HP m7100e, m7100y, m7160n, m7163w, m7167c Software Guide

...

Microsoft Windows XP

Media Center Edition 2005

Software Guide

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

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

Watch and record live TV...................................................... 1

The right music for the moment...............................................1

Share your digital memories ..................................................1

Transform your living space into a theater ...............................1

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

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

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

Completing the setup wizard steps .........................................3

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

Online Spotlight ................................................................... 5

Navigating Media Center ..................................................... 5

Media Center menu bars....................................................... 5

Media Center control menu ...................................................6

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

Logging in to your Messenger account .................................... 6

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

Media Center Settings categories ........................................... 8

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

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

Controlling TV playback...................................................... 15

Using the remote control in My TV ........................................ 16

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

Using Media Center without the Guide .................................17

Television Program Guide errors........................................... 18

Viewing the Television Program Guide.................................. 18

Setting up how Media Center

downloads the Guide ......................................................... 19

Manually downloading the Guide ........................................20

Adding a postal code to receive the correct Guide ................. 20

Adding missing channels to the Guide ..................................20

Editing channels in the Guide ..............................................21

Removing channels from the Guide....................................... 21

Searching for TV Programs .................................................. 22

Searching for TV programs using categories .......................... 23

Recording TV Programs....................................................... 24

Recording TV from the Guide............................................... 24

Recording programs without the Guide .................................25

Recording quality and hard disk drive storage space .............. 26

Copying recorded TV programs to DVD or CD....................... 26

Playing Recorded TV Programs ............................................ 27

Playing Music Files ..................................... 29

HP Tunes ...........................................................................29

My Music ..........................................................................30

Using HP Tunes with Media Center .......................................30

Completing the iTunes setup wizard ......................................31

Delays with HP Tunes ..........................................................31

Selecting a default audio player ...........................................31

Adding Music to the iTunes Music Library ..............................32

Adding music files from a CD in iTunes .................................32

Adding music files from the Internet.......................................32

Adding music files from your hard disk drive..........................32

Using supported music file types ...........................................33

Changing song name, genre, artist, or album in iTunes ...........33

Playing CDs with HP Tunes ..................................................33

Creating a Playlist with iTunes ..............................................34

Creating and Editing a Now Playing List with HP Tunes...........34

Creating Music CDs with iTunes ...........................................34

Troubleshooting HP Tunes ....................................................35

Resetting HP Tunes..............................................................35

Using My Music with Media Center ......................................36

Adding Music to My Music Library .......................................37

Adding music files from your hard disk drive..........................37

Adding music files from a CD...............................................38

Deleting music files from the My Music library........................38

Using supported music file types ..........................................39

Playing Music Files in My Music ...........................................39

Playing an album in My Music .............................................40

Playing a song in My Music.................................................40

Creating a Queue List in My Music .......................................40

Finding and Playing an Album in My Music ...........................41

Creating a Playlist in My Music ............................................41

Copying Music Files to CD in My Music ................................42

Working with Pictures................................ 43

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................43

My Pictures ........................................................................43

Working with Digital Images................................................43

Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center ...........................44

Creating your picture catalog in

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................44

Creating albums .................................................................46

Modifying a date assigned to your pictures............................46

Assigning a keyword to your pictures....................................47

Assigning a place to your pictures ........................................47

Searching for pictures in HP Image Zone Plus.........................47

Viewing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ................................48

Viewing a slideshow in HP Image Zone Plus ..........................48

Table of Contents iii

Viewing a slideshow with music in

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................49

Editing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus ..................................49

Using supported picture file types with

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................49

Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus .................................50

Creating a Backup Disc of Your Pictures ................................50

Burning a Label on a LightScribe Media Disc .........................51

Creating a simple backup disc label with

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................51

Creating a customized disc label with

HP Image Zone Plus ............................................................51

Using My Pictures in Media Center .......................................52

Adding Pictures to My Pictures .............................................53

Adding picture files from your hard disk drive ........................53

Viewing Pictures in My Pictures.............................................54

Viewing pictures as a slideshow ...........................................54

Viewing a slideshow with music in My Pictures.......................55

Using supported picture file types in My Pictures ....................55

Editing Pictures in My Pictures ..............................................56

Fixing red eye or contrast ....................................................56

Cropping pictures in My Pictures ..........................................56

Rotating pictures.................................................................57

Printing Pictures in My Pictures .............................................57

Copying Pictures to CDs and DVDs.......................................58

Playing Videos........................................... 59

Playing Digital Videos in Media Center .................................59

Using Supported Video File Types.........................................60

Transferring and Recording Video Files .................................60

Creating a CD/DVD from Video Files....................................60

Playing DVDs ............................................. 61

Playing DVD Movies in Media Center ...................................61

Changing the DVD Movie Language .....................................62

Changing DVD Audio Settings .............................................62

Listening to FM Radio ................................. 63

Playing FM Radio Stations ...................................................64

Organizing Radio Station Presets..........................................65

Using the FM Radio and the TV Signal

at the Same Time ...........................................................65

Creating Audio and Data Discs ................... 67

Erasing Rewritable Discs Before Recording ............................67

Working with Audio CDs.....................................................68

Verifying audio disc recorded without errors ..........................68

Audio CD tips ....................................................................69

Creating audio CDs ............................................................69

Creating jukebox discs ........................................................70

Working with Data DVDs and CDs .......................................70

Verifying data disc recorded without errors............................70

Data disc tips .................................................................... 71

Creating data discs ............................................................ 71

Copying a DVD or CD........................................................ 72

Archiving Files on a CD or DVD........................................... 72

Working with Image Files ................................................... 73

Creating an image file........................................................ 73

Burning from an image file.................................................. 73

Disc Labeling with LightScribe.............................................. 73

LightScribe requirements ..................................................... 74

Burning a LightScribe label with Sonic Express Labeler ........... 74

Burning a LightScribe label after burning with iTunes .............. 74

Using adhesive disc labels .................................................. 75

Compatibility Information.................................................... 75

Disc Features and Compatibility Table .................................. 76

Optical Drive Quick Reference Table.................................... 77

Software Quick Reference Table .......................................... 78

Creating Video Discs and Movies.................81

Before You Begin Capturing Video....................................... 81

Sonic MyDVD Video Projects............................................... 81

Creating a Video Project..................................................... 82

Adding files to a video project............................................. 82

Capturing video to a video project....................................... 83

Adding slideshows to a video project ................................... 83

Adding submenus to a video project .................................... 84

Editing the style of a video project........................................ 84

Editing movie files .............................................................. 84

Burning a video project to disc ............................................ 85

Creating a Video Project with Direct-to-Disc Wizard ............... 86

Video Quality and Disc Size ............................................... 87

DVD Recording Time .......................................................... 87

Creating Movies Using

muvee autoProducer...................................89

Basic Steps to Make a Movie .............................................. 89

Locating the two versions of muvee autoProducer ................... 90

Using muvee autoProducer.................................................. 91

Getting started................................................................... 91

Capturing video from a DV camcorder ................................. 92

Adding videos ................................................................... 93

Adding pictures ................................................................. 94

Adding music .................................................................... 94

Selecting the style .............................................................. 95

Changing the settings ......................................................... 95

Adding an opening title and closing credits........................... 96

Making the movie .............................................................. 96

Saving the movie project..................................................... 97

Recording the movie project to disc...................................... 97

Using muvee in Media Center ............................................. 98

Getting started in Media Center .......................................... 98

iv HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Selecting videos ................................................................. 99

Selecting pictures ...............................................................99

Selecting music ................................................................100

Setting the style ................................................................ 100

Adjusting audio and video settings ..................................... 100

Making the movie............................................................. 101

Upgrading muvee autoProducer ......................................... 102

Using an HP Personal Media Drive ........... 103

Setting Up the HP Personal Media Drive to

Work with Media Center .............................................. 103

Locating the Drive After Installation ..................................... 104

Assigning a Drive Letter to the

HP Personal Media Drive .............................................. 104

Viewing and Storing Files..................................................104

Playing Media Files ..........................................................105

Playing Music Files ........................................................... 105

Viewing Picture Files ......................................................... 105

Playing Video Files ...........................................................105

Watching TV Programs Stored on the

HP Personal Media Drive .............................................. 106

About Recording TV to the HP Personal Media Drive............. 106

Recording TV programs to the

HP Personal Media Drive................................................... 107

Changing the TV recording path to the

HP Personal Media Drive................................................... 107

Changing the TV recording path to the local hard disk drive..108

Disconnecting the HP Personal Media Drive Safely ............... 108

Changing Disk Allocation..................................................109

Updating Recorded TV List after Removing the

HP Personal Media Drive .............................................. 109

System Requirements to View Recorded

TV Programs on Other PCs............................................ 109

Index ....................................................... 111

Table of Contents v

vi HP Media Center PC Software Guide

Experience the Fun of Media Center

Welcome

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, you can experience TV, movies, music, and photos like never before.

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.

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. Combine the powerful features of your HP Media Center PC with a home theater receiver to enjoy an even more dynamic entertainment experience.

Record TV with ease by using the Television Program Guide (Internet service required) 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.

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

Share your digital memories

Create personalized slideshows with music for viewing on your TV. Easily edit and create professional-looking home videos from the comfort of your couch with the remote control.

viewing experience with a high-quality digital sound system. Sit back and enjoy the show.

Welco me 1

Using Media Center Features

If your HP Media Center PC came with a rewritable DVD drive, the drive is able to read and record to both DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW media.

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

Some of the components listed in the HP Media Center PC documentation, such as speakers, are optional and sold separately.

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 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

slideshow 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.

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.

■ 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. Instant messaging (Internet service required) may not be supported in all countries/regions.

■ 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 (sold separately).

■ Listen to FM radio stations.

■ Access streaming music and video

subscription services. Some music and video subscription services may not be available in

The Television Program Guide (Internet service required) may not be available in all countries/regions.

all countries/regions.

2 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Setting Up Media Center

Using Media Center

The first time you start your HP Media Center PC, a Media Center setup wizard opens. It is recommended to complete each step in the Media Center setup wizard to be able to use all the features in Media Center. The Media Center setup

Completing the setup wizard steps

If you did not complete the Media Center setup wizard steps the first time through, you can complete or change your selections by using the following procedure. You need to complete all of the required steps to access all of the Media Center features.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings. You may need to use the

arrow buttons on the remote control to scroll down to see all the menu items.

3 Select General, Media Center Setup, and

then Run Media Center Setup Again. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the wizard.

Following are some of the items included in the setup wizard:

wizard may take approximately 10 to 40 minutes to complete. If there are steps you still need to complete, you can go to the Settings menu to do so. See the following procedure.

For the latest information about setting up your HP Media Center PC, refer to the setup poster.

You must subscribe with an Internet service provider (ISP) to have an Internet connection.

■ Check for your Internet connection. An

Internet connection allows Media Center to display information about your music CDs, DVDs, 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 HP Media Center PC 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.

■ Optimize how Media Center looks on

your display. You can change display settings such as brightness, contrast, 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

N O

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, Record, Volume Up/ Down, and Channel Up/Down

Some of the features listed are for select models only.

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

J Go to the Media Center Web site for the

latest Media Center information

K Watch your home videos

4 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

L View digital pictures or play a

slideshow; 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 such as for

instant messaging, video editing, and creating other menus not shown:

■ HP Image Zone — View digital pictures,

play a slideshow, and print photos

■ HP Tunes — Play music from your iTunes

music Library or from music CDs

■ Play DVD — Watch DVD movies

■ Settings — Change Media Center program

settings

Online Spotlight

Online Spotlight is a link to the Microsoft Web site, where you can find the latest Media Center information and media offers and services. This site

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.

is periodically updated by Microsoft. Some of the services listed may not be available in some countries/regions.

Your HP Media Center PC must be connected to the Internet to access the Online Spotlight Web site.

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.

Media Center menu bars

When you move the mouse, the Media Center menu bars appear. These menu bars allow you to access media controls, Media Center Help, the back screen arrow, window control icons, and the Media Center icon that takes you to the main Media Center menu.

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

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

Using Media Center 5

Media Center control menu

To access the control menu in Media Center, move the mouse to display the menu bars. Select the Shut Down icon on the main Media Center window.

From this control 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

Shut down the HP Media Center PC

Restart the HP Media Center PC

Put the HP Media Center PC in a powerreduced state (standby mode)

Instant messaging may not be supported in all countries/regions.

