User manual PINNACLE MEDIACENTER

Pinnacle MediaCenter Table Of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 Welcome ............................................................................................................ 1 Pinnacle MediaCenter / TVCenter ................................................................. 1 Pinnacle hardware .......................................................................................... 2 PCTV MediaCenter remote control ............................................................... 2 Pinnacle Mobile Media Organizer (only with the Pinnacle MediaCenter).... 2 Configuration Wizard for the Basic Settings..................................................... 3 Pinnacle MediaCenter ........................................................................................... 5 Pinnacle MediaCenter User Interfaces .............................................................. 5 PC View.......................................................................................................... 5 TV View (Remote View) ............................................................................... 6 Pinnacle MediaCenter TV View Functions ................................................... 7 PC View (optimized for use with a mouse)....................................................... 8 Pinnacle MediaCenter PC View Overview.................................................... 8 General Operating Controls............................................................................ 9 TV Operating Controls................................................................................. 14 DVD Playback Operating Controls.............................................................. 20 File Playback Operating Controls ................................................................ 24 Teletext ......................................................................................................... 27 Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and Recording ........................................ 33 Picture-in-Picture Function (PIP)................................................................. 39 Pinnacle MediaCenter Window Formats ..................................................... 42 Pinnacle MediaCenter Operating Shortcuts ................................................. 45 Advanced Settings............................................................................................... 47 Advanced Settings Dialog Overview............................................................... 47 "Apply" button.............................................................................................. 47 Advanced General Settings.............................................................................. 48 Appearance ................................................................................................... 48 Check for updates ......................................................................................... 48 Control bar.................................................................................................... 48 Skip buttons .................................................................................................. 48 Advance TV Channel Settings......................................................................... 49 Advanced Channel Settings Overview......................................................... 49 iii Pinnacle MediaCenter Advanced Analog TV Reception Settings ................................................... 51 Advanced DVB-T Reception Settings ......................................................... 52 Advanced DVB-S Reception Settings.......................................................... 53 Advanced Channel Settings - Modifying Channels ..................................... 54 Advanced Analog-Digital and Internet Radio Reception Settings.................. 57 Available radio channels .............................................................................. 57 My favorite radio channels........................................................................... 57 Visualisation ................................................................................................. 57 Channel Details ............................................................................................ 58 Load / save channel lists............................................................................... 58 Channel Scan ................................................................................................ 58 Advanced Settings - Program Guide EPG - epgData.com Service ................. 59 epgData.com, the Electronic Program Guide (Premium Program Guide)... 59 Advanced Capture Settings.............................................................................. 61 Capture folder ............................................................................................... 61 Hard disk capture formats ............................................................................ 61 Direct to DVD recording .............................................................................. 62 Advanced Timeshift Settings........................................................................... 64 Default TimeShifting.................................................................................... 64 Advanced Playback Settings............................................................................ 65 Music playback............................................................................................. 65 Photo slide show........................................................................................... 66 CD/DVD start............................................................................................... 66 Movies and DVD playback .......................................................................... 66 Advanced Display Settings.............................................................................. 68 On Screen Display (OSD) ............................................................................ 68 Preferred output device ................................................................................ 69 Screen saver.................................................................................................. 69 Preferred video aspect ratio .......................................................................... 69 Hardware acceleration .................................................................................. 69 Video display................................................................................................ 69 Advanced Audio Settings ................................................................................ 70 Preferred audio language.............................................................................. 70 Audio output device ..................................................................................... 70 SPDIF enabled or disabled ........................................................................... 71 Preferred playback format ............................................................................ 72 iv Table Of Contents Analog audio input ....................................................................................... 72 Advanced Remote Control Settings................................................................. 73 Remote control selection .............................................................................. 73 Remote control receiver ............................................................................... 73 Advanced Hardware Settings........................................................................... 74 Hardware to configure.................................................................................. 74 Antenna inputs.............................................................................................. 74 Preview ......................................................................................................... 74 Analog video inputs...................................................................................... 