ATI Technologies MULTIMEDIA CENTER 8.2 User manual

i
ATI Multimedia Center 8.2
User’s Guide
P/N 137-70480-10
Copyright © 2003, ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
ATI and all ATI product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features,
performance and specifications are subject to change without notice. Product may not
be exactly as shown in the diagrams.
Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form, without the express written
permission of ATI Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited.

ii
Disclaimer
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
document, ATI Technologies Inc. assumes no liability with respect to
the operation or use of ATI hardware, software or other products and
documentation described herein, for any act or omission of ATI
concerning such products or this documentation, for any interruption of
service, loss or interruption of business, loss of anticipatory profits, or
for punitive, incidental or consequential damages in connection with
the furnishing, performance, or use of the ATI hardware, software, or
other products and documentation provided herein.
ATI Technologies Inc. reserves the right to make changes without
further notice to a product or system described herein to improve
reliability, function or design. With respect to ATI products which this
document relates, ATI disclaims all express or implied warranties
regarding such products, including but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-
infringement.

iii
Contents
Using Your ATI Multimedia Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Starting ATI Multimedia Center.................................................................... 2
Starting from LaunchPad........................................................................ 2
Starting from Windows® taskbar...........................................................3
Online Help.................................................................................................... 3
ATI REMOTE WONDER™......................................................................... 3
Multimedia Center Configuration Tool .......................................................4
TV ......................................................................................................6
Setting up TV ........................................................................................7
Sizing the TV display.............................................................................8
TV Feature menu.................................................................................... 9
TV keyboard shortcuts ......................................................................... 11
TV display settings............................................................................... 13
TV video settings..................................................................................15
TV Tuner settings................................................................................. 16
TV Stills Gallery settings..................................................................... 19
TV Schedule settings............................................................................ 19
ATI TV Bar ..........................................................................................20
Channel Surfing.................................................................................... 21
Closed Captioning................................................................................ 22
HotWords™ ......................................................................................... 24
TV Magazine........................................................................................ 25
External Captions support .................................................................... 27
Secondary Audio Program (SAP) ........................................................ 28
Zooming and panning...........................................................................28
THRUVIEW™..................................................................................... 29
Channel Lockout .................................................................................. 30
Parental Control.................................................................................... 31
Recording Video and still images ........................................................ 32
Personal Video Recorder.............................................................. 34
Personal Video Recorder settings......................................................... 35
One Touch Record................................................................................ 39
Achieving the best results with MPEG video recording...................... 40
MULTVIEW™............................................................................................ 42
MULTVIEW audio requirements ........................................................ 43
MULTVIEW keyboard shortcuts......................................................... 44

iv
Media Library..................................................................................45
Filtering files ........................................................................................ 46
Converting media files ......................................................................... 46
Making Playlists................................................................................... 47
External Captions support .................................................................... 47
Recommended content deletion ........................................................... 47
TV Listings...................................................................................... 49
Setting up TV Listings ......................................................................... 50
Getting around...................................................................................... 51
Recording ............................................................................................. 51
Viewing ................................................................................................ 52
Views.................................................................................................... 52
Filter options......................................................................................... 53
Actors tab ............................................................................................. 53
Categories tab....................................................................................... 54
Searches................................................................................................ 54
Favorite search ..................................................................................... 54
Movies tab............................................................................................ 55
Schedules tab........................................................................................ 56
Searches tab.......................................................................................... 56
Setting search parameters..................................................................... 57
Sports tab.............................................................................................. 58
Stations tab ........................................................................................... 58
Titles tab............................................................................................... 59
Days and dates......................................................................................59
Stills Gallery................................................................................... 60
Stills Gallery settings............................................................................ 60
CD Audio......................................................................................... 62
CD Audio keyboard shortcuts.............................................................. 63
CD Audio settings................................................................................ 64
CD Audio preferences settings............................................................. 65
CD Database......................................................................................... 65
CD Audio Schedule settings................................................................. 66
Video CD......................................................................................... 67
Video CD Feature menu....................................................................... 68
Video CD keyboard shortcuts ..............................................................69
Capturing still frames from Video CDs ............................................... 70
Zooming and Panning ..........................................................................70
Video CD Display settings................................................................... 71
Video CD Closed Caption settings.......................................................72
Video CD Preferences settings............................................................. 73
Video CD Stills Gallery settings .......................................................... 73