Media Center supports instant messaging (Internet service required) so you can communicate with your friends and family while you are doing something in Media Center. You always have the option to turn this feature on or off.

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.

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.

6 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

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

3 Select More Programs,

and then select the

Messenger icon.

4 Select Sign In.

5 Enter your .NET passport information, and

then 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 slideshows, and for controlling sound and the display of all the Media Center windows.

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.

■ DVD to select a language for subtitles, audio

tracks, and menus of your DVDs, program the Skip and Replay buttons on the remote control for your DVDs, and select close captioning. You can also access audio settings for your speakers.

■ General to set:

■ Startup and Window behavior.

■ Visual and Sound Effects to set

transition animations and sounds when navigating in Media Center.

■ More Programs Options to change

settings for other programs on the HP Media Center 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.

The Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Reference Guide is for

select models only.

■ Messenger to allow instant messages within

Media Center. Instant messaging may not be supported in all countries/regions.

■ Radio to organize or delete preset radio

stations.

■ 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.

■ Help to find help about using Media Center

and your hardware.

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. Online Spotlight may not be available in all countries/regions.

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 the online documentation for your product, search for your model number, and then click

Manuals.

8 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Using the Remote Control

(Select models only)

The remote control is designed to work with Media Center. You can use your remote control with Media Center to play CDs and 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.

■ Shut down or restart the HP Media Center 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.

DVD MENU

RADIO

RECORD

REW

REPLAY

BACK

MUSIC

PLAY

PAUSE

PICTURES

VIDEOS

STOP

FWD

SKIP

The remote control requires two AA batteries.

The remote control operates up to 7.9 meters (26 feet) away from the remote sensor.

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 on or off a TV that is connected to your HP Media

Center PC (select models only).

■ Turn on the HP Media Center PC.

VOLUME

MUTE

LIVE TV

PQRS

GUIDE

GHI

CLEAR ENTERPRINT

ABC

JKL

TUV

CH/PG

RECORDED TV

DEF

321

MNO

654

WXYZ

987

Using the Remote Control 9

Remote Control Buttons Overview

The remote control is included with select models only. Features and location may vary.

A Standby puts the HP Media Center 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 HP Media Center 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 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.

QTV opens the My TV window.

R Pictures opens the My Pictures window.

SVideos 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.

DVD MENU

RADIO

MUSIC

PICTURES

RECORD

PLAY

REW

REPLAY

PAUSE

VIDEOS

STOP

FWD

SKIP

Q R

S T

BACK

VOLUME

CH/PG

MUTE

GHI

GUIDE

RECORDED TV

ABC

JKL

TUV

DEF

321

MNO

654

WXYZ

987

LIVE TV

PQRS

CLEAR ENTERPRINT

10 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

X More information (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.

Z CH/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.

If you turn off (shut down) your HP Media Center PC, Media Center will not record a scheduled TV program. The HP Media Center 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 HP Media Center PC will not automatically go into standby mode if Media Center is open. It is recommended that you close Media Center before you manually place the HP Media Center PC in standby mode.

Using the Remote Control 11

12 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 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:

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

■ 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 Television Program Guide (Internet service required) 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: 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.

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 g o to l i ve TV from anywhere in Windows Media Center by pressing the Live TV button on the remote control.

While in the Guide, you can select a channel to see upcoming programs for that channel, by pressing the arrow buttons on the remote control.

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 PC 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 the numeric keypad on the remote control, and then press OK 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.

14 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

■ 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.

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 automatically 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. To record a program longer than the 30 minutes, you must select to record the program.

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.

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 to record the program.

You cannot 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 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 a 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, 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 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.

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.

Live TV (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 live TV broadcast, press Live TV.

More information

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

Guide To op en th e Tele visi on P r ogr am Gu ide, press Guide. When in the Guide

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.

window, 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.

16 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Using the Television Program Guide

The Television Program Guide (Internet service required) is a service contracted by Microsoft that provides TV listings information, such as channel, network, program title, summary, and scheduled broadcast times. This service is currently not available in some countries/regions.

In countries/regions where the Guide is not available, refer to “Using Media Center without the Guide” on page 17, and see “Recording programs without the Guide” on page 25 for more information about recording TV programs.

Using Media Center without the Guide

Before using Media Center, it is important to complete the Media Center setup wizard. This takes you through steps to identify your TV signal source and scan for channels you are able to receive from your TV provider. By scanning for channels, you can manually select TV programs to watch and record, even if your country/region is unable to download the TV listings information of the Guide listed above.

The Television Program Guide data may not be available in your country/region. You can still record TV programs without a Guide; see “Recording programs without the Guide” on page 25.

Using the 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.

If you have already completed the setup wizard, but want to change your settings or scan for TV channels again:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, General, Media Center

Setup, and then Run Media Center Setup Again.

3 Follow the onscreen instructions to scan for

your channels.

Your H P M edia Ce n ter PC requires a connection to the Internet to access the Guide.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 17

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

Television Program Guide errors

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 Television 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.

■ The current lineup and/or location selected

for the Guide is not supported.

■ The Guide information is either missing or

corrupt.

Make sure the HP Media Center PC is connected to the Internet and Media Center is properly set up before you try to change the Guide settings.

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

■ 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.

Viewing the Television Program Guide

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select My TV, and then select 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 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software 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 the Guide.

Setting up how Media Center downloads the Guide

Your HP Media Center PC must have a connection to the Internet and you must select a TV listings provider in the Media Center Setup Wizard before you can use and download the Guide information. You can set up Media Center to download the Guide information 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:

■ Download when connected: Connect

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

■ Manual download: Connect to the

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

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 HP Media Center PC has a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, your HP Media Center PC is always connected. The Guide is downloaded at a specified time every few days. The download interval varies, depending on the ISP.

No data available

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

Watching and Recording TV Programs 19

Manually downloading the Guide

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide,

and 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.

Adding a postal code to receive the correct Guide

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide, and Set Up

Guide Listings.

3 Click Next, and follow the onscreen

instructions.

Adding missing channels to the Guide

Some program channels may not appear in the Guide. To add the names and numbers of the channels that are missing or to change the association between channel numbers and lineups:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide, and then Add

Missing Channels to add the names and

numbers of the channels you are missing.

3 Click Add Channel.

4 Enter your postal code, and select Next

for Media Center to determine which TV/Program Guide listings are available for your country/region.

5 Follow the onscreen instructions.

4 Use the numeric keypad on your keyboard to

enter the number of the missing channel, and select Next.

5 Enter the correct channel number, and

select Add.

6 Select Assign channel to assign a new

channel number.

20 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Select Share channel to share the channel with another channel.

7 Click Save to add the channel.

Editing channels in the Guide

Some program channels may not appear correctly in the Guide information. To edit the channel numbers that are incorrect for your TV provider information:

8 Repeat steps 3 through 7 to add additional

channels.

9 Click Done when you have added all the

channels.

5 Select Assign channel to assign a new

channel number.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide, and then Edit

Channels to edit the channel numbers

currently assigned by Media Center.

3 Select Edit Numbers. 4 Use the numeric keypad on your keyboard to

enter the number of the correct channel, and then press OK on the remote control.

Removing channels from the Guide

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings, TV, Guide, and then Edit

Channels to remove the channels you do not

want to appear in the Guide.

3 Select the check next to a channel you want to

remove, and then press the OK button on the remote control to remove the channel from the lineup.

Select Share channel to share the channel with another channel.

6 Click Save when you have edited all the

channels.

7 If you need to go back to the channel numbers

automatically assigned by Media Center, select Restore Default.

4 Select Save when you have selected all the

channels to be removed from the Guide.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 21

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.

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

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.

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.

22 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 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. Some categories are not available in all countries/ regions.

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 23

Recording TV Programs

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

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 HP Media Center PC has two TV tuners that have the same type of TV signal input (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 TV from the Guide

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

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.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

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

For more information about recording to your HP Personal Media Drive, see “About Recording TV to the HP Personal Media Drive” on page 106.

24 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software 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 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 programs without the 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, or you can select a specific date, channel, and recording time period in Media Center.

To record a program without a Guide:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, press the Live TV button, and then press Record to begin recording your program.

Click Start and then Media Center, or 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 keyboard or remote control.

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

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

For some programs, you may want to begin recording before the scheduled beginning and after the scheduled ending of the program.

Recorded TV programs that have been copied to a DVD can be played on your HP Media Center 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 HP Media Center PC, but not to other PCs.

5 To set the recording and return to the

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

6 To return to the previous window, press the

back arrow on the keyboard, or press Back on the remote control.

Watching and Recording TV Programs 25

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

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.

Quality of recording Hard disk drive space used*

Best to optimal 2.7 GB/hour

Better 2.1 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.

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 an HP Media Center PC and from some set-top DVD players.

To get the maximum recording time, change the recording quality to Fair instead of the default setting of Best.

The HP 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 can be played from an HP Media Center PC and from some set-top DVD players. See “Sonic MyDVD Video Projects” on page 81.

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

26 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

To copy a recorded TV program to CD or DVD:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select More Programs. 3 Insert a blank disc. 4 Select Create CD/DVD.

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

http://www.hp.com/support

5 Select Data. 6 Enter a title for your DVD by using the numeric

buttons on the remote control, and then select OK.

7 Select Recorded TV.

8 Select the Recorded TV programs you want to

copy to CD or DVD.

9 Select View DVD or View CD.

10 Select Create DVD or Create CD.

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.

11 Select Ye s. 12 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete

burning your TV show to disc.

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

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

Watching and Recording TV Programs 27

28 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

The HP Tunes and My Music areas in Media Center are great ways to play, organize, and back up your music files. HP Tunes is designed to work with the Apple iTunes program in your All Programs menu, and My Music is designed to work with the Windows Media Player program.

HP Tunes

With HP Tunes, you can play your favorite music that you have added to your iTunes music library. For more information about using HP Tunes, see “Using HP Tunes with Media Center” on page 30.

Playing Music Files

When a CD is in your drive, it takes longer to open HP Tunes.

HP Tunes is designed to work with Apple iTunes.

Playing Music Files 29

For more information on using the iTunes program, refer to the HP Support Web site at: http://www.hp.com/ support

My Music

With My Music, you can find and play your favorite music files and CDs you have added to the Windows Media Player Library. For more information about using My Music, see “Using My Music with Media Center” on page 36.

My Music is designed to work with Windows Media Player

Using HP Tunes with Media Center

iTunes is a software program from Apple located in your All Programs menu that works together with the HP Tunes area in Media Center. HP Tunes is linked to your iTunes music library. Both programs work together to organize and play back your favorite music files, CDs, and created playlists.

Some tasks you must do in the iTunes program with your keyboard and mouse, and some tasks you can do from within Media Center with your remote control. For example, you must add music files to the iTunes music library before you can access them in HP Tunes in Media Center. Also, you can record your playlists to CDs in the iTunes program but not in Media Center.

HP Tunes menu in Media Center

30 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Completing the iTunes setup wizard

To use HP Tunes and iTunes with Media Center, you need to:

1 Initialize iTunes by completing the setup

wizard.

2 Add songs to the iTunes music library and

create playlists. HP Tunes displays only the songs and playlists that are in iTunes.

To complete the iTunes setup wizard:

Delays with HP Tunes

When using HP Tunes, you may experience some delays, or HP Tunes may not function properly. These delays can occur because:

■ There is an audio CD in the drive, and HP

Tunes is attempting to connect to an Internet database to find music information, such as song titles.

1 Close Media Center, if open. 2 Double-click the iTunes shortcut

icon on the desktop.

3 When the iTunes Setup Assistant wizard

opens, follow the onscreen instructions.

4 Close iTunes. 5 Open Media Center, and then open HP Tunes.

■ There is a large collection of songs in your

music library.

■ Windows Media Player or another music

playback program is set as the default player. See the following procedure.

If you do not complete these steps, an error message appears when HP Tunes is launched, which indicates that a problem has occurred in iTunes that is preventing this program from running.

Selecting a default audio player

If you have already set your default audio player to Windows Media Player, you may experience a delay when trying to open HP Tunes. To resolve this issue:

1 Close Media Center, if open. 2 Double-click the iTunes shortcut

icon on the desktop.

3 When the iTunes default player

for audio files message opens, place a check mark in the Do not show this message again check box, and then click Yes or No.

4 If you have not completed the iTunes Setup

Assistant wizard, follow the onscreen instructions.

