Gateway Media Center User manual

Media Center
User Guide

2
Notices
© 2005 Gateway, Inc. All rights reserved.Gateway, the Gateway stylized logo, and the black-and-
white spot design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gateway, Inc. in the United States and
other countries. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies.

3
Planning your Media Center setup 4
Getting ready to set up
Media Center resources 6
Setting up Media Center hardware 8
Setting up optional computer connections 11
Turning on and setting up software 14
Learning about the remote control 17
Using Media Center 18
Media Center FAQs 22
Getting more information 25
Note: Your computer may vary from the following illustrations.

4
PlanningyourMediaCentercomputersetup
Video source—Make sure that you have access
to a video source before setting up your Media
Center computer. Your computer can receive video
input through coaxial and S-Video cables. The
video source is usually an antenna, a direct cable
TV connection, a cable box, or a satellite receiver.
Cable boxes and satellite receivers are also called
set-top boxes .
You’ve probably already decided where you want to set
up and use your Media Center computer, but before
you start connecting computer components, take a few
minutes to make sure that all of these connections are
available in the location you’ve selected.
Locate connections
Internet connection—Your computer needs an
Internet connection to update the program guide
and to access the Internet. Make sure that you have
access to a dial-up or broadband Internet connection
before starting your Media Center software
setup. Contact your Internet service provider for
more information about setting up your Internet
connection.

5
Remove the computer components from the packaging
and lay them out for easy access during the setup
process.
Identify Media Center
computer components
Remote Control—Lets you remotely control the
Media Center Guide, TV, videos, DVDs, music,
pictures, recorded TV programs, volume levels,
and more. The remote control included with your
Media Center may look different than the one shown
below.
Batteries—Two AA batteries for the wireless remote
control.
Remote sensor (Infrared “IR” receiver)—
Receives and sends signals to and from the remote
control. The sensor included with your Media Center
may look different than this.
Infrared (IR) control cable—Sends input from the
remote sensor to a set-top box to change channels.
FM antenna—Receives FM radio signals. (optional)

6
Monitor Guide
The monitor or display device
guide provides information about
using and adjusting your display
device settings.
GettingreadytosetupMediaCenterresources
Now that you’ve located an Internet connection and
a video source and have identified the computer
components, use the step-by-step instructions in this
guide to help set up your Media Center computer and
software. Also, use the other documents and information
resources described here to help you set up and use the
Media Center computer and software.
Sound System Setup Poster
(Optional) The sound system setup poster helps you connect
your audio system.If you purchased a sound system with your
Media Center computer, follow the setup poster instructions.If
you are connecting your Media Center computer to an existing
sound system, see “Connecting the Media Center to an existing
home stereo or home theater” on page 13.
Documentation
Setup Poster
The setup poster helps you set up your
computer and other devices.

7
Windows XP Media Center
Edition Guide
The Microsoft Windows XP Media
Center Edition guide provides
information about configuring
the Media Center software, tips
about using the Media Center, and
troubleshooting information. Web site
You can get the latest FAQs, information, and tips and
tricks about making the most of your Media Center
experience by going to the Microsoft Media Center Web
site at microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/ and the
Gateway Support Web site at
support.gateway.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/.
Computer Guide
Your Gateway computer
user guide provides
instructions for using your
Media Center computer and
troubleshooting information
to solve problems.
Windows Update
Remember to keep the Windows operating system
updated by installing updates as they become available.
When an update is available, Windows will automatically
prompt you to install them.

8
Connect the remote sensor
SettingupMediaCenterhardware
1Connect the remote sensor to any USB port on
your computer. If your remote sensor does not
have the USB cable already attached to it, attach
the USB cable to the USB port on the back of the
sensor.
2Position the remote sensor
so the remote control has
a direct, unobstructed view
of the sensor.The remote
control has a range of 23
feet and can be used up
to about 22° from the
centerline of the
sensor.
Set up the computer
Now that you’re familiar with the components, connect
them to your Media Center computer.
•Before setting up the Media Center hardware,
make sure that you have:
• Set up your computer
• Set up your display device
• Set up the sound system (optional)
If you use aTV as the Media Center display device
instead of a display device provided by Gateway,
see Connecting a TV on page 11.
Install the remote
control batteries
Insert two AA batteries into the remote control.
•
Match the
+ and – on
the batteries
with the + and –
symbols inside the
battery compartment.
Note: Your computer’s ports may vary.