74 Advanced System Information Settings .......................................................... 75 MediaCenter 4 install information ............................................................... 75 MediaCenter 4 features................................................................................. 75 System information ...................................................................................... 76 More information.......................................................................................... 76 Technical Support................................................................................................ 77 Getting Technical Support ............................................................................... 77 1. Frequently Asked Questions .................................................................... 77 2. Ask a Question and Get an Answer ......................................................... 77 3. E-mail Support.......................................................................................... 77 4. Discussion Forum..................................................................................... 78 License Information ............................................................................................ 79 Pinnacle End User License Agreement ........................................................... 79 Glossary............................................................................................................... 83 Index .................................................................................................................... 91 v Introduction Welcome Your new Pinnacle product offers you a whole new world of multimedia entertainment. Starting today, you can sit at your computer or comfortably on the couch and conveniently access, manage and process all sorts of media such as television, radio, movies, music and photos: You can watch both analog and digital TV (optional) on your computer monitor or TV screen. This TV viewing fun has been enhanced even more with numerous additional functions. Thanks to spur-of-the-moment or scheduled recording to your hard drive and modern timeshift recording technology, you can watch television flexibly and not miss a minute of your favorite shows. In connection with this, quick-to-open teletext provides you with the latest news any time you want it, and an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) guarantees you an overview of the TV schedule as well as quick and uncomplicated recording scheduling. Now you also have the option of listening to radio any time you want and of recording your favorite broadcasts quickly and easily. In addition, your Pinnacle product lets your receive Internet radio stations. The following components of your new Pinnacle product let you access all these functions: Pinnacle MediaCenter / TVCenter The Pinnacle MediaCenter / TVCenter installed on your computer plays back your media. Use the Pinnacle MediaCenter / TVCenter to watch and record television, play back recordings as well as open teletext. You can also listen to and record radio broadcasts. Music, movies and photos from CD, DVD or your hard drive are played back in the Pinnacle MediaCenter / TVCenter. To open media sorted according to specific criteria, access your categories created in the Pinnacle Mobile Media Organizer, and then select the appropriate medium for your mood or a specific occasion whenever you want, depending on regional availability. Various Pinnacle PCTV hardware variants are delivered only with the Pinnacle TVCenter. However, the TVCenter has a limited range of functions. Throughout this manual, the term Pinnacle MediaCenter is used, since all of the functions included in the program are explained in this context. 1 Pinnacle MediaCenter The following functions are not available in the TVCenter: 1. Recording DVDs 2. Burning DVDs and CDs 3. TV View (Remote View) 4. Pinnacle Mobile Media Organizer 5. Dolby decoding 6. PSP/iPod recording 7. MPEG2 recording when using analog PCTV hardware The TV View (Remote View) in the Pinnacle MediaCenter is not included with Pinnacle PCTV hardware variants that include the TVCenter. The TV View (Remote View) is not described in this manual. Pinnacle hardware If your new Pinnacle product comes with the optional reception device, you can receive TV and radio (optional) and take advantage of, for example, the teletext or timeshift functions. PCTV MediaCenter remote control You can use the remote control to easily operate the menu displayed on your monitor from any point in the room - and you don't even have to get up and go over to the computer. Pinnacle Mobile Media Organizer (only with the Pinnacle MediaCenter) The Pinnacle Mobile Media Organizer installed on your computer is used to import music files, movies and digital photos into the constantly updated MediaManager database as well as to manage and keep your files in order. If you want, you can create playlists of your favorite music, movies and photos according to your own organizational criteria. The media files on your computer can, for instance, come from the Internet, from your own audio CDs or from your digital camera. And now have fun with your Pinnacle product! 2 Introduction Configuration Wizard for the Basic Settings During the software installation of the Pinnacle MediaCenter, the wizard leads you through several areas in the Advanced Settings dialog where you can configure the most important settings for the Pinnacle MediaCenter. The wizard appears automatically after the Pinnacle MediaCenter has been installed. You can now configure your PCTV hardware using the wizard. Here are some of your settings options: The individual settings dialogs are explained in detail in the "Advanced Settings" section. You can start the Settings dialog by clicking the Settings icon in the Pinnacle program group or by double-clicking the Settings link on the desktop. You can start the wizard at any time via the program group Start/Programs/Pinnacle Media Center/Tools/Wizard. 3 Pinnacle MediaCenter Pinnacle MediaCenter User Interfaces In the Pinnacle MediaCenter, you can select between two different user interfaces. Each user interface is optimized for the different ways of using the Pinnacle MediaCenter: PC View The PC View is optimized for use with your mouse or keyboard. This interface is especially useful when you use the Pinnacle MediaCenter while working at your desk (for example, for watching TV while working on the computer). The bar-shaped menu buttons are arranged to the side of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window and are easily activated with a click of the mouse. Since you will be mainly using this view when working at your computer, PC View menus are only displayed if necessary so that as little screen space as possible is used. 5 Pinnacle MediaCenter TV View (Remote View) The TV View is thoroughly described in a separate manual. The TV View is not available for several PCTV hardware variants. The TV View is optimized for navigating using your remote control: The entire menu is accessible from the Pinnacle MediaCenter window and each menu option is easy to read even from a distance. This lets you use your remote control to play back and edit media from the comfort of your own sofa. Of course, you can still operate the Pinnacle MediaCenter with your mouse or keyboard while in the Remote View. You can also display the PC View menu bars in the Remote View and use them to navigate in the Pinnacle MediaCenter. You can switch between the TV View and the PC View at any time when using the Pinnacle MediaCenter: To go to the TV View, press the or Menu button on the remote control (depending on the remote control) or click the button in the top control bar. If you double-click in the preview or information window when you are in the Remote View, this window opens in full screen and takes you to the PC View. 6 Pinnacle MediaCenter Pinnacle MediaCenter TV View Functions The Pinnacle MediaCenter gives you the extensive and diverse functions of a modern multi-media program. Its convenient and