Avid MediaCenter 2.0 Operating instructions

Pinnacle MediaCenter

User’s Guide

GB/US September 2004

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transferred to other media without

explicit written permission from Pinnacle Systems GmbH, Braunschweig,

Germany.

All brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their

respective holders.

This manual is printed on chlorine-free, bleached paper using solvent-free ink.

Pinnacle Systems GmbH has written this manual to the best of its knowledge,

but does not guarantee that the programs/systems will fulfill the users’ intended

applications.

No warranty is made as to the specifications of features.

Pinnacle Systems GmbH retains the right to make alterations to the content of

the manual without obligation to inform third parties.

All quotes, sales, supply and manufacturing contracts from Pinnacle Systems

GmbH, including consulting, installation and other contractual services are

subject exclusively to the General Sales and Delivery Terms of Pinnacle

Systems GmbH.

iii

Table Of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1

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

Pinnacle MediaManager................................................................................. 1

Pinnacle MediaCenter .................................................................................... 2

Pinnacle hardware .......................................................................................... 2

PCTV MediaCenter remote control ............................................................... 2

Delivery Contents .............................................................................................. 3

Hardware ........................................................................................................ 3

Software.......................................................................................................... 3

Documentation ............................................................................................... 4

Online Help........................................................................................................ 5

Online Manual ................................................................................................... 5

How to Manage the Pinnacle MediaCenter ....................................................... 6

On-screen menu buttons................................................................................. 6

Remote control and PC function keys............................................................ 6

Menu bars ....................................................................................................... 8

Installing Pinnacle MediaCenter ........................................................................... 9

Hardware Installation......................................................................................... 9

Software Installation .......................................................................................... 9

Pinnacle MediaManager...................................................................................... 11

Overview.......................................................................................................... 11

What the Pinnacle MediaManager Does...................................................... 11

Main Window of the Pinnacle MediaManager ............................................ 12

The Media Library ...........................................................................................14

Introduction to the Media Library ................................................................ 14

The Sort View in the Media Library ............................................................ 16

Searching in the Media Library.................................................................... 17

Deleting Files in the Media Library ............................................................. 18

The Media Player..............................................................................................19

Using the Media Player and Its Controls ..................................................... 19

Importing Media Files..................................................................................21

Introduction to the Import Tab ..................................................................... 21

Import - Folder ............................................................................................. 22

Pinnacle MediaCenter

iv

Import - Files ................................................................................................ 23

Import - Drives ............................................................................................. 24

Import - Audio CD ....................................................................................... 25

Import - Digital Camera ............................................................................... 28

Import - Watch Folder.................................................................................. 30

Organizing Media Files....................................................................................32

Organizing File Tags .................................................................................... 32

Customized File Tags (Keywords)............................................................... 33

Introduction to the Organize Tab ................................................................. 34

Using Playlists.................................................................................................36

Introduction to the Playlists Tab .................................................................. 36

Creating and Editing Playlists ...................................................................... 37

Exporting Media Files..................................................................................39

Introduction to the Export Tab ..................................................................... 39

Exporting to a Folder.................................................................................... 40

Exporting to a Winamp Playlist ................................................................... 42

Exporting to a Burner ................................................................................... 43

The Menus........................................................................................................45

The File Menu .............................................................................................. 45

The Edit Menu.............................................................................................. 47

File Formats.....................................................................................................49

Supported File Formats ................................................................................ 49

Pinnacle MediaCenter ......................................................................................... 51

Overview.......................................................................................................... 51

Pinnacle MediaCenter Functions.................................................................. 51

The Main Screen of the Pinnacle MediaCenter ........................................... 52

TV Menu .......................................................................................................... 53

Overview of the TV Menu ........................................................................... 53

Watching Live Television ............................................................................ 54

Selecting Channels ....................................................................................... 56

Recording Live Television ........................................................................... 57

Playing or Deleting a Recording .................................................................. 60

Videotext ...................................................................................................... 61

Timeshift....................................................................................................... 63

Movies Menu ................................................................................................... 65

Overview of the Movies Menu..................................................................... 65

Table Of Contents

v

Playlists......................................................................................................... 67

Genre ............................................................................................................ 68

All Movies .................................................................................................... 69

CD/DVD....................................................................................................... 70

Browse Hard Disk ........................................................................................ 71

Music Menu ..................................................................................................... 72

Overview of Music Menu............................................................................. 72

Playlists......................................................................................................... 74

