Microsoft WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER EXTENDER FOR XBOX User Manual

Important Safety Information

• No naked ﬂame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the Xbox game console and remote control

• Dispose of batteries in accordance with local/national guidelines

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to

radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Note

Any changes or modiﬁcations made on the system not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

For customers in Canada:

Consignes de sécurité à respecter scrupuleusement

• Ne pas placer de ﬂamme nue, telles que des bougies, sur la Xbox ou la télécommande

• Respecter les directives du pays ou de la région relatives aux piles usagées

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Contents

Overview .....................................................................................4

Remote Control for Media Center Extender

for Xbox® .....................................................................................

Remote Control ......................................................................5

DVD Controls ..........................................................................6

Watching a DVD .......................................................................6

Xbox Controller S ....................................................................7

Set up Windows Media Center Extender

for Xbox .........................................................................................

8 Using Windows Media Center Extender

for Xbox ..................................................................................11

Using the Media Center Extender Manager ................14

Ending the Media Center Extender for

Xbox Session ..............................................................................14

Tips for Working with Windows Media Center

Extender for Xbox ................................................................15

Troubleshooting Windows Media Center ....................15

Extender for Xbox ................................................................15

For More Information and Help ......................................18

Xbox Live™ .................................................................................19

Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox and

Xbox Live .................................................................................19

Customer Support ..................................................................20

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REPLAY SKIP

FWD

REW

STOP

DEFABC

MNOJKLGHI

WXYZTUVPQRS

LIVE TV

RECORDED

VOL

CH PG

BACK

CLEAR

ENTER

MY TV

MY MUSIC MY PICTURES

MY VIDEOS

DVD

GUIDE

START

MUTE

Information

Start Xbox

Live

Media Center Start page

Program Guide

Shortcut buttons

Standby

Welcome to Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox

Overview

Xbox® video game system from Microsoft® provides state-ofthe-art audio and graphics for the gaming world and Microsoft Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 provides state-of-the-art media experiences for the PC world. Combining the two creates a rich, deep encounter of sight and sound that is one of the best media experiences available. The result of this combination is Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox.

When the Xbox console is connected to your Media Center PC, Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox delivers the Media Center experience to your Xbox console. With all the audio and graphic power of the Xbox console, Media Center experiences are then brought to you on the TV. With Media Center Extender for Xbox you can:

• Watch your favorite TV shows, or record and save them for later viewing.

• View your digital pictures, or play them as a slide show — you can even include music.

• Listen to all of your favorite digital music stored on the Media Center PC.

• Play digital videos of family events, or play digital videos of your own creation.

• Listen to FM radio (if your Media Center PC has a radio tuner).

• Use the Media Center Extender for Xbox remote control to play DVDs on your Xbox console.

• Connect to Xbox Live

™ and receive friend requests and game

invitations from your friends while you watch a movie or view a picture slideshow.

Remote Control for Media Center Extender for Xbox

Remote Control

Select

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Information

Select

Display

REPLAY SKIP

FWD

REW

STOP

DEFABC

MNOJKLGHI

WXYZTUVPQRS

GUIDE LIVE TV

RECORDED

VOL

MUTE

START

CH PG

BACK

CLEAR

ENTER

MY TV

MY MUSIC MY PICTURES

MY VIDEOS

DVD

Fast Forward

Record/Play/ Pause

Stop

Rewind

Media Center Start Page

More Info

Back

Stop

Pause/Play Toggle

Replay/Skip/Ch+/Ch-

Up/Down Left/Right

Volume + Volume -

Xbox Live

Back

DVD Controls

Watching a DVD

The remote control can be used to play DVDs on your Xbox console. Because the Xbox console has a DVD tray, watching a DVD is as simple as placing a DVD in the tray.

When you watch a DVD, the DVD is controlled by the Xbox console, not Media Center Extender for Xbox. To watch the DVD you must remove the Media Center Extender for Xbox disc from the tray.

Note

Before you try to use the remote control to watch a DVD, make sure the infrared receiver is connected to a game port.

�

Xbox Controller S

Using the Xbox Controller S

You can use the Xbox Controller S to control Media Center Extender for Xbox. You can use the controller to move through the Media Center.

Xbox Controller S

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REPLAY SKIP

FWD

REW

STOP

DEFABC

MNOJKLGHI

WXYZTUVPQRS

LIVE TV

RECORDED

VOL

CH PG

BACK

CLEAR

ENTER

MY TV

MY MUSICMY PICTURES

MY VIDEOS

DVD MENU

START

MUTE

GUIDE

Cable/DSL modem

Router

Ethernet (RJ-45) connector

Set up Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox

Before you set up Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox, follow these steps.