easy-to-use displays let you enjoy a wide variety of media such as television, radio, music, movies, and photos as well as access the products offered by various online services: In the TV area, you can keep track of the current TV schedule and the shows you have recorded not only directly on your PC, but also from the comfort of your armchair or sofa thanks to full screen mode and the remote control included. In addition, you can use the teletext function and the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to get quick and comprehensive information about the TV schedule as well as all the latest news. Want to record a TV show? With a simple push of a button, you can start recording the current TV program at any time. Use the EPG function to quickly and simply program your machine to record upcoming shows. You won't have to miss any of your favorite TV programs again. Even annoying interruptions while watching TV are no longer a bother because you can delay watching a program by using the timeshift function. In the Radio area, you can receive any available FM radio station or digital radio station (depending on PCTV hardware used). You can also create radio playlists in the "Advanced Settings" so that you can receive the radio stations assigned to a certain category at any time. Recording FM radio broadcasts is quick and easy with the Pinnacle MediaCenter - either press a button to record the current program immediately or schedule an upcoming radio program for later enjoyment. In addition, the Pinnacle MediaCenter lets your receive Internet radio. In the Movies area, you can view movies from a CD/DVD or from your hard disk - all this from the comfort of your sofa using the remote control. No need to get up and fiddle with the PC. If you have previously categorized your movies in the Pinnacle MediaManager, you can easily access these categories and select movies according to certain criteria. In the Music area, you can access CDs or files created in the Pinnacle MediaManager. Play back your music according to any criteria you set (for example, according to music genre or artist) and select just the right music to suit your mood or the occasion. In the Photos area, you can view photos saved on your hard disk or on CD. Photos can also be categorized in the Pinnacle MediaManager (for example, the pictures from your last vacation or that one party or simply those taken on a certain date) so that you see only those photos that you really want to see quickly and hassle-free. If you want to show off your photos, you can also set up a slide show to display them as a group. 7 Pinnacle MediaCenter In the Settings area, you can access the options available for the various categories via this menu option. You have the option of configuring the most important settings for the following menu options: General, TV, Movies, Recording, Music and Photos. PC View (optimized for use with a mouse) Pinnacle MediaCenter PC View Overview The Pinnacle MediaCenter PC View is optimized for use with a mouse. While you are sitting at your desk doing other things on your PC, you can access your personal media directly with the mouse. For this purpose, you can seamlessly adjust the Pinnacle MediaCenter window in the PC View to any size you want and move it anywhere you find most convenient. The control bars can be configured in such a way that they are only displayed if necessary so only the minimum amount of screen space for media playback is used. Control Bars To navigate the Pinnacle MediaCenter in the PC View, you have two control bars, one at the top and one at the bottom of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. For more information, refer to the chapter General Operating Controls. Size of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window in the PC View The Pinnacle MediaCenter window in the PC View can be adjusted to any size you want: To do this, left-click and hold the mouse button down on the corner of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window and then drag the corner until the window is the size you want. If the window exceeds normal size, the control bars can no longer be displayed. You can resize the Pinnacle MediaCenter window by either dragging the corner with your mouse to enlarge it or double-clicking the window with your mouse. This automatically sets the Pinnacle MediaCenter to normal size and the control bars can again be displayed. Positioning the Pinnacle MediaCenter window in the PC View To position the Pinnacle MediaCenter window in the PC View to the area on your screen you want, left-click in the top or bottom control bar and move the window while holding down the mouse button. 8 Pinnacle MediaCenter General Operating Controls Top Control Bar The top control bar in the PC View contains various buttons for operating the Pinnacle MediaCenter - independent of the media type currently selected. For example, you can modify the size and behavior of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window, switch to the TV View or access various types of media. The control bars can be configured in Advanced Settings in such a way that they are not always visible but are only displayed when you move your mouse over the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. They automatically disappear again when you move your mouse out of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window or if the cursor does not move for a few seconds. Note that depending on your hardware and the current reception area, some buttons and their functions may be temporarily unavailable. Menu If you click this button, you return to the main screen of the Pinnacle MediaCenter Remote View. Back Clicking this button will take you back to the previous page or menu selection. TV When you click this button, TV mode is activated, and the current TV program on the channel last selected is displayed in the PC View. Radio When you click this button, you switch to radio mode for listening to the current broadcast on the station last selected. Browse Click this button to open a drop-down menu where you can browse to the following and playback media files or recordings: Files on your hard drive Folders on your hard drive Your CD/DVD drives 9 Pinnacle MediaCenter Teletext Clicking this button opens the teletext window in the PC View (if teletext is available). EPG Click this button to open the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) in the PC View (if EPG is available). In addition, you can also schedule recordings manually with the timer. Always on top When this button is activated, the Pinnacle MediaCenter window is always displayed in front of all the other windows on the screen. Minimize Clicking this button minimizes the Pinnacle MediaCenter window into the taskbar. Full Screen/Normal Screen Clicking this button lets you switch the Pinnacle MediaCenter window back and forth from full screen to a normal-sized screen. Close This button closes the Pinnacle MediaCenter or a subwindow (for example, the teletext or EPG window). Bottom Control Bar The bottom control bar in the Pinnacle MediaCenter PC View is dependent on the media type you have selected: Depending on whether you are currently watching TV or listening to radio or playing a DVD or a file, the buttons available will vary. The control bars can be configured in Advanced Settings in such a way that they are not always visible but are only displayed when you move your mouse over the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. They automatically disappear again when you move your mouse out of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window or if the cursor does not move for a few seconds. Since the bottom control bar can contain different operating controls depending on the media type, detailed descriptions of the buttons are provided in the following chapters. 