HP 856x, 876x, 886c, 896c, m200y User Manual

...

hp media center pc

updated hp media

center pc information

The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

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Contents

Updated HP Media Center PC

Information ..........................................1

Setting PC Location for Television Program Guide .....2

Changing the Program Lineup in Media Center ........3

Setting Parental Controls ........................................3

Setting Closed Captioning .....................................4

Installing Speakers ................................................4

Connecting Altec Lansing Speakers .....................4

About Installing 5.1 Speakers............................. 5

Installing Multi-channel Audio Speakers ............... 5

Understanding the 6-In-1 Memory Card Reader........ 8

Recording Data to CDs and DVDs...........................9

Recording with RecordNow................................ 9

Recording with MyDVD .....................................9

Recording with the CD Writing Wizard ............. 10

Installing DLA Software ....................................11

Playing Video CD Slideshows............................... 13

Playing Recorded TV Programs............................. 13

Safeguarding Your Recorded TV Programs......... 13

Copying Recorded TV Programs to DVD................ 21

Standby Mode and Scheduled Recordings............. 22

Switching Display Devices ...................................23

Updated Information about Software Programs ...... 23

Capturing Analog Home Video ............................ 24

Using Application Recovery and

System Recovery................................................. 29

Creating Recovery CDs/DVDs.......................... 32

Using HP PC Recovery CD-DVD Creator ............ 34

Using HP Recovery Tools CD............................ 35

System Restore ............................................... 36

Application Recovery ......................................37

System Recovery............................................. 38

System Recovery Using Recovery Discs.............. 40

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

iii

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

This document contains updated information about your Media Center PC. Please review this information and keep it with your hardware and software guides. The information describes:

■

Setting PC location for television program guide

■

Changing the program lineup in Media Center

■

Setting parental controls

■

Setting closed captioning

■

Installing speakers

■

Understanding the 6-In-1 memory card reader

■

Recording data to CDs and DVDs

■

Playing video CD slideshows

■

Playing recorded TV programs

■

Copying recorded TV programs to DVD

■

Standby mode and scheduled recordings

■

Switching display devices

■

Updated information about software programs

■

Capturing analog home video

■

Using Application Recovery and System

Recovery

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

Setting PC Location for Television 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 television 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.

To set the PC location

1 Click Start on the taskbar, and then click

Control Panel.

Important:

The Media Center program lists 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 Media Center program guide setting, an error message may appear. You may also see No data available in the television program guide, or you may not be able to get the correct television program guide.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

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.

2 Click Date, Time, Language, and

Regional Options. 3 Click Regional and Language Options. 4 Click the Regional Options tab. 5 In the Location box near the bottom of the tab,

select your country/region (for example,

Canada) from the drop-down list. 6 Click Apply, and then click OK.

Changing the Program

Setting Parental Controls

Lineup in Media Center

Important: Make sure you are connected to the Internet

before you try to download the Electronic Program Guide or before you change the settings of the Guide in Media Center.

1 Click Start, and then click Media Center. 2 In the Media Center Start menu, click

Settings. 3 Click TV/DVD. 4 Click Guide setup. 5 Click Change lineup, and follow the

onscreen instructions. When you enter your

postal code, do not leave any spaces. For

example, for Canadian postal code R2M 3Z4

you would enter R2M3Z4.

If you see an Invalid message, there is no

guide for your area.

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 this:

1 Click Start and then click Media Center. 2 Click Settings, TV/DVD, and then click

Parental control. 3 Enter your PIN number. 4 Select TV Ratings. 5 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.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

Setting Closed Captioning

If you set Media Center to display closed captions while in window mode (not full-screen mode), the window or the closed-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 closed-captioning option.

To turn off the closed-captioning option:

1 Click Start and then click Media Center.

2 Click Settings and then click Audio.

3 Click plus sign (+) to disable Caption display.

Installing Speakers

Connecting Altec Lansing Speakers

If your PC model came with the Altec Lansing Speakers System Model 251, use the following procedure to connect the speakers to a Sound

Blaster Audigy Audio Card on the back of the PC. Also, refer to the setup information that came with your PC and your speaker system.

