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1990-05-07
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VIDEO TAPE CONTROL
(C) COPYRIGHT, 1990 MICRO METHODS
WRITTEN BY KIM G. THORNTON
VIDEO TAPE CONTROL REGISTRATION
This is a SHAREWARE copy of VIDEO TAPE CONTROL which means you
may try the software before you buy. If you like what you see,
you can receive a registered copy of VIDEO TAPE CONTROL which
cost $95.00. The benefits of registering is that you will
receive a printed manual, the most recent copy of the software
and phone support.
Please direct all inquiries to:
Micro Methods
c/o Kim G. Thornton
P.O. Box 2027
Evansville, In. 47728
Ph. (812) 476-0999
ORDER FORM
NAME_______________________________________________________
COMPANY____________________________________________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________________
CITY, STATE & ZIP__________________________________________
PHONE (______) ____________________________________________
VIDEO TAPE CONTROL REGISTRATION FEE $95.00
INDIANA RESIDENTS ADD 5% ________
TOTAL ________
Circle One:
Cash Check Money Order COD VISA Master Card
Acct#__________________________________ Exp Date__________
Signature__________________________________________________
LIMITED WARRANTY
The program is provided "as is" without warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied. Micro Methods does not
warrant that the functions contained in the program will meet
your requirements or that the operation if the program will be
uninterrupted or error free. In no event will Micro Methods be
liable to you for any damages, including any lost profits, lost
savings or other incidental or consequential damages arising out
of the use or inability to use such program.
Any liability of seller or Micro Methods will be limited
exclusively to software replacement or refund of the purchase
price.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction............................. 1
Hardware Requirements.................... 2
Installation & Initialization............ 2
Price Codes.............................. 4
Starting Video Tape Control.............. 5
The Main Menu............................ 6
Rental Transactions...................... 7
Tape Library............................. 8
Reservations............................. 10
Process Returned Tapes................... 11
Collecting Late Charges.................. 12
Membership File.......................... 13
Tape File................................ 15
Report Generator......................... 19
Accounting Information................... 21
Exiting Video Tape Control............... 24
INTRODUCTION
Video Tape Control is a computer program designed to
automate your video tape rental business.
The program has many unique features such as the Tape
Library and pop-up windows to provide a more user friendly
environment.
The program was designed to take full advantage of the speed
your computer possesses. Video Tape Control handles movie
rentals and returns quickly and easily. Late fees are
automatically calculated and you are alerted when fees are due.
It will keep track of membership, film, and reservation
information important to your stores operation. Reservations can
be made on tapes and items for more than a week in advance and
you are reminded of the reservation when the tape is rented or
returned.
Video Tape Control's printed report capabilities include
information on tapes and rental items, the rental activity and
the amount of money a member has spent at your store, reservation
list, and members with late tapes. It also produces mailing
labels for your stores mail outs or advertisements.
Video Tape Control has the capacity of holding up to 8,000
tapes and 8,000 members in it's data base.
Video Tape Control Page 1
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
Video Tape Control will operate on any IBM PC, XT, AT or
compatible computer with at least 512K of memory using MSDOS 2.1
or higher.
1 360K floppy disk drive.
1 10 MEG or larger hard disk drive.
Any black and white, monochrome, or color monitor.
Dot matrix printer (a speed of 160 cps is recommended).
INSTALLING VIDEO TAPE CONTROL
If you are a first time user of a computer system please
refer to your operators manual in turning on your system and the
procedure in making backups of your data and programs.
To load Video Tape Control on to the hard disk drive insert
the program disk that came with this manual into drive A and at
the C> prompt type A:INSTALL
This will create a sub-directory called VTC and copy all the
files from the disk in drive A to the sub-directory.
INITIALIZATION
Before using Video Tape Control you must let the program
know some information about your business. To do this a stand
alone program is used called INIT. This program may be used at
any time to enter new or change existing company information.
To use the initialization program at the C> prompt type INIT
and press [ENTER]. In a moment a Enter Password prompt will
appear. If this is your first time using INIT or if you have not
yet entered a password just press [ENTER] here.
Video Tape Control Page 2
INITIALIZATION (CONT.)
When the initialization screen appears you have the option
of entering or changing the data on the screen by moving the bar,
[F2] setting up your printer, [F3] changing price codes or late
fee codes, and [F1] exiting INIT.