10 Pinnacle MediaCenter Open and closed bottom control bar in the MediaCenter PC View The bottom control bar can be opened by clicking the button. This also gives you access to additional buttons. Or you can also open the control bar by clicking the Play/Pause or Record buttons. Clicking the button closes the bottom control bar. Positioning the bottom control bar If the bottom control bar is docked on the Pinnacle MediaCenter window, you can move them both around or change their size as a single unit. Or you can also position the bottom control bar separately. This means you can put it anywhere on the screen independent of the rest of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. To do this, click the bottom control bar and hold down your left mouse button. While holding down your left mouse button, drag the control bar to the position on the screen your want. If the bottom control bar is positioned separately, it will not disappear and cannot be resized. You can also put the control bars in the taskbar with the following setting. Right-click the live TV image and then in the shortcut menu that appears, select Send to taskbar. You should now receive a message that the PMC panel needs to be activated in the taskbar. 1. With your right mouse button, click the Windows taskbar. 2. Select the Toolbars / PMC taskbar option. 11 Pinnacle MediaCenter The PMC control bar is now displayed in the Windows taskbar. Click the location. button in the taskbar to move the control bars back to their original Shortcut menu When you right-click in the PC View of the Pinnacle MediaCenter window, a shortcut menu opens where you can make the following changes: Direct to start page When you click Direct to start page, you arrive at the Pinnacle MediaCenter start page in the Remote View. PIP (activate Picture-in-Picture function) The PIP option lets you open a second TV View if you are using a dual-tuner TV card. Tuner / TV, Radio, Teletext or EPG Click the Tuner option to open the TV, Radio, Teletext or EPG options.Here you can activate the media type you want. Play When you click the Play button, a drop-down menu opens where you can browse to the following and playback media files or recordings: · Files on your hard drive · Folders on your hard drive · Your CD/DVD drives. 12 Pinnacle MediaCenter Channel list... Use the Channel list option to open the channel list where all the TV/radio channels are displayed. Play/Pause Use this option to start or pause live TV. Mute The Mute option turns off the volume. More actions Under More actions, you have access to functions such as Forward, Stop, Continue, Rewind, Fast Forward, Snapshot, Record as well as Active Recording.... Audio Another option is Audio (active during DVD playback). After clicking this button, a dialog window opens where you can set the language for the soundtrack, the subtitles, and the menus of your DVD. Options Under Options, you can select Always on top, No frame, Toolbars as well as Shuffle playlist and Repeat playlist options for playback. Window Under the Window option, you can select Size and Aspect ratio. Here you can decide which size and aspect ratio your Pinnacle MediaCenter window should have. Exit The Exit option closes the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. 13 Pinnacle MediaCenter TV Operating Controls Closed Bottom Control Bar The closed bottom control bar gives you access to the following buttons while you watch TV: Channel The currently set channel is displayed in this field. You can also switch channels here: To do this, click the Channel button. If you have not created channel lists in the Advanced Settings, a pop-up window displays all the available channels. Clicking a channel will take you to its currently running program. If you have created channel lists in the Advanced Settings, a pop-up window displays all the available channel lists. If you click a specific channel list, all the channels assigned to this group appear on the right side of the window. Clicking a channel will take you to its currently running program. In addition, you can switch between composite and S-video input in the lower part of the pop-up window. To do this, click the corresponding button. Audio Mode The currently set audio mode is displayed in this field. If more than one audio mode is available, you can select between them here: To do this, click the Audio Mode button. This opens a pop-up window displaying all the available audio modes. Click a specific audio mode (for example, MPEG audio or AC3 audio) to set it. 14 Pinnacle MediaCenter Channel information Here you find the following information about the selected channel: Snapshot If you click this button, a snapshot of the currently playing TV program is taken as a single image and saved in the previously indicated directory in "Advanced Settings". The file name is automatically created from the date, time, channel name, and any available EPG information. Previous/Next channel Clicking these buttons switches you to the previous or to the next channel in the currently selected channel list. In addition, you can switch between composite and S-video input. 15 Pinnacle MediaCenter Volume You can adjust the volume of your TV show individually with this slider. To do this, click the slider button and while holding the mouse button down, slide it to the position you want. Clicking the Mute button mutes the TV show soundtrack. You can turn the soundtrack back on by clicking the button again. Record If you click this button, the TV program currently playing is recorded and saved in the directory previously indicated in "Advanced Settings". The file name is automatically created from the date, time, channel name, and any available EPG information. The recording can be paused by clicking the Record button again or by clicking the Stop button. Play / Pause If a timeshift recording is not currently taking place, you can start a timeshift recording by clicking the Play/Pause button. During a timeshift recording, playback is paused by clicking the Play/Pause button. Click the button again to continue the recording. Stop In timeshift or playback mode, you can use the Stop function to stop timeshifting or file playback. This button is not active during live TV. Open the bottom control bar Clicking this button opens the bottom control bar. 16 Pinnacle MediaCenter Opened Bottom Control Bar If you click the button while watching TV, the bottom control bar opens: The following additional functions are now available: Back This button can only be activated if a timeshift recording is currently running. Clicking the Back button starts the playback of the timeshift recording from the beginning. Stop This button is only available if a recording is currently being made or you are in timeshift mode. You can then end the currently running recording by clicking Stop. Record If you click this button, the TV program currently playing is recorded and saved in the directory previously indicated in Advanced Settings. The file name is automatically created from the date, time, channel name, and any available EPG information. The recording can be paused by clicking the Record button again or by clicking the Stop button. Play/Pause If a timeshift recording is not currently taking place, you can start a timeshift recording by clicking the Play/Pause button. During a timeshift recording, playback of the timeshift recording is paused by clicking the Play/Pause button. Click the button again to continue the recording. 17 Pinnacle MediaCenter Rewind/Forward These buttons are only available if a timeshift recording is currently running. Clicking the Rewind and Fast Forward buttons allows you to move back and forth within the timeshift recording: If you click once, the recording runs at double speed. If you click twice, the recording runs at quadruple speed. Three clicks results in 8x speed, and four clicks in 16x speed. One more click lets the recording run at normal speed again. To pause rewind/fast forward, click the corresponding button until the recording plays at normal speed or click the Play/Pause button. Skip back/Skip forward These buttons are only available if a timeshift recording is currently running. With the Skip back and Skip forward buttons, you can jump back and forth in the timeshift recording within a time interval set in the "Advanced Settings". Live TV This buttons is only available if a timeshift recording is currently running. Click this button to return to the live position in the current program. The timeshift recording continues to be recorded and can be played back at any time. Timeshift timeline This field tells you the following information: The start time of the timeshift recording, rounded up to the next half hour (here: 13:25 pm) The maximum timeshift position, at which the timeshift recording will pause or start from the beginning (here: 13:40 pm). This is dependent on the maximum available disk space that you can set for timeshift recordings in "Advanced Settings". The end of the status bar marks the current position of live TV. You can also see how much disk space has already been used for the timeshift recording or how much free disk space is still left. The current position of the timeshift playback (approx. 