Pinnacle Media Center User manual

Pinnacle MediaCenter

Pinnacle MediaCenter
User’s Guide
GB/US October 2005
© Pinnacle Systems GmbH 2005
All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transferred to other media without
explicit written permission from Pinnacle Systems GmbH, Braunschweig,
Germany.
All brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders.
This manual is printed on chlorine-free, bleached paper using solvent-free ink.
Pinnacle Systems GmbH has written this manual to the best of its knowledge,
but does not guarantee that the programs/systems will fulfill the users’ intended
applications.
No warranty is made as to the specifications of features.
Pinnacle Systems GmbH retains the right to make alterations to the content of
the manual without obligation to inform third parties.
All quotes, sales, supply and manufacturing contracts from Pinnacle Systems
GmbH, including consulting, installation and other contractual services are
subject exclusively to the General Sales and Delivery Terms of Pinnacle
Systems GmbH.

iii
Table Of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................1
Welcome............................................................................................................1
Pinnacle MediaManager ................................................................................2
Pinnacle MediaCenter....................................................................................2
Pinnacle Hardware .........................................................................................2
PCTV MediaCenter Remote Control.............................................................2
The Contents of Your Package..........................................................................3
Hardware........................................................................................................3
Software .........................................................................................................3
Documentation...............................................................................................3
Online Help .......................................................................................................4
Online Manual...................................................................................................4
Pinnacle MediaCenter - System Setup..................................................................5
Installing the Hardware .....................................................................................5
Installing the Software.......................................................................................5
The tvtv Manager ..............................................................................................6
Opening a User Account................................................................................6
Assigning TV Channels .................................................................................6
Scheduled Recording List ..............................................................................7
Advanced Settings.............................................................................................8
Advanced Settings - Overview ......................................................................8
Advanced General Settings..........................................................................10
Advanced Remote Control Settings.............................................................12
Advanced Display Settings ..........................................................................13
Advanced Capture Settings..........................................................................15
Advanced Data Services Settings ................................................................17
Advanced Playback Settings........................................................................19
Advanced Audio Settings ............................................................................22
Advanced Channel Settings .........................................................................24
Advanced Import/Export Settings................................................................32
Advanced PMCS Settings............................................................................33
Advanced Settings - About the Pinnacle MediaCenter................................34
Advanced Update Settings...........................................................................35

Pinnacle MediaCenter
iv
Advanced Services Settings.........................................................................36
Pinnacle MediaManager .....................................................................................37
Overview .........................................................................................................37
What the Pinnacle MediaManager Does......................................................37
Main Window of the Pinnacle MediaManager ............................................38
The Media Library...........................................................................................40
Introduction to the Media Library................................................................40
The Sort View in the Media Library............................................................43
Searching in the Media Library ...................................................................44
Deleting Files in the Media Library.............................................................45
The Media Player ............................................................................................46
Using the Media Player and Its Controls .....................................................46
Importing Media Files .....................................................................................48
Introduction to the Import Tab.....................................................................48
Import - Folder.............................................................................................49
Import - Files................................................................................................50
Import - Drives.............................................................................................51
Import - Audio CD.......................................................................................52
Import - Digital Camera...............................................................................55
Import - Watch Folder .................................................................................57
Import - Rhapsody Playlists.........................................................................59
Organizing Media Files ...................................................................................60
Organizing File Tags....................................................................................60
Customized File Tags (Keywords) ..............................................................61
Introduction to the Organize Tab .................................................................62
Using Playlists.................................................................................................64
Introduction to the Playlists Tab ..................................................................64
Creating and Editing Playlists......................................................................65
Exporting Media Files .....................................................................................67
Introduction to the Export Tab.....................................................................67
Exporting to a Folder ...................................................................................68
Exporting to an M3U Playlist ......................................................................70
Exporting to a Burner...................................................................................71
The Menus.......................................................................................................73
The File Menu..............................................................................................73
The Edit Menu .............................................................................................75