Note:

Your speaker system has a yellow plug that does not match the color of the corresponding connector on the back of the PC.

1 Plug this yellow tip of the subwoofer cable into

2 Plug the other two tips of the audio cable into

3 Follow the speaker system documentation to

If your PC uses an integrated 5.1 audio solution (no audio card), refer to the section titled “Installing multi-channel audio speakers” and disregard this notice.

the orange audio card connector on the back of your PC.

their matching color-coded connectors on the back of the PC.

connect the other speakers to the subwoofer.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

About Installing 5.1 Speakers

Your PC may have a sound card with connectors on the back of the PC for analog and digital audio outputs (Line out -1, Line out -2, and Line out -3), a microphone, and an audio input (Line in). The example illustration below shows a sound card that includes a game port connector on the left. If your PC has a sound card with these connectors, perform the procedures in the next section.

Installing Multi-channel Audio Speakers

If your PC has multi-channel speakers capability (select models only), you can connect speakers for 4-channel or 6-channel output. You must connect your speaker system to the PC, and then configure the audio software for sound output. Your PC may include the Multi-channel Sound Manager or the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy sound manager. Refer to the correct procedure to configure your multi-channel speakers.

Note:

Some PCs have the multi-channel audio capability that uses the microphone, Audio (Line)

Multi-channel audio uses the Microphone,

Audio (Line) In, and Audio (Line) Out connectors on the back of the PC to connect the multi-channel speakers system to the PC.

In, and Audio (Line) Out connectors on the back of the PC. If your PC has these connectors, you can connect and install a multi-channel audio speaker system. To do this, follow the procedures in the next section.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

To connect your multi-channel

speaker system to the PC 1 Turn off the PC. 2 Connect the three audio cable plugs from the

speaker system to the connectors on the back of the PC (see the table).

Connect speaker channels (plugs) To PC back connector

Front speakers Audio (Line) Out

(lime-green) Rear speakers Audio (Line) In (blue) Center/subwoofer

speakers

Mic-1 (pink)

3 Turn on the PC. 4 Turn on your speaker system. 5 Configure the multi-channel audio output;

refer to the next procedure.

To configure multi-channel audio output for PCs with Multi-channel

Sound Manager 1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Choose All Programs. 3 Choose Multi-channel Sound Manager,

and then click Multi-channel Sound Manager again. The Multi-channel Audio

Configuration window opens.

Note:

If you do not see the Speaker Configuration tab,

your PC may not have the multi-channel option.

4 Click the Speaker Configuration tab. (Your

speakers may need to be plugged in to see this tab.)

5 Select the option describing the number

of speakers in your system, for example, 6/5.1 speaker mode. You can click the Speaker Test tab and then click each speaker to test it.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

6 Click OK.

To configure multi-channel audio output for PCs with Creative

SoundBlaster Audigy 1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Choose All Programs. 3 Choose Creative, Sound Blaster Audigy,

and then click Creative AudioHQ. 4 Double-click the Speaker icon. 5 Click the drop-down menu and then select

5.1 speakers. You can click the Test button

to test it. If you don’t hear sound during the

test, check each speaker connection and then

check the volume controls.

To configure multi-channel audio output for Media Center

Note:

You need to perform this procedure if you have Creative SoundBlaster Audigy sound manager or the Multi-channel Sound Manager.

1 Click Start on the taskbar and then select

Media Center.

2 Click Settings, TV/DVD, and then

click DVD. 3 Click Audio. 4 Select 6 speaker mode (5.1 channel). 5 Click Apply, and then click OK.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

Understanding the 6-In-1 Memory Card Reader

The 6-In-1 memory card reader can read from and write to six types of memory cards and to the IBM Microdrive

Special note about the Safely Remove Hardware utility

™

disk drive.