13:26 PM) In addition, you can jump to any position within the timeshift recording: To do this, click and hold your mouse button on the position indicator for the timeshift playback and drag it to the position you want within the recording. 18 Pinnacle MediaCenter PIP Selector / Create PIP (Picture-in-Picture function) 1.PIP Selector (only active if a dual-tuner TV card or 2 TV cards are installed) When you click this button, the PIP window appears; here click Create PIP. Another Pinnacle MediaCenter window now opens in which the other TV channel is displayed. The TV channels displayed can be turned on and off independently of each other. 2.Create PIP (only active if a dual-tuner TV card or 2 TV cards are installed) When you click this button, another Pinnacle MediaCenter window immediately appears, in which another TV channel is displayed. Close bottom control bar Clicking this button closes the bottom control bar. 19 Pinnacle MediaCenter DVD Playback Operating Controls Closed Bottom Control Bar The closed bottom control bar gives you access to the following buttons while you play a DVD: DVD title The title of the currently playing DVD is displayed in this field. You can also switch to a specific chapter on the DVD from here: To do this, click the DVD title button with your mouse. Now, all the chapters on the DVD currently inserted are listed in a pop-up window. When you click a chapter, playback of the selected chapter starts. Audio Mode The currently set audio mode of the DVD is displayed in this field. If more than one audio mode is available, you can select between them here: To do this, click the Audio Mode button. This opens a pop-up window displaying all the available audio modes. Clicking a specific audio mode sets it. Drive Clicking these buttons lets you switch between the DVD and the CD-ROM drive. If only one drive is present, these buttons are not available. Snapshot If you click this button, a snapshot of the currently playing DVD is taken as a single image and saved in the directory previously indicated in "Advanced Settings". The file name is automatically created from the date, time, and DVD title. Volume You can adjust the volume of the DVD playback with this slider. To do this, click the slider button and while holding the mouse button down, slide it to the position you want. 20 Pinnacle MediaCenter Clicking the Mute button turns off the sound of the DVD playback. You can turn the soundtrack back on by clicking the button again. Play / Pause Clicking the Play button starts the playback of a DVD. This button then changes to a Pause button. You can pause DVD playback by clicking the Pause button. Clicking it again resumes playback. Open the bottom control bar Clicking this button opens the bottom control bar. Opened Bottom Control Bar button while watching a DVD, the bottom control bar If you click the opens: The following additional functions are now available: Audio Mode Use this button to select the language you would like on a multi-language DVD. Back Click this button to playback the currently running DVD from the beginning. Stop Click this button to pause the current DVD playback and return to the main menu on the DVD. 21 Pinnacle MediaCenter Play / Pause Clicking the Play button starts the playback of a DVD. This button then changes to a Pause button. You can pause DVD playback by clicking the Pause button. Clicking it again resumes playback. Rewind/Fast forward Clicking the Rewind and Fast Forward buttons lets you move back and forth in a DVD at an increased speed and therefore lets you access different areas within the DVD: If you click once, the DVD runs at double speed. If you click twice, the DVD runs at quadruple speed. Three clicks results in 8x speed, and four clicks in 16x speed. One more click lets the DVD run at normal speed again. To pause rewind/fast forward, click the corresponding button until the DVD plays at normal speed or click the Play/Pause button. Previous Chapter/Next Chapter Use the Previous Chapter/Next Chapter buttons to jump back and forth between consecutive chapters. Clicking this button opens the main menu of the current DVD. Main Menu Clicking this button opens the main menu of the current DVD. Language After clicking this button, a dialog window opens where you can set the language for the soundtrack, the subtitles, and the menus of your DVD. 22 Pinnacle MediaCenter Viewing Angle If your DVD offers different viewing angles, click this button to open a pop-up menu where you can select between the viewing angles available. Timeline This field tells you the following information: The beginning of DVD playback (here: 00:00:00). The end of the DVD (here: 02:10:25) The current position within the DVD (here: 00:56:50) as well as the current chapter. You can see here how much of the DVD has already been played back or how much is still left. The marks within the time status bar indicated the transitions between the individual chapters. In addition, you can jump to any position within the DVD: To do this, click and hold your mouse button on the position indicator and drag it to the position you want within the timeline. Close the bottom control bar Clicking this button closes the bottom control bar. 23 Pinnacle MediaCenter File Playback Operating Controls Closed Bottom Control Bar The closed bottom control bar gives you access to the following buttons while you play an audio or video file: File title The title of the currently playing file is displayed in this field. Snapshot Click this button to take a snapshot of the currently playing file as a single image and save it in the directory previously indicated in Advanced Settings. The file name is automatically created from the date, time, and title of the file. Volume You can adjust the volume of file playback with this slider. To do this, click the slider button and while holding the mouse button down, slide it to the position you want. Clicking the Mute button turns off the sound of the file playback. You can turn the soundtrack back on by clicking the button again. Play / Pause Clicking the Play button starts the playback of an audio or video file. This button then changes to a Pause button. You can pause file playback by clicking the Pause button. Clicking it again resumes playback. Open the bottom control bar Clicking this button opens the bottom control bar. 24 Pinnacle MediaCenter Opened Bottom Control Bar If you click the button while watching a DVD, the bottom control bar opens: The following additional functions are now available: Back Click this button to playback the currently running audio or video file from the beginning. Stop Use this button to stop the current playback. Play / Pause Clicking the Play button starts the playback of a file. This button then changes to a Pause button. You can pause file playback by clicking the Pause button. Clicking it again resumes playback. Rewind/Fast forward Clicking the Rewind and Fast forward buttons lets you move back and forth in a video file at an increased speed, therefore letting you access different areas within the video file: If you click once, the video file runs at double speed. If you click twice, the video file runs at quadruple speed. Three clicks results in 8x speed, and four clicks in 16x speed. One more click lets the video file run at normal speed again. Previous Chapter/Next Chapter Use the