1. Make sure you have a Media Center PC running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. To upgrade your Media Center PC to Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, contact your Media Center PC manufacturer or visit http://www.microsoft.com/mceupgrade.

2. Make sure you have a wired (Ethernet) or wireless home network, to connect your Xbox console to the Media Center PC. For more information about connecting your Xbox console to your home network, see the Xbox and Home Networking poster.

3. Unpack the Media Center Extender for Xbox contents:

• Setup Guide for Media Center Extender for Xbox

• Media Center Extender for Xbox remote control

• Infrared receiver

• Media Center Extender for Xbox disc (DVD)

• Windows Media Center Extender Setup disc

• Networking poster

Note

If any of the items listed above are missing from the Media Center Extender for Xbox package, contact your local retailer for replacement.

4. Make sure your Xbox console is connected to your Media Center PC through your home network. If you are using a wireless network, make sure you are using an Xbox-compatible wireless adapter and router and see the Xbox and Home Networking poster for more information. For a wired network, see Figure 1. For more information about Xbox compatible routers, visit http://www.xbox.com/connect.

5. To place batteries in the remote control:

a. Remove the battery compartment cover. b. Place two AA batteries (sold separately) into the remote control. c. Replace the battery compartment cover.

Notes about batteries

• Keep batteries out of reach of children.

• Do not mix old and new batteries, or batteries of different types. Follow manufacturer’s instructions on battery use.

• Remove old, weak, or worn-out batteries promptly.

• Always recycle or dispose of used batteries in accordance with your local ordinances.

If a battery leaks, remove all batteries and thoroughly clean the battery compartment with a damp paper towel, or follow the battery manufacturer’s recommendations for cleanup. If ﬂ uid from the battery comes into contact with skin or clothes, ﬂ ush skin with water immediately.

6. Insert the infrared receiver into any controller port on the front of the Xbox console.

7. Open the disc tray by pressing the eject button and insert the Media Center Extender for Xbox disc.

8. Press the eject button to close the tray.

9. When the Welcome screen appears, write down the setup key

that is displayed on screen. You will need this key when you start the Windows Media Center Extender Setup Wizard on the Media Center PC.

Figure 1, Connecting your Xbox console to your Media Center PC using a wired network.

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10. On the Media Center PC, insert the Windows Media Center Extender Setup disc and follow the instructions in the wizard to set up the Media Center Extender.

When the setup is complete, save the Windows Media Center Extender Setup disc in a safe place; however, do not confuse the setup disc with the Media Center Extender for Xbox disc. There is space for this disc in this DVD case, behind this brochure.

Important!

• Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox or Xbox Live might not work if the network hardware you are using is not hardware that has been certiﬁed for use with the Xbox console. For more information about compatible network hardware for Xbox, visit the Xbox Live Router Compatibility Web page (http://www.xbox.com/ connect).

• A Media Center PC can support up to ﬁve Media Center Extenders at one time depending on the Media Center PC conﬁguration. The following table shows how many Media Center Extenders — including Media Center Extender for Xbox — different conﬁgurations support.

Extender devices

Media Center PC CPU speed

Media Center PC Memory

1 2.8 GHz 256 MB

2 2.8 GHz 512 MB

3 – 5 3.4 GHz 1 GB

Note

Your home network conﬁguration also determines the number of Xbox consoles and Media Center Extenders supported by your Media Center PC. For more information, see the Xbox and Home Networking poster.

More information about connecting Media Center Extender for Xbox to a Media Center PC can be found in the Troubleshooting section.

Using Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox

Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox provides Media Center experiences from the Media Center PC through the Xbox console. The Media Center Extender for Xbox works like other Xbox titles; by inserting the Media Center Extender for Xbox disc into the console the software automatically starts. Once started, the Media Center Extender for Xbox allows you to access all the digital media content such as photos, TV, pictures, etc. from your Media Center PC through the Xbox console.

Before you start Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox, you must complete the following:

• Make sure the infrared receiver is connected to any controller port on the front of the Xbox console.

Important!

Make sure the Xbox console is turned off when you connect the infrared receiver.

• Make sure the Xbox console is connected to the Media Center PC using a either a wired (Ethernet) network or a wireless network and an Xbox compatible 802.11a (recommended) or 802.11g wireless adapter such as the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Adapter. For more information, see the Xbox and Home Networking poster.

• Make sure you have set up the Media Center PC using the Media Center Setup Wizard before you set up Media Center Extender for Xbox.

Start Media Center Extender for Xbox

1. On the front of the Xbox console, press the eject button to open the disc tray.

2. Place the Media Center Extender for Xbox disc on the disc tray with the label facing up.

3. Press the eject button to close the disc tray. The Media Center Extender for Xbox will start.

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

Navigating within Media Center

From the Media Center Start menu, you can choose what kind of media you want to play: TV, music, pictures, or videos. You can also gain access to the Media Center

Settings menu and use the arrow

buttons on the remote to select menu items.

