1 ARCHOSTM MOBILE VIDEO RECORDER GminiTM 500 SERIES Video Player / Music Player & Recorder / Photo Wallet & Viewer / USB 2.0 Hard Drive English Language User Manual User Manual for ARCHOSTM GminiTM 500 series Version 1.3 Please visit our website to download the most recent manual and software for this product 1 2 Dear Customer, ARCHOSTM thanks you for your choice of this exciting GminiTM 500 product. The GminiTM 500 is designed to be the companion to your home entertainment system. You can connect the GminiTM 500 to your TV system to play back photos or videos as well as connect it to your PC to transfer over your favorite photos, videos, and music onto it. By connecting to a computer, you get the advantage of being able to download legal music and video content from the Internet. Since it is a PlaysForSureTM device, you have a wide choice of music and video content available on the Internet. For more information about the PlaysForSureTM program, see www.playsforsure.com. This manual will explain, in detail, the functionality of your device. We have packed this product with many functions and capabilities. The better you know how to use it, the more enjoyment you will get from it. Remember, with the GminiTM 500, you can... · Play MPEG-4 SP & WMV video files* on the built-in screen, a television or video projector · Listen to MP3, WMA, or WAV music files* or PlaysForSureTM downloaded music files · Synchronize your Windows® Media Player music and video library to your GminiTM 500 · View JPEG and BMP digital photos and create slide shows · Copy Pictures directly from your digital camera via the built in host USB port · Store .DOC, .PDF, or any type of data file ­ it's a portable hard drive too! 2 3 We wish you many years of enjoyment from your GminiTM 500 product. Please do register your product at our website www.archos.com to ensure that you get have access to our help line and to be informed of technical support and free software updates for your product. Wishing you the best Video, Music, and Photo experience, The ARCHOSTM TEAM *For full information on compatible file formats, see the technical specifications. Please take the time to read though this manual. There are many things that this device can do that you may not be aware of. As our engineers are always updating and improving the software, your device's software may have a slightly different appearance or modified functionality than presented in this manual. 3 4 Table of contents 1 2 INTRO ­ Buttons and Connections INTRO ­ First Time Usage 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3 Charging the battery Turning on the GminiTM 500 Shutting off the GminiTM 500 and Battery saving features Changing the Interface Language Foreign Character Sets Caring for the GminiTM 500 Hardware Reset 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 13 14 15 16 16 16 18 19 23 24 24 26 27 27 28 29 7 10 VIDEO ­ Playing Video Files 3.1 3.2 Video Playback Action Icons Resume Function 4 VIDEO ­ Playing Video Files from the Internet 4.1 4.2 Protected Internet Video content Non Protected Internet Video Content 5 VIDEO ­ Creating MPEG-4 Video Files with your Computer 5.1 Installing the PC Software 6 MUSIC ­ Playing Music Files 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Button Control Play Screen Icons Browsing through your Music Library Playing Through your Stereo System Setting a Bookmark The Resume Function 7 4 MUSIC ­ Putting Music onto your GminiTM 500 5 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 8 Synchronizing Music from Windows Media® Player (WMP) to the GminiTM 500 Comparison of Windows Media Player 10 to Windows Media Player 9 Transferring your CD collection to the GminiTM 500 Installing Windows Media® Player 9 (WMP9) Installing Windows Media® Player 10 (WMP10) 29 30 31 31 31 32 32 32 33 34 35 35 36 38 38 40 41 41 42 43 45 46 47 50 51 51 51 53 55 5 MUSIC ­ Playlists 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Playing a Playlist Creating a Playlist Saving a Playlist Adding songs to a Playlist while listening to Music 9 MUSIC ­ Recording Music 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Cable connections for audio recording Recording Procedure Where is the Recording Saved? Audio Editing 10 MUSIC ­ Using iTunesTM with your GminiTM 500 11 PHOTO ­ Viewing Photos 11.1 11.2 11.3 Viewing Photos Viewing a slideshow