To change the opening screen you must use the arrow keys
located on your numeric key pad (you must have the num lock off
to use the arrow keys). Move the bar to the line you wish to
change, press [ENTER] and type in the new information for that
line. After you have keyed in the new line press [ENTER] again
to accept the line.
* When entering your companies city state and zip, remember to
use a 2 letter state abbreviation with a period (.) behind it.
Video Tape Control will use this data when you are entering
membership information.
The "Sales Tax Percent" can be entered as a decimal or a
whole number i.e. a 5% sales tax could be entered as .05 or 5.
The "Add To Non-Members" Rental line is for stores that have
memberships but rent to non-members at a higher rental price. If
you wish to use this feature enter in the extra amount to add to
non-members. If you do not wish to use it leave it zero.
The "Return Time" is the time that all items rented are due
back. The time must be entered in as a 24 hour format i.e. 6:00
P.M. would be 18:00. If your store is on a 24 hour rental then
enter 24 on this line.
The "Next Invoice #" is a counter the computer keeps for
each invoice printed. This can be changed at any time such as
the beginning of the year if you wish.
Video Tape Control can be used with a serial cash drawer.
Refer to the users manual for the cash drawer for the proper
serial port settings and to the MSDOS operators manual for using
the MODE command to set the serial port. If you do not have a
cash drawer installed on your computer then answer NO to the
"Cash Drawer Installed?" prompt.
"Invoice Information" is what will appear at the bottom of
your printed invoices. This could include store rules or
promotions if you wish.
The "Password" line is an option for protecting your
accounting information. You also must have the password to gain
access to the INIT program. If you do not want to use a password
just leave this line blank.
Video Tape Control Page 3
INITIALIZATION (CONT.)
The "Display Receipt Prompt?" is an option which if is YES
then after each transaction a "Print Receipt (Y/N/ESC)?" prompt
will appear before each receipt is printed. This would allow you
the option of not printing a receipt for members. If you will be
printing a receipt for every transaction, then you would want to
answer NO here. New users of Video Tape Control may want to
leave this prompt on while learning the program.
[F2] Printer Setup:
This option is used to tell Video Tape Control what codes
(in decimal) are necessary to print in condensed format.
Line "A" would be the printer codes to select condensed
print. For many printers this code would be 27 15. Line B is
the codes (in decimal) used to cancel condensed print. Again for
many printers this would be 18.
If the current codes do not make your printer print in
condensed format, please refer to your printer manual for the
proper control codes.
Option "C" is used to control your invoice length. Pressing
"C" will toggle line C from 5 1/2" to 11". If your printer has
the tractor feed behind the platen and has a tear bar then you
should be able to get 2 receipts from each 8 1/2" by 11" sheet of
paper. In this case, you would leave line C at 5 1/2". Some
printers are not designed in this manner so you may have to use
the 11" option which would give you 1 receipt per 8 1/2" by 11"
sheet.
[F3] Price Codes/Late Fees:
Video Tape Control has 12 price codes and 4 late fee codes.
The price codes are used for different rentals or prices you wish
to put on tapes or items in your store. It is suggested that your
normal or most used rental price be placed in Price 1.
Example:
Lets say your store has three different rentals. Most tapes
are $2.00 but you have some children's tapes renting for $1.00.
You also rent VCR Machines for $6.00. So you could then make
Price 1 $2.00, Price 2 $1.00, and Price 3 $6.00. The other price
codes could be used for membership fees, VCR head cleaning, etc.
Any price codes not being used should be left at zero. These
codes will be displayed when you are entering your tapes and
inventory items. There is also a manual feature you can use (for
more information on this see Add Tapes or Items).
Video Tape Control Page 4
INITIALIZATION (CONT.)
The "Late Fees Codes" are used only if your late fees will
be different than your rental amount. If your late fees are the
value of your rentals then leave all the late fee codes zero.
[F1] Exit
This is used for saving all the information you keyed in and
quitting the initialization program. After pressing [F1] a
"Verify Exit (Y/N)?" will appear. To exit press Y or the [ENTER]
key, if you do not wish to exit press N to return to the program.
