Prestigio DMA-301 User manual

Prestigio Digital Media Adapter DMA-301
extended User’s Manual
Your Essential Guide

CE Declaration of Conformity
This equipment complies with the specifications relating to electromagnetic
compatibility EN 55022/A1 Class B and EN 50082-1. This meets the reasonable
protection requirements set out in the European Council Directive on the
approximation of the laws of the member states relating to Electromagnetic
Compatibility Directive (89/336/EEC).
Manufacturer’s Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of the vendor. No warranty or representation,
either expressed or implied, is made with respect to the quality, accuracy, or fitness
for any particular purpose of this document. The manufacturer reserves the right to
make changes to the content of this document and/or the products associated with it
at any time without obligation to notify any person or organization. In no event will the
manufacturer be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential
damages arising out of the use or inability to use this product or documentation, even
if advised of the possibility of such damages.
This document contains materials protected by copyright laws. All rights are
reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by
any means, or for any purpose, without the express written consent of its authors.
Product names appearing in this document are mentioned for identification purposes
only. All trademarks, product names, and brand names appearing in this document
are the property of their respective owners.
Packing List
Below are the items that should be included in your digital media adapter
package.
one digital media adapter
one base ring
one AC power adapter
one audio/video “combo” cable
one remote control
two batteries for the remote control
one CD-ROM containing this manual and the media server software
a quick installation guide
Before installing the system, examine the contents of the package carefully. If
anything appears to be damaged or missing, contact the supplier as soon as
possible.

System Requirements
To run the media server program included with your digital media adapter,and to
allow the media server to communicate with the digital media adapter, you must
have the following computer and networking equipment:
an IBM-type X86 microcomputer running Microsoft®Windows 2000 or XP
This is the hardware and software environment in which the media server
program runs. Other media server programs running in this and/or other
environments may also work with the media adapter if they adhere to the
UPnP AV (Universal Plug-and-Play Audio/Video) specification.
(Some anti-virus and firewall programs can interfere with the operation of
UPnP products such as your media server and media adapter. If the network
connection is good but there are problems with communication between the
media server and the media adapter, you may need to adjust or upgrade your
anti-virus or firewall software to allow UPnP operation.)
ample storage space for audio/video files
Files containing sound and/or pictures, especially moving pictures, can take up
a great deal of disk space. The computer should have at least one hard disk
with a capacity in the tens of gigabytes.
The disk you plan to install the media server on should have at least ten
megabytes of free space for the installation.
a 10/100-Mbps wired Ethernet or IEEE 802.11b/g wireless network interface
The server and the media adapter will communicate through a network
connection. The network can include other devices, or it can be a one-to-one
connection between the media adapter and the computer running the server.
The media adapter has two built-in network interfaces: one for a 10- or 100-
Mbps (megabits per second) wired connection (Ethernet or Fast Ethernet/RJ-
45), and one for an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
802.11b or 802.11g (11- or 54-Mbps) wireless connection. The computer
system running the server software must have a network interface based on
one of these specifications.
A plain Ethernet (10-Mbps) or 802.11b (11-Mbps WLAN) interface may be
sufficient if the server and the media adapter share the network with only few
or no other devices. Fast Ethernet (100-Mbps wired) or 802.11g (54-Mbps
wireless) capability though is strongly recommended.
If you are going to use a wired network connection, see “Network cabling,”
below.

