Precor Media Adapter User manual

Networked Fitness
Media Adapter Guide
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Table of Contents
Features of the Media Adapter P82 and P62 consoles 6
About Channel Types .....................................................................................................................................7
Signal path comments ...............................................................................................................................7
Use the channel editor ....................................................................................................................................8
Configure receivers .........................................................................................................................................8
Connect receivers ............................................................................................................................................8
Create the Channel List ..................................................................................................................................9
Configure consoles 9
Attach HDMI and remote control cables to consoles ...............................................................................10
Media Adapter connector identification...............................................................................................10
Install receivers in junction boxes ...............................................................................................................11
Install and start the editor ............................................................................................................................11
Use the ribbon................................................................................................................................................12
Precor Channel Editor Ribbon buttons.................................................................................................13
Define a Channel Entry ................................................................................................................................14
Delete a channel entry ..................................................................................................................................14
Import and export the channel guide file ..................................................................................................14
Activate the Media Adapter.........................................................................................................................16
Service the Media Adapter 17
Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................................................17
Remove and replace the IR transmitter......................................................................................................17
Obtain service ................................................................................................................................................17
Notes ...............................................................................................................................................................18

Features of the Media Adapter P82 and P62 consoles
The Media Adapter option allows a P82 or P62 console to display content provided by external receivers instead of the console's
internal tuner. For those facilities that use such receivers to process incoming TV signals, the Media Adapter provides the exercisers
with exactly the same user experience. They select television channels from the same channel guide and switch between television and
other information (such as BROWSER or GOALS) in the same way.
The Media Adapter accepts 720p x 60 frames per second (FPS) video signals through an HDMI connection from one of several
different external receivers. (Refer to the receiver list accompanying this Guide for the receiver brands and models we support.) The
only control mechanism that these receivers have in common is an infrared (IR) remote control. Because of this, the Media Adapter acts
as the remote control for each receiver that is certified to work with it.
CAUTION
Be sure to install, configure, and test the external receiver and channel guide for the first P82 or P62
console before you perform the procedures in this chapter for the other consoles. Once an IR transmitter is
attached to each receiver, it cannot be removed easily.

About Channel Types
With the addition of the Media Adapter, the P82 and P62 consoles support an extremely wide variety of television (TV) and video
formats. In addition, working with an external receiver, the console can support some formats in more than one way. For example, some
receivers can accept a combination of satellite and cable channels. When a channel type is selected, the receiver passes the signal to
the console through an HDMI cable.
The following figure and table show the possible paths that TV and video signals can take to reach Precor networked fitness consoles in
a typical facility.
Note Some of these signal paths may not be installed at your facility.
Signal path comments
Element
Comments
Various incoming types of TV and video signals reach your facility from a combination of cable,
satellite, and broadcast sources.
The local head end equipment at the facility receives cable, terrestrial broadcast, and satellite TV
channels and reassigns them to other channel numbers if necessary.
External receivers installed next to each networked fitness console receive cable TV and satellite TV
signals and reassigns them to other channel numbers, if necessary.
Note
The specific types of signals available through the external receiver may vary depending on its
brand and model. Refer to the documentation accompanying your receivers for more information.
TV signals from the head end reach the console through a coaxial cable. The cable is connected to the
console's internal tuner through an F-type connector.
Video signals from the external adapter reach the console through its HDMI connector.
To avoid confusion, this Guide describes incoming channels in terms of how they reach the consoles.
If a channel arrives at the console through ... This Guide refers to it as ...
A coaxial cable A cable channel
An HDMI cable An HDMI channel

