TerraTec Cinergy TV User manual

TV software
English Manual
Version:20.08.04

Contents
The TV Software. ................................................................................................................... 3
Installation. ......................................................................................................................... 3
Launching the TV software for the first time. ........................................................................ 4
The main menu.................................................................................................................... 8
The TV window.................................................................................................................... 11
Context menu. ....................................................................................................................12
Teletext................................................................................................................................16
The configuration menu. ......................................................................................................18
Configuration: Playback settings. .......................................................................................18
Configuration: capture settings.......................................................................................... 20
Configuration: Still image capture...................................................................................... 22
Configuration: Stations...................................................................................................... 23
Configuration: Options ...................................................................................................... 23
Configuration: About ......................................................................................................... 23
Service at TerraTec.............................................................................................................24
Hotline & Internet........................................................................................................... 24
Broken?!..........................................................................................................................25
2 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

The TV Software.
The heart of your Cinergy TV card is its TV software. You use it to program stations, optimize
the picture, adjust the sound to your needs and much more. You can also use the TV software
as a simple-to-use video recorder, capture individual frames and surf conveniently through
teletext pages!
Installation.
To install the Cinergy TV software, select the appropriate item on the autostart menu of the
included CD-ROM. If the autostart program does not appear automatically when you insert
your Cinergy Installation CD, start it manually by running the “AUTORUN.EXE” file located on
the root directory of the Cinergy Installation CD.
As an alternative to the version on the included CD-ROM, you can also download the current
version of the Cinergy TV software from http://www.terratec.com/. Double-click the
downloaded file to start the installation.
The language selected for the installation will also be used in the Cinergy TV application. It
can be changed at any time, however. The Cinergy TV icon will be present on your desktop if
you accepted the defaults during the installation.
Note: Cinergy 600 TV Radio owners will find an additional “ActiveRadio” icon on their desk-
tops with which to launch the radio application.
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 3

Launching the TV software for the first time.
The station manager will open automatically the first time you start the Cinergy TV application.
· Click “Scan”.
The automatic channel scan will enter its results in the left-hand
”Found channels” window. The correct station names will be shown for most channels.
The channel scan in action.
Once the standard channel scan has completed, you will be asked whether any stations are
missing.
A friendly prompt.
4 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

If you find that you are missing stations that you would
otherwise receive cleanly, repeat the search with the option
“All frequencies”. Click on “Default” and this option will be
displayed.
· Transferring stations to Favorites.
Finished? Good. Use the arrows between the left- and right-hand windows to move indi-
vidual (>) or all stations (>>) to the Favorites list in the right-hand window. You will only be
able to select stations that are in your Favorites list when using the program.
The detected stations that you want to save now have to be copied into the list on the right. To do so, use
the center arrow buttons.
· Editing station names—fine-tuning.
You may find that the correct names could not be determined for some stations, or that
they are not perfectly in tune. Select the station in the Favorites list and click on the tool
icon below the list.
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 5

Edit stations
6 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

A dialog box will open in which you can change the name of the station and adjust the fre-
quency manually.
Click the tool icon under the Favorites list to open the “Edit station” menu.
You can also change the station name and fine tuning at any time on the station management
tab. There's no need to complete the whole job in one sitting.
· Sorting stations.
The stations are initially listed under Favorites in alphabetical order. As this probably
does not correspond to your usual sorting, you can resort your Favorites with the arrow
buttons on the right-hand edge of the list.
· Removing stations.
To remove stations from the Favorites, click the X icon below the list.
· Switch from the “Stations” tab to the “TV” tab. If you have connected the audio output of
the Cinergy hardware to the line input of your sound card, you can adjust the preliminary
settings here. If you have more than one sound card, or if you are not using the line input
as your audio input, then adjust the settings in the “Audio” section under “Mixer” and
“Source”.
· Click “OK” to close the configuration menu.
· Happy zapping!
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 7

The main menu.
The basic functions of the TV software are grouped in the main menu. To display brief descrip-
tions of the individual functions, hover over the buttons with the mouse cursor.
The main menu contains
· a context-sensitive display for additional information
· input signal/station selection
· teletext functions
· display functions
· recording functions
· audio functions
· special functions (configuration, IPG, Besonic Mood Radio)
A number of the listed functions permit/require additional settings that can be found in the
configuration menu. Please see the specified pages for detailed descriptions.
Station selection/input signal
The antenna signal is the default input signal.
The desired station can be chosen from the
station list.
Selects an external video source at the S-video
input of the TV hardware as the input signal.
Selects an external video source at the compos-
ite video input of the TV hardware as the input
signal.
---
8 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