Genre ............................................................................................................ 75

Artist ............................................................................................................. 77

Album ........................................................................................................... 78

Song.............................................................................................................. 79

Browse Hard Disk or CD ............................................................................. 80

Photos Menu .................................................................................................... 82

Overview of the Photos Menu...................................................................... 82

Slide Shows .................................................................................................. 84

Date............................................................................................................... 85

Photo Album................................................................................................. 87

Browse Hard Disk ........................................................................................ 88

Settings Menu .................................................................................................. 89

Overview of the Settings Menu.................................................................... 89

General Settings............................................................................................ 91

TV Settings................................................................................................... 93

DVD Settings................................................................................................ 95

Video Settings .............................................................................................. 97

Music Settings .............................................................................................. 99

Photo Settings............................................................................................. 101

Advanced Settings............................................................................................. 103

Overview of the Advanced Settings Dialog .................................................. 103

Channel Advanced Settings - Creating a Channel List ................................. 104

Channel Advance Settings - Editing a Channel List ..................................... 106

Viewing channel lists ................................................................................. 106

Importing and exporting channel lists........................................................ 106

Changing the channel position ................................................................... 106

Deleting an analog channel ........................................................................ 106

Pinnacle MediaCenter

vi

Advanced Settings - Display.......................................................................... 107

Colors.......................................................................................................... 107

Reset ........................................................................................................... 107

Display type................................................................................................ 107

Aspect ratio................................................................................................. 107

Video start size ........................................................................................... 107

Cropping ..................................................................................................... 108

Noise filter .................................................................................................. 108

Advanced Settings - Video ............................................................................ 109

Video input ................................................................................................. 109

Video standard............................................................................................ 109

Video interlace............................................................................................ 109

Advanced Settings - Audio ............................................................................ 110

Device......................................................................................................... 110

Save separate settings for each input.......................................................... 110

TV playback input ...................................................................................... 110

Sound recording input ................................................................................ 110

Levels.......................................................................................................... 110

Advanced Settings - Recording ..................................................................... 111

Output format ............................................................................................. 111

Capture file path ......................................................................................... 111

Advanced Settings - Timeshift ...................................................................... 112

Enable timeshifting..................................................................................... 112

Maximum file size (MB)/ Maximum duration (minutes) .......................... 112

Timeshift file path ...................................................................................... 112

Offsets......................................................................................................... 113

Show record indicator................................................................................. 113

Advanced Settings - Playback ....................................................................... 114

Music playback........................................................................................... 114

Movie playback .......................................................................................... 114

Showing photo files.................................................................................... 115

General Advanced Settings............................................................................ 116

Language .................................................................................................... 116

Theme ......................................................................................................... 116

Screen saver................................................................................................ 116

Duration of OSD......................................................................................... 116

Table Of Contents

vii

Transparency of OSD................................................................................. 116

Parental control........................................................................................... 116

Process priority........................................................................................... 117

PCTV hardware .......................................................................................... 117

Save all settings .......................................................................................... 117

Load all settings.......................................................................................... 117

tvtv-Manager ..................................................................................................... 119

The tvtv-Manager........................................................................................... 119

Opening a user account .............................................................................. 119

Assigning TV stations ................................................................................ 119

Programmed recording list ......................................................................... 120

Technical Support.............................................................................................. 121

Getting Technical Support ............................................................................. 121

1. Frequently asked questions. ................................................................... 121

2. Ask a question and receive an answer.................................................... 121

3. E-mail support. ....................................................................................... 122

4. Discussion forum.................................................................................... 122

License Information ..........................................................................................123

Pinnacle End User License Agreement ......................................................... 123

Glossary............................................................................................................. 127

Index .................................................................................................................. 135

Pinnacle MediaCenter

viii

1

Introduction

Welcome

Your new Pinnacle product offers you a completely new experience in

multimedia entertainment. From now on, you can access and process all sorts of

media such as television, movies, music and photos, either from your computer

or from the comfort of your armchair.

You can watch both analog and digital television on either your computer

monitor or your television screen.

The fun gets even better with the following features. Watching TV just got

easier and you don't have to miss a second of your favorite shows, thanks to the

latest timeshift recording technology. This makes spontaneous or scheduled

recording to your hard disk a breeze. With you new Pinnacle product, you have

immediate access to the latest news using videotext and an Electronic Program

Guide (EPG) gives you an overview of a complete range of television programs.

Furthermore, programming your recordings is quick and easy.