Use the Channel Editor
The Precor Channel Editor provides a simple, reliable method for building or updating the TV channel guide file.
For the TV to work correctly, each P82 and P62 console contains a formatted text file that describes the channel guide on that console.
The file, called channel-guide.json, stores channel information in the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format.
Once you have defined the channel guide file for a single networked fitness console, you can export it from that console and import it to
the others. However, depending on the type of television channels your facility’s P82 or P62 consoles are configured to receive, you
must first create the channel guide file in one of the following ways:
If the consoles are configured to receive …
Then you must …
Cable channels Perform an initial scan to find the available channels
HDMI channels Use an editor to create the file, then import it to the
console
Note The Channel Editor is available from the Precor FTP site. If you have a Precor Connect account, read the Tech Tip,
TT.P80.201310rev01. If you do not have a Precor Connect account, contact Precor Customer Service for download information.
Configure receivers
To configure and test the external receivers that you plan to use with P82 and P62 consoles, you must have the following tools
available:
•HDMI-compatible monitor capable of displaying a 720p signal at 60 frames per second
•Infrared remote control from one of the receivers
Important Before you start to configure the receivers, review and familiarize yourself with their instructions. You must know how to
reach the configuration menus before you begin the following procedure.
Tip If possible, configure the receivers before you arrive at the fitness facility. This prevents you from carrying the monitor around the
facility to configure each receiver as you install it.
To configure each receiver:
1. Connect the receiver’s power supply to the receiver and to an AC power outlet.
2. Connect the external, HDMI-compatible monitor to the receiver.
3. Connect the receiver to a source of an appropriate television signal.
4. Turn on the receiver and use its configuration menus to select the following options:
720p resolution (1280 x 720) x 60 fps
Closed captioning (if the facility requires that closed captioning be available, you must configure it within the receivers)
Connect receivers
The IR transmitter is fitted with an adhesive foam gasket. When attached to a receiver, this gasket keeps the transmitter positioned
correctly and seals out any room light that filters in to the junction box.
Important The foam gasket is lined with an extremely strong, permanent adhesive. DO NOT remove the liner from the gasket until
you are ready to install the IR transmitter.
To connect a receiver:
1. If necessary, attach the power supply cable to the power connector on the receiver.
2. Attach one end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI extender cable leading out of the piece of fitness equipment on which you are
currently working.
3. Attach the other end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI jack on the receiver.

4. Locate the IR port on the receiver. This port is usually a small, transparent opening in the front panel of the receiver, but it may be
designed to be difficult to see.
Important If you are not sure about where the IR port is, refer to the documentation for the receiver or contact the receiver's
manufacturer.
5. Position the IR transmitter so that the gasket can surround the IR port without placing any strain on the remote control cable.
6. Remove the liner from the gasket.
7. Make sure the gasket does not block any part of the IR port, then press the IR transmitter into place as shown in the following
figure.
Figure1: IR tra nsmitt er placement
Create the Channel List
While one of the receivers is connected and operating, create a list of the channels that should eventually be available in the channel
guide on the P82 and P62 consoles. For each channel, note the digit sequence that you must enter through the remote control to select
the channel directly (without using the "channel up" and "channel down" buttons).
Tip In many cases, the channel listing furnished by the facility's TV service provider contains the digit sequence information you will
need.
If you are using I-O DATA receivers, choose the twelve channels that the facility’s owner wants to offer. Program these channels into
the quick selection list, while making note of which channel is assigned to which quick selection key.
Important When configuring or moving a DirecTV receiver, DO NOT press its Resolution key.
Configure consoles
After the external receivers have been installed and set up, configuring P82 or P62 consoles to recognize them involves the following
tasks:
•Activating the Media Adapter on each networked fitness console
•Building the channel list on the first console
•Exporting the finished channel list from the first console to the others
This section discusses how to perform these tasks.

Attach HDMI and remote control cables to consoles
WARNING
Before you remove the access cover from a P82 or P62 networked fitness console or change any of its connections, make
sure that it is disconnected from its power source. If the console is already installed on a piece of fitness equipment, make
sure that the equipment is disconnected from its power source as well.
When you remove the access cover from the back of each P82 or P62 consoles, you will see two cables that are part of the console, as
shown in the following figure and table.
Figure2: Me dia Adapter con nectors withi nt heP80 c onsole
Media Adapter connector identification
Connector
Function
Connector Type
HDMI HDMI socket
Remote control Three-connector locking interconnect
After you have routed the HDMI extender cable and the remote control cable through the framework of the fitness equipment and the
console mount, attach them to these connectors.
Note For specific information about routing cables through the fitness equipment, refer to the assembly guide for the specific
equipment model you are working with (AMT, EFX, treadmill, or bike).

Install receivers in junction boxes
Each external receiver in your facility must be housed in a high-capacity junction box. This enclosure is a direct replacement for an
existing T-junction; its ventilation slots and elevated receiver platform keep the receiver cool during use, while space has been set aside
on its lower level for the receiver’s power supply.
When you place the receiver in the junction box, position it so that its controls face upward and its connectors face downward, as shown
in the following figure.
Note If you need to pass the HDMI and remote control cables through the back of the junction box, insert them into the slot in the
base of the box (shown in the previous figure). To close off unused raceway openings in the box, insert an end cap as shown in the
following figure.
Install and start the editor
Important The software does not support more than one installation at the same time on the same computer. If you are upgrading an
existing installation, you must remove the old version of the software before you install the new version.
To remove an old version of the software (if necessary):
1. On the Start menu, click
Control Panel
.
2. In the Control Panel, double-click
Add or Remove Programs
.
3. Scroll through the list of installed programs to find
Precor Channel Editor
version, where version is the version number of the
software you want to remove.
4. Select
Precor Channel Editor
version, then click
Remove
.
5. When asked if you are sure, click
Yes
.
6. When removal is complete, exit from the Control Panel.