Display functions
Enables and disables the TV picture.
Starts the multiple-channel preview mode. Thumb-
nails of the current programs of all stations in the
Favorites list provide a quick overview.
If this function is active, the picture can be scaled
horizontally and vertically without regard for the
selected aspect ratio (4:3).
Page 18
Teletext function
Displays the teletext pages of the selected station in
their own window.
Displays the teletext pages of the selected station in
the TV picture, optionally as a transparent image.
Field for the direct input of the desired teletext page.
The teletext offerings of most stations begin on page
100.
Navigation keys for teletext.
Page 18
Recording functions
Starts the playback of the last recording. This function
usually launches the Windows Media Player, which is
associated with .AVI files by default.
Starts video recording and saves the video in the “My
Pictures” (“My Videos”) folder of the current user by
default.
Stops recording or playback.
Page 20
Takes a still picture of the current TV picture and
stores it in the “My Pictures” folder of the current user
by default.
Page 22
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 9

Audio functions
Volume control (louder/softer).
Enables/disables mute.
Stereo/mono selector
(Cinergy 400 TV/Cinergy 600 TV Radio only).
Two-channel selector
(Cinergy 400 TV/Cinergy 600 TV Radio only).
Pages 18 and
20
Special functions
Opens the configuration menu. Page 18
Opens the IPG (Internet Program Guide). ---
Launches “BeSonic Mood Radio”. ---
10 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

The TV window.
Depending on the selected input signal, the TV window will display a TV or video picture. The
first presupposes the availability of an antenna signal, the second an external video source
on either the S-video or composite inputs.
If you have selected TV as your input signal, you also have the possibility of displaying the
teletext offerings of the current station. Teletext can be displayed instead of the TV picture, as
a transparent overlay or in a separate window. For more information, see the Teletext chapter
starting on page 16.
IMAGE: The television picture opens by clicking the TV button.
Size. The size of the picture can be scaled freely with the mouse in either a specified (4:3) or
free aspect ratio (“Free aspect ratio” button active). Place the mouse cursor on the edge of the
window in such a way that it turns into a horizontal, vertical or diagonal double-headed arrow
and enlarge or reduce the picture by dragging the edge.
Please note: As described later on page 18, you can custom adjust the number of displayed
pixels. You may want to do this—especially on older computers—because the number of
pixels affects the amount of information your CPU has to process. Your Athlon or Pentium
processor has to work harder to display a large number of pixels. If you have a low resolution
set, the TV picture may become “crumbly” when displayed in large scale or full screen.
Position. Press and hold the left mouse button anywhere within the picture and move the
window to the desired position.
Full screen/window view. A double-click switches the picture to full screen display; double-
clicking once more restores the picture to its window.
· Context menu/keyboard control. The context menu plays such a central role in the use of
the software that the following chapter is devoted entirely to it. Just read on.
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 11

Context menu.
Right-click inside the picture window or in the main menu to open the context menu. Our
reason for mentioning that the context menu is also available in the display of the main menu
will become apparent when you try out the “Desktop TV” function. More about that later.
The context menu.
12 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

Like the main menu of the TV software, the context menu is organized in sections to group
similar functions. The following sections cover only those functions that have not yet been
explained as parts of the main menu.
Station list/Input signal
Channel +/–. Changes one channel up or down.
AV. Selects the S-video or composite input, depending on where a signal is recognized.
Station list/Input signal
Desktop TV. Fixes the TV picture at its current position on the desktop. The TV picture will
behave in the same way as desktop wallpaper, i.e. the icons and windows will always be
visible in the foreground.
AdvancedàAlways on top. This setting ensures that the TV picture always remains in the
foreground and cannot be partly or completely covered by other windows.
AdvancedàOptimize size. Displays the TV picture with exactly the selected number of pixels.
(see “TV” à“Video” à“Format” tab)
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 13

Recording functions
AdvancedàOpen still image directory. Opens the folder that you have selected for your still
images.
AdvancedàOpen video directory. Opens the folder that you have selected for your videos.
AdvancedàTerratec Scheduler. Opens the application for programming scheduled re-
cordings. For more information on the Scheduler, see autostarter àdocumentation à
Scheduler.
Audio functions
AdvancedàStereo. Cinergy 400 TV, Cinergy 400 TV mobile and Cinergy 600 TV Radio only.
AdvancedàMono. Single-channel audio.
Advancedà2-channel audio (Language A/B). TerraTec Cinergy 400 and Cinergy 600 TV Radio
only.
AdvancedàOpen Windows mixer. Opens the Windows mixer.
AdvancedàWindows: Sounds and Multimedia. Opens the Windows “Sounds and Multime-
dia” Control Panel applet.
14 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

Misc.
DirectShow configuration. Here you can find information that can prove useful for your own
troubleshooting measures or for support inquiries. For further useful information, see the à
“About” tab in the Configuration menu.
Language selection
Language/Language. Sets the language of the software's user interface.
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 15