You can play video, music and display photo files from your hard disk or from a

CD and/or DVD. You can also burn CDs or DVDs that you have created

yourself.

In addition, you can arrange your media files in an intelligent multimedia

database so that they can be found quickly. This is done according to various

playback criteria based on specific categories (e.g., all the movies in a certain

genre or all of the photos from a particular vacation). Pinnacle MediaCenter

gives you simple and targeted access to all of your media files.

Now you can access all of these different media quickly and easily with just one

device: your PC. The Pinnacle MediaCenter interface is especially designed so

that all of the menus can be easily recognized and operated via remote control,

even from several yards away.

The following components of your new Pinnacle product put all the following

functions at your fingertips:

Pinnacle MediaManager

The Pinnacle MediaManager is installed on your PC and is used to import music

files, movies and digital photos into the MediaManager database. You also

manage these files in the MediaManager and keep them in order. You can create

your own playlists for collecting your favorite music, movies and photos. The

media files on your PC could come from the Internet, your own audio CDs or

your digital camera.

Pinnacle MediaCenter

2

Pinnacle MediaCenter

The Pinnacle MediaCenter is also installed on your PC and is used for media

playback.

You can watch and record TV with the Pinnacle MediaCenter, play back

recordings and display videotext. Music, movies and photos from CDs, DVDs or

your hard disk are shown in the Pinnacle MediaCenter. You can access the

categories created in the Pinnacle MediaManager to display media sorted

according to your criteria. This helps you select the medium best suited to your

particular mood or for any occasion.

Pinnacle hardware

Included in your new Pinnacle product as an option is a TV card which lets you

watch TV, as well as do timeshifts or view videotext.

PCTV MediaCenter remote control

With the remote control, you can navigate the on-screen menu from anywhere in

your room – without having to bother going back and forth to your computer.

Now go have fun with your new Pinnacle product!

Introduction

3

Delivery Contents

Before you begin with the installation, check the contents of the package to

make sure that they are complete. If any part is missing or damaged, contact

your retailer. Keep the packing material in case you have to transport the

original parts again in the future.

Hardware

CD-ROM with

applications, sample

files and drivers

Remote control with receiving cable

(illustrations are samples)

Internal audio cable

(optional) (illustration is

a sample)

TV card (optional)

(illustration is a sample)

Software

Software designed for Windows XP is found on the CD-ROM included in the

delivery.

Pinnacle MediaCenter

4

Documentation

User Manual on CD Hardware operating instructions on CD

Remote control

operating instructions

on CD

Online Help

Please note that the contents of the actual delivery package may differ from

the items shown above depending on the delivery variant!

Introduction

5

Online Help

Online Help is available for your Pinnacle product at any time.

To search for a specific topic, select the Help Topics function in the Help menu

or simply press the F1 key.

Online Manual

If you have questions about the function and operation of your Pinnacle product,

you can also consult the online manual in addition to the printed manual. The

online manual is installed automatically and can be read directly on-screen.

To open the online manual, you need the free program Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To start the online manual, do the following:

 Use the mouse to click and open the Windows Start menu.

 Use the mouse to go to Programs. The Program menu then opens.

 Use the mouse to go to Pinnacle MediaCenter. The menu then opens.

 Click the entry Pinnacle MediaCenter.

Any new modifications or supplements, which didn't make it into the

documentation, are described in the ReadMe file on the CD-ROM included in

the delivery package.

Pinnacle MediaCenter

6

How to Manage the Pinnacle MediaCenter

There are several ways to operate the Pinnacle MediaCenter:

 By using your remote control

 By using your mouse and the cursor

 By using your keyboard

To simplify this manual, the instructions on how to operate your Pinnacle

MediaCenter will be based mainly on the use of your remote control. However,

the same functions found on your remote control can also be used via your PC

function keys and menu bars or by using your mouse.

On-screen menu buttons

Many of the functions in your Pinnacle MediaCenter can be performed using the

on-screen menu buttons displayed on your screen (e.g., the individual menu

items on the main screen).

 If you want to display an on-screen menu item, select that item using the

cursor keys on your PC keyboard or the cursor buttons of your remote

control. Press the Enter key on your keyboard and/or the Confirm/OK key

on your remote control. The menu item you want is then activated.

Remote control and PC function keys

In addition, you can manage several of the various functions directly using the

remote control that came with the product or your PC keyboard and/or mouse -

without having to activate an on-screen menu button (this includes the fast

forward function when playing back a television recording).

