Macpower & Tytech AR6 User manual

Digital Signage Adapter
User Manual
& Installation Guide
AR6
v1.1
February 28, 2007

AR6 User Guide
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1
THE AR6 1
PACKAGE CONTENTS 1
PLAYBACK FORMATS 1
SUPPORTED MEDIA CARDS 1
PLAYBACK FORMATS 1
CLOSE-UP VIEW 2
FRONT VIEW 2
REAR VIEW 2
BOTTOM VIEW 2
REMOTE CONTROL 3
CHAPTER 2 - SYSTEM SETUP 4
CHAPTER 3 - TV MODE 5
HOME 5
[HOME] 5
[DISP]5
VIDEO MODE 5
[VOLUME]5
[FF/RV] 5
MUSIC MODE 6
[VOLUME]6
[M] 6
[T] 6
PHOTO MODE 7
[ZOOM] 7
[ROTATE] 7
[M] 7
[T] 7
SLIDE SHOW 7
FILE LIBRARY 8
[DISP]8
[ADD TO LIST]8
[COPY]8
[DELETE]8
[RENAME]8
[NEW FOLDER]8
[PROPERTIES]8
SETUP MENU 9
[PHOTO SETUP] 9
[MUSIC SETUP] 9
[MOVIE SETUP] 9
[SLIDESHOW SETUP] 9
[PREFERENCES] 9
[ADVANCED SETUP] 10
[CALENDAR] 10
CHAPTER 4 - AUTOMATED PLAYBACK 11
COUNT DOWN TIMER 11
ALARM 11
SCHEDULED PLAYBACK 12
[AUTO ON/OFF] 12
AUTOMATIC PLAYBACK ON POWER ON 13
[AUTO SLIDESHOW] 13
CHAPTER 5 - APPENDIX 15
FAQ 15
ABOUT THIS MANUAL 16

AR6 User Guide
Chapter 1 - Introduction
The AR6
The AR6 is an entry-level advertising solution that allows the user to play content from an
array of media cards on to a display screen. With a host of features and semi-customisable
software, it is an extremely cost-effective digital signage solution. The integrated real-time
clock allows you to schedule content delivery to get your message across when you need it
most.
Product Dimensions: 14.0cm x 8.5 cm x 2.6 cm
5.51” x 3.35” x 1.02”
Package Contents
•AR6 digital signage adapter
•External power adapter;
Input 100-240V, Output +12V/1A
•Composite and S-Video AV cables
•Infrared remote control
•Manual
Playback Formats
Supported Media Cards
Compact Flash type I/II, IBM MicroDrive, Smart Media, MS, MS-Pro, MS-Duo, SD and
MMC.
Playback Formats
•Video:
MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4
(ASF simple profile 320 x 240 video)
•Audio:
MP3, WAV
(MP3 minimum 32 Kbps, maximum 256 Kbps)
•Photo:
JPEG, Motion JPEG (AVI)
(JPG minimum 16 x 16pixels, maximum 5120 x 3840pixels)
(Motion JPG maximum 10 fps)
Page 1 / Chapter 1 - Introduction

AR6 User Guide
Close-up view
Front View
XYZ[
1. CF/MD card reader slot
2. SD/MS/SM/MMC card reader slot
3. Infrared receiver
4. Status LED
Rear View
XYZ[\]
1. Power switch 4. S-Video output
5. Analog video output
6. Stereo audio output
2. Power receptacle
3. VGA output
Bottom View
Mounting holes for
wall mount.
* Images for reference only, colour and design may vary.
Page 2 / Chapter 1 - Introduction

AR6 User Guide
Remote Control
Power
ON/OFF
Volume
Up/Down
Mute sound
Displays file
properties
and details
Stop
playback
Rotate image
Information
Previous file
Reverse
Next file
In PHOTO mode, press the T key
to change between different
transition effects.
In MUSIC mode, press the T key
to toggle between the different
e
q
ualizers.
In PHOTO mode, press the M key
to start a slide show with
back
g
round music
(
MP3
)
.
Fast forward
Return to home
page or index
Pla
y
/Pause
Navigation pad
with enter and
arrow keys
Video output
selecto
r
Preferences and
other options
Zoom 1x/2x/4x
Note: Ensure the battery (3V lithium cell, CR2025) is inserted before use.
Page 3 / Chapter 1 - Introduction