• To display the Media Center Start menu, press START on the remote control or press on the game controller.

• To move through Media Center menus, use the arrow keys on the remote control or the left thumbstick or directional pad on the game controller.

• To select an item in a menu, press

OK on the remote control or

on the game controller

• To quickly jump to a speciﬁc experience, press the MY TV, MY MUSIC, MY PICTURES, or MY VIDEOS shortcut buttons.

• To quickly move between the My TV options, press Recorded TV to view a list of the recorded TV shows; press

Guide to go to the

Program Guide; or press Live TV to view live TV shows.

• To sign in to Xbox Live, press Xbox on the remote control or Start on the game controller.

Input text by using the remote control

If you have ever used the address book in a cellular phone, then you are familiar with how to use the numeric keypad on the remote control to enter text. Each time you press a button on the numeric keypad on the remote, you scroll through the characters that are available for that button.

When you enter text for a search, results returned for the ﬁrst character entered in the search ﬁeld are those that contain that character. For example, if you enter the letter

E, then the results

are all items starting with the letter E and those that contain the letter E. If you enter the letter

N next, then the results are all items

containing the letter E and the letter N in sequence. The search narrows the results as you enter more characters.

1. Press a number to scroll through the choices that are available for that number. With each repeated press of a number, a different character appears. To backspace, press the CLEAR button on the remote. To enter a space between words, press the (0) button on the remote.

2. When you ﬁnd the character you want, press the ENTER button on the remote. Continue until the search term is entered or until the search has narrowed the results enough so that you can select the item that you are looking for.

Tip

You can make your search faster by using keywords. Try entering only the last name of the artist you are looking for or only a keyword from a TV show. For example, if you are looking for “The Late Show” and enter The, the search might give you “The 5th Wheel” and “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” in addition to “The Late Show.” But if you enter only Late, then the search gives you fewer results, making the show easier to ﬁnd.

Notes

• You cannot enter text using a game controller.

• The remote control can be used to enter text only within Media Center Extender for Xbox and not other Xbox titles or menus.

Watching DVDs on the Xbox console

The remote control for Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox also can be used to watch DVDs on the Xbox console. Make sure the infrared receiver is connected to any controller port on the front of the Xbox console.

To watch DVD

1. On the front of the Xbox console, press the eject button to open the disc tray.

2. Place the DVD on the disc tray with the label facing up.

3. Press the eject button to close the disc tray. The DVD will start.

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Using the Media Center Extender Manager

Windows Media Center Extender Manager provides maintenance functions for the Media Center Extender for Xbox. The Media Center Extender Manager can be used to change Media Center Extender content settings, add another Media Center Extender to the Media Center PC, or update the software that runs the Media Center Extender. For more information about the Media Center Extender Manager, see Windows Media Center Extender Help.

To open Windows Media Center Extender Help

1. Go to the Media Center PC.

2. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Media Center, and then click Media Center Extender

Help

Ending the Media Center Extender for Xbox Session

To stop the Media Center Extender for Xbox, remove the disc from the disc tray. Whenever the Media Center Extender for Xbox disc is removed, the Media Center Extender for Xbox software will close.

Tips for Working with Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox

Here are some basic tips to help you as you start using Media Center Extender for Xbox.

• Plug the infrared receiver into any controller port before you turn on the Xbox and start Media Center Extender for Xbox.

• You might not see Media Center Visualizations and other animated items such as the wait cursor when using Media Center Extender for Xbox.

• If you try to view a website that is not designed for Media Center Extender for Xbox, you can easily view it later. When Media Center Extender asks if you want to view the page now or later, choose View Later. Then you can go to the Media Center PC and look for a shortcut to the page in the MCE Saved Links folder.

• You can watch Windows Media Video (WMV) 9 ﬁles on Media Center Extender for Xbox. Older WMV ﬁles will not play.

• Media Center Extender for Xbox only supports the NTSC standard (4:3, also known as “Video Mode/Normal” on the Xbox console) TV format and 480i mode.

• When connecting Media Center Extender for Xbox to a wired (Ethernet) network, 10Mbps networks are not supported. 10Mbps networks do not have the capacity to support video and other media.

Troubleshooting Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox

In case you run into problems working with Media Center Extender for Xbox, the following troubleshooting topics might help.

• You receive an error message that you have an incorrect

version of Windows XP Media Center.

Media Center Extender for Xbox requires Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. If you are using a previous version of Media Center, you can upgrade to the latest version by contacting your Media Center PC manufacturer or visit http://www.microsoft.com/ mceupgrade. You can also purchase a new Media Center PC running Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

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• Can only log on one Xbox Live Account at a Time

When logging on to the Xbox Live service, only one person may log on at a time. Logging on to multiple accounts is not supported in Media Center Extender for Xbox.