5 Open Media Center, and then open HP Tunes.

Playing Music Files 31

If your songs are listed as track numbers, make sure the PC is connected to the Internet so iTunes can find and display the song, album, and artist information.

If your songs don’t appear in HP Tunes, make sure your songs are added to the iTunes music library. You may need to close and open Media Center to update your display. For more information about adding songs and creating playlists in iTunes, see the Help menu in iTunes.

Adding Music to the iTunes Music Library

To create your iTunes music library, you can import music files from a CD, download iTunes music files from the iTunes Music Store or the Internet, or import them from your hard disk drive.

Adding music files from a CD in iTunes

1 With your mouse, click Start

on the Windows taskbar, choose All Programs, iTunes, and then click iTunes.

2 Insert an audio CD. 3 Select your CD under the Source menu.

Adding music files from the Internet

For more information about downloading music from the iTunes Music store, refer to the Help menu in the iTunes program.

1 Connect to the Internet. 2 Follow the online instructions to download

your songs. If songs are downloaded from the iTunes Music Store, they appear in your iTunes music library.

3 If songs are downloaded to your desktop,

drag them into the iTunes music library. If the files are in an unprotected .wma format, they are encoded into .aac files by default (or into the importing format you select from the Preferences menu) and placed into the library.

4 Make sure the songs you want to add to your

library are selected. A check mark appears next to the song when it is selected.

5 Click the Import icon in the

toolbar to bring the songs into the library.

4 To change your import format:

a Click the Edit menu, and then select

Preferences.

b Select the Importing tab.

c Select the Import Using drop-down

menu, and then select an import format.

d Select OK.

5 Select Library. Songs are listed

alphabetically or by the sort order of the library column heading you select.

Adding music files from your hard disk drive

If the music files are in another format, iTunes will automatically convert most files to the .aac format before it adds them to your iTunes music library.

1 Click Start on the taskbar,

choose All Programs, iTunes, and then click iTunes.

32 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

2 Click the File menu, and then select Add File

to Library. Click the drop-down arrow to

browse for your music files. Select your file, and then click Open.

Using supported music file types

You can play the following types of digital audio files in iTunes. By default, iTunes converts several file types to .aac files when you import them into the iTunes music library.

Some file types, such as protected .wma files and other proprietary file types, cannot be played in iTunes.

File extension File type

.aac Apple lossless compression

.aiff Apple Interchange File Format

.wav Windows audio file

.mp3 MPEG Layer 3

Media Center cannot play .aac files from My Music.

With iTunes, you can share .mp3, .aiff, .wav, and .aac files between other computers on a local network.

MP3 files are the most compatible music file format for playing back on most PCs and other audio playback devices.

Changing song name, genre, artist, or album in iTunes

For more information about changing name, genre, artist, or album information with iTunes, refer to the Help menu in the iTunes program. It is not possible to make these changes from within HP Tunes in Media Center.

Playing CDs with HP Tunes

When you insert a CD that has not been added to your iTunes music library, it will be listed under Playlists or Albums. If it has been added to your library, it will be displayed under Songs, Albums, Artists, or Genres.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, and then select HP Tunes.

2 Insert a CD. 3 Select Playlists or Songs.

4 Scroll through the displayed playlists or songs,

and then select your CD title. If the songs on this CD weren’t added to your iTunes music library, this playlist or song will disappear when you eject the CD.

You can select Media Center as the default player for any of the listed file types. Refer to iTunes Help for information about supported file types.

For more information about music file compatibility with iTunes, go to the iTunes Help menu.

Playing Music Files 33

Creating a Playlist with iTunes

If your playlist doesn’t appear in HP Tunes, make sure your songs are in your iTunes music library. You may need to close and open Media Center to update your display.

Once you create a now playing list, you can save it as a playlist that you can play again and again.

A playlist is a customized list of songs that you saved together and can play later or record to CD. 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 slideshow.

You can use iTunes or HP Tunes in Media Center to create playlists.

2 Click File, and then select New Playlist. 3 Type a name for your playlist. 4 Select Library. 5 Drag your music files from the library to your

Playlist icon.

6 Select your Playlist icon to check whether

your songs were added. Your playlist is now available in the HP Tunes area of Media Center.

1 Click Start on the taskbar,

choose All Programs, iTunes, and then click iTunes again.

Creating and Editing a Now Playing List with HP Tunes

A now playing list is a temporary list of songs that are scheduled to be played in the order they were selected. A now playing list acts like a group of songs you select to play on a jukebox. You can continue to add songs, or you can delete songs from your now playing list. You also have the option of saving your now playing list as a playlist.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, and then select HP Tunes.

2 Select Songs.

4 Select Add to Now Playing. 5 Select OK. 6 Press the Back button on the remote control to

return to the song list. Click View Now Playing and then Edit Now Playing to

select songs to move or delete.

Repeat steps 2 through 5 to add more songs to your now playing list.

3 Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to

select a song, and then press OK.

Creating Music CDs with iTunes

To create a music CD using iTunes:

1 With your mouse, click Start on the Windows

taskbar, choose All Programs, select iTunes, and then click iTunes.

2 Click the Edit menu, and select

Preferences.

3 Click the Burning tab, and choose Audio

CD as the disc format.

34 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

4 Click the Use Sound Check check box if

you would like all songs on the CD to play at the same volume level, and click OK.

5 Click the File pull-down menu, and select

New Playlist.

6 Enter a name for your new playlist, and an

empty playlist window opens.

7 Drag and drop selected songs from your

source to your new playlist.

10 Click Burn Disc to begin recording your

playlist.

8 Click the Burn Disc icon in the

toolbar area. When the disc is finished recording, the Burn Disc icon disappears.

9 Insert a blank CD-R disc into your drive.

Troubleshooting HP Tunes

If your HP Tunes window stops displaying album art and song titles, or if you cannot control the playback of your songs and playlists with the remote control, you may need to reset an important HP Tunes utility.

HP Tunes may not work properly if:

■ Windows Media Player stops working

unexpectedly.

■ Windows Media Player was open when the

PC was shut down improperly or if there is a power loss.

For more information about creating music CDs with iTunes, click the Help menu in the iTunes menu bar. For help online, go to:

http://www.hp.com/support

■ Windows XP or Media Center is unresponsive

and the PC needs to be restarted.

■ You upgrade iTunes and go through the

license agreement instructions. If you have upgraded iTunes, you must initialize iTunes again. See “Completing the iTunes setup wizard” on page 31.

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

Resetting HP Tunes

To reset the HP Tunes utility:

1 Close Media Center. 2 Click Start on the taskbar, and

then select Windows Media Player. Follow any onscreen instructions to set up Windows Media Player if you have not done so already.

3 Display the Windows Media Player menu

bar by clicking the down arrow at the top of the window, and then selecting Show Menu Bar.

Playing Music Files 35

If the album art and song titles are not displayed outside of HP Tunes or the remote control next or previous buttons do not work, close HP Tunes, close Media Center, open Windows Media Player, choose Tools, Plug-ins, select HP Tunes Media Player plug-in and then make sure there is a check mark next to HP Tunes Media Player plug-in.

4 Click the Too ls menu, choose Plug-ins, and

then select HP Tunes Media Player plug-in.

5 Make sure there is a check mark next to

HP Tunes Media Player plug-in.

6 Close Windows Media Player. 7 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, or with your mouse click

Start on the taskbar, and then click Media Center.

8 Select HP Tunes.

9 Select Songs.

10 Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to

select a song, and then press OK on the remote control to play a song.

If you have any issues while using HP Tunes and you can navigate to the HP Tunes Help window, you can click the Reset button. This shuts down Media Center and closes HP Tunes and iTunes. After using Reset, you may need to reset the HP Tunes utility by following the previous procedure.

Using My Music with Media Center

You can copy digital music files and organize a music library by using My Music in Media Center or by using the Windows Media Player program.

Music files that are added from within My Music in Media Center are copied into the Windows Media Player Library and are then accessible from within Media Center.

In My Music you can:

My Music menu in Media Center

36 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

■ Play CDs or selected music tracks from your

created Windows Media Player Library that you access in Media Center.

■ Select and edit a personalized list of songs

from your library.

■ Delete songs from a music library or a

queue list.

■ Burn your favorite songs to CDs.

■ Back up your music tracks to a DVD or to an

HP Personal Media Drive.

Adding Music to My Music Library

When you add music files to your My Music library, they are placed into the music library in Windows Media Player. The added music files can immediately be found and played back by using My Music in Media Center.

Adding music files from your hard disk drive

You can also add music files to your music library from within the Windows Media Player program. For more information about adding and deleting music files to the library, use the Windows Media Player Help menu.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, and then select My Music.

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.

2 Press the More Information button on the

remote control, and select Add Music.

3 Select Add folders, and then select Next. 4 Select Add folders on this computer,

and then select Next.

5 Use the arrow buttons on the remote control

to select a location. Press the OK button to expand a folder. When you find the folder that contains your music folder, select it by making sure an arrow appears next to the folder. Repeat this step to add additional folders, select Next and then Finish.

6 Select OK.

Playing Music Files 37

Adding music files from a CD

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

Each time you add music files outside of Windows Media Player, you must add these music files to your Windows Media Player music library for Media Center to find them. Select the Tools menu, and then select Search for Media Files to add

new music files to your library.

1 Press the Media Center Start button

on the remote control, and then

select My Music.

2 Insert a CD into the CD drive. 3 Select Albums. 4 Select the Album CD you want to add

to your music library.

5 Select Copy CD. The first time you

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

6 Select Yes to begin copying tracks to

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

7 Click OK.

Deleting music files from the My Music library

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control, and then select My Music.

2 Select Songs.

3 Use the arrow buttons on your remote control

to scroll through your songs. Select the song you want to delete, and then press OK on the remote control.

4 Select Delete, and then select Yes.

38 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Using supported music file types

You can play the following types of digital audio files in My Music. Refer to Windows Media Player Help for more information about supported file types.

File extension File type

.cda CD audio file

.au, .snd Audio file

.aif, .aifc, .aiff AIFF audio file

.wav Windows audio file

.mp3, .m3u MP3 file

.wax, .wma Windows Media

Audio file

.asf, .asx, .wm, .wma, .wmv, .wmp, .wmx, .wpl, .wm, .wmd, .wmz

Windows Media file

Playing Music Files in My Music

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.

When you first open 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.

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.

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 the program and begins playing the CD.

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 Music Files 39

You ca n s elec t Visualize in the Now Playing window to see a visualization while you play a music track.

Playing an album in My Music

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

2 Select My Music. 3 Insert a music CD into the

CD drive.

4 Select Albums. 5 Select the album you want

to play.

6 Select Play.

Playing a song in My Music

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 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select My Music.

Creating a Queue List in My Music

A queue list is a temporary list of songs that is created in My Music as you select songs, albums, or playlists to play. You can continue to add songs or you can delete songs from your queue list.

You can create a queue list and save it as a playlist that you can access in Media Center:

1 From the My Music window:

40 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

3 Select Songs. The list displays all the songs in

your library.

4 Use the arrow buttons to select a song, and

then press OK on the remote control to play it.

■ Select Songs, use the arrow keys to select

a song you want, and then select Add to Queue.

■ Select Albums or Playlists, select an

album or a playlist, and then select Add to Queue to add the entire album or

playlist to the queue.

2 Select OK. 3 Use the Back button on the remote control to

go back to the Songs, Albums, or Playlists menu if you want to select more songs to add to your queue list. Repeat step 1.

4 After you add the last song for your queue list,

select Play. All songs in your queue list are played in the order you have selected them.

Finding and Playing an Album in My Music

1 In the Media Center Start menu, select My

Music, and then select Albums.

2 Use the arrow buttons to select an album, and

then press OK on the remote control. You can also press Play on the remote control to play the album. The Now Playing window opens, and the album starts playing.

3 In the Play window, you can also select:

■ View Cover to view cover art and play

one track.

■ View Queue to view an ordered list of all

tracks that will be played on the album.

■ Shuffle to rearrange the play order.

■ Repeat to play the album again.

Creating a Playlist in My Music

A playlist is a customized list of songs you can keep to play later or record to CD. 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 slideshow.

■ Copy CD to copy an album into your

Windows Media Player Library and your My Music Library.

■ 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.

■ Edit Queue to save your queue list as a

playlist, create a CD/DVD, or clear all the songs in the queue list.

4 To return to the previous window, press Back

on the remote control.

You can create playlists in Windows Media Player or from within Media Center.