STARTING VIDEO TAPE CONTROL
At the C> prompt type VTC and press [ENTER]. The Micro
Methods logo will appear and a One Moment Please... message will
be displayed for a few seconds.
You will then be prompted for the current date. The proper
format for the date is MM/DD/YY, i.e. April 25, 1987 would be
entered as 04/25/87 and then press [ENTER]. If you enter the
date in the wrong format it will not be accepted and you must
then re-enter it.
After the current date is entered a "Tapes Rented Today To
Be Returned On (MM/DD/YY)?" prompt will be displayed. This is
the date that your rentals are due back. Again the MM/DD/YY
format must be used. If you press [ENTER] here with out entering
a date the next day determined by your current date will be
displayed.
The next prompt will be the current time. The time must be
enter in as a 24 hour format i.e. 1:00 P.M. would be 13:00.
If you have entered the current date and time previously or
have a real time clock in the computer you may just press [ENTER]
at each of the date and time prompts to get the current system
date and time.
After all time and date information is entered a "Correct
(Y/N)?" prompt will be displayed. This allows you to check the
information you just keyed in before starting the program. Video
Tape Control uses the current date and time to Calculate late
fees so make sure this information is correct before proceeding.
Video Tape Control Page 5
THE MAIN MENU
The main menu is the central control area of the program. It
is from this area you will access the different modules of Video
Tape Control and you will always be returned here after exiting
any of the modules.
Video Tape Control 5.2 (C) Copyright 1987 by Micro Methods
M E N U
[1] Rental Transactions
[2] Membership File
[3] Tape File
[4] Report Generator
[5] Accounting Information
[6] End-Of-Day Report
[7] Exit Program
> Enter Selection _
[1] Rental Transactions:
This is where most of your time in Video Tape Control will be
spent. All transactions are performed here and many other
functions can be executed from this area of the program.
[2] Membership File
Used for adding new members to your data base. New members can
also be added from Rental Transactions.
Member information can be viewed or changed here, you can also
delete a member here.
[3] Tape File
Used for adding inventory items, tapes or VCR machines.
Inventory items and tapes can be viewed, changed, or deleted
here.
Video Tape Control Page 6
[4] Report Generator:
This is where all reports such as membership, tape list, late
tape list, reservation list, and mailing labels are produced.
[5] Accounting Information:
Daily, monthly and year-to-date totals can be viewed here. All
price codes can also be changed here. This area is password
protected.
[6] End-of-day Report:
Displays Only Daily information. No password is is necessary to
access this area.
[7] Exit Program:
This selection will exit you from Video Tape Control and return
you to the computers operating system. Never shut down your
computer system until Video Tape Control has been exited
properly.
When entering a menu selection or most other prompts such as
"Enter Selection?" or "Correct (Y/N)?" you do not have to press
[ENTER] after keying in your response. Also for any Yes or No
(Y/N) responses, pressing the [ENTER] key would be accepted as a
yes answer. The only exception is when you are deleting a member
or tape item.
RENTAL TRANSACTIONS
After selecting 1 from the main menu the transaction screen
will be displayed. The bottom 2 lines are command lines
controlled by the function keys. To use the different commands
the cursor must be at the bottom right of the screen. This is
accomplished by pressing the [ENTER] key.
The Command Line:
[F1] Find Mem [F2] Tape Lib [F3] Chg Ret Date [F4] Enter Tapes
[F5] Memship [F6] Reserv [F9] Return Tapes [F10] Menu
Video Tape Control Page 7
RENTAL TRANSACTIONS (CONT.)
Function Key Descriptions:
[F1] Find Member:
Used to display a member you wish to process
for rentals, reservations, and changing member information.
After press [F1] a "Mem # Or Name?" prompt will be displayed,
here you may key in the members number or the members name as it
is in the membership file. If you enter a member number and
press [ENTER] you are telling Video Tape Control exactly which
member you want. The member is displayed, and you are
automatically transferred to the [F4] Enter Tapes mode. If you
key in a members name (up to 6 characters of the name) you are
telling Video Tape Control to search for a name to match what you
keyed in. After a match is found the member is displayed and a
"OK? (Y/N/P/ESC)" prompt is displayed. If you answer with a "Y"
or [ENTER] you will be transferred to the [F4] Enter Tapes mode,
if you answer with a N the next occurrence will be displayed a P
response would display the previous occurrence. Pressing the
[ESC] key will cancel the search and you will be returned to the
"Mem # Or Name?" prompt.