AR6 User Guide
Chapter 2 - System Setup
Find a suitable place for your AR6, within 1.4m of your TV screen, panel or LCD display.
Connect the power supply to your device and the power outlet.
Included with your AR6 are a standard video cable with RCA
connectors and an S-Video cable. Plug in the RCA connector to
the video output connector on the AR6 and connect it to your
screen.
For better video quality, we recommend using the S-Video cable
and S-Video connector instead of the yellow RCA connector. For
LCD displays, an optional VGA cable is also available.
For audio output, use the red and white RCA connectors.
Connect this cable to the audio output on your AR6 and plug it
into your TV, external speakers or sound system.
Once you have connected all cables, you are ready to turn on the
power switch. Wait a few seconds for the system to boot, then
use the remote control to navigate and control the device.
If the screen stays blank, press the OUTPUT key on your remote
control to toggle through the different video channels until you find the correct one.
To change between PAL and NTSC TV systems, press the SETUP button on your remote
control and change the TV Type under Preferences.
To prevent any accidental change of the video output, you can lock your settings. To do this,
press the SETUP key, go to Preferences, press the FAST FORWARD key once to unlock
the menu and then select Output Lock. Turn it ON by selecting your preferred output and
clicking ENTER to save it.
If you are using this device for the first time, set
the correct time by going to the setup menu
and pressing the Disp key on your remote
control.
Set the time using the virtual keyboard and
press OK to save the settings. You can select
CANCEL or press the Disp key to skip the
following settings at this time.
Page 4 / Chapter 2 - System Setup

AR6 User Guide
Chapter 3 - TV Mode
Home
On the main screen you can choose VIDEO
MODE to preview all movies (MPEG-1, MPEG-
2, MPEG-4), MUSIC MODE to display all audio
files (MP3, WAV) or PHOTO MODE to display
all images (JPG).
To see all files sorted by folders as seen on the
computer, choose the FILE LIBRARY. To enter
the set up menu, choose the SETUP MENU or
press the SETUP button on your remote
control.
If more than one media card is inserted, you can select the one you want to access before
seeing the HOME screen.
[HOME] To get back to the HOME screen, press the STOP key on your remote control,
followed by the HOME key.
[Disp] Press the Disp button to see the calendar and the current time.
Video Mode
All movies stored on the media card will be
displayed, regardless of which folder they are
in. A preview with small thumbnails and a short
movie clip for each video file will be shown.
Use the arrow buttons on your remote control
to navigate. Press the down arrow or the N
button to explore the next page and press th
ENTER key to start playback.
EXT
e
[Volume] Use the Vol+ and Vol- buttons on your remote control to adjust the volume and if
needed, press the MUTE key to temporarily turn off the sound completely. To restore sound,
press the MUTE key again.
[FF/RV] During playback, use the FAST FORWARD or REVERSE buttons to skip to a
certain part of the movie.
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AR6 User Guide
Music Mode
All audio files stored on the media card will be
displayed, regardless of which folder they are
stored in and it will automatically start to
playback the first file.
Use the arrow buttons on your remote control
to navigate. Press the down arrow or the N
button to explore the next page. EXT
[ENTER] Press the ENTER button to display
the equalizer and further details for the chosen
music file.
[Volume] Use the Vol+ and Vol- buttons on
your remote control to adjust the volume and if
needed, press the MUTE key to turn off the
sound completely. To restore sound, press
MUTE once more.
[M] Press the M button to start a slideshow
presentation with MP3 background music.
[T] In equalizer mode, press the T button to
change between the different equalizer presets.
1. Standard
2. Classic
3. Jazz
4. Rock
5. Pop
6. Ballad
7. Dance
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AR6 User Guide
Photo Mode
All images stored on the media card will be
displayed, regardless of which folder they are
stored in. A preview with small thumbnail
images will be shown.
Use the arrow buttons on your remote control
to navigate. Press the down arrow or the NEXT
button to explore the next page if you have a
lot of images and use the ENTER key to
display the photo of your choice.
[ZOOM] When displaying a single image, you can use the ZOOM button to toggle through
different enlargements (ON, 2x, 4x, OFF). During zoom mode, use the arrow buttons to pan.
[ROTATE] When displaying a single image, you can use the ROTATE button to rotate your
photos clockwise in 90° steps.
[M] Press the M button to start a slide show presentation with background music. This will
automatically play back MP3 files stored on the media card.
[T] Press the T button to toggle through 13 different transition effects for the slideshow
presentation.
1. Full Screen
2. Roll: Top to Bottom
3. Roll: Bottom to Top
4. Roll: Top/Bottom to Centre
5. Roll: Centre to Top/Bottom
6. Blind: Top to Bottom
7. Roll: Left to Right
8. Roll: Right to Left
9. Roll: Left/Right to Centre
10.Roll: Centre to Left/Right
11.Roll: Implode
12.Blind: Left to Right
13.Cross Fade
14.Random
Slide Show
This is the same as when pressing the M button on the remote control in Photo Mode. It will
start a slide show presentation using all the images and automatically play the MP3 files
stored on the media card as background music.
Press the T button to toggle through the 13 different transition effects during the slideshow
presentation.
Page 7 / Chapter 3 - TV Mode