To create a playlist:

1 Select My Music, and then select either

Albums, Artists, Playlists, Songs, or Genres.

Playing Music Files 41

2 Use the arrow buttons to navigate to the music

you want to add to your playlist.

5 Select the inset window in the lower-left corner

to go to the queue.

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

3 Press OK to select a song.

6 On the Queue screen, select Edit Queue,

and then select Save As Playlist.

4 Select Add To Queue. A confirmation

displays that the music was added to the list of music in the queue.

Copying Music Files to CD in My Music

To copy your music files to CD:

7 Use the alphanumeric keypad to enter a name

for the playlist, and then select Save.

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control, and select More

Programs.

2 Insert a blank CD-R disc. 3 Select Create CD/DVD. 4 Select disc format: Audio CD

or Data CD, and then select OK.

5 Use the arrow buttons on the

remote control to select the

Untitled text box.

6 Use the alphanumeric keypad

buttons on the remote control to enter a name for your CD, and then select OK.

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

42 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

7 Select Music. 8 Select the music files to record. A check mark

appears next to the song when it is selected. Use the Back button on the remote control to select more songs from different menus.

9 When you are finished adding songs, select

View CD to see the songs you have selected.

If you want to delete songs, use the arrow buttons on the remote control to select the X next to the song you want to delete. Press OK on the remote control to delete the song from your list of songs to be recorded to CD. This does not delete the song from your library.

10 Select Create CD. 11 Select Ye s. 12 Insert writable media, and then follow the

onscreen instructions.

Use the HP Image Zone Plus and My Pictures areas in Media Center to view and print your pictures.

HP Image Zone Plus

HP Image Zone Plus is a software program located in your All Programs menu that works together with the HP Image Zone Plus area in Media Center. Both programs work together to organize, search for, and display your digital images. It is designed to organize your photos, scanned images, and video clips by date, keyword, or place. For more information about using HP Image Zone Plus, see “Using HP Image Zone Plus in Media Center” on page 44.

Working with Pictures

My Pictures

With My Pictures, you can view and print your pictures from the 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 52.

Working with Digital Images

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

Working with Pictures 43

For specific details 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

Some tasks you must do in the HP Image Zone Plus program on your desktop with your keyboard and mouse, and some tasks you can do from within Media Center with your remote control. For example, you must add your pictures to the HP Image Zone Plus program on the desktop before you can access them in the HP Image Zone Plus area in Media Center.

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.

HP Image Zone Plus menu in Media Center

44 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

To create your picture catalog:

1 Using the mouse, double-click the

HP Image Zone Plus icon on

your desktop.

Click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, HP, and then click HP Image Zone Plus. The HP Image Zone Plus window

opens.

2 When the catalog message appears, click

OK to index the images and place them in the

HP Image Zone Plus catalog.

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

Images tab (A), and then click the Select All check box below it to see all of the images

in the catalog. You can also select a drive under the Folders Menu (B) to browse for images.

4 Click Help at the bottom of the window for

more information about creating your picture catalog in HP Image Zone Plus.

A Mode tabs to choose a work area

B The Preferences button is used to

customize HP Image Zone Plus and change some tab settings

C Gallery of images

D Selection tray displays images that you

have selected

You can click Go to My Pictures at the top of the HP Image Zone Plus window to open the My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer.

Working with Pictures 45

Creating albums

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

To create an album:

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

1 Using the mouse, double-click the

HP Image Zone Plus icon on

your desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab. 3 Select the pictures that you want to place into

an album.

4 Click the Albums drop-down arrow under

View/Search.

Modifying a date assigned to your pictures

Digital cameras and scanners 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 Using the mouse, double-click the

HP Image Zone Plus icon on

your desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab, and

then click All by Date under View/Search to organize your pictures by the current date and time assigned.

5 Click Albums, and then select New

Album.

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

and type a title using your keyboard. You can now view your albums in Media Center when you open Media Center, select HP Image

Zone, and then select View albums.

3 Select a picture or pictures to assign a new

date.

4 Click My Selections Menu in the selection

tray at the bottom of the window, and then choose Set Image Date and Time.

5 Select a date and time, and then click Set.

46 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Assigning a keyword to your pictures

1 Using your mouse, double-click the HP

Image Zone Plus icon on the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab, and then click All

by Keyword.

3 Select your picture by clicking it. You can

select more than one picture, if desired.

4 Click My Selections Menu at the bottom of

the window, choose Keywords, and then click Assign to All (New Keyword).

Assigning a place to your pictures

1 Using your mouse, double-click the HP

Image Zone Plus icon on the desktop.

2 Click the My Images tab, and then click All

by Place under View/Search.

3 Select your picture by clicking it. You can

select more than one picture, if desired.

4 Click the Assign button, make sure the

Assign tab is selected.

5 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 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, and then click OK again.

5 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.

6 When your location is in the center of the

cross symbol, click Assign.

7 Click OK. 8 Click Close.

You ca n a ssig n more than one keyword. You ca n a lso e d it or delete assigned keywords.

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

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 Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select HP Image Zone. 3 Select the Search button.

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

Working with Pictures 47

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

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

Viewing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

Viewing a slideshow in HP Image Zone Plus

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

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select HP Image Zone. 3 Select the pictures you want to view as a

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

4 Select Play slideshow, and then press OK

on the remote control.

5 Use the media playback keys on the remote

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

48 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Viewing a slideshow with music in HP Image Zone Plus

1 Select My Music on the Media Center

Start menu.

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

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.

6 Select Play slideshow, and then press OK.

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

3 To go back to the Media Center Start menu,

press Start on the remote control.

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.

Using supported picture file types with HP Image Zone Plus

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

File extension File type

.jpg, .jpeg Joint Photographic Experts Group

.tif, .tiff Tagged Image File Format

.gif Graphics Interchange Format

.bmp Bitmap

.fpx FlashPix Bitmap

.pcx Bitmap Graphics

.pdf Portable Document Format

.png Portable Network Graphics

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

■ Only supported image file types are displayed

in My Pictures. Unsupported files are skipped in a slideshow.

■ 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.

Working with Pictures 49

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

Any images you have not organized and edited in HP Image Zone Plus will not be backed up.

Printing Pictures in HP Image Zone Plus

1 Press the Media Center 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 picture you want

to print.

6 Select Print. Follow any

onscreen instructions.

You need to set up your printer before you can print from Media Center.

Creating a Backup Disc of Your Pictures

Create an incremental backup disc of images you have put into HP ImageZone Plus:

1 Click Start, choose All Programs, HP,

HP ImageZone Plus, and then click HP ImageZone Plus again.

2 Select the Backup and Restore tab, and

then click Backup on the left side of the window.

3 Click Start backup.

50 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

4 Select Full backup or Incremental

backup, and then click Next.

5 Select your media type and then select your

drive from the drop-down list, and click Next.

6 Insert a blank disc, and then click

Write disc.

7 Follow any onscreen instructions.

Burning a Label on a LightScribe Media Disc

Creating a label with LightScribe is a separate process from recording data, music, or picture files onto a disc. Depending on the LightScribe software you use, you can create a label before or after you burn files onto the disc. Labels can be a simple title and contents list, or you can get more creative by adding backgrounds and images.

There are two ways to create a LightScribe disc label in HP Image Zone Plus. You can create a simple backup label or a more customized label.

Creating a simple backup disc label with HP Image Zone Plus

1 Click Start, choose All Programs, HP,

HP ImageZone Plus, and then click HP ImageZone Plus again.

The backup label contains a disc title, the name of the person logged in, and the date and time the label is recorded, and takes about 3 to 7 minutes to print. A customized label can contain different formats and pictures and can take up to 40 minutes to print, depending on how much data is on the label. You can continue to work on your HP Media Center PC while LightScribe is burning the label. Both labels have a grayscale image similar to a black-and-white photograph.

6 Select the LightScribe drive from the

drop-down list, and then click Next.

7 Insert a blank disc, and then click Write

2 Select the Backup and Restore tab, and

then click Backup on the left side of the window.

3 Click Start backup. 4 Select Full backup or Incremental

backup, and then click Next.

disc. If you want to create a LightScribe label

for your backup disc, insert a LightScribe disc with the label side up.

8 After the backup is complete, turn your disc

over with the label side facing down, and then click Write Label.

9 When the label is complete, click Next, and

5 Select your media type, make sure the Use

LightScribe Media check box is selected, and then click Next.

then click Finish.

Creating a customized disc label with HP Image Zone Plus

1 Click Start, choose All Programs, HP,

HP ImageZone Plus, and then click HP ImageZone Plus again.

6 Click Tracks to display the Edit Tracks

window. Click New to display the Track window. Enter text for the information you want to include, and then click OK.

2 Select the Backup and Restore tab, and

then click Backup on the left side of the window.

3 Click Print LightScribe label.

7 Click OK again when finished adding all the

contents information.

8 Select a label template by clicking Layout

and choosing a layout.

4 Insert disc, and click OK. The Sonic Express

Labeler program opens.

5 Click Disc Titles, and then enter your text for

Title and Subtitle.

Working with Pictures 51

9 Select a background, if desired, by clicking

Background. Select one of the provided

backgrounds or click More to find one of your own images to use as a background.

11 From the Disc Label menu, select LightScribe

12 Select a contrast level, and then click OK to

10 When you are satisfied with the appearance

of your label design, insert the LightScribe disc (label side down) into the disc drive tray, and then click Print.

Using My Pictures in Media Center

12cm Disc.

begin burning the label. The disc is ejected when the label is complete.

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

My Pictures menu in Media Center

It provides all the tools you need for viewing, organizing, editing, printing, sharing, and protecting your digital images.

My Pictures folder in Windows Explorer

52 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Adding Pictures to My Pictures

Adding picture files from your hard disk drive

1 Press the Media Center Start button

on the remote control, and then

select My Pictures.

2 Press the More information button on

the remote control, and select Add Pictures.

3 Select Add folders, and then

select Next.

4 Select Add folders on this

computer, and then select Next.

5 Use the arrow buttons on the remote

control to select a location. Press the OK button to expand a folder. When you find the folder that contains your picture folder, select it by making sure an arrow appears next to the folder. Repeat this step to add additional folders, and then select Next.

6 Select Finish.

Working with Pictures 53

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

■ Select a slide

transition, a slide time delay, and a background color.

■ Include picture

folders you have created.

■ Show captions.

■ Display your

pictures randomly.

Show song information during a slideshow.

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 Media Center 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.

Viewing pictures as a slideshow

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

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

as a slideshow, and then press OK.

4 Select Play Slideshow, and then press OK. 5 Press the More information button on

the remote control, and then select Picture Details. The picture name, location, last modification date, and resolution appears, if available.

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.

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 slideshow, 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.

54 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Viewing a slideshow with music in My Pictures

1 Select My Music on the Media Center

Start menu.

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

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.

6 Select Play SlideShow, and then press OK.

3 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control to go back to the Media Center Start menu.

Using supported picture file types in My Pictures

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

File extension File type

.jpg, .jpeg Joint Photographic Experts Group

.tif, .tiff Tagged Image File Format

.gif Graphics Interchange Format

.bmp Bitmap

.wmf Windows MetaFile

.png Portable Network Graphics

■ Only supported image file types are displayed

in My Pictures. Unsupported files are skipped in a slideshow.

■ Corrupted and unsupported image file types

press OK.

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

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

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.

■ Folder icons appear even if the images inside

them cannot be displayed.

■ Some file types are supported only if

appropriate filters and software are installed.

Working with Pictures 55

Editing Pictures in My Pictures

Fixing red eye or contrast

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the picture you want

to edit.

4 Press the More information button

on the remote control, and then select Picture Details.

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.

8 Select Yes to save changes and

replace the original picture file.

Cropping pictures in My Pictures

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control, and select My Pictures.

2 Select the picture you want

to edit.

3 Press the More information

button on the remote control, and then select Picture Details.

4 Select Touch up, and then

select Crop.

56 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

5 Select the arrows under the picture to move

the picture side to side or up or down. Select the magnifying glass to move the cropping tool in or out. Select the rotate tool to move the cropping tool to a vertical or horizontal position.

Rotating pictures

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

6 After you select the options you want to fix,

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

7 Select Yes to save changes and replace the

original picture file.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the picture you want to rotate.

Printing Pictures in My Pictures

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

2 Select My Pictures. 3 Select the picture you want

to print.