 The remote control buttons required for the various functions are described in

detail in the individual chapters of this documentation.

You can also consult the documentation for your remote control to get an

overview of the functions assigned to the various buttons.

 You can also execute various commands by using certain function keys on

your PC keyboard. In this case, the individual function keys correspond to

specific keys on your remote control.

Read the following overview to find out which PC keys are used to perform

which functions:

The Pinnacle MediaCenter "Advanced Settings" can only be accessed using

the keyboard or your mouse.

Introduction

7

Function PC function keys

Stop PMC ALT+F4

Switch between full screen and

preview window

ALT+F or ALT+Enter

Zoom ALT+Z

Multi-channel preview ALT+P

Channel list Enter (while watching TV)

Channel info ALT+I

Sound Off/On M

Toggle between two channels ALT+L

Volume +/- +/-

Channel +/- Page Up/Page Down

Confirm Enter

Menu ALT+M

Jump to live position during timeshift

playback

F5

Start recording C

Pause

in TV mode:Start timeshift recording

in videotext mode: automatic page

update

Space bar

Jump back/Jump forward

in videotext mode: Display

Page 100/Page 899

Pos1/End

Playback

in videotext mode: Display hidden

text

P

Stop

in videotext mode: Hide hidden text

S

Rewind/Fast forward

in videotext mode: Display

previous/next subpage

R/F

TV F5

Videotext (Teletext) F6

Pinnacle MediaCenter

8

Function PC function keys

Radio F7

EPG F8

Enter numbers 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

0/AV (change video input) 0

Selection of on-screen menu buttons Cursor

In videotext mode: Display

previous/next page

Cursor up/down

Menu bars

To quickly and easily operate your Pinnacle MediaCenter, there are two menu

bars from which you can directly access important functions using your mouse.

To display the menu bars, move your mouse.

In the upper menu bar, you can do the following with a simple mouse click:

 Go to the Pinnacle MediaCenter menu.

 Return to the previous page or menu option.

 Keep the window permanently on top.

 Minimize or maximize the size of the window.

 Close the Pinnacle MediaCenter program.

In the lower menu bar, you can also do the following with a simple mouse click:

 Turn the sound on and off.

 Adjust the volume.

 Switch from one TV station to another.

 Jump between tracks, music titles or videotext pages.

 Play back, pause or cancel movies, slideshows or music titles.

 Record shows.

 Start a timeshift recording using the Pause option.

9

Installing Pinnacle MediaCenter

Hardware Installation

Hardware installation depends on the variant supplied, e.g., an internal or

external device. You will find a detailed description in the corresponding

hardware manual on the CD.

Software Installation

This section describes how to install Pinnacle Software on your PC. In the

course of the installation, a program group with subgroups will be created in

which all of the required software components will be copied.

During the installation process, you will be asked to provide the program

serial number. The serial number is located on the cover of the CD.

 Please insert the supplied installation CD into the corresponding drive of

your computer.

 The setup program will now start either automatically or you can click on

autorun.exe in the setup directory of your CD-ROM.

 Follow the installation instructions shown on your screen.

 After installation has been completed you will be prompted to restart your

computer. For a successful installation it is absolutely necessary that you

restart your computer.

Pinnacle MediaCenter

10

11

Pinnacle MediaManager

Overview

What the Pinnacle MediaManager Does

The Pinnacle MediaManager is installed on your PC so that you can import

 Music files,

 Movies and other video files, and

 Digital photos

to the constantly updated MediaManager Database and then manage and

organize them.

You can also create personal playlists – compilations of your favorite songs,

movies or photos that are organized according to your own special criteria.

These playlists can also be exported so that, among other things, you can burn

an audio CD.

Pinnacle MediaCenter

12

Main Window of the Pinnacle MediaManager

You can launch the Pinnacle MediaManager from the Pinnacle program group

in the Start Menu or by double-clicking the Desktop shortcut. The following

window will open:

The window contains the following sections:

Section 1:

The Tools section with the Import, Organize, Playlists and Export tabs,

located in the upper left-hand corner.

Section 2:

The Media Player in the upper right-hand corner.

Section 3:

The Media Library with the Music, Movies and Photos tabs, located in the

bottom half of the window.

Menu Bar:

At the very top of the window is the menu bar, which contains the File, Edit and

Help menus.

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Avid MediaCenter 2.0 Operating instructions

Avid MediaCenter 2.0 Operating instructions

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