9
If the video devices connected to your computer are not grounded
correctly, your computer could be damaged.For more information
about correct grounding, see your Gateway computer user guide.
Connect the video and audio source
The quality of the video coming into the Media Center computer
determines the quality of the video output to the Media Center display
device. A direct cable connection, cable set-top box, or satellite set-top
box usually provides a better quality signal than an antenna. Use the
highest quality video source available for best results.
The quality of cable used to connect the video source to the Media
Center computer has an affect on the video output quality from the
computer.Use high quality video cables to connect the video source to
the computer.
1
Connect a coaxial cable (not included)
from a video device (such as a direct cable
connection, a cable set-top box, a satellite
set-top box, or an antenna) to the Coaxial In
(TV) port on the back of your computer.
Connect an S-Video cable (not included) from
a video source (such as a cable set-top box,
a satellite set-top box, or other video device)
to the S-Video In jack on the back of your
computer.
Connect an RCA cable (not included) from
the Audio Out jacks on the video device to
the audio In RCA jacks on the back of your
computer.
2
•
S-Video
Coaxial (TV)
- OR -
Your Media Center computer has connectors for S-Video
or coaxial (TV) cables.Select the connector that your video
source supports:
• S-Video—S-Video signals provide the sharpest picture.
If you use S-Video, you also need to connect the audio
using RCA stereo cables.
• Coaxial (TV)—The video and audio signals are both
carried on one cable.The coaxial cable is the way to
connect a direct cable or an antenna video source to
the Media Center.
Note: Your computer’s ports may vary.

10
Connect the IR control cable
If your Media Center configuration uses a set-top box for
the video source to the Media Center computer, connect
the infrared (IR) control cable to the remote sensor and
attach the IR control to the set-top box IR sensor window.
The IR control cable sends input from the remote sensor
to your set-top box to change channels.
1
Locate the IR sensor on the set-top box by
shining a flashlight through the set-top box IR
sensor window. Look for a 1/2- to 3/8-inch metallic
rectangle with a 1/8-inch dark circle in the middle.
This is the IR sensor.
2
3
4
The Media Center IR control cable sends infrared signals to your
set-top box or satellite receiver. However, some set-top boxes are
set to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from the remote control.
Before using the Media Center remote control, make sure that the
set-top box is set to accept infrared signals.See your set-top box
guide for information about remote settings.
Remove the adhesive paper from the back of
the IR control.
Place the sticky side of the IR control on the
set-top box sensor window.Make sure that the
infrared control is placed directly in front of the
IR sensor that you located in Step 2.
Plug the IR control cable into any 1/8-inch jack
on the back of the remote sensor. (The sensor
included with your computer may look different.)

11
Settingupoptionalcomputerconnections
You can use a TV as a display device. However, some
older TVs provide a lower quality display than computer
monitors or flat-panel TVs that are optimized for the
Media Center.
The Media Center computer provides display outputs
from a VGA (monitor) port or an S-Video port. Select the
highest quality port that your TV supports:
• VGA—Best. If yourTV has a VGA port, use this.
• S-Video—Good. S-Video display quality is usually
good for TV images.The display quality for the
Media Center computer functions, however, is not as
good as VGA output. S-Video display output is not
optimized for computer video display.
By default, if your display device was purchased with the Media Center
computer, the computer uses a screen resolution of 1024 × 768 for
computer monitors and 800 × 600 for the Gateway 42-inch Plasma TV.
Many TVs cannot display this high resolution and may shift, scramble,
or scroll the picture.For a better picture on aTV display, you may need
to lower the Media Center screen resolution to 800 × 600 or 640 × 480.
See Windows Help & Support for more information about changing the
screen resolution.
Many TVs use interlaced video . Interlaced video displays a video
frame with two passes of alternating scan lines.The TV screen first
displays the video image odd lines one at a time, sequentially from
top to bottom, then it fills in the other half of the video image with the
even lines.Because most TVs use this interlaced method to display the
picture on the screen, a standard interlaced analog television will most
likely flicker when displaying thin lines and small text. An interlaced
video display device will produce a lower quality display, especially
when viewing and using the Media Center computer functions.
Progressive scan video displays a video frame with one pass of
sequential scan lines.A progressive scanTV displays the entire
picture, drawn sequentially from top to bottom, without the odd/even
interlacing.This results in a fuller, sharper picture, and better display
quality for viewing and using the Media Center computer functions.The
progressive scan picture is also brighter and easier on your eyes.
Connecting aTV
If you did not purchase a display device when you
purchased your Media Center computer and your video
display does not provide the image quality that you
expected, contact a Gateway sales representative to
help you select a display device that is optimized for your
Media Center computer. See “Contacting Gateway” on
page 27 for Gateway contact information.

12
2Connect the other end of the cable to theVGA port
or S-Video jack on the back of your TV.
3Turn the TV on and select the TV In video source.
For more information about selecting the TV In
video source, see your TV’s documentation.
1Connect a VGA cable (not included) or S-Video
cable (not included) to theVGA port or S-Video
jack on the back of your computer.
OR
OR

13
Your Media Center computer includes audio jacks that
support a 7.1 Surround Sound audio system.The sound
system setup varies, depending on your sound system’s
audio inputs.Use your computer and sound system’s
setup posters and other documentation to connect your
computer to the sound system.
Connecting the computer to
an existing home stereo or
home theater
Analog audio jacks. See your
computer and sound system’s
documentation for connection
instructions.
Note: Your computer’s jacks may vary.

14
Turningonyoursystemandsettingupsoftware
After the computer components are connected, you’re
ready to turn on the power and complete the Media
Center set up.
1Press the power button on the front of the monitor
or TV, then press the power button on the front of
the Media Center computer. Make sure that your
sound system (optional) is turned on. 2Follow the Windows setup screens.
3Turn on any peripheral devices, such as printers or
scanners, and follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the device setup.