Other requirements and computer-or network-related items that will be required in
some cases but not in others, are described below.
Batteries
You will need two size-AAA batteries for the remote control. Other common
designations for such batteries are UM-4, AM-4, R03, and LR03. One pair of
batteries is already included in the package.
Hub, switch, or access point (AP)
An Ethernet or Fast Ethernet hub or switch is required if the network is wired
and you connect more than two devices. An 802.11b or 802.11g wireless
access point is required if the connection is wireless and will provide a link to a
wired network (such as the Internet) or more than 2 devices form a WLAN-
network.
Internet connection
An Internet connection is required if you wish to use your digital media adapter’s
Internet radio streaming feature.(This means that a hub, switch, or
access point is also required. A common solution is to use a broadband
connectivity device — an ADSL or cable modem or router — with a built-in
hub, switch, or access point.)
Network cabling
A 10-Mbps wired connection requires a Category 3 unshielded or shielded
twisted-pair (UTP or STP) Ethernet cable. A wired interface with Fast Ethernet
(100-Mbps) capability requires a Category 5 UTP or STP cable.
Video and audio cabling
Almost every display device will take a coaxial composite video connection,
and almost every audio device will take a coaxial analog audio connection.
The included combo cable can be used to make both of these connections.
(Plugs and jacks for these connections are almost universally color-coded
yellow for composite video, white for the left audio channel, and red or brown
for the right audio channel.)
Chances are, however, your audio/video equipment can take connections that
provide better picture and sound quality than composite video and analog
audio connections.
Assuming you want the best possible sound and picture quality, you will need
to purchase additional cabling if —
•Your TV or projector accepts S-Video or YPBPRcomponent video
signals.

A YPBPRcomponent video connection (three coaxial jacks colored red,
green, and blue) is preferable to an S-Video connection (usually one
round, four- or seven-contact DIN jack); either one is preferable to a
composite video connection.
A YPBPRconnection carries only video signals. You can use the
included combo cable for a YPBPRconnection; you will then need
separate audio cabling.
A DIN-type S-Video connection also carries only video. For this type of
connection you will have to purchase an S-Video cable. Assuming that
your audio equipment has coaxial analog audio inputs, you can use the
combo cable for audio.
If your TV or projector has a SCART jack (and no YPBPRinputs),
check to see if it can accept S-Video signals through the SCART
connection. If it can, you may need or wish to purchase a SCART
cable. SCART carries analog video or (if available) S-Video signals
(switching is automatic); it also carries analog audio signals. (One
Scart-to-Scart cable is included)
•You wish to use a digital connection for audio.
The media adapter outputs S/PDIF digital audio signals through its
TOSLINK®optical jack, a small, square connector that comes with a
protective plug installed. Your audio equipment may accept S/PDIF
signals through an identical connector, an optical mini-jack, or a
(usually orange) coaxial jack. Be sure to purchase the right kind of
TOSLINK cable, or an optical-to-coaxial converter and suitable cables.
As long as you have suitable equipment and cabling, you can use any audio
output in combination with any video output. Be aware that if you set the
DMA-301 in setup to route any Surround encoded Signal like AC3 directly to
the optical outlet, the analog outlet will not work since the decoding to stereo
is also disabled with this setting.
We strongly recommend using audio and video cables that are as short as
possible, and not using any kind of signal converter. (An adapter such as a
coaxial-to-miniplug analog audio cable, or a medium converter such as the
S/PDIF optical-to-coaxial converter mentioned above, is OK.)

Introduction
Congratulations on purchasing a fine digital media product — and thank you for
taking the time to read this manual.
We hope it won’t take too much of your time!
Your digital media adapter will work with many kinds of audio, video, and
networking equipment. Just finding the information you need to set it up can seem
like a daunting task.
For that reason, we’ve done our best to keep to the essentials in this manual.
If we made it a reference manual (like most manuals for digital products), it would
contain far more than you need to be able set up and use the system — and (if
you’re like us) there’s a good chance you’d feel like giving up before you found the
information you needed.
This manual is certain to be all you need, and to get you up and running very quickly,
especially if —
your network (existing or planned) is typical of home computer networks
your audio/video equipment is typical of home entertainment centers, and . . .
you read and carry out the instructions carefully!
You are no doubt eager for your digital media adapter to start its first playback-
performance. Let us, then, without delay, introduce the cast and help you set the
stage . . . .
Overview of the System
This section introduces the three main “players” in your digital media adapter,and
describes some of the roles they play.
Media Server
This is a program that runs on a computer on your network and lets you find
and select the “media files” and other content that you will later view and listen
to on your audio/video equipment.
Note: Strictly speaking, audio/video material is content, and media are the
substances and spaces through which it reaches us. There is, however,
a trend to refer to computerized audio/video material as “media.” In this
manual, we bow to this usage where necessary. Also certain files will
be addressed as “container”-types.