Table Of Contents
v
The Tools Menu...........................................................................................77
Real Rhapsody Music Service.........................................................................78
Real Rhapsody Music Service - Overview ..................................................78
File Formats.....................................................................................................81
Supported File Formats................................................................................81
Converting Files...........................................................................................82
Pinnacle MediaCenter.........................................................................................85
Pinnacle MediaCenter Functions.....................................................................85
Pinnacle MediaCenter User Views..................................................................87
Pinnacle MediaCenter Window Formats.........................................................89
Remote View (optimized for operation with the remote control) ...................93
Overview......................................................................................................93
TV Menu......................................................................................................97
Radio Menu................................................................................................114
Music Menu ...............................................................................................124
Movies Menu .............................................................................................138
Photo Menu................................................................................................148
Online Menu ..............................................................................................161
Menu Settings ............................................................................................162
PC View (optimized for operation with a mouse).........................................175
Overview....................................................................................................175
General Operating Controls .......................................................................176
Operating Controls While Watching TV ...................................................180
Operating Controls During DVD Playback ...............................................186
Operating Controls During File Playback..................................................190
Teletext ......................................................................................................194
Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and Recording ......................................198
Technical Support.............................................................................................207
Getting Technical Support.............................................................................207
License Agreement ...........................................................................................209
Pinnacle End User License Agreement .........................................................209
Glossary ............................................................................................................213
Index .................................................................................................................221

1
Introduction
Welcome
Your new Pinnacle product offers you a completely new experience in
multimedia entertainment. From now on, you can access and process all sorts of
media such as television, radio, movies, music and photos, either from your
computer or from the comfort of your armchair.
You can watch both analog and digital television (optional) on either your
computer monitor or your television screen.
The fun gets even better with the following features. Watching TV just got
easier and you don't have to miss a second of your favorite shows, thanks to the
latest timeshift recording technology. This makes spontaneous or scheduled
recording to your hard disk a breeze. With you new Pinnacle product, you have
immediate access to the latest news using teletext. In addition, an Electronic
Program Guide (EPG) gives you an overview of a complete range of television
programs. Scheduling your recordings is also quick and easy.
You also have the option of listening to radio at any time and recording your
favorite broadcasts quickly and easily. In addition, your Pinnacle product lets
your receive Internet radio stations.
You can play video, music, and display photo files from your hard disk or from
a CD and/or DVD. You can also burn your own CDs or DVDs.
In addition, you can arrange your media files in an intelligent multimedia
database so that they can be found quickly. This is done according to various
playback criteria based on specific categories (for example, all the movies in a
certain genre or all the photos from a particular vacation). Pinnacle MediaCenter
gives you simple and targeted access to all your media files.
The Pinnacle MediaCenter also gives you direct access to many different online
services thereby opening all the doors to an incredible world of media and
information.
Now you can access all of these different media quickly and easily with just one
device: your PC. The Pinnacle MediaCenter interface has been especially
designed so that all the menu options are very legible even at a distance of
several yards. Plus they can be easily navigated with your remote control.
The following components of your new Pinnacle product put all the following
functions at your fingertips:

Pinnacle MediaCenter
2
Pinnacle MediaManager
The Pinnacle MediaManager is installed on your PC and is used to import music
files, movies, and digital photos into the MediaManager database. You also
manage these files and keep them in order in the MediaManager. You can create
your own playlists for collecting your favorite music, movies and photos. The
media files on your PC can originate from almost anywhere, for example, from
the Internet, your own audio CDs or your digital camera.
Pinnacle MediaCenter
The Pinnacle MediaCenter is also installed on your PC and is used for media
playback.
You can watch and record TV with the Pinnacle MediaCenter, play back
recordings, and display teletext. You can also listen to and record radio
broadcasts. Music, movies, and photos from CDs, DVDs or your hard disk are
shown in the Pinnacle MediaCenter. You can access the categories created in the
Pinnacle MediaManager to display media sorted according to your criteria. This
helps you select the medium best suited to your particular mood or for any
occasion.
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
With the remote control, you can navigate the on-screen menu from anywhere in
your room – without having to bother going back and forth to your computer.
Now go have fun with your new Pinnacle product!

Introduction
3
The Contents of Your Package
Before you begin with the installation, check the contents of the package to
make sure that they are complete. If any part is missing or damaged, contact
your retailer. Keep the packing material in case you have to transport the
original parts again in the future.
Hardware
The hardware included in the box depends on the version of the Pinnacle
package you have bought.
Software
Software designed for Windows XP is found on the CD-ROM included in the
box.
Documentation
User Manual on CD Hardware operating instructions on CD
Remote control
operating instructions
on CD
Online Help
Please note that the actual contents of the package may differ from the items
shown above depending on which version of the product you bought!