Teletext.
Modern media technology like the Internet made a widespread service offered by TV broad-
casting establishments somewhat forgotten in recent years: teletext Every day, however,
competent editorial offices provide a selection of quickly and easily accessible information,
which you can access for free, since it is constantly transferred along with the TV picture via
the so-called vertical blanking interval of the picture signal.
Transparent, opaque or in a window of its own. A click on the button displays teletext as a
transparent overlay of the TV picture or covering the picture, depending on the settings of the
“TV” tab of the configuration menu. Alternatively, click the button to display teletext in a
window of its own.
Transparent. Opaque. In its own window.
Size. The size of the display can be changed with the mouse in the same way as the TV pic-
ture.
Position. The teletext display cannot be moved when it is being shown in the TV window, as
the left mouse button is needed to select teletext when copying to the clipboard or saving it in
a text file.
Navigation. Thanks to the advance loading of teletext, the individual pages display almost
without delay. To navigate the teletext pages, use the controls on the main menu (arrow
buttons, page number), or click the page references with the mouse. The arrow/cursor keys on
the keyboard will also do the trick. Owners of a Cinergy 400 TV or Cinergy 600 TV Radio will
probably prefer the remote control.
Tip: Page 100 usually jumps to the start page of a teletext channel.
Context menu. Teletext also has its own context menu that can be opened by right-clicking
the teletext window. The menu items are self-explanatory. We would nevertheless like to
describe one option not offered by your TV.
Copy & Paste. You can select letters, lines, sections or whole pages with the left mouse but-
ton for further action using various context menu items. The following functions are available:
16 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

· Copy selection (Ctrl+C).
Copies previously selected teletext to the Windows clipboard.
· Copy page (Ctrl+A)
Copies the complete content of the page to the Windows clipboard.
· Save page (as) (Ctrl+S)
Saves the complete content of the page in a text file.
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 17

The configuration menu.
Click on the tool icon in the main menu of the TV software to open the configuration menu.
The various tabs contain a wide selection of additional configuration options. Each tab has an
“OK” button with which the configuration can be completed at any time.
Configuration: Playback settings.
Configure the video and audio playback properties under “TV”.
The TV page of the advanced configuration menu.
VideoàFormat. Set the display format and color space of the picture under “Format”. The
format specified here corresponds to the number of pixels used horizontally and vertically.
Although the picture can be scaled freely or displayed in full screen mode, this is the maxi-
mum number of pixels that will be displayed at any time. In addition to the format, the color
space can also specified. The choices included uncompressed color spaces with 15 (RGB255),
24 (RGB24) and 32 bit (RGB32) color depth and compressed color spaces. Not every combina-
tion of format and color depth can be selected. In the YUY2 color space, software-based de-
interlacing can be enabled to reduce the so-called “picket-fence effect”. This annoying effect
occurs during rapid transitions as a result of horizontal shifts in the interlaced pictures.
18 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)

Tip: Remember that various options also affect system speed which may or may not be no-
ticeable depending on the combination of options that are active. For example, if you plan to
have the TV picture run “on the side” in a small window, choose a smaller resolution. High
resolution makes more sense if you want to watch TV in full screen mode.
VideoàTeletext. Use this option to define whether teletext is displayed on a black back-
ground or is shown with a “transparent” background on top of the TV picture currently play-
ing. This option only applies to the display of teletext in the TV picture , not to teletext in its
own window .
AudioàBalance. Use this slider to adjust the left and right side audio output signals sent to
your speakers.
Display. Like on your television set, these options let you adjust the brightness, contrast,
color and sharpness of the TV picture to your liking. Click “Default” to restore all of the sliders
to their central positions.
Note: The later described settings apply globally for the entire TV software and are not stored
individually for each channel.
Multi-channel preview. The multi-channel preview feature lets you take a glance at what is
showing on all of the TV channels that you have stored. To accomplish this, the multi-channel
preview function scrolls automatically through all of the channels and shows a recorded
frame of each channel. If you see a program that interests you, simply switch to its channel
with a mouse click. Double-clicking “opens” the station in the view that you are used to.
Set the number of “snapshots” displayed in the TV window using the Count option; the Auto
option selects the size of the pictures automatically. Furthermore, you can enter the switch
time in seconds. When the TV window is open, you can start the multi-channel preview by
clicking its corresponding button in the main menu.
Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English) 19

Configuration: capture settings
Configure the video recording properties under “Capture”.
Video capture uses a number of Windows components, especially compression algorithms
known as codecs. In addition to the default selection, additional codecs are available from
third-party vendors. For sources, see “HotLinks!!!” in the autostart menu of the CD-ROM. For
further information on installing and configuring the codecs, please refer to the vendor's
documentation.
Note: Some of the items in the “HotLinks!!!” topics are links to third-party providers (on the
Internet), for which we expressly take no responsibility.
Capture properties in the configuration menu.
VideoàFormat. Set the display format and color space of the capture under “Format”. The
format specified here corresponds to the number of pixels used horizontally and vertically. In
addition to the format, the color space can also specified. The choices included uncom-
pressed color spaces with 15 (RGB255), 24 (RGB24) and 32 bit (RGB32) color depth and com-
pressed color spaces. Not every combination of format and color depth can be selected. The
configuration selected here will directly affect the file sizes of the video capture. Considerable
file sizes result in a short time even at low resolutions in compressed color space; additional
compression algorithms should therefore be used.
VideoàCompression. Select the compression algorithm mentioned above here. The quality of
a codec is determined by the relationship between picture quality and data compression, as
well as the processor load during data compression. The compression that can be achieved
20 Cinergy 400 TV mobile Software (English)