Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U User manual

DIGITAL VIDEO CONVERTER
FOR USB 2.0 INTERFACE
INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL
MAY 2004
Model PX-AV100U

Plextor reserves the right to make improvements in the products
described in this manual at any time without prior notice.
Plextor makes no representation or warranties with respect to the
contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Plextor
Corp. reserves the right to revise this manual and to make changes in
its content without obligation to notify any person or organization of
such revision or change.
This manual is copyrighted, all rights reserved. It may not be copied,
photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or
machine-readable form without Plextor’s prior permission.
Manual copyright ©2004, Plextor Corp.
First edition, May 2004.
Licenses and Trademarks
Plextor, and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks and ConvertX is a
trademark of Plextor Corp. InterVideo is a registered trademark, and WinDVD
Creator and WinDVD are trademarks of InterVideo, Inc. All other licenses and
trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Notice
This product and software are designed to help you in
reproducing materials for which you own the copyright or have
obtained permission to copy from the copyright owner. Unless
you own the copyright or have permission to copy from the
copyright owner, you may be violating copyright laws and may
be subject to payment of damages and/or other penalties. If you
are uncertain about your rights, you should contact your legal
advisor.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
Model Number: PX-AV100U
Trade Name: PLEXTOR
Responsible Party: PLEXTOR Corp.
Address: 48383 Fremont Blvd, Suite 120, Fremont, CA 94538-6509, USA
Telephone Number: 510-440-2000
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment causes harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
STATEMENT
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

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Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U Installation and Users Manual v
Table of Contents
1. Getting Started ..............................................................................1
About this Manual...........................................................................1
Meet Your ConvertX.......................................................................2
What You Can Do with the ConvertX.........................................2
Features of the Plextor ConvertX ................................................3
What You Need to Use the ConvertX .............................................4
What's in the Box ............................................................................5
ConvertX Features and Controls .....................................................6
Front Panel ..................................................................................6
Rear Panel ...................................................................................7
Precautions ......................................................................................8
2. Installing Your ConvertX .............................................................9
Install the ConvertX Video Converter.............................................9
Installing the ConvertX Device Driver........................................9
Connect the ConvertX to the PC ...............................................12
Don’t Forget to Register! ..........................................................15
About the USB Connection.......................................................15
Turning the ConvertX On and Off ............................................15
If the Installation Failed ............................................................16
Make Sure the ConvertX Is Recognized ...................................16
Troubleshoot Other Devices......................................................18
Changing to Another Computer ................................................18
Connect Video and Audio to Your ConvertX ...............................18
3. Using the ConvertX with WinDVD Creator .............................21
Install the WinDVD Creator 2 Software .......................................21
Startup ...........................................................................................22
Understanding the Task Window ..................................................22
Overview of Creating a Personalized CD or DVD Disc ...............24
Capturing.......................................................................................26
Capturing Video ........................................................................27
Recording Time and Disc Capacity...........................................30
Editing...........................................................................................31
Adjusting a Video Clip..............................................................33
Adding and Adjusting a Transition ...........................................34
Adding Titles, Audio Effects, and Media Content ....................35

Table of Contents
vi Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U Installation and Users Manual
Previewing Your Project........................................................... 35
Viewing File Properties ............................................................ 35
Saving Your Project.................................................................. 35
Creating......................................................................................... 36
Deleting a Chapter Mark........................................................... 37
Adding a Chapter Mark............................................................. 38
Editing a Menu Theme.............................................................. 38
Sharing.......................................................................................... 39
Burning a Disc .......................................................................... 40
Compression Options................................................................ 42
Saving to a File ......................................................................... 42
Disc Manager................................................................................ 43
Capturing Directly to a DVD Disc............................................ 44
Hints for Playing Video ................................................................ 46
Where to Go from Here ................................................................ 46
4. Maintenance and Troubleshooting............................................ 47
Upgrading Your ConvertX............................................................ 47
Troubleshooting Hints .................................................................. 48
Problems with Installation ........................................................ 48
Problems with Capture.............................................................. 48
Appendix A: Specifications ............................................................ 49
Appendix B: Technical Support .................................................... 57
How to Contact Plextor Technical Support................................... 58
Before You E-mail/Log On/FAX/Call.......................................... 58
Returns.......................................................................................... 59
Contacting Plextor’s RMA Department.................................... 59
Packing Your ConvertX............................................................ 60
Shipping Your ConvertX to Plextor.......................................... 60
Appendix C: Warranty................................................................... 61
If You’re Outside the U.S. or Canada........................................... 62
Index................................................................................................. 63

Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U Installation and Users Manual 1
1. Getting Started
Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the Plextor®ConvertX™
PX-AV100U Digital Video Converter. We appreciate the confidence
you have shown in us. Our goal is to put you—and keep you—on the
leading edge of video technology.
Figure 1: The ConvertX captures video and compresses it into high
quality digital video
About this Manual
Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference.
Use the manual for installation, operation and troubleshooting. If your
ConvertX needs service, see your dealer or call Plextor’s Technical
Support Department. (See “Appendix B: Technical Support” for the
different ways you can reach us.)