15
e
4After you complete the initial Windows setup, press
the Start button on the remote to start the
Media Center setup wizard.
5Follow the setup screens to configure the
Media Center software for your specific
requirements.
The Media Center setup wizard requires Internet access to complete
the Media Center software configuration.Before starting the
Media Center setup wizard in step 4, make sure that your Internet
connection is set up.Contact your Internet service provider for more
information about setting up your Internet connection.
Before starting the Media Center setup wizard, check for Windows
Updates to make sure that Media Center has the most recent
software releases and security updates installed. For more
information, see “Windows Update ” on page 7.

16
4Click the Speakers tab, click the arrow button
to open the Speaker setup list, then click the
speaker setup that most closely matches your
sound system type.
5Click OK to save your speaker setup.
After you have connected your sound system and set
up Media Center, select speaker setup options on your
computer.
2Click Start, Control Panel, Sounds, Speech,
and Audio Devices, then click Sounds and
Audio Devices.The Sounds and Audio Devices
Properties dialog box opens.
3Click the Volume tab, then click the Advanced
button in the Speaker Settings section.The
Advanced Audio Properties dialog box opens.
1Turn on your Media Center computer.
Configuring your speakers

17
The Media Center remote control lets you take full
control of your Media Center experience.You can quickly
start the Media Center by pressing the Start button.
(The remote control included
with your Media Center may
look different.)
Learningabouttheremotecontrol
Power control button
puts the Media Center computer in
Standby mode (reduced power).
Transport buttons
let you replay recorded (buffered)TV
and radio programs and play the CD
and DVD player.
Navigation buttons
let you move the cursor around the Guide and
menus, make selections, navigate back to the
previous screen, change the screen
display aspect ratio, and get more
information. Press the OK button to
make a selection.
Audio/Video (A/V) control buttons
control volume levels, volume mute,
channel selections, and the DVD menu.
Media Center Start button
starts the Media Center software.
Shortcut buttons
give you direct access to
Media Center features.
Numeric keypad/
Data entry buttons
let you enter numbers
and characters from the
remote control.

18
2Use the remote control
navigation buttons to select
a Media Center menu option,
then press OK.
Use the Media Center remote control to watch TV,
videos, and DVDs, to listen to music, and to view
pictures.Use the Media Center Guide to view TV
program schedules, search for programs by genre, set
up program recordings, and more.
1Press the Start button on the remote control.
The Media Center software starts.
UsingMediaCenter
- OR -
Press one of the menu
shortcut buttons on the
remote control to select a
Media Center menu.

19
When you use the Media Center setup wizard, the
Media Center Program Guide is set up to download
program information from your cable or satellite service
provider. However, on occasion, you may need to update
the Program Guide manually to refresh the program
listings.
1Before starting the Media Center, make sure that
you are connected to the Internet.
Manually updating the Media
Center Program Guide
The Media Center requires Internet access to update the
Media Center Program Guide.Make sure that you connect
to the Internet before continuing the manual Program Guide
update instructions.
2Press the Start button on the remote control.
The Media Center software starts.
3Navigate to Settings, then press OK.The
Settings menu opens.
4Navigate to TV, then press OK.
5Navigate to Guide, then press OK.
6Navigate to Get guide data, then press OK.The
Guide Data dialog box opens.
7Select Yes, then press OK.The Media Center
downloads Program Guide updates.

20
After you have recorded a program, you may want
to save the program to a DVD for viewing on another
computer that has a DVD player.You can use Nero
Express to copy the recorded program to a DVD.
1Insert a blank, writable DVD-R disc into your
recordable DVD drive.You cannot use a DVD-RAM
disc with Nero Express.
Burning recorded video to a
DVD with Nero Express
TV programs that have been recorded with Media Center can be
recorded to DVD using Nero Express, then replayed on another
Media Center computer or on a non-Media Center computer that has
a DVD player and DVD decoder software (such as WinDVD) installed.
The non-Media Center computer must also have Windows XP with
Service Pack (SP) 1,Windows Media Player 9, and the Windows
patch Q810243 Update.
Your Media Center computer also includes software that lets you
create video DVDs that you can play on your home DVD player. See
“Burning recorded video to DVD using Media Center” on page 21 for
more information.
2If a
CD Drive dialog box opens, click Cancel.
3
Move your pointer over Data, then click Data Disc.
The Disc Content window opens.
4Click the Add button to open the
Select Files and
Folders dialog box, then click the drive or folder
where the files you want to add to the writable
DVD are located.The TV program recordings
are usually located in the \Shared Documents\
Recorded TV folder. If you do not see the folder
you want, browse through the folders in the
Location pane.
5
Click the file you want to record (hold down the
CTRL or SHIFT key when you click to select multiple
files) in the Select Files and Folders dialog box,
then click Add.
6
After you have added all of your files, click
Finished.The Disc Content window opens.
7Click Next, then click Burn.
Click Start,
All Programs,
Burn a CD or
Data DVD, Nero
Programs,
then click Nero
Express. Nero
Express opens.
8