The member information displayed on the transaction screen
includes the member number, name and address, telephone number,
membership type, membership date, total items or tapes currently
rented, and a comments line.
The [ENTER] key can be substituted for [F1] if you wish.
This is to allow easier keyboard input as the [F1] Find Member is
used very often.
[F2] Tape Library:
The Tape Library is a very handy feature used to check the
status of a tape. The Tape Library can be be used during a
transaction if you wish. When you press [F2] the Tape Library
screen is windowed and you are prompted for the tape number or
title. Again the search works in the same manner as in searching
for a member. If the tape or item is rented a Not Available
message will flash on the screen and the date of return will also
be displayed. If the tape is reserved a * Reserved * message
will be displayed. The Tape Library is very fast way of letting
a member know the availability of a tape.
[F3] Chg. Return Date:
This option is used in the event a member wishes to rent
items or tapes longer than your normal rental times. The rentals
are automatically adjusted depending on the number of days they
wish to rent. Changing the return date must be done before the
invoice items are entered.
Video Tape Control Page 8
RENTAL TRANSACTIONS (CONT.)
[F4] Enter Tapes:
The Enter Tapes option is usually automatic but is needed
after you use the Tape Library or Reservation option. After the
member is displayed on the screen you will be placed in the Enter
Tapes mode. A "#" will be displayed on the screen which means
Video Tape Control is waiting for an Item number to be keyed in.
You can only enter a tape or item number here. After a valid
item number is entered and [ENTER] is pressed, the description,
rental amount, and a "OK?" prompt will be displayed. If you press
"N" here the line will be erased and you must re-enter the
number. If you press "Y" or [ENTER], the item will be accepted
on the transaction and the "#" prompt will drop to the next line
for another item number to be entered. You are allowed a maximum
of 10 items per invoice. To quit entering item numbers just
press [ENTER] at the "#" prompt.
After pressing [ENTER] at the "#" prompt you will notice at
the top right of the screen Sub-Total, Sales Tax, and Total
Amount lines will be displayed also the command line at the
bottom of the screen will change to:
[F1] Receipt [F2] Tape Library [F4] Enter Tapes
[F6] Reservations [F7] Erase [F9] Return Tapes
By pressing [F1] or [ENTER], you are telling Video Tape
Control that the transaction is done and you are ready to print a
receipt. After pressing [F1] an "Amount Tendered $" prompt will
be displayed, waiting for you to enter the amount of cash
received (if you want to by-pass this just press [ENTER] here.
The members change will be displayed and depending on how you
initialized Video Tape Control in the INIT program a receipt will
be printed or a "Print Receipt (Y/N/ESC)?" prompt will be
displayed. If the Receipt prompt is displayed answering "Y"
would of course print the receipt and "N" would not, Pressing the
[ESC] key would return you to the command line.
[F5] Membership:
The [F5] option works in two ways, if a member is not
displayed on the transaction screen and at the command line you
press [F5] a window would be opened to add a new member. If a
member is displayed on the transaction screen then the [F5] would
open a window to change information of the member currently on
the transaction screen. This is very useful for keeping
addresses and telephone numbers current on your members.
Video Tape Control Page 9
RENTAL TRANSACTIONS (CONT.):
[F5] Membership (Cont.):
For more information on adding and changing membership
information see ADD MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION or VIEW/CHANGE
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION.
[F6] Reservations:
In order to reserve a tape or item for a member you first
must find the member wishing to reserve using the [F1] Find
Member option. After locating the proper member press [ENTER] to
gain control at the command line and press [F6] to open the
window for the reservation screen. A "Enter Tape # Or Title"
prompt will be displayed. Entering a title will begin the search
sequence as in searching for a member, entering a number tells
Video Tape Control you know the item you want. After you have the
tape to reserve on the screen a "<A>dd Or <R>emove Reservation ?"
will be displayed. Pressing "A" would allow you to add the name
to the reservation (up to 8 different names and dates) and
pressing "R" would let you manually remove names if any exists.