When you are ready to enjoy the content that you have selected, you just
leave the media server running. (It can run in the background, taking up
almost no screen space.) It will use the computer’s network connection to
communicate with the next part of the chain . . . .
Media Adapter
The media adapter connects to your network and audio/video equipment, puts
an attractive background image on your TV or projector screen, and lists the
media servers that it is in communication with. When you select a server, the
adapter lists the content available from that server.
When you select an item to play, the media adapter requests it from the media
server, the server sends it, and the adapter converts it into a form that your
audio/video equipment can output.
Last but not least : the device you use to communicate your wishes to the
media adapter . . . . :
Remote Control
When the media adapter displays a list on your TV or projector screen, an item
in the list is highlighted in some way. The handheld remote control has arrow
buttons for moving the highlighting to the item you want, a Select button for
activating that item, and buttons similar to those on tape and disc players for
controlling playback.
The media server, media adapter, and remote control play many roles — perform
many functions — in addition to those described above. You will learn all their most
important roles as you set the stage . . . .
Installing the Media Server
The media server software is supplied on the CD-ROM included with your digital media
adapter. It is normally the first part of the system that you install and use.
The software must be installed on a computer running Microsoft®Windows 2000 or
XP. A network connection is not required at the time of server installation, but will be
required soon afterward.
The computer should have lots of free disk space for the audio/video content you will
play. The server itself requires less than 10 megabytes of disk space.
You can install the server software on more than one computer on the same network.
Each running copy will appear as a different server on your TV or projector screen
when you start using your digital media adapter.

Install the media server as follows:
1. Bring up the Windows “desktop” display.
If the computer is already powered on and in windows mode, exit any running
programs until the desktop appears. If the computer is off, turn it on and wait
for the desktop to appear.
2. Insert the CD-ROM included with your digital media adapter.
An animated “splash” screen (accompanied by music) will automatically
appear in 15 to 30 seconds. It will be replaced by a e selection screen 15 to 30
seconds after that.
3. Click the language you prefer.
A function selection screen in the language you selected will appear. It will
contain commands for installing the server, viewing the quick guide and user
manual, and installing a reader for viewing the guide and manual.
Since you are reading these instructions, we assume that you have already
installed the reader if necessary and viewed the user manual. Only
instructions for installing the server are given here.
4. Click the command to install the server.
The installation program will display a message about extracting files, and
then a dialog box for selecting a language will appear. The language that you
select will be used in the next few steps and in the media server’s user
interface.
5. Open the list of languages, click the one you prefer, and click OK.
The installation program will display a message about preparing a “wizard,”
and then the license agreement for the server software will appear.
We assume in the next step that you have read the agreement and you
accepted its terms.
6. Click Yes.
A dialog box for specifying the location of the server in your computer's
directory tree will appear. We assume in this manual that you accept the
“default” (pre-set) location.
7. Click Next.
The installation program will display a dialog box for specifying the “folder” in
the Start menu’s Programs section that will contain commands for starting up
the media server and related programs. We assume in this manual that you
will accept the default folder.

8. Click Next again.
Installation will begin. The installation program will report its actions and
display a progress bar while installation is under way.
When installation is complete, a dialog box containing a completion message,
some options, and a Finish button will appear.
To enable an option, position the mouse over it and click so that a check mark
appears in its check box.
We recommend “clicking” the option to create a shortcut for the media server
on the Windows desktop. If you later decide to delete the shortcut, you can
easily do so without affecting the media server itself. (You can also create a
shortcut later if you leave the option unchecked, but that is more complicated.)
We assume below that you do not check the option to launch the media server
immediately. The next chapter starts with instructions on starting up the media
server without the help of the installation program.
(Besides, there are some “loose ends” to take care of: the CD-ROM is still in
the drive, and its function selection screen is still covering the entire desktop
display.)
One of the options lets you set the media server to start up automatically each
time Windows starts up. The server program itself provides same setup option,
so you can enable automatic startup now or later (and you can easily disable
or re-enable it any time you wish).
9. Click Finish.
The installation program will exit. The function selection screen that appeared
in step 3 will still occupy the display. Note the EXIT button in its top right
corner.
10.Click EXIT and remove the CD-ROM from the drive.
You may notice some changes on the Windows desktop and in the Start
menu. These are explained in the following chapter.
Repeat these steps on as many computers containing media on your network as you
wish. Note that each of these then will be a server.

