program to CD/DVD, access the instant messaging dialog box, and access TV settings.

CH/PG (+) and (–) buttons.

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

Using the Television Program Guide

In the Television Program Guide, you can scroll through a list of the current and upcoming 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 description of the

program. The number of days displayed depends on your television service provider; most providers display up to 14 days. By selecting a program title, a detailed description of the program appears at the bottom of the window.

Important information about the Television Program Guide

Television Program Guide data may not be available in your country/region. You can still record TV programs without a Guide; see “Recording TV without the Television Program Guide” on page 23.

If there is no Guide data available when you try to download or search for Guide information, the following messages may appear:

■ Download Incomplete: We were unable to

locate any 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.

■ 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/region, and you cannot use Television Program Guide features. Check back periodically to see if Guide data has been provided.

The Television Program Guide is not available in all countries/regions

Watching and Recording TV Programs 17

Viewing the Television Program Guide

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.

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

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select My TV, and then select Guide.

If you press the Guide shortcut button on the remote control while you are already in the Guide, you can select one of the Guide filter categories, such as Movies, to search for a movie.

Press the More Information button on the remote control to access another menu for more options of searching your the Guide.

3 Use the arrow buttons to select a channel, and

then use the arrow buttons to scroll through up to two weeks of programming for that channel.

4 Select a program, and then press OK to watch

it. Press the Record button on the remote control to record the program.

18 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Setting up how Media Center downloads the Guide

You must select a TV listings provider before you can use and download the Guide. You can set up Media Center to download the Guide when you connect to the Internet or you can select to manually download the Guide.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, General, Automatic

Download Options, and then select:

■ Connect to the Internet and

download: Media Center connects to the Internet, and then downloads the Guide.

■ Download when connected: Connect

to the Internet, and Media Center automatically downloads the Guide.

No data available

appears next to each channel if the Guide has not been downloaded. This can occur if the PC does not have an Internet connection or if there is no service available in your country/region.

■ Manual download: Connect to the

Internet and then manually download the Guide in Media Center TV Settings menu.

Manually downloading the Guide

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide, and then select

Get Latest Guide Listings.

3 Follow the onscreen instructions. The Guide

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

3 Follow the onscreen instructions. When the

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

If your PC has, for example, a DSL connection, your PC is always connected. The Guide is downloaded at a specified time every few days. This option may not be supported by all providers. The download interval varies, depending on the ISP.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 19

Searching for TV Programs

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

■ 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.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, 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 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.

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

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Searching for TV programs using categories

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

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, select My TV, and then select Search.

2 Select Categories. 3 Select a category of program types, such as

Movies.

4 Select an option such as Genres or Top

Rated.

5 Select a sorting option, such as By movie

title.

6 Use the arrow buttons to scroll through

search results and to select a program. Then press OK on the remote control.

7 Select an option to find out more about the

program, to watch it, to schedule a recording, or to view other showings of your program.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 21

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 do not want to be disturbed.

Recording TV Programs

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. You can record two programs at the same time if your PC has two TV tuners (select models only).

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.

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.

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 arises.

Recording TV from the Guide

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

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, select My TV, and then select Guide.

For more information about recording to your HP Personal Media Drive, see “About Recording TV to the HP Personal Media Drive” on page 96.

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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 use the numeric keypad on the remote control to enter a channel number. Press the right arrow button in the Guide to select a program that will be broadcast in the future.

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.

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.

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.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

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

2 Select Channel and Time. 3 Select the channel number box and 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

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

■ 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.

6 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

Recording TV without the Television Program Guide

You do not need the Television Program Guide to record TV. You can record a TV program by pressing the Record button on the remote control while watching live TV. You can also select the program you want to record manually. See “Recording manually” on page 23.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 23

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

TV programs that have been encrypted (protected) by the broadcaster cannot be copied and played back on any player other than the Media Center PC that they were recorded to.

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.

Copying recorded TV programs to DVD or CD

You can record TV programs to DVD in Media Center to create a backup copy or to save space on your hard disk drive by using the following procedure. These DVDs can be played from a PC and from some set-top DVD players.

The Media Center PC includes several other recording software programs for you to create CDs and DVDs. You can use InterVideo WinDVD Creator to record the recorded TV program to a format that

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select More Programs.

Quality of recording

Best *2.7 GB/hour

Better *2.4 GB/hour

Good *1.4 GB/hour

Fair *1.2 GB/hour

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

1 GB = 1 billion bytes when referring to hard disk drive capacity. Actual formatted capacity is less.

can be played from a PC and from some set-top DVD players. See “Using InterVideo WinDVD Creator” on page 77.

For more detailed information about recording CDs and DVDs, refer to information on the HP Support Web site at:

http://www.hp.com/support

Hard disk drive space used

7 Select Recorded TV. 8 Select the Recorded TV programs you want to

copy to CD or DVD.

3 Insert a blank DVD+RW, DVD+R, CD-RW, or

CD-R disc.

4 Select Create CD/DVD. 5 Select the type of CD or DVD you want

(Music or Data).

6 Enter a title for your DVD by using the numeric

buttons on the remote control, and then select OK.

24 HP Media Center PC Software Guide

9 Select View DVD or View CD. 10 Select Create DVD or Create CD. 11 Select Ye s. 12 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete

burning your TV show to disc.

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

1 Press the Media Center 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 or Sort by Title.

3 To begin watching the program, select the

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

Media Center places recorded TV programs in the Recorded TV folder that is located in your Shared Documents folder on your hard disk drive.

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