v
File Player.......................................................................................74
File Player Feature menu...................................................................... 76
File Player shortcut keys ...................................................................... 77
THRUVIEW™..................................................................................... 78
Zooming and Panning ..........................................................................79
File Player Display settings.................................................................. 80
File Player Preferences settings............................................................ 81
File Player Closed Caption settings...................................................... 81
External Captions support .................................................................... 82
File Player Stills Gallery settings......................................................... 82
File Player Schedule settings................................................................ 83
Schedule.........................................................................................83
Schedule settings ................................................................................. 84
TV Out......................................................................................................... 85
Multi-Monitor Support................................................................................ 86
Teletext ........................................................................................... 86
Troubleshooting........................................................................................... 87
Audio problems ...................................................................................87
Video problems ... .............................................................................. 92
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

vi

1
Using Your
ATI Multimedia Center
This chapter explains how to use the special features that your
ATI Multimedia Center offers. The Multimedia Center is a
suite of products that provides TV, Video CD, CD Audio, File
Player, and Media Library in one package.
Starting ATI Multimedia Center 2
Online Help 3
ATI REMOTE WONDER™ 3
Multimedia Center Configuration Tool 4
TV 6
ATI TV Bar 20
Media Library 45
Personal Video Recorder 34
MULTVIEW™ 42
Media Library 45
TV Listings 49
Stills Gallery 60
CD Audio 62
Video CD 67
File Player 74
Schedule 83
TV Out 85
Multi-Monitor Support 86
Teletext 86
Troubleshooting 87

2 Starting ATI Multimedia Center
Starting ATI Multimedia Center
Starting from LaunchPad
The LaunchPad provides a
convenient way to start all
your Multimedia Center features — just click the feature you
want. LaunchPad opens automatically when you start your
computer, or if you prefer, you can right-click LaunchPad, and
uncheck Load on Startup in the drop-down menu.
• To dock LaunchPad, right-click it, then click Dock in the
menu. To change the docking position, right-click
LaunchPad while it is docked, point to Side , then choose a
location.
• To change the size of the LaunchPad when it is not docked,
double-click it or right-click it, and choose a size.
The buttons in the right side of LaunchPad let you access your
desktop settings, get Help, and close LaunchPad. If your
system does not have a TV tuner, Video In appears in place of
TV in the LaunchPad.
Certain Multimedia Center features use some of the
same resources. If you try to start one of these
features while another is running, a resource conflict
message appears. You have up to four choices:
•Run both features with reduced performance, where
possible.
•Suspend the first feature while the other is active.
•Close the first feature.
•Press Cancel to continue without starting the second
feature.
i

Online Help 3
Starting from Windows
®
taskbar
1In the Windows taskbar, click Start, then point at
Programs .
2Point at ATI Multimedia Center , then select
CD Audio,LaunchPad, File Player, TV, Video CD,
Media Library, or Configuration.
For information about using the ATI Multimedia Center
features, see the online help.
Online Help
Feature Help. Click the Help button in any display panel to
open the online help.
Context-Sensitive Help. Context-sensitive help is always
available for each feature; just press the F1 key.
Tool Tips. Simply move the mouse cursor over a control to see
a description of its purpose. As you become familiar with your
ATI Multimedia Center, you may want to turn off Tool Tips —
click the Show Tool Tips checkbox in the Display tab (for more
information, see TV display settings on page 13).
ATI Desktop Help. For help on your ATI video card’s graphics
features, double-click the ATI icon in the lower-right corner of
your screen.
Internet. Click http://www.ati.com/support/index.html for
product support, including driver downloads, technical and
warranty information.
ATI REMOTE WONDER
™
The ATI REMOTE WONDER replaces all the
functionality of a mouse in all Windows software
applications. If you have an ATI graphics card installed
in your system, you will also enjoy additional control
over ATI software. For complete information and
installation instructions, see the ATI REMOTE
WONDER Installation Guide that came with your card.
F1

4 Multimedia Center Configuration Tool
Multimedia Center Configuration Tool
When the Multimedia Center is running, you access settings via
the Settings dialogs. You can also use the Multimedia Center
Configuration Tool to access TV settings, PC Check, file types,
and skin settings for the following purposes.
• To modify settings that do not change regularly
• To change settings and run diagnostics when the Multimedia
Center is not running
• To modify advanced settings that should only be changed if
absolutely necessary
To open the Multimedia Center Configuration Tool
from LaunchPad
Click the Configuration
Tool button in the
Launchpad. For information on LaunchPad, see page 2.
from Windows
®
taskbar
1In Windows taskbar, click Start, then point at Programs.
2Point at ATI Multimedia Center, then select
Configuration.
To access TV settings
Click the TV tab in the Multimedia Center Configuration Tool.
The TV page provides settings for the Video Capture Source. If
your system has multiple video decoders, select the one that
Multimedia Center TV should use as its default.
To access file types
File Types displays how files are associated with different
Multimedia Center applications. Click the File Types tab in the
Multimedia Center Configuration Tool.