To add a reservation press "A" and at the "Enter Date To Reserve"
prompt key in the date the customers wishes to reserve the tape
on. The reservation date can be keyed in any format you wish:
08/29/87 or Aug 29 would be acceptable. There can be a maximum
of 8 characters in the reservation date.
When a tape is reserved and it is rented or returned a
"* Reserved *" message will flash by the item number. This is to
alert you that there is a waiting list for this tape. When
renting a reserved tape, if the member renting the item is on the
reservation list they will be automatically removed during the
rental transaction. Reserving a tape does not keep you from
renting to someone that is not on the list, the reservation list
acts more of a reminder and you make the decision to rent it or
not. Keep in mind that all reservations are made by item numbers
and not titles.
[F7] Erase:
This option is used to erase a complete transaction. This
allows you to start over if you wish. After erasing you will be
returned to the [F1] Find Member mode.
Video Tape Control Page 10
RENTAL TRANSACTIONS (CONT.):
[F9] Return Tapes:
This option is for processing the the rental items a member
returns. Any information on the transaction screen will be saved
and re-displayed when you change to the [F9] Process Returns
screen option. After pressing [F9] at the command line, the
Process Returned Tapes screen will be displayed and a "Enter
Item #" prompt will be at the lower left of the screen.
Returns can be made by item number or member number. To
return by item number, enter any of the tape or item numbers a
member has out, press [ENTER], then the original transaction will
be displayed. To return by member number enter an "M" then the
members number. To exit from the Process Returned Tapes area
just press [ENTER] at the "Enter Item #" prompt.
After the return transaction has been displayed the
following line will be at the bottom of the screen:
<A> All Items Returned <P> Partial Return <ESC> To Exit
If you enter an "A" here, all items on the invoice will be
returned. If you enter a "P" here, each item will have to be
returned individually. On a partial return "Returned (Y/N)?"
will be displayed by each item on the return invoice. You would
then answer "Y" or "N" for each item. All items not returned
will be saved on the original invoice and may be returned at a
later time. On a partial return after all items have been marked
returned or not, the message "OK To Update Files (Y/N)?" will be
displayed. If you answer "N" to this no action will be taken and
you will be returned to the "Enter Item #" prompt.
Pressing the [ESC] key will erase the invoice and no action
will be taken. This allows you to view your returns at any time
if you wish.
When processing returns and the member is late in returning
their tapes you will be alerted by two beeps and the amount of
the late charge will flash on the upper right of the screen.
After returning the rented items you will be asked "Charge Late
Fees (Y/N)?". If you answer with "Y" the members file will be
tagged with the late fee amount (if a late fee amount already
exist in their file it will be added to the existing amount).
Answering with an "N" here would waive the late charges.
Video Tape Control Page 11
RENTAL TRANSACTIONS (CONT.):
Collecting Late Charges:
To Collect the late charges from the member you must return
to the Rental Transaction screen and recall the member using the
[F1] Find Member option. When the member is displayed again you
will be alerted by 2 beeps and the amount of the late charge will
be displayed at the top right of the screen. At the bottom line
of the screen the message "Will Late Charges Be Collected (Y/N)?"
will be waiting for you response. If you answer "Y" here an
"Amount $" prompt will be displayed. To collect the amount
flashing on the screen just press [ENTER]. To change the amount
just enter in the amount you wish to charge the member (entering
zero here would be the same as waiving the amount). After the
correct amount is accepted the 9999 LATE CHARGES DUE record
(which should always be in your tape files) will automatically be
displayed on the transaction screen. After the 9999 LATE CHARGES
DUE is displayed you will be in the [F4] Enter Tapes mode. If
The member only wants to pay their late charges then just press
[ENTER] at the "#" prompt to end the transaction.
If you answer with a "N" at the prompt the late charges will
not be charged to the member but will be remembered by Video Tape
Control. Any time you display a customer with late charges in
their file you will be alerted.
[F10] Menu:
This option at the command line will return you to the main
menu.
Video Tape Control Page 12
MEMBERSHIP FILE
This is where you maintain your membership or customer file.
After pressing selection 2 you will have the option of <V>
viewing members, <A> adding members, <C> changing members, <D>
deleting members and pressing [ENTER] would return you to the
main menu.
Here are a few basic guide lines for entering new data:
After you enter each line of data you must press [ENTER] to
accept the line.