Transferring photos to your GminiTM 500 12 BROWSER ­ Using the Browser 12.1 12.2 12.3 Navigating the Directory Structure File and Folder Operations Using the Virtual Keyboard 13 Connecting/Disconnecting* the GminiTM 500 to/from your PC 13.1 13.2 13.3 USB Connection Type (`Hard Drive' or `Windows Device') Connecting the GminiTM 500 Disconnecting the GminiTM 500 from your Computer 14 Connecting Devices to the USB Host Port 6 15 SETTINGS 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 Sound Settings Play Mode Settings Clock Settings Display Settings Appearance settings Power Settings System Settings 56 57 58 59 60 60 61 63 65 65 66 67 70 70 71 71 71 74 76 80 56 16 Updating the GminiTM 500 Firmware Operating System (OS) 17 Replacing the battery 17.1 17.2 "Thin" version Standard version 18 Technical Support 19 Troubleshooting 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 USB Connection issues Charging and Power issues GminiTM 500 locks up (freezes operation) or Stops File issues, corrupted data, formatting, and partitioning 20 Technical Specifications 21 Legal 22 Index 6 7 1 INTRO ­ Buttons and Connections 7 8 a On indicator b Hard drive activity indicator (read/write) c Battery charger indicator (blinks when battery is charged) d Loud speaker e Move UP (also increases volume during media playback) f Move DOWN (also decreases volume during media playback) g Move LEFT (also plays previous song or fast reverse through song or video) h Move RIGHT (also plays next song or fast forward through song or video) i Accelerate UP ­ go up the list of items at high speed j Accelerate Down ­ go down the list of items at high speed k Play/Enter/On o ­ Hold for 3 seconds to switch on the device l Stop/Escape/Off x - Hold for 3 seconds to switch off the device m UP action button (move up on the list of action icons; in the Settings menus: move UP) n SELECT action button (select the highlighted action icon) o DOWN action button (move down on the list of action icons; in the Settings menus: move DOWN) 8 9 a LCD/TV button ­ Hold down to switch between the LCD and an external TV display b USB Host port ­ to connect compatible USB devices c Microphone d USB 2.0 High speed device port (USB 1.1 compatible) to connect to your computer e Power Connector (Use only the supplied Archos power charger/adapter) f Multi-connect jack* ­ for headphones, TV docking pod, FM Remote and AV in/out connections * Optional accessories such as TV docking pod and FM Remote are available for purchase from the ARCHOSTM web site - www.archos.com. 9 10 2 2.1 INTRO ­ First Time Usage Charging the battery · Use only the included ARCHOSTM charger/adapter. · You can charge the internal battery of the GminiTM 500 by plugging the included adapter/charger directly into the device, or you can charge it by plugging the adapter/charger into the optional TV docking pod and connecting your GminiTM 500 to the Pod. · Before using for the first time, charge the battery completely. The charge indicator (CHG) light will start to blink when the battery is charged. 2.2 Turning on the GminiTM 500 · Hold the PLAY/ON button o for 3 seconds. The green "On" indicator light will turn on. Be patient, it will take a few seconds for the operating system to boot up. · If the unit shuts off after holding the ON button for several seconds, plug in the ARCHOSTM adapter/charger to make sure the battery gets charged. 2.3 Shutting off the GminiTM 500 and Battery saving features To shut off the unit, press and hold the STOP/ESC/OFF button x for 3 seconds. In the Power menu [Display setup screen Power: Battery Operation] there is a Power Off parameter. Thus, if your GminiTM 500 is idle for a couple of minutes, it will shut itself off. This setting can be changed from one to nine minutes or to never. In the Power menu [Display setup screen Power: Battery Operation] there is a Backlight Off parameter to save battery power (the lighting of the screen consumes a lot of the battery power). That is, if the GminiTM 500 is not being used, the screen will shut off in order to save battery life. To turn the screen back on, just click once on any button. See the section Power in the Settings chapter for a complete explanation. 