Pinnacle MediaCenter
4
Online Help
Your Pinnacle product gives you access to Online Help at any time.
If you are searching for a specific topic, select the Help Topics function in the
Help menu or simply press the F1 key on your keyboard.
Online Manual
If you have questions about the function and operation of your Pinnacle product,
you can consult the online manual in addition to the printed manual. The online
manual is installed automatically and can be read directly on-screen.
To open the online manual, you need the free program Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To start the online manual, do the following:
Use your mouse to click and open the Windows Start menu.
Move your mouse over Programs to open the Program menu.
Move your mouse over Pinnacle MediaCenter to open the Pinnacle
MediaCenter menu.
Now click Pinnacle MediaCenter.
Any new modifications or supplements that did not make it into the
documentation are described in the ReadMe file on the CD-ROM included in the
box.

5
Pinnacle MediaCenter - System Setup
Installing the Hardware
Hardware installation depends on the type of hardware included in the package,
for example, whether it is an internal or external device. You will find a detailed
description in the corresponding hardware manual on the CD.
Installing the Software
This section describes how to install the Pinnacle software on your PC. During
installation, a program group along with its corresponding subgroups will be
created. This is where all the necessary software components will be copied.
As a part of the installation, you will be asked for the serial number. This is
located on the CD or the CD case.
Insert the installation CD in the CD drive of your computer.
The setup program now either starts automatically or you can start
autorun.exe in the setup directory on the CD-ROM.
Now follow the installation instructions displayed on the screen.
During installation, an installation wizard leads you through the Advanced
Settings Dialog. This is where you can configure the Pinnacle MediaCenter
settings. For more information about this, refer to the chapter "Advanced
Settings".
After installation, you will be prompted to restart your computer. This restart
needs to be done in order for your settings to take effect and for the Pinnacle
MediaCenter to function properly.

Pinnacle MediaCenter
6
The tvtv Manager
The Pinnacle MediaCenter gives you convenient access to the services offered
by the EPG provider tvtv. With the help of the TV listings on the tvtv pages,
you can quickly and easily select the shows you want to record and then import
the recording list into the Pinnacle MediaCenter. The shows you have selected
are then automatically recorded - without you having to configure the recording
any further.
Opening a User Account
To use this method of recording TV shows, you need to register with tvtv.
Click the Windows Start menu once.
Move your mouse to Programs to open the Programs menu.
Move your mouse to the Pinnacle MediaCenter to open the menu.
Click the tvtv Manager option.
A wizard for guiding you through the registration process now appears.
Select whether you are registering with tvtv for the first time or you are
already a registered user.
If you are registering for the first time, enter a user name and password in the
next dialog window and select one of the services. You will then be
forwarded to the tvtv Web site.
In order to use the tvtv service, you need to activate your user account on the
tvtv Web site.
To do this, enter your user name and password.
Assigning TV Channels
After activating your user account, you can now synchronize the Pinnacle
MediaCenter channel list with the tvtv channel list. This lets you record shows
selected on tvtv with the Pinnacle MediaCenter.
To do this, a two-column channel list appears. On the left are all the channels on
your Pinnacle MediaCenter channel list.
If you click a field on the right part of the channel list, all your tvtv channels
will be displayed in separate window. Now choose the tvtv channel to be
associated with the Pinnacle MediaCenter channel on the same line.
This is how you link your Pinnacle MediaCenter channels to the tvtv
channels.
It is now easy for you to select shows as well as keep track of them directly
on the www.tvtv.de Web site. All you have to do is import them into the
Pinnacle MediaCenter.

System Setup
7
Scheduled Recording List
In the next window, all the shows scheduled to be recorded via the tvtv Web site
are displayed.
After the tvtv recording list has been imported into the Pinnacle
MediaCenter, you can modify the shows scheduled to be recorded in the TV
menu under "TV Recorder".