4 Press the More information

button on the remote control, and then select Picture

Details.

5 Select Print, and then select

Print again.

4 Press the More information button on the

remote control, and then select Picture Details.

5 Select Rotate, and then press the OK button

on the remote control.

6 Follow any onscreen

instructions.

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

Working with Pictures 57

Copying Pictures to CDs and DVDs

In Media Center, all pictures are copied to CDs as .jpg files.

You can copy your pictures to CDs and DVDs in Media Center or by using the RecordNow! program. Refer to “Erasing Rewritable Discs Before Recording” on page 67. You can also create a LightScribe label for your CD or DVD if you have a LightScribe optical drive and you use LightScribe media discs. Refer to “Disc Labeling with LightScribe” on page 73.

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select More Programs. 3 Insert a writable disc into the drive. 4 Select Create CD/DVD.

5 Select the Untitled area, and enter the name of

your disc by using the numeric keys on the remote control, and then select OK. Use the Clear button to delete letters.

6 Select Pictures. 7 Select the pictures you want to copy. A check

mark appears next to a picture when you select it.

8 Select View CD/View DVD. From here you

can delete a picture, add more pictures, or change the name of your disc.

9 After you have selected all of your pictures,

select Create CD/Create DVD.

10 Select Yes. Media Center displays a message

when your disc has been created.

58 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 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 videos that are stored anywhere on your

hard disk drive.

■ Create a CD or DVD of your video files.

■ View your videos in full-screen mode or from

an inset window in Media Center.

■ View small image (thumbnail) and title of

video file.

Playing Digital Videos in Media Center

After you organize your videos in the My Videos or Shared Video folder in Windows Explorer, open Media Center to watch your videos.

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

2 Select My Videos. 3 Select the video folder you want,

and then press OK. The video folder opens, displaying a list of video files. You may need to use the scroll arrows at the bottom of the window to display all videos.

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.

4 Select the video file, and press

OK again. The video plays in full-screen mode. Use the mouse to resize the window if you want to watch your video while doing something else on your desktop.

5 To exit full-screen mode and return to the

previous window, press Back on the remote control. Your video continues to play in the inset window.

6 When the video is finished, select Restart,

and then press OK to replay the video, or select Done to close the file and return to the My Videos window.

Playing Videos 59

For more information about supported video file types, refer to Media Center Help menu.

Using Supported Video File Types

You can view the following types of video files in Media Center. Other file types are supported if your HP Media Center PC has the correct software installed.

File extension File type

.avi Video file

.mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .m1v, .mp2, .mpv2

.wm, .asf Windows Media file

.wmv Windows Media AV file

Transferring and Recording Video Files

Once you capture your video by using video capture and editing software, you can use Media Center to find it and add it to your My Videos area.

Movie file

Recording an analog video file

Refer to “Before You Begin Capturing Video” on page 81 for more information about capturing and recording videos to DVDs or CDs from an analog video camera.

Recording a digital video file

Refer to “Before You Begin Capturing Video” on page 81 and “Creating a Video Project with Direct-to-Disc Wizard” on page 86 for more information about recording videos to DVDs or CDs from a digital camera.

Creating a CD/DVD from Video Files

To create a CD/DVD from your videos:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select More Programs.

7 Select the video file you want to copy, and

8 Select Add More if you want to add

3 Insert a writable disc, and then select OK.

9 Select View CD/View DVD to check the

4 Select Create CD/DVD. 5 Select the Untitled text box, and enter the

name of your disc by using the numeric keys on the remote control, and then select OK. Use the Clear button to delete letters.

10 Select Create CD/Create DVD to begin

6 Use the arrow buttons on the remote control to

select Video, and then select OK.

then select View CD/View DVD.

additional video files to your disc.

contents of your disc before recording them.

recording the disc, and then select Yes.

60 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Watching DVDs in Media Center allows you to control the playback with your remote control. If you play your DVD in another program outside of Media Center, you will not be able to use the remote control.

Playing DVD Movies in Media Center

1 Press the Media Center Start button

on the remote control.

2 Insert the DVD into the drive. If you have

other media playing, Media Center asks if you want to play the DVD. Select Yes or No. If you don’t select an option, the DVD automatically plays in full-screen mode after a few seconds.

If the DVD is already in the drive, select Play DVD from the Media Center Start menu. The DVD movie begins playing in full-screen mode.

Playing DVDs

3 If a DVD menu appears, use the remote

control or the mouse to select the DVD menu items and control the DVD movie playback.

4 To stop playing the DVD, press Stop on the

remote control.

5 To change the window size while the DVD

movie is playing, move the mouse for the Resize icon to appear.

6 Click the Resize icon on the

taskbar, and then you can manually adjust the window size.

To v ie w m or e information about a DVD that you are watching, such as the DVD title, chapter title, genre, parental rating, length, and current position, press the More information button on the remote control.

Playing DVDs 61

Changing the DVD Movie Language

To select DVD language settings for subtitles, closed captioning, and viewing the DVD:

1 In the Media Center Start

menu, select Settings.

2 In the Settings window,

select DVD.

3 In the DVD Settings window,

select DVD Language.

4 Use the arrow buttons on the

remote control to select (+) or (–). Press OK on the remote control to scroll through the languages available.

5 When you find the one you

want, use the arrow buttons to select Save, and then press OK on the remote control.

6 To return to the main Settings

window, press the Back button.

Changing DVD Audio Settings

To select DVD audio settings for viewing the DVD:

1 Press the Media Center Start button on

the remote control.

2 Select Settings. 3 Select DVD. 4 Select Audio. The Audio Properties window

opens.

62 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

5 Select Configuration, and then select your

speaker and sound options. Select your speaker output and your channel mode, if applicable. Select Save.

6 Select OK.

If your HP Media Center PC is equipped with a radio tuner input (FM Tuner In), Media Center can play FM radio. The Radio window in Media Center makes it easy to play FM radio stations using your remote control.

In Radio you can:

■ Listen to FM radio stations.

■ Set up presets of your favorite radio stations.

■ Delete or organize your radio station presets.

Listening to FM Radio

right.

Make sure you connect the FM radio

■ Use the time-shifting features: pause, rewind,

and fast-forward up to 30 minutes of radio programs.

antenna to the back of the HP Media Center PC before selecting an FM radio station. This antenna is for select models only.

Listening to FM Radio 63

You must go through the TV tuner setup wizard before you can play your radio stations.

Playing FM Radio Stations

1 Connect the FM radio antenna

to the back of the HP Media Center PC, to the connector labeled FM Antenna In.

2 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

3 Select Radio. 4 Enter a radio station number by

using the numeric keypad on the remote control or your keyboard.

Select the Seek (–) or (+) buttons for Media Center to find the next playable station.

Select the Tun e (–) or (+) buttons to manually find a station.

5 If you want, select Save to save it as one of

your nine preset stations.

6 Select Start FM to begin playing that station.

7 Use the playback controls on the remote

control, such as Pause, Rewind, and Fast-Forward to control radio playback. If you press the Pause button, Media Center continues to record the program for up to 30 minutes. Press Play to resume listening to the program where you left off.

8 Select Back to return to the previous window.

64 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Organizing Radio Station Presets

1 Press the Media Center Start

button on the remote control.

2 Select Settings. 3 Select Radio. 4 Select the Up arrows and

Down arrows next to each preset station to move it to a different position.

Select the Delete icon (X) to delete a preset station.

Select Auto Sort to sort your preset stations in numerical ascending or descending order.

5 Select Save to save your changes. 6 Select Back to return to the previous window.

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

The FM radio signal and My TV input signal share a single tuner card. This means that you are unable to watch or record TV and listen to FM radio at the same time unless you have two TV tuners. 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, then Media Center automatically stops radio and begins recording TV.

Listening to FM Radio 65

66 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Creating Audio and Data Discs

(Select models only)

This chapter contains the procedures you must perform to record (or burn) music and data files to recordable CD and DVD discs. It also includes information about labeling your discs using the LightScribe labeling technology included on select models.

For information about recording video files to DVDs, see “Sonic MyDVD Video Projects” on page 81.

Your HP Media Center PC may include one or more CD, DVD, or combination optical drives capable of recording. Additionally, your HP Media Center PC may include the following software programs for recording to CDs or DVDs:

Erasing Rewritable Discs Before Recording

Previously recorded files on rewritable discs must be erased before recording new files. CD-R, DVD+R, and DVD-R discs cannot be erased.

To erase a rewritable disc in Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click Tools and then Erase Disc.

■ iTunes

■ Windows Media Player

■ Sonic MyDVD Plus (Select models only)

■ Sonic DigitalMedia Plus

■ Windows XP

These programs include features that enable you to copy, archive, and manage music and data files and then record the files to CDs or DVDs. You can also use iTunes or Windows Media Player to download and copy music files to a portable device or memory card.

3 Insert the rewritable disc you want to erase. 4 Click the Quick Erase or Full Erase option,

and then Erase Disc.

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

Burn is an industry term used to describe the recording of information onto a DVD or CD. Optical recording uses a laser beam to place information onto the disc, thus the term burning.

Creating Audio and Data Discs 67

Working with Audio CDs

Sonic DigitalMedia Plus enables you to create audio CDs that play in your car or home CD player, and on PCs. You can create two main types of music CDs:

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

■ Uncompressed — Typical CD format like

you would purchase on a commercial CD. This type of CD will hold 10 to 20 songs depending on their length.

Uncompressed files can be burned on CD-Rs (which play in most home and car stereos, DVD players, and computers) or CD-RWs (which play only in some stereos, DVD players, and computers).

The procedure for creating this type of CD is described in “Creating audio CDs” on page 69.

■ Compressed — Files are burned to a disc

using a compressed file format (MP3, WMA, or M4A). The smaller file format enables you to fit approximately ten times as many songs onto the disc (depending on length and format).

Compressed files can be burned to CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVD+Rs, DVD+RWs, DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs (select models only). Compressed files

Verifying audio disc recorded without errors

When copying or burning audio files to CD, it is recommended that you use Sonic DigitalMedia Plus because it includes a feature that confirms that your disc has been created without errors.

can only be played on computers, CD players, or DVD players that support the file format you use to create the disc (MP3 is most commonly supported). For file format compatibility, check the documentation for the device where you intend to play the disc. You may hear a slight loss of sound quality using compressed audio files.

The procedure for creating this type of CD is described in “Creating jukebox discs” on page 70.

For more compatibility information, see “Disc Features and Compatibility Table” on page 76.

Both Sonic programs create closed-session music CDs, which means you must record all music files on one CD in one recording session. Music files can be recorded repeatedly on a rewritable CD-RW disc, but all previously recorded files must be erased first. CD-R discs cannot be erased.

This data verification feature is enabled by default.

To check the status of the write verification feature in DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click Too ls, and then Options.

68 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

3 In the Options window, click Copy. 4 Ensure the Verify copied data discs option is

checked.

5 Click OK.

Audio CD tips

When recording music files, it is important to note that:

■ To play your music CD in a home or car

stereo, it needs to be recorded as a music CD in CD audio (CDA) format, not as a data CD.

■ As you add music files in the recording

session, DigitalMedia Plus calculates and displays the amount of recording time available to record additional music files.

■ You can’t record song titles unless you make

an exact copy of a music CD in your collection.

Creating audio CDs

To create uncompressed audio CDs using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

■ If your recording fails, manually select a

slower recording speed, if available, each time you make a recording. Refer to the Help menu in your selected software program for more information about selecting a slower recording speed.

■ If you try to record more than a standard CD

can hold, a message displays warning you that all the tracks may not fit on your disc.

right.

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click the Audio tab and then Audio CD. 3 Do one or more of the following:

■ Click Add Music and navigate to music

stored on your HP Media Center PC.

■ In the Quick Find panel, click Scan to

automatically search your HP Media Center PC for songs.

■ Insert a CD and add songs from it.

4 Select the songs you want to record, and then

click Add.

5 Click the Burn icon when you

have added all the audio files to your music CD project.

6 When prompted, insert a blank

CD-R or CD-RW disc. If you want to play your music CD in your home or car stereo, use a CD-R disc. CD-RW discs may not play in some stereos.

7 Click OK.

You can get detailed online help by clicking the Help menu and then selecting Help.

Creating Audio and Data Discs 69

Creating jukebox discs

To create compressed (jukebox) music CDs or DVDs using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

DigitalMedia Plus scans for all audio files, even the sounds from your operating system. If you don’t want to display some of these sounds, you can select the Options icon (wrench), and then select Audio. Select Hide Audio Files Shorter Than (in seconds), and then type the number of seconds, and click OK.

