even more choices . . .
Use My Videos
The My Videos feature of the Media Center application allows you to store, organize, sort, and play your digital video files, such as home movies that you create using your digital video camera.
When you select My Videos from the Media Center Start menu, you see displayed thumbnails of the videos stored in your My Videos folder on the Media Center PC, as shown in Figure 2-3.
Manage Video Files
Video files are stored in the My Videos folder under each user's profile within the Documents and Settings folder. Each user also has a Shared Videos folder for storing videos she wants to share with other users of the computer.
TIP - You can view file details by selecting a video file and pressing the MORE INFO button on the remote control.
Import Video Files
You can download video files from the Internet or create your own with a digital video camera. Copy video files to the My Video folder or create shortcuts in the My Video folder to video files located in other folders to play them through Media Center.
You can also view video files located on a flash memory card by selecting Other media from the My Videos menu.
TIP - You can edit your homemade videos using Microsoft's MovieMaker, which comes installed on your Windows XP Media Center PC.
Video Formats
Media Center supports the following video formats:
- Windows Media files (.wm, .asf)
- Windows Media A/V files (.wmv)
- Video files (.avi)
- Movie files (.mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .m1v, .mp2, and .mpv2)
- Media Center can play additional video formats if you install the proper codecs. Visit the Microsoft Web site to learn more about and download codecs.
Play Videos
To play a video, select the video file you want to watch, and then click it or press the OK button on the remote control. If the video is playing in an inset window, you can play it full screen by pressing the OK/ENTER button on the remote control.
You can fast forward through a video at one of three speeds by pressing the FWD button on the remote control one, two, or three times. Press PLAY to go back to normal speed. To skip ahead 29 seconds, press the SKIP button on the remote control.
You can also go backward by pressing the REW button.
You can freeze the video image by pressing the PAUSE button on the remote control. Press PLAY to resume playback.
Jargon Buster
A codec is a software program used to compress (co) and decompress (dec) digital video files. Make your home entertainment mobile for anytime-anywhere access!
Orb gives you what you want: flexibility and portability. With Orb you can securely access your home media, from any web browser, on any device, anywhere in the world. Install Orb on your home PC and then get secure, on-the-spot access to your favorite music, live or recorded TV and movies, photos, news and more. Sign up today to get two months absolutely FREE!
Radio and Online Spotlight
The Radio option in the Media Center application allows you to listen to FM or Internet radio through your Media Center PC. Online Spotlight connects you to the Internet and provides a quick and easy way to find out what's new for the Media Center PC.
When you select the Radio option from the Media Center Start menu, you see choices for Internet or FM radio in the left menu, as well as a Settings option that can be used to create preset radio stations. You can create and select preset radio stations with the click of a mouse or the remote control.
Listen to FM Radio
When you select Start FM from the Radio menu, Media Center plays whatever station you listened to most recently. The first time you use the FM radio option, you need to find an FM station. If you know the frequency of the station you want to hear, type the numbers (for example, 99.5) into the frequency field. Otherwise, you can use the plus (+) and minus (-) Tune controls to scroll through the frequencies in .2 MHz increments, or use the plus and minus Seek controls to go from one available station to the next.
If a station has a very weak signal, the Seek function may not find it. In that case, you need to type in the frequency or use the Tune control.
You can use the PAUSE button on the remote control to stop playing, and then resume the radio broadcast where you left off by pressing PLAY, as long as you resume within 30 minutes. If you've paused and want to skip forward within the recorded portion, press the SKIP button to move forward 29 seconds at a time.
To save an FM station to your list of preset stations, tune to it, and then click Save. It then appears in the presets grid, as shown in Figure 2-4.
You can sort the preset stations by selecting Settings, and then selecting Auto Sort. This sorts the list of presets in numerical order.
Warning - You can't listen to FM Radio at the save time you're watching live TV or recording a TV program with Media Center, because the FM radio and TV functions share the same tuner card.
Listen to Internet Radio
When you select Internet from the Radio menu, available Internet Radio Web links for any stations you have installed are displayed on the screen, as shown in Figure 2-5. Click one station to select it.
TIP - If you don't see the Internet option in the Radio menu, you haven't downloaded any Web links yet. You need to go to the Online Spotlight to download links for one or more stations.
Use the Online Spotlight
When you select the Online Spotlight from the Media Center Start menu, you're connected through the Internet to content and services provided by Microsoft partners. Examples of content and service providers accessible through Online Spotlight include:
CinemaNow: Where you can buy and download movies and watch streaming video.
ESPN: Where you can watch sports-related videos.
Live365: An Internet radio network that allows you to select from thousands of different stations where music fans create their own programming.
Movielink: Where you can download recently released movies from major studios.
MSN TV Today: where you can get news, weather, and financial updates.
Napster: Where you can download music or listen to Napster Radio, which includes more than 50 commercial-free stations.
Sonic PrimeTime: Where you can record TV shows.