AR6 User Guide
File Library
In the file library, the data on the media card is
displayed showing the folders and structure as
seen on the computer. Only supported media
files will be displayed.
Use the arrow buttons on your remote control to
navigate and preview the files. Press ENTER to
display the selected file in full screen mode.
[File Edit] In the file library, you have the
possibility to erase and rename files, or even
copy them to a different location and create new
folders. If more than one media card is inserted,
you can also copy files between cards.
To use this function, you have to enable it first in
the setup menu under preferences. By default,
this function is locked, so once you have
selected preferences, press the FAST
FORWARD key to unlock it, then turn it ON.
[Disp] In the file library, select a file and press the DISP key. A pop-up menu with different
options like copy, delete, rename, new folder and properties will appear (only works if
enabled under preferences).
[Add to List] Adds the selected file to the playlist. If there is no playlist yet, it will create a
new playlist and add the file on the first line.
[Copy] Select copy to turn on the copy mode. Press the RIGHT arrow key and choose your
destination, then press the LEFT arrow key and choose your source. Press ENTER to copy
the file or press STOP to cancel and return to the file library.
[Delete] Select delete, confirm the command and the file will be erased.
[Rename] Select rename and a virtual keyboard will appear. Type in the new name and
confirm by clicking on OK to change the file name.
[New Folder] Select new folder and a virtual keyboard will appear. Type in the folder name
and click OK to create a new folder.
[Properties] Select properties to show detailed information about the file.
Page 8 / Chapter 3 - TV Mode