Previous Chapter/Next Chapter buttons to move between chapters in the current directory 25 Pinnacle MediaCenter Title Menu When playing back a recorded file (for example, in MPEG1 VCD quality), the button is inactive. This means that the Title Menu function is only available when playing back a DVD. Main Menu When playing back a recorded file (for example, in MPEG1 VCD quality), the button is inactive. This means that the Main Menu function is only available when playing back a DVD. Language If subtitles are available for the current file and you click this button, a dialog window appears where you can set the language for the subtitles. Timeline This field tells you the following information: The beginning of playback (here: 00:00:00) The end of the file (here: 00:00:50) The current position within the file (here: 00:00:18). You can see here how much of the file has already been played back and how much is still left to play back. In addition, you can jump to any position in the file. To do this, click and hold your mouse button on the position indicator and drag it to the position you want within the timeline. Close the bottom control bar Clicking this button closes the bottom control bar. 26 Pinnacle MediaCenter Teletext Teletext - Overview (Teletext not available in the USA) button in the top control bar, the teletext window If you click the Teletext opens in the PC View (if teletext is available): Teletext can consist of two windows: In the right window, you will see the TOP Text and the operating controls for navigating in teletext. To the left is the teletext window where the teletext pages and subpages are displayed. When there is enough space on the screen, the TV program showing on the current channel is displayed next to the teletext area. This lets you read teletext and watch TV at the same time. Positioning the teletext window Both the teletext window as well as the TV window (if this is displayed) can be coupled to each other and then moved together on the screen as a single unit. Or you can also position the windows separately. This means you can put one of the windows anywhere on your computer monitor independent of the other window. To do this, click the corresponding window and hold down your mouse button. While holding down your mouse button, drag the window to the position on your computer screen you want. If the teletext windows can be moved separately, you can also resize them: To do this, left-click and hold the mouse button down on the corner of the window and then drag the corner until the window is the size you want. 27 Pinnacle MediaCenter Bottom Control Bar In teletext mode, the buttons for operating the TV are located in the bottom control bar so that you can keep track of both the teletext and your TV program at the same time. Closing a teletext window When you close the teletext navigation window by clicking the Close button in the top control bar, the teletext window will continue to be displayed. When you close the teletext window by clicking the Close button in the top control bar, both the entire teletext and the Pinnacle MediaCenter window are closed. If you have the teletext navigation window, the teletext window (this is active in a separate window, if the TV Display option in the Overlay area of the TOP text window is switched off) and the Pinnacle MediaCenter with Live TV open, teletext then closes completely when you click the Close button in the teletext window. The Pinnacle MediaCenter window with Live TV remains open. Navigating Teletext (Teletext not available in the USA) Navigating teletext using TOP Text TOP Text lets you quickly and effectively navigate through teletext: After clicking a TOP Text entry, the corresponding page is displayed in the teletext window. If no TOP Text is available, a selection of possible teletext pages that you can also click for access is listed in the TOP Text window. If a topic in TOP Text has additional subtopics (indicated by a "+" before the topic title), you can open the list of all subtopics by clicking the "+". If you click the "+" again, the list of all the subtopics is hidden. Navigating teletext using the operating controls In the right part of the teletext navigation window, there are several buttons that you can use to navigate teletext: Page The page number of the current teletext page is displayed in this field. To change the teletext page, click the button or button to access either the previous or the next teletext page. Or you can click the teletext page number display and enter the desired page number directly using your keyboard. 28 Pinnacle MediaCenter Subpage If the currently selected teletext page has subpages, the page number of the current teletext subpage is displayed in this field. To change the teletext subpage, click the button or button to access either the previous or the next teletext subpage. Or you can click the teletext subpage number display and enter the desired page number directly using your keyboard. Channel Use the channel settings directly in the teletext navigation window to set a TV channel for which you would like the teletext pages displayed. Use the following buttons navigate upwards and downwards in the Channel list . Character set Use this option to select the character set used in the teletext window. Auto is the default option.Since the teletext signal can contain national language information, the corresponding character set is therefore set automatically based on the language information selected. In most cases, this means that you should select the Auto option from the list of available character sets. However, there are a few cases where the language information is supported. In such cases, we recommend setting the appropriate character set specifically. 29 Pinnacle MediaCenter Overlay TV In the Overlay TV area, you can set where the teletext window should be displayed. If the display over TV option is selected, then the teletext is displayed directly in the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. The transparent option displays live TV in the background of the teletext. If the display over TV option is cleared, teletext is started in a separate window. Live TV therefore continues to run in the Pinnacle MediaCenter window. Further configuration options for extended teletext are available in the lower part of the teletext navigation window. More teletext options 1.display hidden chars, In addition to the information in the teletext window, the teletext signal (for certain TV programs) can also contain additional information that is by default not displayed. This additional information can, for instance, notify you that one of the TV programs running has been delayed. If you wanted to record this TV program, you would be notified of this change. In some games, the answers to certain questions might remain hidden. In either case, you can display the hidden text by selecting the display hidden chars option in the teletext navigation window. 2.automatically update, selecting this option allows teletext to be automatically updated. Clearing this option prevents teletext pages from being quickly updated. A quick update could result in new text being displayed before you have read the page completely. 3.teletext follows PIP, this option is available if a dual TV card has been installed on your computer and both tuners have been opened using PIP. If you now open the teletext window in a separate window (to do this, deactivate the display over TV option in the Overlay area of the teletext navigation window), the teletext display automatically switches parallel when the Pinnacle MediaCenter window (in PIP mode) switches and the associated channels change. 30 Pinnacle MediaCenter A single mouse click switches the Pinnacle MediaCenter window (in PIP mode). The now active Pinnacle MediaCenter window is framed in green and the teletext for the active Pinnacle MediaCenter window and the selected TV channel is displayed. 