Part 1. A Tour of the Media Server
Installing the media server puts a new group in the Programs section of the Start
menu (below, left) and (assuming you selected this option during installation) a new
shortcut on the Windows desktop (below, right).

Before you start the server, examine the “system tray.” This is the
clock/notification area normally located at the right end of the task bar. What it
contains varies from computer to computer; the illustration here is only an
example.

To start the server, double-click its desktop
shortcut (or, if you prefer, open the Start menu,
go to Programs, open the Cyber Media Server
folder, and choose the Cyber Media Server
command).
After a few seconds, the server’s icon will appear in the system tray.
When the server starts up, it automatically announces its presence on the
network and waits for requests from media adapters for listing and content.
This is then shown by the animated “waves” emanating from the antennas on
the tray icon. When these waves appear, the server is said to be “actively
running.”
However, the first time the server starts up, it has no audio/video content to list
or send. Finding and selecting the content that you want it to offer is the first
part of server “configuration.”
It is through the tray icon’s command menu that you start the process of
configuring the server.


To display the tray icon’s command menu, click the tray icon with your
mouse’s outside or right button.
The outside button is the button furthest from your body. Clicking with it is
often called “right-clicking.”
The tray icon’s Run command is for making the media server “actively run”
(see above) after you have stopped it. The Stop command makes the server
stop actively running. The Configuration command displays the server’s
Configuration window. The Exit command ends server operation until the next
time the server starts up.
We will spend the rest of this tour examining the server’s Configuration
window.
To open the server’s Configuration window, choose Configuration from
the tray icon’s command menu.
The Configuration window has three panels, named Media Files, Media
Import, and Server Status. Switch panels by clicking the top three icons in the
group at the left edge of the window.
The first panel to appear is always the second of the three, the Media Import
panel. This panel is for finding and selecting audio/video files for later
transmission to the media adapter.
The Media Import panel uses terminology similar to that of Windows
networking. In Windows, when you allow material on your computer to be
accessed by others through the network, you are said to “share” the material
(even if nobody actually takes you up on the offer). The Media Import panel
lets you select material for “sharing” with the media adapter.
Note: 1.If there are other media adapters on your network that conform to the
same standards as the one described in this manual, the media server
will “share” all your selected files with them, too.
2.Mapped network or network drives are not supported by this
mediaserver version due to inconsistent transfer rate.

Finding and Selecting Audio/Video Files
The Media Import panel contains two list boxes, titled Folders and Files To
Share and Shared Folders and
Files.
The Folders and Files To Share
box initially lists the computer’s
storage devices. Click the plus s
[+] next to an item to see any
folders (subdirectories) and/or
audio/video files residing there.
The plus sign will become a minus
sign [−]. Click the minus sign to re-
hide the contents of the item.
ign
ox
d
Using the Folders and Files To
Share box, you can quickly find
audio/video files even if you have not yet put any on the computer yourself.
Many audio/video files are included with Windows.
Only files with common extensions for playable file formats (.mp3, .mpg, .jpg,
.m3u, and a long list of others) are shown in the Folders and Files to Share
box, and only folders containing such files have plus signs.
As the name of the box suggests, you can select folders, and you can select
individual files. When you select a folder, all the audio/video files and any
subfolders in it (and audio/video files and subfolders in them) are automatically
selected for sharing. Non-audio/video files are ignored.
(You can also select an entire disk. If you select a disk or folder containing a
great many files, though, be prepared for a long wait — and keep in mind that
the pointer may not turn into an hourglass while the server searches for
sharable files.)