AR6 User Guide
Setup Menu
To access the player’s preferences and
advanced settings, press the SETUP button after
turning on the device.
To set the time and timer for the alarm clock or
Auto ON/OFF function, press the Disp key.
[Photo Setup] Settings for the thumbnail
preview matrix (4/9/16/25 images on one page),
transition mode (fast or slow) and display
orientation (default or ignore).
If the orientation is set to default and the EXIF data or the JPG image includes the
orientation tag, it will automatically rotate the image.
[Music Setup] Settings for repeat mode when playing music. You can set it to repeat one
file, all files or turn it OFF completely. The current mode will be displayed at the bottom of
the music library.
[Movie Setup] Settings for repeat mode when playing videos and the thumbnail preview
matrix (4/9/16/25 previews on one page). You can set it to play all video files in sequence,
repeat the same file continuously, or repeat all videos continuously.
[Slideshow Setup] Settings for slideshow presentation with transition effects (13 effects),
interval timing (1/3/5/10 seconds) and repeat mode. If the folder repeat mode is set to ON, it
will play the images continuously until stopped manually. If set to OFF, it will only play them
once.
If Auto Start is turned ON, the next time you turn on the power, all files stored on the media
card will be listed alphabetically and start playback automatically. Set the Slideshow Mode
to AUTO for automatic playback or MANUAL to manually advance to the next file.
[Preferences] Settings for the menu language,
video output and reset function for preferences.
TV Type: NTSC, PAL, Universal
Output: S-Video, Composite, YPbPr, VGA, RGB
OSD Languages: English, Simplified Chinese,
Traditional Chinese, Japanese
Note: The Output Lock and File Copy functions
are locked by default, to prevent changing it by
accident. To use those functions, press the FAST
FORWARD key to enable the modification of those features and then turn ON the file copy
mode or lock the video output as an example.
Page 9 / Chapter 3 - TV Mode

AR6 User Guide
[Advanced Setup] Settings for scheduled
playback and timer functions.
Auto Slideshow: Turn ON this function and the
next time you power up your device, a slideshow
(JPG images) with background music (MP3) will
start to play back automatically.
Playlist Mode: You can select between two
different playlist modes or turn it OFF altogether.
See chapter 4 under automated playback for
more details regarding the playlist function.
Count Down Timer: Set a time from 1 to 120
minutes and the unit will automatically turn off at
the designated time.
Auto ON/OFF: If turned ON, you can set a time
for the unit to automatically turn ON and OFF.
After enabling this function, go to the main page
of the setup menu and press the Disp key on
your remote control to enter the timer setup.
Enter the clock time using the virtual keyboard,
then the shut down time and at the end the start
up time. To skip one of the settings, press the
Disp key or choose CANCEL.
Alarm: Enable or disable the alarm clock. You
can select the alarm style and choose between
MP3 music and standard alarm sound.
To set the time for the alarm clock, go to the
main page of the setup menu and press the Disp
key on your remote control to enter the timer
setup wizard.
[Calendar] To view the calendar, press the
HOME key to return to the main page and then
the Disp key on your remote control to display it.
To save the correct date, select it and press the
ENTER key.
Page 10 / Chapter 3 - TV Mode

AR6 User Guide
Chapter 4 - Automated Playback
Count Down Timer
Set a time from 1 to 120 minutes and the unit will
automatically turn off after the designated time
has expired.
1. Press the SETUP key.
2. Go to the Advanced Setup menu.
3. Select Count Down Timer.
4. Choose one of the presets from 1-120
minutes and confirm the time by pressing
ENTER.
5. Exit the setup menu.
6. The count down timer will now be
displayed on the top right corner and the
device will automatically turn off and
remain OFF when the time counts down.
Note: Remember to turn it OFF the next time you
power up the AR6 or it will start to count down
again automatically.
Alarm
Set a time for the alarm and choose between the
standard beep for the alarm sound or MP3 to
play a specific MP3 file instead.
1. Press the SETUP key.
2. Go to the Advanced Setup menu.
3. Select Alarm and turn it ON.
4. Select Alarm Style and choose between
MP3 and Beep. If you select MP3, you will
have to store an MP3 file in the root directory of the memory card and rename it as
“alarm.mp3”.
5. Go to the main page of the setup menu and press the Disp key.
6. Set the current time or skip this step by pressing the Disp key. Now set the alarm
time and finish the setup wizard by skipping the other steps.
Note: If the device is turned OFF, it will automatically turn on and play the wake up music or
the alarm sound. Press any key on your remote control to stop it.
Page 11 / Chapter 4 - Automated Playback