4.show TOP, this function hides TOP Text; however, the settings dialog for the TOP Text window remains available. Save Page When you click this button, an Open File dialog opens where you can save the current teletext page as an ASCII text file. The file name is created by default from the current date, time, channel name, and teletext page number. Entering pages directly To access a teletext page or subpage, you can also enter the page number directly with your keyboard. Opening pages in the teletext window You can open any of the teletext pages whose numbers (see (1) in the image above) are displayed at a specific point of time in the teletext window. To do this, simply click the page number you want with your mouse. The page you select then opens and the selected page number is shown in the upper left side of the teletext area. If you would like to return to the main page (identified as page 100), simply click the dot in the upper left corner of the teletext window without entering the page number (see (2) in the image above). The point behaves like the Home button in your Internet browser. 31 Pinnacle MediaCenter To navigate through any available subpages, simply use the << and >> arrows that are found on the subpage display (see (3) in the image above). Navigating in TOP Text TOP Text is displayed to the left in the teletext navigation window. All of the teletext pages are available here for quick access. Double-click page 100 - the Start page in the page navigation area. The associated subpages (101, 111, etc.) now appear in the TOP Text dialog. Single-click a subpage (for example, subpage 101) and it appears immediately in the teletext window. A quick listing of the available text pages appears in the TOP Text dialog. These pages are always accessible. 32 Pinnacle MediaCenter Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and Recording Electronic Program Guide (EPG) This menu is only available if you have access to an EPG service. If you click the EPG button in the top control bar, the Electronic Program Guide opens in the PC View: The Electronic Program Guide offers you a complete overview not only of the current but also of the future TV schedule. This also lets you record TV shows quickly and simply. EPG program list In the middle part of the window, you see the EPG program list, which is sorted either by time or by channel. Colored symbols indicate the status of a program: Currently running recordings, shows scheduled to be recorded, already recorded shows or TV shows currently being broadcast are marked using different symbols. 33 Pinnacle MediaCenter An information box on the lower edge of the screen displays information about the selected show. Sorting an EPG program list You can sort the EPG program list by time or by channel: Sorting the EPG program list by time When you click the Time button, the current time is displayed in the Time field and all the programs scheduled to be broadcast at that time are listed in the program list. You can now adjust the time information and then display the TV listings of all the available TV stations at one of the times you have indicated: To do this, click the buttons next to the Time field: The time is changed by hour increments and the shows, which are to be broadcast at the newly selected time, are now included on the EPG list. button: If you click on To view the TV schedule of a different day, click the a specific day in the Calendar window which opens, the program that will be broadcast at the indicated time on the day you have selected appears in the EPG list (if this information is available). Sorting the EPG program list by channel After you click the Channel button, the current channel is displayed on the upper edge of the screen and the schedule of the current channel appears in the program list, beginning at the current time. You can now select another channel and display the schedule for this channel. To do this, click the Channel field or use the Select Up/Down buttons. Accessing a schedule in the EPG program list If you would like to see a program currently being broadcast, click the corresponding schedule in the EPG list, and the program will be displayed in the PC View. Recording a program from the EPG program list Using the EPG function, it is easy to record a program. To do this, click the desired program in the EPG program list and then click the Record button: A program that is currently being shown is recorded immediately. The recording for a future program is scheduled. You can tell whether a show is currently being recorded or if a show is scheduled to be recorded by the Record icon in the EPG channel list. 34 Pinnacle MediaCenter Pausing, editing or deleting recordings in the EPG program list You can edit or delete recordings being made right now or recordings scheduled in the future directly in the EPG menu. To do this, click the program you want and then click the Edit button: In the window that now appears, you can pause, edit or delete the recording (refer to the chapter Manual Recording). Manual Recording To schedule a recording manually, click the EPG button in the top control bar and click the Manual Record tab in the window that now appears: Enter the following information for scheduling a recording: Channel Enter the channel of the program to be recorded in this field. To do this, click the Channel field or use the Select Up/Down buttons. Day In this field, enter the day your recording should take place. 35 Pinnacle MediaCenter .. Start time Here, enter the time the scheduled recording should start. End time In this field, enter at what time the scheduled recording should end. Duration Here, you decide how long the scheduled recording should last. Note that after entering the start time and the end time, the duration is automatically calculated. After entering the start time and the duration of a recording, the end time is automatically calculated. Frequency Here you can select the frequency your recording should be repeated (for example, once, daily or weekly). Destination Here, select whether you would like to save your recording on your hard drive or on DVD. Format In this field, select the recording format you want. Device In this field, select the TV hardware which should provide the input to be recorded. If you have multiple Pinnacle TV cards installed, they will be displayed here. 36 Pinnacle MediaCenter Minutes to start in advance Selecting this option starts the recording of a TV show, for example, 5 min. before the set start time. The Pinnacle MediaCenter can also start up the computer in time to start recording; This advantage of this is that when a recording has been scheduled in the future, the computer can be turned off immediately after scheduling the recording. This means you also do not need to be present for the recording because the computer will now be automatically turned on before must recording starts. The show you scheduled will then be recorded. Extra minutes to allow to complete This option lets you take the end time of a recording into account if the start of a recording must be postponed for any reason. The time set pushes the end of the recording back. Shutdown Windows when completed Activate this function if the computer should be turned off after the recording is complete You can also schedule future recordings and use this option to shut the computer down in between recordings; before each further recording, the computer is started up again depending on the pre-start time set (for example, 5 min. beforehand). Save Click the Save button to apply the recording settings you just configured. The detailed recording data day, date, start time, channel and video format are immediately displayed in the Scheduled / Scheduled Recordings tab.The recording settings can changed or deleted here. 37 Pinnacle MediaCenter Recording To get an overview of all the previous and saved recordings, click the EPG button in the top control bar and then the Recorded tab: Here, you see all the currently available recordings including information about the recording date and time. You also see further information for each selected recording in the information box on the lower edge of the screen. If you would like to delete a recording, click the corresponding recording and then click the Delete button. If you click Yes in the dialog window that now appears, the recording will be deleted. 