To install the software:
1. Locate and open the folder where you downloaded the Precor Channel Editor software.
2. Right-click the .zip archive file containing the software and select
Extract All
.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to extract the contents of the .zip file.
4. Double-click the
PrecorChannelEditor
version
.msi
file, where version is the number of the new software version you want to
install. The installation process completes automatically.
To start the software:
1. On the Start menu, point to
All Programs
.
2. On the All Programs menu, click
Precor Channel Editor
.
Use the ribbon
The Precor Channel Editor consists of a channel table and a command ribbon, as shown in the following figure. The editor also provides
shortcut keys for the more commonly used buttons on the ribbon.
Aspect Ratio can be set to either 4:30 or 16:9.
Note For P82/P62 consoles, you can set your set-top box model in the TV Settings menu. For HDMI channels on a P80 console only,
select the brand of receiver you are using:
ENSEO
,
IODATA
, or
DIRECTV
.

The following table describes the buttons on the ribbon and the shortcut keys available for them.
Precor Channel Editor Ribbon buttons
Number
Button
Purpose
Shortcut Key (If Available)
New List Remove the existing table and start a new one. CTRL+N
Save Save changes to the table that is currently open
in the editor.
CTRL+S
Save As … Save the contents of the table as a new file. None
Open … Open an existing channel guide file in the editor. CTRL+O
Add Insert a new table row just below the selected
one (or at the top of the table if no row is
selected).
Note
A duplicate of this button is available
below the bottom row of the table.
CTRL+ENTER
Move Up Move the selected row upward in the table. CTRL+UP ARROW
Move Down Move the selected row downward in the table. CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Delete Remove the selected row from the table. DELETE
About … Display information about the Precor Channel
Editor.
F1
Exit Close the Precor Channel Editor and return to
Windows.
None
Note
If you exit the Precor Channel Editor
using the standard ALT+F4 shortcut, your
changes may not be saved.

Define a Channel Entry
To set up channels in the guide, type or select the appropriate values for each column as shown in the following table.
In the column …
Do the following …
Type For an HDMI channel, select
SETTOP_BOX
.
Note
For broadcast channels received directly by the P82 or P62 console’s internal tuner,
this value is set to
ATSC
,
DVB-C
, or
DVB-T
for digital broadcast channels, or to
ANALOG
for
analog broadcast channels. The channel type cannot be changed in any of these cases.
Display # Type the number that the networked fitness console should show to exercisers to identify the
channel.
Name Type the name that the networked fitness console should show to exercisers to identify the
channel.
Tuning Type the sequence of characters needed to select the channel. For an HDMI channel, this
sequence is the same one you would enter on the remote control.
STB Model For P82/P62 consoles, you can set your set-top box model in the TV Settings menu. For
HDMI channels on a P80 console only, select the brand of receiver you are using:
ENSEO
,
IODATA
, or
DIRECTV
.
Delete a channel entry
Although you cannot create entries for cable channels within the Precor Channel Editor, you can delete existing entries. This can be
useful if your initial scan revealed a channel that you do not want your exercisers to see.
To delete a channel entry:
1. In the channel list table, click anywhere within the row containing the channel you want to delete. This highlights the row.
2. Click the
Delete
button on the toolbar.
3. When asked "Delete this channel?", click
Yes
.
Import and export the channel guide file
Precor typically recommends that you start with one of the P82 or P62 consoles in your facility. After you have installed the channel
guide file on the first networked fitness console and tested it there, export it to a USB drive to distribute it to the other P82 or P62
consoles in your facility. In addition to saving time, this ensures that the channel list is consistent on all of your fitness equipment.
To export the channel guide file from your console:
1. On the Welcome screen, press and hold
Volume Down
.

2. While holding
Volume Down
, press each of the following keys once in the order presented. Refer to the diagram below and press:
1 2 3 4
Channel Up
Channel Down
Channel Down
Channel Up
3. Release
Volume Down
.
4. Using the on-screen keyboard, touch the following numbers to enter the password:
5 6 5 1 5 6 5
5. Touch
OK
.
6. Insert a USB drive into the console.
7. On the Settings menu, touch
System Settings
.
8. On the System Settings menu, touch
TV Settings
, then
Export/Import Channel Names
.
9. When the box is lit, touch
Export to USB
. The channel guide file is saved on your USB drive in the /precor folder.
10. Touch
OK
to return to the System Settings menu.
11. Touch
Back
twice to return to the Welcome screen.
Important You must return to the Welcome screen before you remove the USB drive.
12. Remove the USB drive from the console.
To import the channel guide file from your console:
Note Before you can import the channel guide to the other networked fitness consoles, you must make sure that the Media Adapters
on those consoles are activated. Once activated, follow steps below.
1. On the Settings menu, touch
System Settings
.
2. On the System Settings menu, touch
TV Settings
, then
Export/Import Channel Names
.
3. When the box is lit, touch
Import from USB
. The channel guide file is loaded and the Channel Guide displays the updated channel
names.
4. Touch
OK
to return to the System Settings menu.
5. Touch
Back
twice to return to the Welcome screen.
Important You must return to the Welcome screen before you remove the USB drive.
6. Remove the USB drive from the console.