AR6 User Guide
Scheduled Playback
For automated daily playback of advertisement or media files, scheduled playback with or
without playlist can be set up.
[Auto ON/OFF] Set a time for the unit to turn ON
and a time for it to turn OFF again automatically.
1. Press the SETUP key on your remote
control to enter the setup menu.
2. Go to the Advanced Setup menu.
3. Select Auto ON/OFF.
4. Turn it ON and exit the setup menu.
In the next step, you can set the wake up and shut down time. If you have already set the
time skip that step, otherwise set the time first at this point.
1. Press the SETUP key on your remote
control to enter the setup menu.
2. Press the Disp key to enter the setup
wizard for the time setup.
3. Set the current time by using the virtual
keyboard and select OK to confirm it.
If you have previously set up the time, you
can skip this step by selecting CANCEL or
pressing the Disp key
4. Skip the next step (set alarm time) by
selecting CANCEL or pressing the Disp
key.
5. Use the virtual keyboard to enter the Auto
OFF time and select OK to confirm it.
6. Repeat the previous step for the Auto ON
time and select OK to finish the set up
wizard.
The AR6 will now turn on and off automatically on a daily base at your preset time. To turn it
OFF, go to the Advanced Setup menu, select Auto ON/OFF and deactivate this option.
Note: For the playback mode on start-up, see “Automatic Playback on Power ON”.
Page 12 / Chapter 4 - Automated Playback

AR6 User Guide
Automatic Playback on Power ON
By default, when the device is turned on, you will be presented with the Home screen.
Instead, you can have it start play back automatically upon power on as follows:
[Auto Playback] Press the SETUP key, go to
Slide Show Setup and select Auto Start. Turn it
ON and the next time you turn on the device, all
files stored on the media card will be listed
alphabetically and start to play automatically.
Make sure the Slideshow Mode is set to AUTO.
[Auto Slideshow] Press the SETUP key, go to
Advanced Setup and select Auto Slideshow.
Turn it ON and the next time you turn on the
device, a slideshow (JPG images) with
background music (MP3) will start to play
automatically.
[Playlist] Using playlists, you can play certain
files at start-up according to your needs. There
are two modes available, one with a single
playlist and one with several playlists, each for a
certain time period throughout the day.
Press the SETUP key, go to Advanced Setup
and select Playlist Mode. Select Mode 1 or Mode
2, press the ENTER key to confirm it and exit the
setup menu. The background now changes to
black as long as the playlist is enabled.
Mode 1:
Create a playlist with the filename PLAY.LST
using notepad or any other text editor and store
it in the root directory of your media card. Press
the HOME key to start playback or set theAuto
ON/OFF time for scheduled playback.
Write one file per line with the directory where
it’s stored on your media card, ending the list
with one empty line.
If it’s a JPG file, you can add a space followed
by a time in seconds for the image to be displayed on screen (max 65535 seconds).
If it’s an MP3 file, you can add a space and the file name of a JPG image in the same
directory to be displayed during playback.
Page 13 / Chapter 4 - Automated Playback

AR6 User Guide
Mode 2:
Create your playlist as seen in Mode 1 but this time, you may create 3 additional playlists to
be played at a certain time, instead of using the same playlist for the whole day.
Following is the fixed schedule for those playlists:
File Name Playback Time
PLAY1.LST 09:00 ~ 12:00
PLAY2.LST 12:00 ~ 15:00
PLAY3.LST 15:00 ~ 18:00
PLAY.LST 18:00 ~ 09:00
Also used if one of the above lists
is missing.
Time table:
09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00
PLAY.LST PLAY1.LST PLAY2.LST PLAY3.lST PLAY.LST
Playlist Structure:
File Path Playback Mode
/J001.JPG Displays the JPG file J001.JPG from the root directory. The
display time will depend on the interval time set in the Slide
Show setup menu.
/J001.JPG 12 Displays the JPG file J001.JPG from the root directory. The
additional time (ex. 12 seconds) will overwrite the default
interval time and display the image as long as set in the
playlist.
/A001.MP3 Plays the MP3 file A001.MP3 from the root directory.
/A001.MP3 J001.JPG Plays the MP3 file A001.MP3 from the root directory and at
the same time displays the image J001.JPG, which is also
stored in the same directory as the MP3 file.
/M001.MPG Plays the MPG video M001.MPG from the root directory.
Page 14 / Chapter 4 - Automated Playback