Remember to enter all letters in upper case (keep the
caps lock on).
Commas are allowed in all lines except the Member #.
The Member # can be up to 7 characters long.
The first character must begin with a number (1-9).
Any Characters after the first may be alpha or numeric.
Each member must have their own Member # (Video Tape Control
checks and will alert you if you key in duplicate number).
The Suggested format for the members name is:
LAST NAME, FIRST NAME - i.e. SMITH, FRED A.
This is important when you search for a member by name.
When entering the city, state, and zip code, and the member
your keying in has the same city and state as your stores,
pressing [ENTER] at this line will display the city and
state you entered in the initialization program. Then you
would type in the zip code after the displayed city and
state. This feature will save key strokes when entering
membership information. This feature only works if the
company city, state, and zip was entered correctly (with a
period (.) behind a 2 digit state) in the initialization
program.
If you press [ENTER] at the Membership Date line the current
system date will be displayed.
Video Tape Control Page 13
MEMBERSHIP FILE (CONT.)
* If the first character of the Membership Type line is a "N"
then this would indicate that this is a non-member.
They would be charged the extra amount for non-members
entered in the initialization program.
* Placing a "C" in the first column of Membership Type
would indicate that this member would receive complimentary
or free rentals. This is for the owner of the store or if
you wish your employees to receive free rentals.
NOTE: The "C" option will only be active on Price Codes
1 thru 6. A "C" or complimentary member would be
charged on Price Codes 7 thru 12.
* If you place a "R" in the first column of the Membership
Type this would indicate a Risk member. Any member with
an "R" membership type displayed on the transaction screen
would trigger two beeps and the message:
THIS MEMBER MARKED AS RISK
Rent To This Member (Y/N)?
This will remind you of a bad member and you have the option
of renting to them or not. The member Comments line can be
used with this feature to leave a message why they have
been mark as a risk member.
The comments line will be displayed with the member
information on the transaction screen.
After all the membership information has been keyed in, the
message "Correct (Y/N)? will be displayed. Answering "Y" here
would write the member information to the files. A "N" response
would allow you to change any of the lines and pressing the [ESC]
key would erase all the information and start over.
Video Tape Control Page 14
If you press "C" you would be prompted for the member to
change and would be allowed you to change lines A thru P.
You will notice that while changing lines the old
information will be displayed at the right.
Pressing "D" would allow you to delete a member. After
finding a member and entering "D" at the options the
message : "Delete This Member (Y/N)?" will appear.
Responding with a "Y" here would remove this member from
your files, a "N" would take no action.
* NOTE: A member cannot be deleted or have their member-
ship number changed if they have items out on rental.
To return to the main menu just press [ENTER] at the
options.
TAPE FILE
This is where you enter and change your tape or item
inventory. After pressing selection 3 at the main menu the
add ADD/CHANGE TAPE SELECTIONS screen will be displayed.
Here, you can <V> view existing tapes, <A> add new tapes,
<C> change tapes, and <D> delete tapes. To exit this area
just press [ENTER] at the "Item #" prompt.
* There are two items already your item data files:
9998 CREDIT/REFUND
9999 LATE CHARGES DUE
Video Tape Control requires these items to operate properly.
The 9998 CREDIT/REFUND is used in rental transactions to
give your members credits if needed or can be used for
specials such as adjusting a transaction for a free tape
rental.
* When you use 9998 CREDIT/REFUND in your transaction the
amount will always be a negative value. This is so the
transaction total will balance.
* The 9999 LATE CHARGES DUE is used for collecting late fees
from your members which can be called up manually or Video
Tape Control will automatically call it up for you in
collecting late charges.
Video Tape Control Page 15
Here are a few basic guide lines for entering data:
You must press [ENTER] after entering each line of data.
Remember to enter all letters in upper case (keep the
caps lock on).
Commas are allowed in the Title and Status/Comment lines.
The Item # can be up to 7 characters long.
The first character must begin with a number (1-9).
Any Characters after the first may be alpha or numeric.
Each item must have its own item # (Video Tape Control
checks and will alert you if you key in duplicate number).
To insure a correct sort of item numbers in the report gen-
erator it is suggested to use this following format:
123.1 would be for item #123 copy#1
123.2 would be for item #123 copy#2
1009.1 would be for item #1009 copy #1
Video Tape Control will accept any method of item numbers
as long as the first digit is numeric (1-9) but keep in mind
that the numbers with the longest length will be at the end
of the list when sorting by item number in the report
generator.