•�Playback of Music, Videos, Recorded and Live TV is not Smooth

If your media playback is jumpy, usually there is a problem with the bandwidth on your network. Check the following:

�• If your Xbox console is connected to an 802.11b wireless network, the network does not provide enough bandwidth for media playback. Upgrade to an 802.11a, 802.11g, or a wired (Ethernet) network.

� • If your Xbox is connected to an 802.11g wireless network or an

802.11a wireless network, check for obstructions between the wireless adapter and the Media Center PC. Try moving the wireless access point a few inches in any direction.

• Playback of Music, Videos, and TV is Intermittently Jumpy

If your Xbox is connected to an 802.11g wireless network, check to see if any household appliances such as a cordless telephone or microwave oven are in use when the media becomes jumpy. Some household appliances use the same radio frequency as the 802.11g network; when these appliances are in operation they can interfere with the network signals. Try to move the appliances or the Xbox or the Media Center PC further apart. Also, these appliances do not interfere with 802.11a wireless networks; upgrading to an 802.11a wireless network might help.

• Update the ﬁrmware for your Microsoft Xbox Wireless

Adapter (MN-740)

If you are using the Xbox Wireless Adapter, make sure you are using ﬁrmware version 1.0.2 or higher for your Xbox Wireless Adapter. Firmware version 1.0.2 improves response time over the network and adds support for wireless networks using hidden network names (SSIDs).

For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/ broadbandnetworking/readme/readme_mn740_102.htm.

• Cannot play music stored on Xbox

Media Center Extender for Xbox plays music stored on your Media Center PC, but not music stored on the Xbox hard drive.

• The Xbox and Home Networking Poster

For more information about networks that support Media Center Extender for Xbox, review the Xbox and Home Networking Poster. This poster includes the number of supported Media Center Extenders for Xbox and Media Center Extenders on home networks, setup considerations, and additional information.

• Media Center Extender Resource Monitor

If a Media Center experience such as watching recorded TV suddenly worsens, check the Extender Resource Monitor to see if the PC is running out of a resource. This tool shows you the status of four important PC resources: CPU Use, Disk Usage, Network Usage, and Memory Available. To use the Extender Resource Monitor, go to the Media Center PC and in the notiﬁcations area right-click the Extender Resource Monitor

icon. Then select Show

System Resources

• The Windows Media Center Extender Help and Media Center

Extender for Xbox Support Site

Are you having some other problem with Media Center Extender for Xbox? The online Help for Windows Media Center Extender has detailed usage information and troubleshooting assistance. For late-breaking information and support, visit the Media Center Extender for Xbox Support site at http://www.microsoft.com/ mcxsupport.

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For More Information and Help

For more information or help, Windows Media Center Extender Help is available on the Media Center PC.

To open Windows Media Center Extender Help

� 1. Go to the Media Center PC.

� 2. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Accessories

point to Media Center

, and then click Media Center Extender

Help

Notes

• Use the Contents tab to display the table of contents. You can browse by feature area.

• Use the Search tab to ﬁnd a speciﬁc word. Type the term you want to ﬁnd, and then press ENTER to get a list of topics that contain that term.

• Use the Index tab to see a list of commonly used terms. Click the term to get the topics associated with a speciﬁc term.

Xbox Live

Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox and Xbox Live

Xbox Live is a high-speed or broadband Internet gaming community where you can create a permanent gamer identity, setup a friends list with other players, see when they are online, invite them to play, and talk to them in real-time as you play.

If you have an Xbox Live account, you can receive game invites from your friends on Xbox Live and invitations to join friends lists while you are using Media Center Extender for Xbox. So while you are looking at your pictures or playing your music through Media Center Extender for Xbox your friends can send you an invite to a game.

Connecting

Before you can use the Xbox Live service, you must connect your Xbox console to a high-speed or broadband Internet connection and sign up for the Xbox Live service. To determine if Xbox Live is available in your region and for information about connecting to Xbox Live, visit http://www.xbox.com/connect and select your country. For more information about Xbox Live, visit http://www. xbox.com/live.

Note

Media Center Extender for Xbox only supports one connection to Xbox

Live

at a time.

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Customer Support

Technical Support for Media Center Extender for Xbox is available 7 days a week including holidays.

In the U.S., call 1-800-4MY-XBOX.

TTY users, 1-866-740-XBOX.

Note

Xbox game tips are not available from 1-800-4MY-XBOX.

For more information, visit us on the Web at http://www.microsoft. com/mcxsupport

Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are ﬁctitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.

Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos, the and Xbox Live logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries/regions.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Microsoft WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER EXTENDER FOR XBOX User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual