Fusion Research EPIC User manual

FUSION RESEARCH
EPIC Movie Servers
Installation Guide
October 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Before you get started... the basics ............................ 4
Chapter 2: Setting up your EPIC Movie Server................................ 7
Chapter 3: Loading movies on a Fusion server ............................. 17
Chapter 4: Navigating your Fusion system ................................. 23
Chapter 5: Managing you movie collection ................................. 35
Chapter 6: Adding additional zone players .................................. 42
Chapter 7: Adding additional storage capacity .............................. 43
Chapter 8: Warranty and repair information ................................ 44
EPIC Movie Server Installation Manual

EPIC Movie Server Installation Manual
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Chapter 1 Before you get started... the basics
THE BASICS:
Fusion’s EPIC Movie Servers are as easy to install and use as a standard DVD
player. There are, however, a few ways to hook it up, depending on the
components you have in your entertainment system.
The EPIC movie servers are an HDMI based product, which means that the
HDMI cable outputs both video and audio together, with up to 1080p stun-
ning resolution and HD surround sound. We’ll cover the following:
• Fusion’sHDMIrequirestwo-waycommunication
• TestyourHDMIhandshakingforerrors
• Settingupcomponentforyoursystem(if necessary)
Tech Tip: If you are connecting the Fusion Media Server through any
kind of Matrix Switch, the common default EDID is Auto or 2 Channel of
audio. This means that you will need to adjust the Fusion Audio settings to
2 Channel or refer to the matrix switch manufacturers manual/technical
support on how to manually set an EDID in order for the device to properly
function
CONNECTING HDMI DIRECTLY TO YOUR TV:
You may connect the HDMI cable directly from your movie server to the TV
for both sound & video. Sound will come from the speakers in the TV and
the audio output will be two-channel stereo.
Tech Tip: In the Setup Menu, you will want to set the Audio Wizard to out-
put “HDMI - Stereo Output” (see Chapter 2 for details) as most televisions
cannot down-mix surround sound.
*Encore Movie Server pictured is for demostration purpose only. Server may
vary from pictured unit

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CONNECTING HDMI TO A RECEIVER (w/HDMI INPUTS):
You may connect the HDMI cable from your movie server to the receiver
for both sound and video. The receiver will take the audio from the HDMI
cable and send the video to the TV.
Note: If you are plugging into a receiver that is powering more than 2
speakers (surround sound), you will want to change your audio setting on
the movie server to “HDMI - Surround Sound”.
CONNECTING TO A RECEIVER (w/out HDMI INPUTS):
You may connect the HDMI cable directly from the movie server to your
television for video. Connect an optical cable (digital toslink) directly
from the movie server to your receiver for audio.
Note which input you’ve plugged the optical cable into on the receiver so
you can select the appropriate input on the front of the receiver.
Using the same Audio Wizard we spoke of earlier, you must set the audio to
“Optical Digital Output”.
Chapter 1 Before you get started... the basics
Optical cable
HDMI cable

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Chapter 1 Before you get started... the basics
HDMI HANDSHAKING:
HDMIisbyfarthemostecient(and in many cases the only) method of
transmitting audio and video from one component to another. Unfortu-
nately there are many issues that go along with this performance and con-
venience. The primary one is losing the “handshake” between two devices.
TherstimportantstepistodetermineifyouevenhaveanHDMIproblem.
MovieserversaredierentfromsimplerdeviceslikeDVDplayersorcable
boxes;theyrequirefulltwo-waycommunicationwiththedisplaydevice.
Steponeistorunaquickandsimpletestduringyourinstallation.AllFu-
sion systems are designed to run 24/7 and typically are left powered on
(although this is not a requirement). Every evening, the unit will reset
itself at approximately 4AM unless a movie is playing on the unit.
Some receivers or displays do not maintain their EDID output (or hand-
shake)whenpoweredo.WhenthishappenstheFusionserverwillloseits
HDMIconnectionandnolongerwillhavethecorrectandrequiredEDIDfor
maintaining proper video output. This is very easy to check for and can be
remedied if discovered.
TESTING FOR HDMI HANDSHAKING ISSUES:
TurnyourreceiverandTVo,thenpoweroandrestarttheFusionserver.
After the server has completely restarted (one full minute), power on the
receiverandTVandcheckforcorrectvideooutput.Ifyourequipment
maintainsitsEDIDproperlythevideowillbene.Ifhowever,youhavea
black screen, the resolution is incorrect, or the picture has shifted, you
have an HDMI handshaking issue.
These types of problems are common enough that there are a number of
manufacturersthatmakeandsellEDIDlearningdevicestoxthisproblem.
Gefen & Atlona both make EDID learning devices which are small adapt-
ers that can be used in-line to maintain EDID. Gefen’s HDMI detective is a
very popular solution, another simple solution is to use a small HDMI switch
which maintains EDID. Be sure to remember NEVER to hot swap or plug
and unplug HDMI cables when equipment is powered up!

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Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
POWERING UP THE SYSTEM:
Fusion movie servers are a hard drive based server with the ability to store
all your DVD and Blu-rays as well as play them back.
Whenplacingthesysteminyourequipmentrackorelsewhere,itisimpor-
tanttoprovideadequateventilation.Allserverbasedproductswillgener-
atesomeheatandwillrequireventilation,failuretoprovideadequate
airowmayresultinharddrivedamageorotherhardwareissues.
To power the unit up or down, touch the front power button once and re-
lease. DO NOT hold the power button down to force the unit to shut-
down. Doing so may damage the operating system.
Tech Tip:Greateorthasbeenmadetoengineerourserversto
beasquietaspossible;howeveritisimportanttounderstandthat
these devices are both a player and a powerful server. The system
will still emit some fan noise, especially under load and thought must be
given to the placement of the unit to keep it cool and well ventilated.
CONNECTIONS ON THE FUSION MOVIE SERVER:
To begin setting up your Fusion server you will need to connect the follow-
ing cables into the device.
Connect the power cable to the server (Fusion servers should always be
plugged into a UPS device)
Connect your HDMI cable to your display
Connectyourhome’sinternetservice(requiredforimportationofmovies)
Connect the IR emitter* into any USB slot on the back of the server
(*IR emitter only ships with Premier and Genesis line models. Encore line
includes built in IR emitter)
Tech Tip: It is important to remember that the IR emitter is small
in form factor and easily misplaced, please be mindful of this
when unboxing and setting up the Fusion Media Server. If you are
connecting the Fusion Movie Server with a IP control system and not using
IR, you will still want to make sure that the factory IR emitter and remote
are not misplaced as these are helpful tools to have when troubleshooting.

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Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
INITIAL SETUP:
Once you have all the connections in place, power the system on and you
should see the screen below.
NOTE: Servers may have 1 or 2 titles pre-installed as part of the
preparation process for shipping
To complete the setup of the system, use the supplied IR remote and hit
the i button to bring up the [Main Menu] screen. From here you will be
able to complete the setup of the system using the remote.
*All further mentionings of [Main Menu] refer to the pressing of the
i button on the Fusion provided remote.

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REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS:
Fusion servers and players ship with supplied generic media center IR re-
motes. Fusion is not a media center product, we’ve merely shared the IR
codes, making the use of many types of remotes possible.
These remotes can be used for controlling the system, however their
main purpose is to help you setup a universal-type IR remote or IP
control system.Here are some of the functions available on the remote:
*Please be aware your remote may dier from pictured
Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
Navigation buttons:
Up, Down, Left &
Right.
The [OK] button
selects the various
onscreen options.
Menu Button:
Brings up system
menus as well as
disc menus when in
playback mode.
Transport buttons:
All the standard
movie playback
functions
Exit Button
Disc Menu Button
(When playing a movie)
Sidebar Menu (in GUI)
OSD Menu
(When playing a movie) Sort Movies
Filter Movies
% Button:
Allows you to skip to
a percentage of the
movie collection or
into the movie itself.
i.e. 3 = 30%, 6 = 60%

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Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
REQUIRED SOFTWARE:
Fusion Movie Servers have been designed to store home movies and
unencrypted DVD & Blu-ray movies. Fusion does not condone any other use
for this product and suggests owners should respect the copyrights of others.
If you are going to store your own commercially encrypted DVDs or Blu-
rayyouwillrstneedtopurchasealicenseofAnyDVDHD.Onceyouhave
purchased a license you will need to take the registration key they email to
you and put it on a USB key. Insert that USB key into an available USB slot on
your server.
Once you’ve done that, bring up the [Main Menu], then select [Setup Menu]
and then [Disc]. You will then navigate down to the Manage AnyDVD utility,
click [Manage], then [Install].
OncetheAnyDVDHDhasnishedinstalling,itwillautomaticallyreboot
the system. When the GUI comes back up you will now be able to remove
the USB key and insert a DVD or Blu-ray into the drive and the system will
automaticallyndthemovieinformationandbegintheimportprocess.

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Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
COMMERCIALLY ENCRYPTED MOVIES:
Fusion fully respects the rights of IP and media copyright holders. Fusion does not
condone illegal copying or distribution of any copyrighted materials. No Fusion
product ships with decryption software that may be used to violate copyright laws.
Any use of Fusion products for any illegal purpose is strictly prohibited. All users of
Fusion products should own all content stored on the product including, music and
videos. All other content license rules and regulations as dened by the copyright
holder shall be adhered to including but not limited to the prohibition of any
illegal distribution or copying of any content that has been loaded onto the server.
In no event shall Fusion or its resellers be liable for any losses dues to illegal use
of this product or any incidental, exemplary, special, or consequential damages
regardless of whether Fusion was advised of the possibility of such damages.
VIDEO RESOLUTION SETUP:
When connecting via HDMI, the system may set the correct resolution for
the display automatically. If it does not, it’s easy to set in the menu. Open
the [Main Menu] and then select [Setup]/[Machine]/[Set Up Video ].

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Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
To adjust the resolution, select the resolution option and adjust to the
desired setting.
Along with the resolution you can adjust the screen saver timer (by minute)
orturnitocompletely.
FUSION INTERFACE ADJUSTMENTS:
You can also adjust the Graphic User Interface or GUI overscan settings.
You’ll want to do this when the GUI is larger than the display itself, (i.e.
a Plasma display).
TechTip:FusionMovieServersdosomethinguniquebydecoupling
the GUI (the movie interface) from the video playback engine (the
movie itself). This enables the user to set the GUI separately.
You’d want to use this when setting up a server in a projector system with
an anamorphic lens and a 2.35-1 ratio screen. The GUI will be full screen
but the movie will still be untouched and ready for an anamorphic lens.

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Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
VIDEO PLAYBACK ADJUSTMENTS:
It is rare to need to adjust the underscan of the actual video playback
engine,butshouldthisberequiredyouwillneedtonavigatetothe[Main
Menu]and select [Set Up]/[Set Up Video]. Here you will be able to adjust
the playback engine similarly to how you adjusted the GUI previously.
While you are in this screen you may also adjust the rows of movie titles
you will see on the screen (default is three). You can also show or hide the
advanced tab that appears on the movie detail screen.
The advanced tab allows the user to update the cover art and meta data of
a movie or delete a movie, right from the main detail screen.
An example of a Fusion GUI stretched for a 2.35:1 screen

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AUDIO SETUP:
You may set the audio outputs for DVD and Blu-ray playback separately.
This can be accomplished by opening the [Main Menu]. From the [Main
Menu] select [Setup]/[Video].
Within the [Video] menu will need to adjust the [Blu-ray Setting] and [DVD
Setting] to the appropriate audio output.
Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server
Blu-ray Settings Menu
DVD Settings Menu

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Alternatelyyoucanusethe[AudioWizard]*toconguretheaudiooutputs
together.
*The [Audio Wizard] is not available on all Fusion Movie Servers and that
thesemodelsrequiretheaudioplaybacktobeconguredseparately.
To access the [Audio Wizard] you will want to go to the [Main Menu] and
then select [Set Up]/[Machine]/[Set Up Audio].
This will open the [Audio Wizard]. You will then simply need to select
the appropriate output setting and click apply. All audio settings will be
congured.
Anyaudiooutputchangeswilltakeeectimmediately,NOREBOOTINGis
required.
NOTE: All Fusion Media Servers only have one audio source hot at a time.
If you require digital surround and analog audio to be hot at the same
time you will need to purchase a Zone Player to decode the addition audio
stream.
You are not able to run HDMI output and analog output at the same time.
Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server

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SETTING THE IP ADDRESS:
Fusion Movie Servers ship with a Dynamic IP set. Every time the system is
poweredon,itwillacquireanavailableIPaddress.Ifyouareusingonly
one server (no additional zone players) and an IR remote to control the
server, you may leave it on a Dynamic IP.
If, however, you are installing several Zone Players, using additional NAS
storage devices or are controlling the system with an IP-based home
automation control system, you will want to set a static IP address. This
will ensure that the machines will ALWAYS communicate with each other
correctly. You will also want to copy the Gateway and DNS from your router
to make sure that our system can contact our database during importation.
TechTip: When setting a static IP, you should always set it outside
the normal dynamic range of your router (i.e. x.x.x.50 - x.x.x.100).
Thisensuresthatyou’llnevergetanIPconictwhenanother
device is turned on that accesses the network. If you are uncertain on how
to set up a Static IP please consult a network specialist to ensure proper
networkconguration.
Chapter 2 Setting Up Your Fusion Movie Server

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Chapter 3 Loading Movies onto a Fusion Movie Server
TWO WAYS TO LOAD MOVIES ONTO A FUSION SYSTEM:
There are two primary ways to load movies onto a Fusion Movie Server.
1. Loading a DVD or Blu-ray directly in the front of the server
2. Loading a DVD or Blu-ray through a PC on the home network
TechTip: DVDs and Blu-ray don’t actually have any movie
information or cover art on the discs themselves; they only
haveanumericalidenticationcode.Fusionserversareable
to catalog and provide this movie information by contacting the Fusion
Online Database when the disc is loaded. Once loaded, the information is
permanently saved and stored onto your system.
AN INTERNET CONNECTION IS REQUIRED TO LOAD MOVIES!
LOADING VIA THE FRONT TRAY ON THE SERVER:
This is probably the easiest method to load a DVD or Blu-ray onto the system.
Simply insert the disc into the tray or slot on the front of the machine and
allow it approximately a minute to spool and identify the disc.
Note: As discussed previously in this manual, to load a commercially
encrypted disc, you’ll have already needed to purchase AnyDVD HD software
and registered it on our server. For home movies, this is not required.
When importing from the front tray you may
physically scroll over and click [import] or if you
do nothing, the disc will automatically begin
to import after 30 seconds. This automatic
import service for both DVD & Blu-ray is called
EasyLoad™.

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OncethemoviehasbeenidentiedintheFusionOnlineDatabaseyouwill
be given the following options:
1. Play the physical disc
2. Import
3. Eject the disc
As mentioned earlier, if no command has been issued after 30 seconds, the
system will automatically import the disc.
IF THE SYSTEM CANNOT FIND THE MOVIE INFORMATION:
Fusion’s database system currently has over 120,000 cataloged titles and
grows every day. If a movie cannot be found, a keyboard screen will pop
up and allow you to put the title of the movie in yourself.
It is very important to type out the complete title of the movie
exactly as it appears on the disc itself, you only get one
opportunity to title the disc.
Chapter 3 Loading Movies onto a Fusion Movie Server

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Chapter 3 Loading Movies onto a Fusion Movie Server
Note: It is normal for the system to take several minutes of searching be-
fore it gives up and allows you to put in the title manually.
Once you’ve entered the title information, the system will do a smart
searchtotryandndthecorrectcoverartandmetadatainformation.It
will then repeat the opportunity to either import manually or automatically
after 30 seconds.
If you’ve loaded a disc and no cover art or metadata is found, a report is
sentFusion’sheadquarters.Wehaveateamofpeoplewhocorrectthe
movie information in the database. A general rule of thumb is to give
us 3-5 business days to correct the information. Then select the movie,
navigate over to the [Advanced] tab (if enabled from the setup menu) and
select the [Update Metadata] option. This will research our database and
correct any movie information that is missing or inaccurate.
TechTip: You also have the opportunity to correct the movie data
yourself using the Fusion Media Manager software on a PC on your
home network. Alternatively, you can email us at dvd_movie@
fusionrd.comtoalertustothefactthatyou’veloadedatitlerequiring
metadata correction.
LOADING TIMES:
Loading times of movies can vary greatly. There are a number of factors
tobetakenintoaccount.Obviouslythesizeofthediscistherstconsid-
eration. (A DVD averages around 6.5GB, a Blu-ray can be anywhere from
25GB-50GB.)Scratches,ngerprintsandmanufacturingimperfectionscan
also cause the loading process to take much longer as the system tries to
correctforthesedecienciesthatmaypushtheprocessoveranhour.
Look for between 20-40 minutes as an average load time.

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Chapter 3 Loading Movies onto a Fusion Movie Server
LOADING INTERNATIONAL TITLES:
BothDVD&Blu-ray’shavedierentregioncodesbuiltintothediscs.DVDs
are numbered (1-6 are the primary regions - US is region 1, Europe region
2). Blu-ray are lettered (A,B,C - US is region A, Europe is region B). Some
discs are listed as region ‘free’ or region ‘all’ and will play everywhere
across the world. Discs should have their region marked somewhere on the
dust jacket or on the disc itself. If it is not marked, it will probably be all
regions.
Multiple regions can be imported and played back in a Fusion system, but
care should be taken during the loading process to ensure that it is loaded
correctly or the disc will not play back.
To change the region before importing a disc, select the main menu and
navigate to [Set Up]/[Disc]/AnyDVD [Manage]. From this screen, highlight
[Edit Regions] and click OK.
Simply change the appropriate region and click [Apply]. Now import the
disc. (Be sure to set the system back to it’s regular settings afterwards.)