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click the Audio tab, and then Jukebox

CD/DVD.

3 Do one or more of the following:

■ Click Add Music and navigate to music

stored on your HP Media Center PC.

■ In the Quick Find panel, click Scan to

automatically search your HP Media Center PC for songs.

■ Insert a CD and add songs from it.

4 Select the songs you want to record, and then

click Add.

Working with Data DVDs and CDs

Unlike audio CDs and jukebox DVDs, data DVDs and CDs can be recorded in multiple sessions.

You can get detailed online help by clicking the

Help menu, and then selecting Help.

5 Click the Burn icon when you

have added all the audio files to your music CD project.

6 When prompted, insert a blank

disc (select models only).

DVD discs can store significantly more music files than a CD. Jukebox discs can only be played on computers, CD players, or DVD players that support the file format you use to create the disc (MP3 is most commonly supported).

For file format compatibility, check the documentation for the device where you intend to play the disc.

7 Click OK.

Verifying data disc recorded without errors

When copying or burning data files to DVD or CD, it is recommended that you use Sonic DigitalMedia Plus because it includes a feature that confirms that your disc has been created without errors.

To check the status of the write verification feature in DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click Too ls and then Options.

70 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

This data verification feature is enabled by default.

3 In the Options window, click Data. 4 Ensure the Verify data written to the disc after

burning box is checked.

5 Click OK.

Data disc tips

When storing data files on a disc, it is important to note that:

■ You can add new data files to a

CD-R, DVD-R, or a DVD+R in a later recording session, until the disc is full. With DVD+R or DVD-R discs, insert your partially recorded DVD, click the Wrench icon to display the Options window, click Data, select the first Write-Once DVD Compatibility option, and then click OK.

■ When you record files that have the same

name as previously recorded files, Sonic DigitalMedia Plus updates the file and the previous version is overwritten.

Creating data discs

To create data CDs or DVDs using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click the Data tab, and then click

Data Disc.

3 Do one or more of the following:

■ Click Add Data and navigate to files

stored on your HP Media Center PC.

■ Sonic DigitalMedia Plus allows you to change

the names of files you want to record and the files that were previously recorded.

■ As you select data files to record to your disc,

Sonic DigitalMedia Plus calculates and displays the amount of recording space used on your disc.

■ If your recording fails, manually select a

slower recording speed, if available, each time you make a recording. Refer to the Help menu in your selected software program for more information about selecting a slower recording speed.

5 To name your disc, click Volume Label, and

then type a name over it. Sonic DigitalMedia Plus assigns a name based on the recording date if you do not type a name.

6 Click the Burn icon when you

have added all the files to your data project.

7 When prompted, insert a blank or

appendable disc (select models only).

An appendable disc can have additional files added to it, if there is disc space available. Recorded audio CDs are closedsession discs that are not appendable.

You can rename your files in the file selection window by selecting and typing over the current name. This does not affect the original files on your hard disk drive.

■ In the Quick Scan panel, select a type of

file to search for, and then click Scan to automatically search your HP Media Center PC for the selected file type.

■ Insert a CD or DVD that contains the file

you want to add.

4 Select the files you want to record, and then

click Add.

DVD discs can store significantly more files than a CD.

8 Click OK.

You can get detailed online help by clicking the Help menu and then selecting Help.

Creating Audio and Data Discs 71

DVD discs can store significantly more files than a CD.

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

Copying a DVD or CD

Sonic DigitalMedia Plus enables you to make copies of an existing music or data disc. You can configure Sonic DigitalMedia Plus to verify that:

■ Data files have been copied without errors by

performing the procedure described in “Verifying data disc recorded without errors” on page 70.

To make a copy of an existing music or data disc using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

■ Music files have been copied without errors

by performing the procedure described in “Verifying audio disc recorded without errors” on page 68.

3 Insert the CD or DVD you want to copy. 4 Insert a blank DVD or CD into the drive.

2 Click the Copy tab, and then Disc Copy.

Archiving Files on a CD or DVD

To make an archive file copy of files stored on your HP Media Center PC using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click the Data tab and then Easy Archive. 3 Select the path to the files that you want

to archive (or click Browse to navigate to them).

4 Select the type of files you want to add to the

archive, or select All Files in the Selected Path.

5 Place a check mark in the Only Archive

Files Changed Since box, and select a

date to limit the scan to files that have been changed since that date.

5 Click the Copy icon. 6 Click Done when the recording is complete.

6 Click Save, enter a name for your archive,

and then click OK.

7 Click the Burn icon. 8 When prompted, insert a

recordable disc and then click OK.

If the files do not fit on one disc, you are prompted for additional discs.

9 Click Done when recording is complete.

For additional information about saving archives on your hard disc drive, or scheduling automatic archives, see the online help.

72 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Working with Image Files

The Sonic recording programs can convert all the files from a CD or DVD and convert them into a single .iso file, or a series of .gif files (none exceeding 2 GB) known as an image file. You can

Creating an image file

To make an image file using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

use the image file to reproduce the original disc. Image files are typically used when you need to make multiple copies of the same disc.

3 Insert the CD or DVD from which you want to

make a image file.

4 Click Browse to select the location where the

2 Click Copy, select .iso or .gif (if prompted

for file type), and then click Save Image.

image file will be created.

5 Click the Save Image icon to create the

image file.

Burning from an image file

To burn a CD or DVD from an image file using Sonic DigitalMedia Plus:

1 Open the DigitalMedia Plus program by

clicking Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click Copy and then Burn Image.

4 Insert a recordable CD or DVD into the drive. 5 Click the Burn Image icon. 6 Click Done when recording is

complete.

3 Click Browse to select the image file.

right.

Your DVD Writer or CD Writer drive will not copy commercially available DVD movies. Most commercial DVDs are encoded to prevent unauthorized duplication.

LightScribe creates a grayscale image similar to a black and white photograph.

Disc Labeling with LightScribe

LightScribe (select models only) is a direct disc labeling technology providing you a simple way to burn precise, silk screen-quality labels. It combines the CD or DVD drive of your HP Media Center PC with specially coated discs (sold separately) and enhanced disc-labeling software.

A LightScribe-enabled CD or DVD disc drive uses the optical laser in the drive to record a label onto a thin dye coating on the label side of the disc. There is no ink to smear or paper to curl, and there are no adhesives to loosen.

LightScribe media is identified by the LightScribe logo on the retail packaging and on the inner hub area of the disc itself. Your HP Media Center PC may come ready to work with many versions of LightScribe media (select models only); however, as new media versions are introduced you will need to update the driver software for your LightScribe-enabled CD or DVD drive. Get driver updates from the HP Support Web site:

http://hp.com/support

Creating Audio and Data Discs 73

You can open Express Labeler from within DigitalMedia Plus by clicking Tools, and then Label Disc.

LightScribe requirements

Burning a label with LightScribe requires three things:

■ LightScribe-enabled DVD drive (select

models only)

Burning a LightScribe label with Sonic Express Labeler

■ Labeling software that supports LightScribe

■ LightScribe discs (sold separately)

LightScribe creates agrayscale (monochrome) image similar to a blackand-white photograph.

1 Click Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then

click Express Labeler.

2 In the Step1: Select Project area, make sure

that Disc Label is selected.

3 In the Step 2: Edit area:

a Click Disc Titles to display the Edit Disc

Title window. Enter text for the title and subtitle.

b Click Tracks to display the Edit Track

window. Click New to display the Track window. Enter text to identify the first track or file (you can optionally enter artist and date, or length), and then click OK.

c Repeat the previous step for each track or

file on the disc.

Burning a LightScribe label after burning with iTunes

iTunes works with Sonic Express Labeler to allow you to burn labels on a LightScribe audio CD. The playlist you create in iTunes to burn a disc is automatically imported into Express Labeler so that this information is available for you to use on your LightScribe label. To use Express Labeler from iTunes, the music tracks in the playlist you are using must fit on a single CD.

d Click the left or right arrows next to

Layout and Background to select

design elements for the disc. The selections you make are previewed in the disc window.

4 When you are satisfied with the appearance

of your label, insert the LightScribe media disc (label side down) into the disc drive tray, and then click Print.

5 From the Disc Label menu, select LightScribe

12cm disc.

6 Click OK to begin burning the label.

The estimated time to complete the label displays, along with a progress bar to show you the time remaining. You can continue to work on your HP Media Center PC while LightScribe is burning the label.

2 Burn an audio CD with iTunes. When the

burning process is complete, click Yes on the Create LightScribe Label window.

3 In the Step 1: Select Project area, make sure

that Disc Label is selected.

1 Click Start, All Programs, iTunes, and

then click iTunes again.

74 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

4 In the Step 2: Edit area:

a Click Disc Titles to display the Edit Text

window. Enter text for the title and subtitle.

b Click Tracks to display the Edit Track

window. Click New to display the Track window. Enter text to identify the first track or file (you can optionally enter artist and date, or length), and then click OK.

c Repeat the previous step for each track or

file on the disc.

d Click the left or right arrows next to

Layout and Background to select

design elements for the disc. The selections you make are previewed in the disc window.

Using adhesive disc labels

When you are satisfied with the appearance of your label, insert the LightScribe media disc (label side down) into the disc drive tray, and then click Print.

5 From the Disc Label menu, select LightScribe

12cm disc.

6 Click OK to begin burning the label.

right.

LightScribe creates a grayscale image similar to a black-and-white photograph.

WARNING: When labeling your CDs and DVDs, do not use sticky labels. They can cause the disc to play erratically. Instead, write on the disc with a felt-tip pen to label it.

Compatibility Information

An important feature of a DVD Writer/CD Writer drive is its high level of compatibility with other optical drives and CD and DVD players:

■ The CDs that you create play in most home

and car stereos and in most computer DVD-ROM and CD-ROM drives.

■ The DVDs that you create are compatible with

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

Or, you can create a LightScribe label for your disc if you have a LightScribe optical drive and you use LightScribe media discs. Refer to “Disc Labeling with LightScribe” on page 73.

■ CD-R discs are more compatible with home

and car stereos than CD-RW discs are.

Your DVD Writer/CD Writer drive is able to read from and record to almost every type of optical disc. Writing speed rates for the DVD Writer/CD Writer drive are fast, allowing quick recording times.

Creating Audio and Data Discs 75

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

Disc Features and Compatibility Table

Double-Layer DVD technology is supported by select models only.

File

Disc

CD-ROM Data No Yes No No

CD-R Data Yes Yes No No

CD-RW Data Yes Yes No No

DVD-ROM Data No Yes No No

DVD+R and DVD-R

DoubleLayer DVD+R

type

Music No Yes Yes Varies by model

Music Yes Yes Varies by model Varies by model

DVD movie

Data Yes Yes No No

DVD movie

Data Yes Varies

DVD movie

Can be recorded onto

No Yes No Yes

Yes Yes No Varies by model

Yes Va ri es

Plays in PC

by model

Plays in home or car stereo

No Varies by model

Plays in home DVD player

The Sonic recording programs support the double-layer technology.

DVD+RW and DVD-RW

VCD DVD

NOTE: Some HP Media Center PCs come with the

Double-Layer DVD Writer. It supports single-layer and Double-Layer DVD media. Double-Layer technology gives you greater capacity and allows you to store up to 8 GB* of data on double-layer DVD+R or DVD-R media.

Double-Layer is a new technology. Double-Layer media compatibility will vary widely with some home DVD players and DVD-ROM drives.

Data Yes Yes No No

DVD movie

movie

Yes Yes No Varies by model

No Yes No Varies by model

76 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

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

For the latest disc compatibility information for your HP Media Center PC, go to the HP Support Web site at: http://www.hp.com/support

Optical Drive Quick Reference Table

CD-

Optical drive can:

Read CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Read DVDs No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Read data on a CD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Play music Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

ROM

CDRW

DVDROM

DVD+RW/+R DVD-RW/ –R

DoubleLayer DVD

Combo CD-RW/ DVD

Record data or music to disc for storage or backup

View DVD movies No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Record DVD movies No No No Yes Yes No

Play games Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Creating Audio and Data Discs 77

Software Quick Reference Table

(Select models only)

Your HP Media Center PC includes a number of software programs that:

■ Record and play CDs.

■ Record data CDs.

■ Import and edit video files.

■ Record video CDs and DVDs.