Pinnacle MediaCenter
8
Advanced Settings
Advanced Settings - Overview
During the installation of the Pinnacle MediaCenter software, a wizard will lead
you through the some of the areas in the Advanced Settings dialog where you
can configure the most important settings for the Pinnacle MediaCenter.
After installation, you can access the Advanced Settings dialog at any time by
double-clicking the Settings icon in the Pinnacle program group. Then you can
edit the current settings or configure new ones:
Note that the Advanced Settings dialog can only be operated with your
keyboard or your mouse.
In the left part of the Advanced Settings dialog window, you see a tree structure
that outlines the following areas:
General
Remote control
Display
Capture
Data services
Playback
Audio

System Setup
9
Channels
ImportExport
PMCS
Services
Update
About
When you click an entry, the corresponding menu opens and you can modify the
settings for that area.

Pinnacle MediaCenter
10
Advanced General Settings
In this menu option, you can configure various general settings.
Appearance
Language
In this area, you can set the language for the Pinnacle MediaCenter.
Theme
You can choose different skins for the Pinnacle MediaCenter here.
"Skip" buttons on remote control
This is where you can set the time interval that the Skip buttons on your remote
control should jump during media playback.
Timeshift settings
You can find more information about the timeshift feature in the Timeshift
chapter or in the Operating Controls While Watching TVl chapter.
Automatically enable timeshift at TV startup
If you select this option, every time you watch TV, the program currently
showing is saved in the temporary area of your hard drive. This recording can be
played back from any point at any time, while at the same time live TV is still
being recorded. Not even an unexpected interruption will make you miss even a
second of the show you are watching.

System Setup
11
Maximum duration / Timeshift file size
In this field, you can set the maximum duration of your timeshift recording in
minutes. Since the maximum size of the timeshift file is dependent on this value,
enter the maximum recording time and the resulting maximum file size will be
displayed.
Overwrite buffer if completely filled
After activating this option and if the maximum duration is exceeded during the
timeshift recording, previously recorded parts will be overwritten starting from
the beginning of the recording.
Timeshift file path
After clicking the Browse... button, you can enter the path to where you want
your timeshift recording to be temporarily saved on your hard drive. The Free
disk space: field displays how much disk space is still available for recordings.
(This value is dependent on your hard disk capacity and on the maximum
duration for timeshift recordings.)
Screen saver
In this section, you can decide whether to activate or deactivate a screen saver
for the Pinnacle MediaCenter.

Pinnacle MediaCenter
12
Advanced Remote Control Settings
Click an option button to select the type of remote control you received in the
package.

System Setup
13
Advanced Display Settings
In this menu, you can configure all the display settings for the Pinnacle
MediaCenter:
On-screen display (OSD)
Enable OSD
After activating this option, OSD displays give you detailed information about
the current TV or radio program, the music playing, the movie showing or the
photo displayed in the Pinnacle MediaCenter.
Duration
In this section, set how long an On Screen Display should remain on the screen.
Transparency
Here, you can set the level of transparency for the On Screen Displays on the
Pinnacle MediaCenter interface.
Preferred output device
Indicate whether your media should be played back on your computer monitor
or on your TV set.
Preferred video aspect ratio
Here you can select the picture size for the Pinnacle MediaCenter.

Pinnacle MediaCenter
14
Video display
2 fields interlaced
If this option is active, two fields are "woven" into a full screen. However, this
may result in the edges becoming pixilated.
This setting is optimal for displaying images without a lot of movement, for
example, news broadcasts, or for playing back non-interlaced images, for
example, DVDs.
2 fields de-interlaced
Activating this option smoothes the edges of pixilated images so that a sharper
image is produced. This setting is therefore optimal for displaying images with a
lot of quick movement, for example, sports broadcasts, but should be
deactivated when playing back images which have previously not been
interlaced (for example, DVDs).
Cropping
Activating this option suppresses any interference patterns on the upper and
lower edges of the image.
Acceleration by graphics card
If this option is active, the MPEG stream is partially decoded by the graphics
card, which reduces the CPU load.
Note that this function is only available if your graphics card is suitable for
decoding.
Initial size of video
This is where you select whether your video should appear in fullscreen or in a
window after starting the program.
Page switching effects
In this field, you can activate or deactivate 3D effects and/or audio effects for
the transitions between menus.