38 Pinnacle MediaCenter Picture-in-Picture Function (PIP) Picture-in-Picture Overview (PIP) Picture-in-Picture (PIP) lets you watch or record more than one TV program at the same time by displaying two or more TV windows. The prerequisite is that you have installed one or more sets of Dual PCTV hardware or at least 2 PCTV hardware variants (internally or externally, each with a tuner). Pinnacle MediaCenter offers you PIP support in each of the available views (Program Mode, also called PC View and TV Mode also called TV View). 39 Pinnacle MediaCenter Picture-in-Picture Function in the PC View Create PIP To create a picture in a picture (PIP), select one of the following options: · · Click the button in the lower control bar. button Open the PIP Selector window by clicking the corresponding in the lower control bar. The PIP Selector dialog then opens. · Open the shortcut menu and select the Create PIP option in the PIP submenu. The TV program, which follows the program last open in the TV program list. It is displayed in a small window. The new window now becomes active. Activate Picture In PC View, you have three options for activating the TV window: · Left-click the window with the picture that should be activated. · In the PIP Selector window, click the entry whose picture you would like to set as active. · Open the shortcut menu and then in the PIP submenu, select the TV program whose picture you would like to activate. 40 Pinnacle MediaCenter Also in the PIP Selector window, the active picture is marked as selected. The selection is highlighted with a lighter-colored background. Switching picture contents Double-click the second TV window (PIP window) to switch the picture contents with the main window; the active TV window is framed in green. Close active window If you do not see the title bar, there could be several reasons for this: · The title bar is invisible. Then you need to move your cursor over the window. The width of the window is too small. In this case, you need to increase the size of the window in order to display the title bar. To do this, move your cursor onto one of the window corners, and while holding down your left mouse button, pull the window to make it bigger. · There are several ways so close the active window: · Click the (Close) button in the title bar of the PIP window. Open the PIP Selector window and select the (Close) option for the window that you would like to close. If you no longer need any of the TV windows, you can close them all at the same time. To do this, open the shortcut menu for the TV window and select the Close All option in the PIP submenu. · 41 Pinnacle MediaCenter Pinnacle MediaCenter Window Formats The Pinnacle MediaCenter lets you switch between various window sizes and window types. These options let you customize the Pinnacle MediaCenter window according to your needs: For example, would you rather play back media directly from your desk while working at you PC or from your TV chair? Do you want your Pinnacle MediaCenter window to take up the entire screen so that you can read all the menu options well even at a distance or do you want to minimize the window so that you can continue working on the PC during playback? Would you like to watch TV or movies or view photos in full screen mode or should the menu remain visible? The Pinnacle MediaCenter is very flexible in accommodating your wishes. The following explains how to display the various types of windows: Pressing the "Full Screen" button on the remote control displays a normalsized window without a preview or information window If you have opened the Pinnacle MediaCenter in normal size and there is no preview or information window in the current menu (for example, the main screen in the TV View) (1), you can switch between the normal-sized Pinnacle MediaCenter window and full screen (2) by pressing the Full Screen button on your remote control. Pressing the "Full Screen" button on your remote control in a full screen window with preview or information window. 42 Pinnacle MediaCenter If you have opened the Pinnacle MediaCenter in full screen size and the menu displayed contains a preview or information window (for example, the TV menu in the Remote View) (1), you can switch between the entire Pinnacle MediaCenter window in full screen and the preview/information window in full screen (2) by pressing the Full Screen button on your remote control. Pressing the "Full Screen" button on your remote control in a normal-sized window with preview or information window. If you have opened the Pinnacle MediaCenter in normal size and the menu displayed contains a preview or information window (for example, the TV menu in the Remote View) (1), you can display the entire Pinnacle MediaCenter window in full screen (2) by pressing the Full Screen button on your remote control. If you press the Full Screen button again, only the preview/information window is displayed in full screen (3). If you press the Full Screen button a third time, you are taken back to the original window, that is, the entire Pinnacle MediaCenter window in normal size (1). Clicking the mouse in a normal-sized window with preview or information window. 43 Pinnacle MediaCenter If you have opened the Pinnacle MediaCenter in normal size and the menu displayed contains a preview or information window (for example, the TV menu in the Remote View) (1), double-clicking will only display the preview/information window in normal size (2). If you double-click again, you are taken back to the entire Pinnacle MediaCenter window in normal size (1). If you have opened the Pinnacle MediaCenter in normal size and the menu displayed contains a preview or information window (for example, the TV menu in the Remote View) (1), you can display the entire Pinnacle MediaCenter window in full screen (4) by clicking the Maximize button in the top control bar or double-clicking the top control bar. If only the TV window is displayed in normal size (2), you can enlarged it to full screen by clicking the Maximize button in the top control bar or double-clicking the top control bar (3). If you double-click again or click the Minimize button, the TV window returns to normal size (2). If you double-click the TV window in full screen (3), you display the entire Pinnacle MediaCenter window in full screen (4). If you double-click again, the TV window appears again in full screen (3). If you click the Minimize button or double-click the top control bar when the Pinnacle MediaCenter is in full screen (4), the Pinnacle MediaCenter window will switch to the original normal size (1). 44 Pinnacle MediaCenter Pinnacle MediaCenter Operating Shortcuts Function PC Function Keys Exit the PMC Switch between full screen and preview window OSD channel list Channel info/Help (depending on remote control) Mute On/Off Switching between the last two channels Volume +/Channel +/OK/Confirm Start page/Menu (P key; depending on remote control) Jump to live position during timeshift playback Record Pause In TV mode: Start timeshift recording Previous Track/Next Track Back (depending on remote control) Play Stop Rewind/Fast forward In teletext mode: Display previous/Next subpage TV Teletext Radio (depending on remote control) EPG Enter numbers 0/AV (switch video input) ALT+F4 ALT+F or ALT+Enter Enter (while watching TV) ALT+I M ALT+L +/- or CTRL+Cursor Up/Down Page Up/Page Down Enter Esc F5 C Space bar Pos1/End Back P S R/F F5 F6 F7 F8 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 0 45 Pinnacle MediaCenter Selection of on-screen menu buttons In teletext mode: Display previous/Next page Switch between letters and numbers (C/N) Delete entry Cursor Cursor Up/Down CTRL+C Del 46 Advanced Settings Advanced Settings Dialog Overview Note that the Advanced Settings dialog can only be operated with your keyboard or your mouse. "Apply" button After configuring settings in any particular dialog, click the Apply button before going to the next dialog in Advanced Settings. Doing this applies the settings immediately. After configuring all the settings you want, you can leave Advanced Settings by clicking OK. 47