Multimedia Center Configuration Tool 5
To access PC Check
PC Check evaluates your computer system to determine if it is
correctly set up for multimedia playback. If your computer fails
any of the tests, PC Check recommends corrective action.
1In Windows Taskbar, click Start, point at Programs, point
at ATI Multimedia Center, then select Configuration.
A warning dialog appears, which identifies any pre-test
requirements you should be aware of.
2To start the tests, click the Run Tests button.
The tests last approximately 45 seconds. When they are
complete, you can click the Details button to see the test
results.
To access skins settings
Click the Skins tab in the Multimedia Center Configuration
Tool, and select skins for your Multimedia Center components.
The test results are best estimates; they may not be
100% accurate.
i
Modern Classic
Tranquility Zero-G

6 TV
TV
Watch Television on your
computer! You can receive
up to 125 cable television
channels and 70 antenna
channels in smooth, full-
motion video on the whole
screen or in a window.
TV delivers advanced
features: Closed
Captioning, Personal
Video Recorder, Still Capture, Channel Surfing, Scheduled
Events, TV Listings, Parental Control, and more.
When you click the logo in the upper left corner of the display
panel, the “About...” notice appears. If you have more than one
feature installed, a Task menu displays available and active
features.
For information about using TV controls, see the online help
and Tool Tips.
To start TV
from LaunchPad
Click the TV button in the
Launchpad. For
information on LaunchPad, see page 2.
from Windows
®
taskbar
1In the Windows taskbar, click Start, then point at
Programs .
2Point at ATI Multimedia Center , then select TV.
You can also start TV from other Multimedia Center
features installed on your system. Click the ATI logo in
the feature’s control panel or display panel, then click TV.
•All channels may not be available in all countries.
•Not all TV features are available with Video-In cards.
i

TV 7
Setting up TV
The first time you start TV, you must complete the Initialization
Wizard. After that, the Wizard will not run unless you want to
re-run it in order to change settings. The Initialization Wizard
guides you quickly and easily through setting up TV channels,
Parental Control, Sound, and Recording Format.
Initialization Wizard
Click the Setup button, then click the Display tab.
Click the Initialization Wizard... button. The TV Channels
Initialization Wizard appears. Follow the Wizard’s instructions
to select cable or antenna, choose the broadcast standard, and to
scan for active channels.
Click Next >. The TV Parental Control Initialization Wizard
appears. Follow the Wizard’s instructions to set or change your
Parental Control password.
If your computer has an ATI ALL-IN-WONDER video card and
an ATI TV WONDER video card, clicking Next > opens the
MULTVIEW™settings page, where you can enable
MULTVIEW (Picture in Picture), specify the MULTVIEW
window position, and enable dual monitor display.
Click Next >. The Sound Initialization Wizard appears.
Follow the Wizard’s instructions to set up your audio
connection. Line-In is the most common connection.
• If you do not hear TV audio, ensure that the TV is tuned to a
broadcasting channel, and that you have made the correct
audio connections. See Troubleshooting on page 87 for more
information.
•Passwords are optional, case-sensitive, and must
be at least three characters in length.
•If you forget your password, you will have to uninstall
and reinstall your TV software.
MULTVIEW is not available with ALL-IN-WONDER VE
cards.
i
i

8 TV
Click Next >. The Recording Format Initialization Wizard
appears. Follow the Wizard’s instructions to select the default
recording format.
Click Next >. The End of Initialization Wizard panel appears.
Click Finish to complete TV setup.
Sizing the TV display
You can resize the TV display using the mouse, the Maximize
button, or CTRL key combination.
• The F2 key hides/shows the control panel, to save desktop
space.
To resize the TV display using the mouse
Drag the display’s border. The TV display maintains a fixed
aspect ratio (width-to-height) of 4:3 to avoid picture distortion
(to change this, see TV display settings on page 13).
To display TV in full-screen
Press CTRL+F or ALT+F to toggle between full-screen and the
current size, or click the Maximize button. To return to the
previous size, press the Esc key.