To select a file or folder for
sharing with the media adapter,
first click the name of the file or
folder in the Folders and Files To
Share box, and then click the
Share button to the right of the b
The item will appear in the Share
Folders and Files box.
.
(To remove an item from the
Shared Folders and Files box,
first click the item in that box, and then click the Delete button to the right of
the box. This will not delete the file or folder from your computer, but only
remove it from the media server’s database.)

When at least one file or folder appears in the Shared Folders and Files box, the
server is ready to do its job. If the media adapter and remote control are set up, the
content you have selected can be listed and played back on your audio/video
equipment (note that you may have to press the remote control’s Refresh button to
allow newly selected content to be listed).
(We assume here that you have not chosen the Stop command from the tray icon’s
command menu. If you have, open that menu again [remember: use your mouse’s
outside button] and choose Run, or just double-click the tray icon. The server must
be actively running to communicate with the media adapter.)
Although you do not need to do anything more with the server to start enjoying your
digital audio/video content, there is much you can do to make browsing and playback
of that content more convenient and pleasurable. Server features that make this
possible are described below.
If you are impatient to connect the media adapter and try it out, this a good point at
which to leave the tour. We hope you’ve enjoyed the tour and will come back and
finish it soon.
There are three ways to remove the Configuration window from the screen:
minimizing it, hiding it, and exiting the program. Minimize, Hide, and Exit buttons can
be found in the window’s top right corner. When the window is minimized or hidden,
choosing Configuration from the tray icon’s command menu will bring it back.
(Note that if you exit/close the program, it won’t be able to send anything to the
media adapter!)

Organizing Audio/Video Files -chapter 1-
Most of us try to organize our tapes, discs, and photos to make it easier to find
particular items. Using the media server, you can organize your audio/video files by
genre, artist, and/or album, and give them titles and ratings, so you are not
confronted with long lists of cryptic file names when you sit down to enjoy your digital
content.
Helping you organize your content is the job of the media server’s Media Files panel.
This panel is explained below. This panel takes up a large part of the tour, so we’ve
arranged some breaks along the way.
To get the maximum benefit from this section, you should select a file or files in the
Media Import panel (see above), and then carry out the kinds of operations described
below. It is safe to experiment and explore; the media server will never delete, move,
rename, or modify an audio/video file on your computer.
(You can use the media server to modify playlists and Internet radio files [which are a
form of playlist]. These are not true audio/video files but mini-databases containing
links to audio/video files.)

To display the Media Files panel,
click the top icon in the group at t
left edge of the Configuration
window.
h
witch
licked unknown, and the video file’s name
e
The Media Files panel has
subpanels for video, music, photo,
and playlist files, and for Internet
radio. Use the icons arranged in a
row at the top of the panel to s
subpanels.
To demonstrate the use of the Media Files panel, we have used the Media
Import panel to select a single video file for sharing, and then opened the
Media Files panel. The selected video file’s genre is unknown, so the server
has created the group unknown and placed the file in it.
Different kinds of files can be grouped in different ways: video files by genre;
music files by artist, album, and genre; and photo files by album. (Some
audio/video files contain “tags” identifying the album, artist, and/or genre;
many do not.)

To see the files in a group, click
the group’s name. Here, we have c
now appears under Title.

To create a group, click the plus sign [+] in the panel’s bottom left corner. A
dialog box will appear. Click in its New Value input area, type a name, and
click OK.