■ Organize digital media files.

With this program: You can:

The following table describes the functionality specific to each of these programs. Use it to determine which program to use to perform a task.

Note that some programs listed may not be included with your model, and that this is not a complete list of all included software.

To open any of these programs, click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, select the program folder (for example, Sonic ), and then click the program name to open the software.

InterVideo WinDVD Player

iTunes

muvee autoProducer (Select models only)

RealPlayer

■ Play DVD movies and video CDs (VCDs).

■ Play music CDs, MP3s, and other audio files.

■ Record music files.

■ Record a copy of an existing music or data CD to use on the HP Media Center PC.

■ Organize digital files into a library for recording or listening.

■ Add your own style to your movies with music, pictures, titles, scene transitions, and captions.

■ Edit your home movies.

■ Play music CDs, MP3s, and other audio files.

■ Play DVD movies. (RealPlayer can play DVDs only if another DVD player program, such as

InterVideo WinDVD, is installed.)

■ Play video CDs.

■ Record music files.

■ Organize digital files into a library for recording or listening.

78 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

With this program: You can:

Sonic DigitalMedia Plus

Sonic MyDVD Plus (Select models only)

Windows Movie Maker 2.0

■ Record data and music files.

■ Record a copy of an existing music or data CD to use on the HP Media Center PC.

■ Create customized music CDs from CDs in your collection, or from .wav, .mp3, or .wma files. These

CDs can be played in your home or car stereo.

■ Copy and share data files.

■ Create archive CDs or DVDs from files on your HP Media Center PC.

■ Capture (copy) video files.

■ Has setting for verification that the disc has been created without errors.

■ Record data and movie files.

■ Record a copy of an existing DVD to use on the HP Media Center PC.

■ Copy and share video files.

■ Capture (copy) video files.

■ Import audio, video, and other media files from a videotape, an audiotape, a Web camera, or a

television broadcast.

■ Record audio and video files to create a video project that becomes a Windows Media source file

with a .wmv extension.

■ Edit and preview files.

■ Send a movie in an e-mail or upload it to a Web server.

■ Add music files (.mp3).

■ Import audio files such as .mp3, .asf, or .wma; video files such as .wmv, .asf, .avi, or .mpg; or

image files such as .jpg or .gif.

■ Create .avi and .wmv (Windows Media Video) files.

Creating Audio and Data Discs 79

80 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

(Select models only)

Your HP Media Center PC may come with the following movie making programs (select models only).

■ Sonic MyDVD

■ Sonic DigitalMedia Plus (which includes

MyDVD)

■ Windows Movie Maker

■ muvee autoProducer (select models only)

Before You Begin Capturing Video

Creating Video Discs

and Movies

right.

IMPORTANT: HP supports the lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage the use of our products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.

You can capture (copy) video files to your hard disk drive by using the Sonic MyDVD program. Among the devices supported by Sonic MyDVD are analog video devices, digital camcorders, and Web cameras. Use your composite or S-video inputs (input connectors vary by model) to capture video from a VCR or an analog video camera.

To capture video files, you need to:

1 Connect your video source device according

to the device’s instructions.

Sonic MyDVD Video Projects

A Sonic MyDVD video project is a way to group, organize, store, play, and burn related video and still digital files. For example, if you went on a family vacation, you might have digital still and video images, and prints from a film camera. You can transfer all these images onto your PC and organize them into a project. (A scanner is required to transfer printed photos and is not included.)

Projects can remain on your PC for playback and as an archive, and they can be burned to a DVD or VCD disc.

2 Turn your device on and set it to

playback mode.

3 Make sure Sonic MyDVD can detect your

digital or analog device.

4 If your HP Media Center PC has multiple video

devices connected, they all appear on the Capture screen. You must select the video source you would like to use.

For more information, click Start, All Programs, Sonic, and then DigitalMedia Home. When the program displays, click Help and then Help.

Sonic MyDVD enables you to create video projects using the following interfaces:

■ Standard program interface (described

beginning in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82).

■ Direct-to-Disc Wizards (described beginning

in “Creating a Video Project with Direct-to-Disc Wizard” on page 86).

You may need to turn your digital video device off and on again for the program to detect it.

Creating Video Discs and Movies 81

Note that the Direct-to-Disc Wizards do not include the editing features that are available from the standard interface. You can edit a project created with a wizard before burning it to a disc as described in:

Creating a Video Project

■ “Editing the style of a video project” on

page 84.

■ “Editing movie files” on page 84.

To create a video project:

1 Click Start, choose All Programs, Sonic,

and then DigitalMedia Home.

2 Click the Video tab to display the Video

Guide.

3 Click Create Project, and then DVD or

VCD depending on the type of project you

want to create.

A project named Untitled DVD-Video or Untitled VCD-Video is created and displayed in the MyDVD project window.

Adding files to a video project

You can add files to your DVD or VCD video project from:

■ An existing DVD or VCD.

■ Video files already stored on your PC.

■ Video capture from a digital video camera (as

described in the next section).

4 Click File and then Save to change the name

your project from Untitled to a more descriptive name. After renaming your project, click Save.

Continue your project by performing the procedure described in one or more of the following sections:

■ “Adding files to a video project” on page 82.

■ “Capturing video to a video project” on

page 83.

■ “Adding slideshows to a video project” on

page 83.

■ “Adding submenus to a video project” on

page 84.

1 Click File, Open, and then select a video

project that you created as described in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82.

2 Click Add Files. 3 Navigate to the folder that contains the video

files you want to add or to the media drive that contains the DVD or VCD.

To add files from a DVD, VCD, or from your hard disk drive:

82 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

4 Select the files you want to add, and then click

Open. The files are added to the current

project and displayed in the project window.

Capturing video to a video project

You can capture live video or still images by connecting a Web camera or digital video camera to your PC’s front-panel USB connector (select models only). The video capture is added to your video project and stored in a file on your hard disk drive.

To add a video capture to a video project:

1 Click File, Open, and then select a video

project that you created as described in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82.

2 Connect your digital camera to the USB port. 3 Click Capture Video to display the Capture

screen.

5 Optionally, set a Capture Length,

chapter points, or scene detection. Click the corresponding Help icon to display the online help for each of these features.

6 Click one of the following:

■ Grab Frame — The image currently

displayed in the Capture window is stored as a picture file (JPG, BMP, GIF, TIF, or PNG format).

■ Start Capture — Starts a video capture

(.mpg format). Click Stop Capture to manually stop the capture if you did not set a capture length (step 5).

Sonic MyDVD displays the name of the capture device (your camera), the default Capture Type (audio and video), and the default Quality Setting (High Quality).

4 Click Record Settings to edit any of these

default settings.

Adding slideshows to a video project

You can create a slideshow (a series of still images displayed automatically) by adding existing still photos to your project or by capturing them with a connected digital video source.

To add a slideshow to a video project:

1 Click File, Open, and then select a video

project that you created as described in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82.

2 Do one or more of the following:

■ Add existing picture files as described in

“Adding files to a video project” on page 82.

7 In the Save As dialog box, name the captured

file and select the file format and the folder where you want to save it. Click Save.

8 Click OK to return to the project window.

The file is stored on your hard disk drive and added to the current project.

■ Capture still images as described in

“Capturing video to a video project” on page 83.

3 Click New Slideshow to Add a Slideshow

to the Video Project.

4 Click Options to set the slide

duration, or to add a background audio track. Online help is available for these features by clicking the help icon.

5 Click OK.

Creating Video Discs and Movies 83

Adding submenus to a video project

Each project element (video file, still picture file, and slideshow) that you add to the video project is represented in the main project window.

2 Click New Sub-Menu. A submenu called

Untitled Menu 1 is added to the first menu that has less than six project elements.

Each menu displays six items before a new menu is automatically created and linked to the previous menu by a Next button.

You can manually add submenus to a project and use them to organize topics associated with the theme of your project. For example, if the project is your child’s soccer game, the video files of the game could be the main menu elements, and you could insert a submenu that contains interviews with your son and his teammates.

To add a submenu to a video project:

1 Click File, Open, and then select a video

project that you created as described in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82.

Editing the style of a video project

You can change the style of a number of elements within your video project. The elements include:

■ Background color and graphics on the menus

and submenus.

■ Button styles.

■ Background music.

■ Text format (font, color, and size).

■ Import custom styles.

3 Click the submenu name Untitled Menu 1,

and type an appropriate name for the menu (for example, Interviews using the previous example).

4 Double-click the new submenu, and do one or

more of the following:

■ Add existing picture files as described in

“Adding files to a video project” on page 82.

■ Capture still images as described in

“Capturing video to a video project” on page 83.

To edit the look of a video project:

1 Click File, Open, and then select a video

project that you created as described in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82.

2 Click Edit Style. 3 In the Edit Style dialog box, change

any of the previously mentioned elements, and then click Apply To All

Menus or Apply To This Menu.

Editing movie files

After you capture or import video files, you can edit them using Sonic MyDVD to:

■ Add additional files.

■ Add background music.

■ Search for specific scenes.

■ Delete scenes.

84 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

■ Add transition effects between scenes.

■ Superimpose colors, themes, and effects over

video scenes.

■ Superimpose text effects over video scenes.

To edit your video files:

1 If your project is already open, click

Edit Movie and skip to step 5.

2 Click Start, All Programs, Sonic,

and then DigitalMedia Home.

3 Click the Video tab, and then File, New

Project or the Open Existing Project.

4 In the Sonic MyDVD window, click Edit

Movie.

5 If you have already captured video files for

this project, they appear along the bottom as a storyboard. If you have video files on your hard disk drive you would like to add to this project, click Add Files.

Burning a video project to disc

After you are satisfied with the contents and style of your video project, you can burn it to a DVD or VCD disc as follows:

1 Click File, Open, and then select a video

project that you created as described in “Creating a Video Project” on page 82.

2 Save the file if you have made changes. 3 In the Quality fields, set the recording quality

and the DVD or VCD type:

■ The quality settings range from HQ (the

highest quality, but uses the most disc space), to EP (lowest quality, but you can fit more files).

As you select different quality settings, the disc space remaining indicator displays how much blank space there is on the disc for this mode.

6 Click one of the four tabs (Fades and

dissolves, Filters, Tex t, or Themes and backgrounds) next to the preview screen.

7 Drag and drop any of the effects over scenes

(or between them for transitions) in the storyboard.

8 Click OK to save the edits.

For more information about any of the editing features, click Help and then Sonic MyDVD Help from within the Edit window.

■ The DVD formats include 2xDVD

(8.5GB) (Double-Layer), DVD (4.7GB)

(the default setting), DVD-RAM (2.6GB), and DVD (1.4BGB).

Some of these formats may not be supported by your model of PC.

4 Insert the selected type of disc into

the appropriate drive tray, close it, and click Burn.

For detailed information about DVD and VCD recording quality and time, see:

■ “Video Quality and Disc Size” on page 87.

■ “DVD Recording Time” on page 87.

Creating Video Discs and Movies 85

Creating a Video Project with Direct-to-Disc Wizard

Sonic MyDVD includes Direct-to-Disc Wizards that guide you through the steps you must complete to create a DVD or VCD video project. A video project

is a way to group, organize, store, play, and burn

Video Quality and Disc Size

Sonic MyDVD includes four DVD video quality (bit-rate) settings, and a Fit-to-DVD option that can be applied to a video project or to individual movie files. The DVD quality settings are:

■ HQ (High Quality) — Best audio and video

quality, but requires the most disc space per second of video. Good choice for video files that contain high-speed action (for example, motor sports).

■ SP (Standard Play) — Good audio and video

quality with most video sources.

■ LP (Long Play) — Fits approximately twice as

much video onto a DVD as HQ. Not recommended when the original video is low-quality or noisy.

■ EP (Extended Play) — Fits the most video onto

a DVD, but video quality is low. Not recommended unless the original video is very good quality.

■ Fit-to-DVD — As you add more content to

the project, MyDVD reduces the project quality automatically to fit the selected disc size. Fit-to-DVD is the default setting for new projects.

DVD Recording Time

The following table lists the approximate DVD-Video recording time for different disc sizes at different video quality settings (your DVD recorder may not support all these disc sizes).

Estimated Time per

Disc Size

Video Quality Audio Format 8.5 GB 4.7 GB 2.6 GB 1.4 GB

HQ Dolby Digital 130 min. 70 min. 40 min. 20 min.

PCM 110 min. 60 min. 30 min. 15 min.