AR6 User Guide
Chapter 5 - Appendix
FAQ
Q: How do I display the file properties?
A: Press the Disp button to see the file info and press it again to turn it off. For more details,
enable the File Copy mode, go to the File Library, select a file then click Disp and choose
Properties. Press ENTER to close the file info.
Q: How do I access preferences when it’s greyed out?
A: Return to the Home screen, then press SETUP again and you will be able to access
preferences.
Q: The copy function doesn’t work and it’s locked, what do I do?
A: To unlock the file copy mode, go to preferences and press the FAST FORWARD key.
You can now turn it ON and then use the copy function in the file library.
Q: Where do I set the clock time?
A: Go to the SETUP menu and press the Disp key. Enter the time and confirm it. In the
following screens, hit cancel unless you also want to setup the Auto ON/OFF or Alarm
function at the same time.
Q: I pressed the OUTPUT key but it doesn’t change the video signal!
A: The video output has been locked. Unlock it first and then press the OUTPUT key again.
To unlock, press the SETUP key, go to Preferences, press the FAST FORWARD key once
and then select Output Lock. Turn it OFF and you can use the OUTPUT key to toggle
between the different video outputs.
Q: How do I upgrade the firmware?
A: Download the latest firmware from our website and store the ROM file on a media card
in the top directory. Then follow these instructions:
1. Turn off the device and remove all media cards.
2. Insert the media card with the new firmware.
3. Turn on the power and watch the screen.
4. It will read the new firmware and show Write/Erase during the process.
5. When the upgrade is finished (~ 1 minute), it will show Done and go blank.
6. Only now turn off the power and remove the media card.
7. Erase the firmware on your media card.
8. Turn the device back on; your new firmware is now ready to use.
Page 15 / Chapter 5 - Appendix

AR6 User Guide
Q: My screen is blank and pressing OUTPUT doesn’t change anything!
A: The OUTPUT key is locked. Unlock it first and then press the key again until you find the
right video signal. Follow these instructions to unlock it:
1. Remove all media cards and turn off the power
2. Turn on the power and wait for AR6 to boot up (you can hear a ping)
3. Press the SETUP key
4. Press the DOWN key 4 times and hit ENTER
5. Press the UP key twice
6. Press the RIGHT arrow key once and hit ENTER
7. Press SETUP and now use OUTPUT again to change the video signal
Q: I’ve turned on Auto Start in the Slideshow Setup menu but it only plays one file!
A: Go to the Slideshow Setup menu, select Slideshow Mode and change it to AUTO.
Q: Where do I set the TV aspect ratio?
A: Go to the slideshow setup in the setup menu and select TV Display. Normal PS stands
for 4:3 PanScan, Normal LB stands for 4:3 Letterbox and Wide stands for 16:9.
About this Manual
This manual covers all versions and combinations for the AR6 signage adapter. The
functions in this manual are based on the firmware version 20070214_GN1_AR6_B.
Images, descriptions and firmware functions may slightly vary between this manual and the
actual product you have.
Visit our website at www.macpower.com.tw for the latest upgrades and download the
updated version of this manual in PDF format.
© Copyright 2007 by Macpower & Tytech Technology Co., Ltd. all Rights Reserved
The information contained in this manual is believed to be accurate and reliable at time of publication.
Macpower & Tytech Technology assumes no responsibility for any errors contained in this manual and
reserves the right to make changes in the specifications and/or design of this product without prior notice. The
diagrams contained in this manual may also not fully represent the product that you are using and are there
for illustration purposes only. Macpower & Tytech Technology assumes no responsibility for any differences
between the product mentioned in this manual and the product you may have.
Page 16 / Chapter 5 - Appendix