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- Using the Media Runner
-
- The Media Runner has been designed to look and function as much like a real
- piece of home entertainment equipment as possible. Where possible,
- improvements have been made which would not have been possible with standard
- switches and dials (e.g. in addition to Fast-Forward or Fast-Reverse controls,
- an integrated status bar allows you to view the where you are in the track
- being played AND allows you to move to any desired position in the track
- simply by clicking on the corresponding point on the status bar itself).
-
-
- CONTROL SUMMARY:
-
- Power - Stops music or video if playing and unloads CD-Runner.
-
- Window controls (upper right corner):
- "_" - Minimize button - right click to minimize to systray.
- - left click to display small floating popup window.
- "Size" - (double small boxes or larger single box) toggles between full size
- and half-size faceplates.
- "x" - Windows exit button - same as pressing Power button.
-
- Volume Sliders - If the volume sliders are enabled in the setup section, then
- left & right channels may be increased or decreased in level by clicking
- the appropriate slider up or down. Note: if you are using the "Force
- Windows Compatible" volume mode, the "Lock" button is forced to the "On"
- position.
-
- Volume Lock - When lit (light blue LED), left and right sliders will move
- up or down in unison; when not lit (dark blue LED), then each channel may
- be moved independently of the other (except if you are using the "Force
- Windows Compatible" volume mode).
-
- Volume Mixer - If a mixer application has been entered in the setup section,
- then click to run it.
-
- Volume Dsp (Display) - click to toggle between an expanded display
- or a normal display (with CD Drawer showing).
-
- Volume Mute - click to mute or un-mute the volume.
-
- PlayCD - left click to jump directly to the Audio CD or CD-ROM Runner.
- - right click to display the popup menu.
-
- AutoDJ - click to access Automatic DJ screen; this allows you to select
- a music and/or video directory (or use the default), type(s)
- of file(s) to play, and if using the MP3 file type to also
- select a Genre type; the AutoDJ will then create a playlist
- and randomly assign all matching files and start playback
- automatically.
-
- Playlist - "One" Play Mode - select file to play.
- - "Cont" Play Mode - select file(s) to play from a directory.
- - "PGM" Play Mode - select file(s) to play from any combination
- of drives and directories, save, recall, delete, optional
- description and many other options available.
-
- << - click to fast rewind the current track being played.
-
- 0:00 - click to toggle time modes (track elapsed, track remaining, total elapsed,
- total remaining).
-
- A<->B - track loop command; click once to set starting time of loop, allow track
- to play to desired end position and click again to set ending time of loop and
- engage endless looping. To turn off looping click again.
-
- |< - click to move to previous track.
-
- >| - click to move to next track.
-
- > - click to play track.
-
- || - click to pause playback.
-
- [] - click to stop playback.
-
- o - click to launch the Windows Sound Recorder application.
-
- >20 - if a program or continuous mode selection has greater than 20 tracks,
- click to enter track number to play or enter as programmed track.
-
- Siz - (Sizable) click to toggle between fixed and resizable monitors for
- video playback.
-
- Rpt - (Repeat) click to engage repeat mode.
-
- ID3 - if playing a MP3 file, click to display the MP3 file info + ID3
- tag editor.
-
- Info - left mouse click to display media playlist.
- - right mouse click to close media playlist.
-
- Play Mode / Pgm - click to enter program mode.
-
- Play Mode / One - click to enter single track play mode.
-
- Play Mode / Cont - click to enter continuous play mode.
-
- Keypad - click to play desired track.
-
- "Media Calendar track numbers" - click to play desired track (useful shortcut
- when using half-size faceplate).
-
- "mousepointer up/dn" (font sizer) - click left mouse button on Artist, Title
- or Song text to decrease font size used; click right mouse button to increase.
-
- "Track Time Bar" - click to move to the relative track position desired.
-
- "Track Time text" - click to toggle time display modes.
-
- "WP On/Off text" - click to toggle wallpaper on or off.
-
- "CD-Runner text" - click to access the popup menu.
-
- "Faceplate" - click and drag faceplate using left mouse button; double-click
- to center faceplate, right-click to display popup menu.
-
-
- In addition to the variety of controls and displays presented above, you may
- also choose from a variety of attractive screen backgrounds (bitmapped or BMP
- file format) and customize the look of CD-Runner by selecting custom fonts
- and/or colors. Use the CD-Runner-Setup section to set these and other options.
-
- The Media Runner is designed to play any combination of Movie, MIDI, Audio
- "MPx" and Wave files. You may play a single file at a time ("One" Mode),
- multiple files at a time ("Cont" or Continuous Mode) or a sequence of
- programmed files ("PGM" Mode). The following file types are supported:
-
- o Video for Windows (AVI files)
- o Microsoft Movie (MMM files)
- o QuickTime Movie (MOV, QT files)
- o MPEG Movie (MPG, MPE, MPA, M1V, ENC, MPEG files)
- o Video CD Movie (DAT files)
- o MPEG Audio (MP1, MP2, MP3 files)
- o Sound Clips (AIFF, AU, SND files)
- o MIDI Sound (MID files)
- o RIFF-MIDI Sound (RMI files)
- o Wave Sound (WAV files)
-
-
- SIZABLE vs. FIXED MONITOR
-
- When playing AVI, MPEG or MMM movie files, you may select either a fixed or
- resizable video monitor by using the [Siz] (Sizable) button. The fixed monitor
- is the Media Runner default and will display the movie in its native size.
- The advantage of this monitor is that it can be moved by clicking and dragging
- (same as faceplate moving), and both it and the Media Runner faceplate can be
- re-centered by clicking the right mouse button on it. When the sizable video
- monitor is used, you may zoom in on a movie by clicking on the corner of the
- screen and resizing it as desired. If you resize such that both it and the
- Media Runner faceplate no longer fit on the same screen, the Media Runner
- faceplate will be automatically minimized and (if enabled) the popup track
- and volume control box will appear. The Media Runner faceplate may be restored
- by clicking the appropriate on the Windows taskbar item.
-
- You may also set either the fixed or sizable monitor to display as a default
- in the CD-Runner setup section (advanced tab). If you select the sizable
- option, you can also set the default window size (zoom original, double-size,
- or full screen).
-
-
- STATUS BAR
-
- Another useful feature is the status bar, which appears on the bottom left
- display window. This bar is designed to serve two purposes: 1. as a time
- indicator and 2. as a quick track access. The bar will always display an
- approximate length relative to the elapsed time played for the media file.
- You may also left-click the mouse directly on the bar to move to the
- approximate relative bar position in the media file. For example, if you
- are playing back a 6-minute long Wave file, and you click approximately
- at the middle of the bar, then the Media Runner will immediately move to
- the 3-minute point in the Wave file and resume playback. This makes
- searching for video scenes or musical passages on long media files much
- quicker and easier.