10 11 2.4 Changing the Interface Language The GminiTM 500 interface can be set to English (default), French, Spanish, German, or Russian. · Using the UP action button, highlight the Settings icon (showing a wrench) and then click the center SELECT action button. · Highlight the Display icon and click the PLAY/ENTER button. · Highlight the Language parameter using the UP/DOWN buttons. · Click the RIGHT or LEFT button to choose the desired language. · The language displayed will change immediately. · Click on the STOP/ESC button to return to the Setup page and again to return to the main menu screen. 2.5 Foreign Character Sets You have the option of displaying file names, folder names, and music tags in various character sets (ex: Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, etc.). You can find the language files CodePage_name.4FZ in the font folder under /Data/Asian Fonts on the GminiTM 500 hard drive or on the ARCHOSTM website under the heading Software. If, for example, you would like to have the Korean language display, then you would copy the file CP949.4FZ into the folder /system on the GminiTM 500 and shut down and restart the GminiTM 500. File names, folder names, and music tags written using the Microsoft® codepage for the language will now be displayed in that character set. Only one .4FZ can be used at a time, thus you should only put one .4FZ file into the /system folder. When an .4FZ language file is used, the interface language will be set to English. 2.6 Caring for the GminiTM 500 The ARCHOSTM Video GminiTM 500 is an electronic product that needs to be treated with more care than typical consumer electronic products. · Do not subject it to shock. · Do not subject it to heat. Keep it well ventilated. · Keep the GminiTM 500 away from water and excessively humid areas. 11 12 · Keep the GminiTM 500 away from high electromagnetic fields. · Keep any connected cords to the GminiTM 500 neatly arranged. This light product could fall if a cord is accidentally pulled by a child. · Do not open up the GminiTM 500. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Opening will void your warranty. 2.7 Hardware Reset In the event that your GminiTM 500 freezes operation (due to electrostatic phenomena for example), you can reset the GminiTM 500 by holding down on the STOP/ESC button x for 15 seconds. In normal operation, the STOP/ESC button x will shut down the GminiTM 500 after being held down for 3 seconds. 12 13 3 VIDEO ­ Playing Video Files Click on the Video icon in the main menu, highlight the desired video file, and then click on PLAY/GO o. The thumbnail images on the right side will show you a frame from the highlighted video file (center) as well as a frame from the file above and the file below the highlighted one. By clicking on the Video icon in the main menu, you will enter into a `video only' mode. Other playable file types, for example music files, that may be in this folder are only listed if you enter the folder via the Browser. To watch your videos on a television, you must hold down the LCD/TV button for two seconds. The GminiTM 500 screen will go black and the video will be sent out to your connected television. Switch your television to auxiliary video input (often found just below channel 1 ­ sometimes called L1 or L2). If you don't see a clear color image, you may have to set your GminiTM 500 to your local television standard (NTSC-North America or PAL-Europe) in Display (Setup action icon > Display Icon. Button controls while playing a video file Vol + Vol Rew. FF HSR HSA O X Increase volume Decrease volume Fast Forward Fast forward High speed reverse High speed advance Play/Pause Stop 13 14 Video Browser Action Icons Hide the Thumbnails Reset thumbnails. The thumbnail images on the right side of the screen will be reset to their original default setting. 3.1 Video Playback Action Icons While a video file is playing, click on the Select action button. The action icons on the right of the screen allow you to make video adjustments to your personal taste. Play & Sound Settings Use this setting if you would like to have the video files play one after the other, or just play one and stop. You can also adjust the sound settings and the amount of time the On Screen Display (OSD) information remains on the screen when you start a video file. Built-in Speaker Turn on or off the built-in loud speaker. Slow Motion Put the video into slow-motion view. You can cycle through the values Normal , ½ , ¼ , and 1/8 speed. The sound is muted when in s ...