Activate the Media Adapter
By default, the networked fitness console is configured to use its internal tuner instead of the Media Adapter option. Before you can
import your finished channel list file, you must activate the Media Adapter.
To configure the console to accept signals from the Media Adapter:
1. On the Welcome screen, press and hold
Volume Down
.
2. While holding
Volume Down
, press each of the following keys once in the order presented. Refer to the diagram below and press:
1 2 3 4
Channel Up
Channel Down
Channel Down
Channel Up
3. Release
Volume Down
.
4. Using the on-screen keyboard, touch the following numbers to enter the password:
5 6 5 1 5 6 5
5. Touch
OK
.
6. At the Settings menu, select
System Settings
, then
TV Settings
, then
TV Source
.
7. Select
Set Top Box
from the TV Source list, choose an option, then touch
OK
.
8. Touch
BACK
twice to return to the Settings menu.
To import the channel guide file:
1. On the Settings menu, touch
System Settings
, then
TV Settings
, then
Export/Import Channel List
.
2. When the box is selected, touch
Import from USB
. The current channel guide file is loaded and the Channel Guide displays the
updated channel names.
3. Touch
OK
to return to the System Settings menu, then touch
BACK
to return to the Settings menu.
4. Touch
BACK
twice to return to the Welcome screen.
Important You must return to the Welcome screen before you remove the USB drive.

Service the Media Adapter
The following sections contain information about how to correct problems with the Media Adapter and how to obtain service.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter problems with the Media Adapter, please check the common solutions in the following table before contacting
Precor Customer Support or your Precor dealer.
Problem
Possible Solutions
No picture or sound is played on
one or more channels.
•Verify that all cables are in place and fully connected.
•Verify that the dialing sequences set in the channel guide are correct.
•If you are using I-O DATA receivers, check that the quick selection list on the receiver
has been set up correctly.
•Check that the receiver is still set to 720p. If not, use a remote control to reconfigure
the receiver.
The cable channels (or the HDMI
channels) on the channel guide
are not displayed correctly.
•The networked fitness console cannot receive both HDMI channels and cable
channels at the same time.
After the user changes the
channel, the text messages
describing the new channel
remain on the screen for seven
seconds or more.
•If you are using I-O DATA receivers, check that the quick selection list on the receiver
has been set up correctly and that the channel guide on the P82 or P62 console is
using it.
•Some receiver manufacturers design this behavior into their software, and there is no
way to deactivate it.
Remove and replace the IR transmitter
Under most circumstances, Precor does not recommend removing the IR transmitter once it has been mounted on the external
receiver. However, you may need to remove a transmitter for one of the following reasons:
•The transmitter is not operating correctly.
•The transmitter's programming has been lost or corrupted, requiring you to reconfigure it using a remote control.
Before you remove the transmitter, make sure you have the following items available:
•A short piece of black thread, slightly longer than the transmitter is wide
•A replacement for the transmitter (if it is defective) or the adhesive gasket (if the transmitter can be reused)
To remove the IR transmitter:
1. Pull the thread tight and position it against the surface of the external receiver.
2. While keeping the thread tight, move it across the surface of the receiver so that it cuts through the adhesive gasket as close to the
receiver as possible.
3. Lift the IR transmitter off of the receiver.
4. Remove as much gasket material from the receiver and the IR transmitter as possible.
5. If you can reuse the same IR transmitter, remove the backing from one side of the new adhesive gasket. Apply the new gasket to
the transmitter in place of the old gasket.
Once the surface of the receiver has been cleaned, you can replace the IR transmitter using the same steps as you used to mount it
originally.
Obtain service
DO NOT attempt to service the equipment except for maintenance tasks. If any items are missing, contact your dealer. For more
information regarding customer support numbers or a list of Precor authorized service centers, visit the Precor website at
www.precor.com.

Notes

Notes

Network Fitness Media Adapter Guide | P/N 303072-102 rev B, ENU
©2017 Precor Incorporated | March 2017