SP Dolby Digital 210 min. 120 min. 65 min. 35 min.

right.

You can record the

You can record the same file on a disc at

same file on a disc at each different speed

each different speed to compare the

to compare the results.

results.

VCDs have a fixed bit-rate which delivers one quality level. You can fit approximately one hour of video on a VCD (the recording time is reduced if you use animated menu buttons or backgrounds).

PCM 160 min. 95 min. 50 min. 25 min.

LP Dolby Digital 310 min. 180 min. 100 min. 50 min.

PCM 215 min. 125 min. 65 min. 35 min.

EP Dolby Digital 415 min. 240 min. 130 min. 70 min.

PCM 265 min. 150 min. 85 min. 45 min.

Creating Video Discs and Movies 87

■ The video quality depends on your PC’s speed

and graphics processing abilities. Some PCs may be unable to capture video at the HQ setting.

■ These are estimated recording times. The

maximum duration is reduced if you use animated menu buttons or backgrounds.

■ To choose the audio format, see “Changing

the audio format (DVDs only)” in the online help.

■ Your version of MyDVD may not support

Dolby Digital audio. See the online Help for details.

88 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

(Select models only)

Creating personalized and professional-looking video movies is simple with muvee autoProducer, a software program on your PC.

Basic Steps to Make a Movie

Creating Movies Using

muvee autoProducer

The basic steps to produce a movie with muvee autoProducer are:

1 Capture digital video: Capture live or

recorded video to your hard disk drive directly from a compatible digital video camcorder (only from the desktop muvee autoProducer version).

2 Add videos and pictures: Select video

and picture files from your PC folders. You can easily add videos and still images to your movie production.

You can use these video and still image file types

in your movie project:

File extension

.dv Digital video

.avi Audio Video Interleaved

.mpeg-1 Motion Picture Experts Group

.mpeg-2 For DVD video playback

.wmv Windows Movie Video (only in

.jpg, .jpeg Joint Photographic Experts

.gif Graphics Interchange Format,

.bmp Bitmap, still image

File type

the desktop version of muvee autoProducer)

Group, still image

still image

3 Add music: Select music files on your PC to

add to your movie soundtrack.

You can use these music file types in your movie project:

File extension File type

.mp3 MPEG Layer 3

.wav Windows audio

.wma Windows Media

audio

4 Select a style: Apply a movie style editing

template for different effects and picture transitions in your movie.

5 Add captions: Personalize your movie with

opening titles and closing credits.

6 Make the movie: Automatically analyze

the videos, pictures, music, movie style, and captions you added to your movie and save your movie to your PC hard disk drive, CD, or DVD.

7 Burn to disc: You can burn a video to DVD,

VCD, or SVCD only from the desktop muvee autoProducer version.

The following sections contain detailed instructions.

Creating Movies Using muvee autoProducer 89

To view help files, press the F1 function key on the keyboard.

To view help files, select the ? and then press OK on the remote control.

Locating the two versions of muvee autoProducer

You can access two versions of muvee autoProducer (select models only):

Desktop

Click Start on the desktop taskbar, and select All Programs, muvee Technologies, muvee autoProducer, and then muvee autoProducer to open muvee autoProducer.

This version of muvee has more features, such as video capture and disc recording.

See “Using muvee autoProducer” on page 91.

Media Center

In Media Center, select More Programs and then Make muvee to open the muvee autoProducer unPlugged program. Use your remote control from within Media Center to personalize your video files.

See “Using muvee in Media Center” on page 98.

90 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

Using muvee autoProducer

Getting started

To open muvee autoProducer (select models only):

1 Click Start on the taskbar. 2 Select All Programs, muvee

Tec hnologies, muvee autoProducer,

and then muvee autoProducer to open muvee autoProducer.

Button Allows you to See

3 Open a project by selecting, from the File

menu, either New Project or Open Project.

4 Select one of the button options:

You can also launch the muvee autoProducer program from within Digital Media Plus, under the Video tab: muvee autoProducer.

Get video from camera

Add Video Open the Add Video window to add existing video files to

Add Pictures Open the Add Pictures window to add existing still image files

Add Music Open the Add Music window to add existing music files to

Select Style Open the Select Style window to select an editing template for

Change Settings Open the muvee Settings window to adjust audio and video

Title/Credits Open the muvee Title and Credits window to type an opening

Make muvee Open the Make muvee window to automatically create and

Open the muvee Video Capture window to capture (copy) live video or recorded video.

your project.

to your project.

your project.

your movie.

production settings for your movie.

title and closing credits for your movie.

preview the movie.

“Capturing video from a DV camcorder” on page 92.

“Adding videos” on page 93.

“Adding pictures” on page 94.

“Adding music” on page 94.

“Selecting the style” on page 95.

“Changing the settings” on page 95.

“Adding an opening title and closing credits” on page 96.

“Making the movie” on page 96.

Save muvee Open the Save muvee window to save the finished movie on

your PC hard disk drive in WMV or MPEG formats.

Burn to Disc Open the muvee Burner window to record the finished movie

in DVD, VCD, or SVCD formats.

Creating Movies Using muvee autoProducer 91

“Saving the movie project” on page 97.

“Recording the movie project to disc” on page 97.

Capturing video from a DV camcorder

You can capture (copy) digital video files to your hard disk drive by using muvee autoProducer either:

■ Live (known as camera mode) using a

compatible DV camcorder. See “Capturing live video from a DV camcorder” on page 92.

■ Recorded (known as VCR mode) using a

recorded tape in your DV camcorder. See “Capturing recorded video from a DV camcorder” on page 92.

Capturing live video from a DV camcorder

Capturing live video in camera mode allows you to create a video file without even having a tape in the camcorder.

Captured video files are automatically added to your movie project. To remove the file from your movie project, select the video file in the list of Captured Video Files, and then click the trash can icon.

When capturing video, it is important to be aware of the amount of free space available on your PC hard disk drive. Capturing video can use a large amount of disk space. The amount of free disk space displays on the Capture Video window in muvee autoProducer while you are capturing video.

4 Click the Start Capture button to begin

capturing the live image directly to your hard disk drive.

To capture (copy) live video to your hard disk drive using muvee autoProducer:

1 Connect your DV camcorder to the FireWire

(IEEE 1394) port on your PC.

2 Turn on the camcorder and set to VCR mode.

Refer to the instructions in the manufacturer’s documentation.

3 Click the Get Video from Camera

button.

Capturing recorded video from a DV camcorder

For best results with muvee autoProducer, capture only video footage that you are most interested in using in your movie project.

To capture camcorder (copy) recorded video to your hard disk drive:

1 Connect your DV camcorder to the FireWire

(IEEE 1394) port on your PC.

2 Turn on the camcorder and set to VCR mode.

Refer to the instructions in the manufacturer’s documentation.

5 Click the Stop Capture button to stop

capturing.

6 Click Capture Folder to specify a folder for

the captured video file.

7 Click Filename to specify a file name for the

captured video file.

Click the Done button to automatically add captured video files to your movie project.

3 Click the Get Video from Camera

button.

4 Click the Play button on the screen to begin

viewing the video.

5 Click Start Capture when you see the start

of the video footage you want to use in your movie project.

6 Click Stop Capture to stop capturing. 7 Repeat steps 5 and 6 to capture additional

sections of video footage.

92 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

8 Click Capture Folder to specify a folder for

the captured video file.

9 Click Filename to specify a file name for the

captured video file.

Adding videos

To add video files to your movie production on the desktop:

10 Click the Done button to automatically add

captured video files to your movie project.

1 Select the Add video button in the

video/pictures area. The Add Picture window opens.

2 Browse the folders. 3 Select existing video files on your hard disk

drive, if desired for your movie:

■ Add up to three video files.

■ Select multiple video files by pressing and

holding Ctrl on your keyboard while selecting the files.

4 Adjust the order of the video files by selecting

and then dragging and dropping the file. Select the clip, and click the trash can icon to remove a video clip from the production.

5 You can mark specific scenes in a video clip to

include or leave out of your final movie, with the magicMoments feature in muvee autoProducer.

To select video scenes with magicMoments:

a Select a video file in the Select

Video/Pictures window, and then click the magicMoments button. The magicMoments window opens.

c Use the magicMoment controls to mark

video scenes to include and exclude:

■ Click and hold down the green

thumbs-up button to mark scenes that

must be included in the movie.

■ Click and hold down the red thumbs-

down button to mark scenes that must

be left out of the movie.

■ Click or hold down the gray thumb

button to undo one second of a selected scene. Shift and click to undo scenes that were marked with the thumbs-up or thumbs-down buttons.

■ Click or hold down the arrow buttons

to navigate backward and forward through the video footage.

Video footage left unmarked is still analyzed when you make the movie and may be included in the final version of the movie.

b Click the Play button to start viewing the

video.

Creating Movies Using muvee autoProducer 93

For best results with the production of your movie:

■ Keep each magicMoment to less than

10 seconds.

Adding pictures

To add still image files to your movie production on the desktop:

■ Keep the total duration of

magicMoments to less than 50 percent of the duration of your movie. It is recommended to select only a few scenes.

d Click OK when you finish marking scenes.

The window closes. Note that the video clip is marked on the lower left side.

1 Select the Add Pictures button in

the Video/Pictures area. The Add Picture window opens.

2 Browse the folders, as required. 3 Select existing still image files on your hard

disk drive, if desired for your movie.

■ Add up to 50 .jpg, .gif, or .bmp picture

files.

Adding music

To add music files to your movie production soundtrack on the desktop:

1 Select the Add Music button in the

music area. The Add Music window opens.

2 Browse the folders, as required. 3 Select existing music files on your hard disk

drive, if desired for your movie:

■ Add up to three .mp3, .wav, or .wma files.

■ Select multiple picture files by pressing and

holding Ctrl on your keyboard while selecting the files.

4 Adjust the order of the picture files by

selecting and then dragging and dropping the picture file. Select the picture, and click the trash can icon to remove a picture from the production.

5 Select the Rotate Image

Clockwise button to rotate still

images.

■ Select multiple music files by pressing and

holding Ctrl on your keyboard while selecting the files.

4 Adjust the order of the music files by selecting

and then dragging and dropping the file. Select the music, and click the trash can icon to remove a music clip from the production.

94 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Software Guide

HP m7100e, m7100y, m7160n, m7163w, m7167c Software Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

Experience the Fun of Media Center

Welcome

Watch and record live TV

The right music for the moment

Transform your living space into a theater

Share your digital memories

Using Media Center Features

Setting Up Media Center

Using Media Center

Completing the setup wizard steps

Media Center Start Menu

Online Spotlight

Navigating Media Center

Media Center menu bars

Media Center control menu

Using Instant Messaging in Media Center

Logging in to your Messenger account

Changing Media Center Settings

Media Center Settings categories

Finding Additional Media Center Information

Using the Remote Control

Remote Control Buttons Overview

Watching and Recording TV Programs

Navigating My TV

Watching TV

Watching live TV

Controlling TV playback

Using the remote control in My TV

Using the Television Program Guide

Using Media Center without the Guide

Television Program Guide errors

Viewing the Television Program Guide

Setting up how Media Center downloads the Guide

Manually downloading the Guide

Adding a postal code to receive the correct Guide

Adding missing channels to the Guide

Editing channels in the Guide

Removing channels from the Guide

Searching for TV Programs

Searching for TV programs using categories

Recording TV Programs

Recording TV from the Guide

Recording programs without the Guide

Recording quality and hard disk drive storage space

Copying recorded TV programs to DVD or CD

Playing Recorded TV Programs

HP Tunes

Playing Music Files

My Music

Using HP Tunes with Media Center

Completing the iTunes setup wizard

Delays with HP Tunes

Selecting a default audio player

Adding Music to the iTunes Music Library

Adding music files from a CD in iTunes

Adding music files from the Internet

Adding music files from your hard disk drive

Using supported music file types

Changing song name, genre, artist, or album in iTunes

Playing CDs with HP Tunes

Creating a Playlist with iTunes

Creating and Editing a Now Playing List with HP Tunes

Creating Music CDs with iTunes

Troubleshooting HP Tunes

Resetting HP Tunes

Using My Music with Media Center

Adding Music to My Music Library

Adding music files from your hard disk drive

Adding music files from a CD

Deleting music files from the My Music library

Using supported music file types

Playing Music Files in My Music

Playing an album in My Music

Playing a song in My Music

Creating a Queue List in My Music