Warning:

Remove Hardware window while the USB

Mass Storage Device is selected. Doing so removes the operating system recognition of the 6-In-1 memory card reader from your PC. You must restart the PC to use your reader again.

Do not click Stop in the Safely

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

If you inadvertently open the Safely Remove Hardware window, click Close.

Understanding the in-use light

Recording with RecordNow

The 6-In-1 memory card reader in-use light turns on when you insert media into a slot. The light blinks when the memory card reader reads from or writes to the media.

Warning:

media when the in-use light is blinking. Doing so may cause data loss.

Do not insert or remove

Recording Data to CDs and DVDs

You can record data to blank or appendable CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R or DVD+RW discs in different ways: Open a recording program, use the CD Writing Wizard, or use the DLA (Drive Letter Access) program drag-and-drop method.

Important: The

your PC, but you can get it from the HP Web site; see “Installing DLA Software” in this document.

DLA program is not preinstalled on

Use RecordNow to record data and music files to CDs and DVDs.

You can put data files on a DVD to store them or transfer them to another PC. However, data files on a DVD do not play in a DVD player.

Note:

To copy a recorded TV show to DVD to view on a

home DVD player, see “Copying Recorded TV Programs to DVD.”

To open RecordNow, click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, RecordNow, and then click RecordNow. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Recording with MyDVD

Use Sonic MyDVD to record video files to CDs and DVDs. MyDVD writes files to DVD that can play in a DVD player.

To open MyDVD, click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, Sonic, MyDVD, and then click Start MyDVD. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

Recording with the CD Writing Wizard

Use the Microsoft CD Writing Wizard to record data or music files to CDs only. The CD Writing Wizard cannot write data to DVDs.

To copy data to a blank or appendable CD by using the CD Writing Wizard:

1 Copy your files to a writeable CD drive in My

Computer by doing one of the following:

■

Dragging a file from a Windows Explorer window to the writeable CD drive icon.

■

Selecting Save As from within certain programs, and then saving the file to the drive.

■

Right-clicking a file, selecting Send To, and then selecting the drive.

2 When you are ready to record your files to a

CD, click Start on the taskbar, and then click

My Computer.

3 Double-click your writeable CD drive icon.

The files you have copied to the drive should appear in the drive window.

Important:

The files displayed in the drive window are not recorded to the CD yet. You must complete the following steps to finish the recording process.

4 Insert a blank or an appendable CD. 5 Click Write these files to CD in the CD

Writing Tasks section of the drive window. The CD Writing Wizard opens.

6 Type the name of the CD, and then

click Next.

7 Click Next. The files are being recorded to

your CD.

8 When your files have finished recording, a

message appears telling you the files have been successfully recorded. Click Finish.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

Installing DLA Software

Recording with DLA

The DLA software is not preinstalled on your PC.

Important:

Installing the DLA program disables the

CD Writing Wizard program.

DLA allows you to use your DVD Writer/ CD Writer drive as you would a diskette drive, by copying files to disc or by using a drag-anddrop method.

To get and install the DLA program:

1 Go to the Web site:

http://www.hp.com/cposupport

2 Type your model number into the Search box

(for example, Media Center 863n).

3 Click drivers and downloads for your

model. Click applications, if it is present.

4 Choose DLA, and then follow the onscreen

instructions to download and install the program.

Important:

Format a blank CD or DVD before copying files directly to a CD or DVD. If you don’t, a message appears telling you to format the disc or telling you that your drive is not accessible.

1 Press the Eject button on the drive and insert

the blank disc.

2 Click Start, and then click My Computer. 3 Right-click the drive icon and select Format. 4 Under Volume Label, type in the title of

the disc.

5 Under Format type, select Full or Quick

(erase). You must select the quick format for

all CD-R or DVD+R discs. You must select the full format for a CD-RW or a DVD+RW disc the first time you format it.

Note:

Full format can take up to 45 minutes. Quick

format usually takes less than a minute.

Updated HP Media Center PC Information

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