Section 1. Getting Started
2Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U Installation and Users Manual
Meet Your ConvertX
The Plextor ConvertX is a high-quality digital video converter that takes
video from a camcorder, TV, VCR, or DVD player and, utilizing real-
time software encoding, converts it into MPEG-1 (Video CD) or MPEG-
2 (DVD formatted) video. The video you obtain is perfect for playing on
a computer, burning to recordable CD or DVD disc, or sharing over the
Internet.
What You Can Do with the ConvertX
Uncompressed full-motion video takes as much as one gigabyte of
storage space per minute of video. But with your ConvertX, you can
capture large amounts of video to your PC in a highly compressed
format, saving you lots of hard disk space.
The ConvertX PX-AV100U Digital Video Converter and the bundled
InterVideo® WinDVD Creator™2 software let you:
•Capture: Capture video and sound from analog or digital sources.
•Edit: Cut out unwanted scenes and add titles, transitions, and special
effects.
•Author: Create compelling DVD projects, complete with interactive
menus.
•Share: Burn your video projects onto recordable DVD and CDs or
share them over the Internet.
•Direct record: Record video directly to recordable DVD discs in one
step.

Section 1. Getting Started
Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U Installation and Users Manual 3
Your ConvertX, using the bundled Intervideo WinDVD Creator
software, can capture video directly into both the MPEG-1 (Video CD)
and MPEG-2 (DVD video) formats. These video formats allow you to
store an hour of digital video on a CD, or 2 hours on a DVD. The
software guides you through each step of capturing and editing video,
adding effects, and creating a polished video production. You can either
burn your video to CD or DVD or convert it into the highly compressed
DivX format for sharing on the Internet. You get everything you need
for quality digital production—just what you’d expect from Plextor.
Features of the Plextor ConvertX
•Capture from various sources: Capture video to your PC from a TV,
VCR, camcorder or DVD player.
•Real-time video compression: Video is automatically compressed
into the MPEG-1 (Video CD) or MPEG-2 (DVD) format while it is
being recorded to your PC, saving you lots of time and hard disk
space.
•Hi-Speed USB interface: Connect using your Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port
for the highest quality video.
•USB bus powered: This ConvertX draws all its power from the USB
bus, so there’s no need for a bulky AC adapter.
•Bundled WinDVD Creator 2 software: For capturing, editing,
authoring, and exporting video to CD or DVD.
•Easily upgradable: Just download the latest software from the
Plextor web site and upgrade quickly.
•One year warranty: And unlimited toll-free tech support.

Section 1. Getting Started
4Plextor ConvertX PX-AV100U Installation and Users Manual
What You Need to Use the ConvertX
•Computer: Minimum Pentium®4, 1.8-GHz CPU. Pentium 4, 2.4-
GHz CPU or faster suggested.
•Minimum memory: At least 256 megabytes of memory.
•Hard disk: Minimum 5400 rpm, with 6-10 gigabytes of free space
recommended for DVD. 7200 rpm is suggested.
•Monitor resolution: 1024 x 768, 24-bit color.
•Video graphics card: AGP-4x or faster with minimum 32
megabytes of Video RAM, 24-bit color resolution capability and
DirectX support.
•Sound card: Windows-compatible sound card with 48-kHz
playback. (Using a plug-in PCI sound card is recommended.)
•USB interface: USB 2.0 required.
•Operating system: Windows XP or 2000.
•Windows Media Player: Usually part of your Windows operating
system; also available free from Microsoft.
•DirectX 9.0b: Provided on the accompanying Plextor CD.
•CD-ROM drive: For installation (if you don’t have a CD-RW or
DVD±RW drive).
•CD-RW drive: To burn CDs, Video CDs, or MiniDVDs.
•DVD+R/RW or DVD-R/RW drive: To burn DVDs, CDs or Video
CDs. Also needed for direct recording to DVD.