TV 9
To display preset sizes using the CTRL key
TV Feature menu
You can access TV functions by right-clicking on the control
panel or the viewing area of the display panel. This is very
useful in full-screen mode.
Tiny CTRL+1
Small CTRL+2
Medium CTRL+3
Large CTRL+4
Toggle between full screen and
current size CTRL+F ALT+F
Increase size of display panel CTRL + Up Arrow
Decrease size of display panel CTRL + Down Arrow
Selection Function
Setup Opens the TV setup page.
Always
On Top Displays TV on top of other applications.
Show
Control Panel Shows the TV Control panel.
THRUVIEW™If your computer uses a RADEON or later video card,
THRUVIEW Desktop and THRUVIEW Window are
available.
THRUVIEW Desktop: The current panel appears full-
screen as a translucent layer on top of all other windows
when minimized.
THRUVIEW Window: The current panel appears as a
translucent layer on top of any other windows, allowing
you to work and watch TV at the same time.
Ctrl

10 TV
Selection Function
Video
Size Indicates the sizes available for the current panel:
Tiny 160 x 120 pixels
Small 240 x 180 pixels
Medium 320 x 240 pixels
Large 640 x 480 pixels
Full Screen
Aspect Ratio Selects the width-to-height ratio for the video window:
Non-Fixed Allows the window to be stretched
to any proportions.
Standard Standard aspect ratio for
4:3 television broadcast.
Letterbox (16:9, 1.85:1, 2.35:1)
Crops the top and bottom of the
frame to fit a wider window.
Widescreen (16:9, 1.85:1, 2.35:1)
Scales the entire image
to fit a wider window.
Connector Specifies the video input:
TV Tuner Selects TV Tuner input.
Composite Selects composite video input.
S-Video Selects S-Video input.
Sound
Mode Sets the audio mode:
Captions Displays closed captions
when muted when audio is muted.
Stereo Enables stereo TV audio.
Both Plays both standard and SAP audio tracks.
SAP Enables the Secondary Audio Program.
Mono Enables monaural TV audio.
Closed
Captions Specifies how closed captioned text is displayed. You can also enable the HotWords and TV Magazine features.
(See HotWords™ on page 24 and TV Magazine on
page 25.)
Zooming Selects the zoom ratio (2x, 4x, or 8x) or Unzoom if
already zoomed. See Zooming and panning on page 28.
About... Displays the About... dialog.
Exit Closes TV.

TV 11
TV keyboard shortcuts
You can use the following keys to control TV from your
keyboard.
Command Key(s)
Pause Ctrl + B
Play Ctrl + X
Volume up / down
(numeric keypad)
- / +ÍÎ
(alphanumeric keypad)
_/ =, -/ +
Channel up / down Ï/ Ð
Setup Ctrl + S
Toggle closed captions Ctrl + C
Unzoom Alt + Z
Still capture Ctrl + Insert
Size presets (Tiny, Small, Medium,
Large) Ctrl + 1 — Ctrl + 4
Toggle full screen Ctrl + F
Exit full screen Esc
Cycle through Size up / down Ctrl + Ï/ Ctrl + Ð
Parental Control lock / unlock Ctrl + L
Record Ctrl + R
Help F1
Hide control panel F2
Hide video panels and borders;
video panel snaps to edge F3
Always on top F4

12 TV
Command Key(s)
THRUVIEW window (Blended
Window, regardless of settings in
Display Settings page) F5
THRUVIEW Desktop (Blended
Desktop, regardless of settings in
Display Settings page) F6
Video Desktop, regardless of
settings in Display Settings page) F7
Minimize without Video Desktop or
THRUVIEW F8
Set Analog TV Tuner input
connector Alt + 1
Set Composite TV Tuner input
connector Alt + 2
Set S-Video TV Tuner input
connector Alt + 3
Exit TV Alt + F4
About Alt + A

TV 13
TV display settings
The Display settings page lets you control how video is
displayed in TV.
To open the Display settings page
Click the Setup button in the TV control panel, then click
the Display tab.
Selection Function
Video
Size Size Selects the size for the current panel.
Aspect Ratio
Sets the width-to-height ratio for the current panel:
Standard 4:3Standard television.
Letterbox Crops the top and bottom of the frame
to fit a wider window.
Widescreen Scales the video frame to fit a
wider window.
Crop Video
Trims the outside edges of the video frame.
Tool
Tips Show Tool Tip Show helpful aids for using TV when you point at a control
with your mouse.
Show Shortcut
Show keyboard shortcuts when you point at a control with
your mouse.

14 TV
Selection Function
Display
Feature When Minimized Controls how TV behaves when minimized:
Minimize TV TV becomes an icon on your desktop.
Video TV display replaces your
Desktop desktop pattern.
THRUVIEW Blended Window: The current panel
appears as a translucent layer on top
of any other windows.
Blended Desktop: The current panel
appears in full screen as a translucent
layer on top of any other windows.
Always On Top
Displays TV on top of other applications.
Auto Hide Controls when in full screen
Hides TV controls when displaying TV in full screen. If
you move your mouse, the controls re-appear
Hide
Player
Hotkey
Specify a keyboard key that hides/displays TV. This is
useful when you want to do other work while recording or
using HotWords.
Initialization
Wizard Re-runs the Initialization Wizard. See Initialization Wizard on page 7.