To place a file in the group you
want, drag its name from the Title
column to the group name.
As you start to drag, the pointer w
become a “prohibited” symbol. It will become an arrow with an “add” sym
when you drag to an area where the button can be released to “drop” the file
into a group.
il
bol
l
Under some circumstances, the group unknown is automatically removed
when the last file in it is moved to another group. The server will automatically
re-create it when necessary.
To delete or rename a group, select it and click the minus sign [−] or the M
button in the bottom left corner of the panel.
Even if only one group exists, you must click it to select it before you can
delete or rename it. This principle applies in the server’s other panels and
subpanels as well.
Deleting a group removes the files in it from the server’s database. The files
will not be reassigned to unknown. You will be asked for confirmation before
the group is deleted.
(If some of the files in a folder are deleted from the database and you want to
get them back, you will have to go to the Media Import panel, delete the folder
from the Shared Folders and Files box, and re-select it for sharing. We
strongly recommend deleting a group only if it is empty.)

Use the same techniques to organize files in the Music and Photo subpanels
(remember: switch subpanels by clicking the icons at the top of the Media Files
panel). The only significant difference is that the Music subpanel has separate “sub-
subpanels” for organizing music files by artist, album, and genre; a drop-down list box
is provided for switching sub-subpanels.
The Media Files panel’s Playlist and Internet Radio subpanels (represented by the
two rightmost icons in the group at the top of the panel) are different. Playlists and
Internet radio channels normally provide content that is organized to begin with. The
Playlist and Internet Radio subpanels will be described shortly.
When you start using the media adapter and the remote control, your groupings will
appear on your TV or projector screen. You will also be able to view complete,
ungrouped listings.
This is another good place to leave the tour and go on to connecting the media
adapter. There are some useful and interesting features coming up, though, so it’s a
good idea to stay until the end, or come back soon . . . .

Organizing Audio/Video Files –chapter 2-
When browsing through lists of audio/video content on your TV or projector screen,
chances are you would rather see titles like “Concerto No. 3 in E Major” and "Sunset
on Kilimanjaro" than file names like con3emaj.mp3 and P1010034.JPG.
You might also want to —
assign works ratings such as General or Adult
quickly preview or play back an item to decide how to title, classify, or group it
change the album, artist, and/or genre group an item is assigned to
see such details as the location, date, and size of the disk file holding the item.
You can do all of this using the i(Properties) button in the bottom right corner of the
Media Files panel.
For a quick demonstration, we have used the Media Import panel to select a file
named Sample.jpg for sharing with the media adapter. This file can normally be
found in each user’s My Pictures folder in recent versions of Windows.

The next step is to go to the Media Files panel. To do this, click the top icon in the
group at the left edge of the Configuration window. Then click the Photo subpanel's
icon, a picture of a roll of film at the top of the panel. The server has created the
group unknown and placed Sample.jpg in it. Click the name of the group to see its
contents.
Next click Sample.jpg to select it. (Remember this step!)
Now click the Properties button. A “mini-panel” containing information about
Sample.jpg will appear.
(To close the Properties mini-panel, click the Properties button again.)
Now you’re ready to go . . . .

To preview Sample.jpg, click the rectangular Preview button to the right of
the file location in the Properties mini-panel.
This will start up the application program that is associated with the kind of file
that is currently selected. In the case of a .jpg file, this will usually be a Web
browser or graphics program.
(To remove the preview or playback window from the screen, click the Close
box in its top right corner. If you wish, you can leave the window on the screen
and close it later.)
Now that we’ve seen how to choose an object, we’re ready to give it an
informative title and perhaps change its other properties.
To give the file a new title, drag the pointer through any unwanted text in the
Title box and type the title you want.
To assign the file to a different album group, drag the pointer through any
unwanted text in the Album box and type an album name.
You can type an existing album name or a new one. If an album of the name
you specify does not exist, the server will create one.
To change the rating, pull down the Classification list and click the rating
you want.

(Note that we put the words My Picture . Titles and group names cannot
contain double quotes ["].)
None of your changes have been made “official” yet. You must take one more
step to write the changes to disk.
(The file Sample.jpg itself will not be changed. The title, album name, and
rating are all values stored in the server’s database.)
To finalize your changes, click Update (or press your keyboard’s Enter key).
The new values will appear under Album and Title in the upper part of the
panel. When you browse through photos on your television or projector
screen, Sample.jpg will be titled Runner at the Starting Line, and it will appear
in a group called 'My Pictures' Folder.