The title can be up to 25 characters long and CANNOT begin
with a number. For titles that begin with a number such as,
48 HOURS or the movie 2010 you will need to place a asterisk
(*) or an apostrophe (') in front of the title.
i.e. (movie titles with numbers), '48 HOURS '2010
Remember, this is only necessary for titles that begin with
a number. This is so Video Tape Control can tell movie
titles from numbers while searching the files.
Video Tape Control Page 16
When entering the Category line the following descriptions
will be displayed:
1)MISC, 2)ACTION, 3)COMEDY, 4)CHILDREN, 5)MUSICAL
6)HORROR, 7)DRAMA, 8)WESTERN, 9)ADULT, 10)SCIENCE FICTION
11)MYSTERY, 12)ADVENTURE, and N)NON-RENTAL.
At the Category line you must enter a number between 1 and
12 or the letter "N". Non-rental items are items for sale
such as blank tapes or can be be used for membership fees.
It is important to use the category properly as you can
print your lists by categories.
The Rating can be entered in as PG, PG-13, R, or X as
you wish.
By pressing [ENTER] at the Date Purchased line you will
get the current system date.
In the Cost line do not use a "$" sign or commas.
When entering the price code, prices 1 thru 12 and M)MANUAL
will be displayed. These are the codes you entered in the
initialization program. If an "M" is placed in the Price
Code when the item is displayed on the transaction screen
you will be prompted for the price. This feature, when used
with the Non-rental category, could be used for misc. sales.
The Actor, Movie Length, Vendor, and Location lines are
optional. If you do not wish to use these, press
[ENTER] at each of these lines.
If you press [ENTER] at the Format line, VHS will be
displayed.
The Status/Comment line can be used for any information
you wish to save on the tape. This line will be displayed
in the Tape Library.
* If the first 2 characters of the Status/Comment line are
NT then no sales tax will be charged. This is for certain
non-taxable items you would want to sell in your store.
Video Tape Control Page 17
The last line to input is the Late Fee Code. If your late
fees are the amount of the rental item then you would just
press [ENTER] here. If your late fees are different than
your rental amount you would enter the code (1-4) depending
on what values you placed in the code during the
initialization program.
After all the item information has been keyed in, the
message "Correct (Y/N)?" will be displayed. Answering "Y" here
would write the item information to the files. A "N" response
would allow you to change any of the lines and pressing the [ESC]
key would erase all the information and start over.
Pressing "C" and entering a tape number would allow you to
change lines A thru O. You will notice that while changing
lines the old information will be displayed at the right.
Pressing "D" would allow you to delete an item. After
finding a member and entering "D" at the options the
message : "Delete This Item (Y/N)?" will appear.
Responding with a "Y" here would remove this item from
your files, a "N" would take no action.
* NOTE: An item cannot be deleted or you cannot change
the item number if it is out on rental.
To return to the main menu just press [ENTER] at the
options.
Video Tape Control Page 18
REPORT GENERATOR
The Report Generator is where you will print all of your
membership and tape information. After pressing selection 6 at
the main menu the following sub menu will be displayed:
Video Tape Control 6.x (C) Copyright 1987, Micro Methods
-----------------------------------------------------------------
* REPORT GENERATOR *
<1> Members With Late fee <5> Membership List
<2> Members With Late Tapes <6> Reservation List
<3> Tape Information List <7> Membership Mailing Labels
<4> Tape List For Members <8> Return To Main Menu
> Enter Selection _
When printing any of the membership or tape list you will
have the option of sorting the printed output by number or
name/title.
After selecting the list you wish to print, the following will be
displayed:
[1] Sort By Member # (or Tape #)
[2] Sort By Name (or Title)
Enter Option or [ESC] To Exit_
Here you would choose how you wish to sort the report or
press the [ESC] key to return to the Report Generator Menu.
When printing any of the tape or item list you will also
have the option of choosing which category you wish to print.
The categories are:
1)MISC, 2)ACTION, 3)COMEDY, 4)CHILDREN, 5)MUSICAL, 6)HORROR,
7)DRAMA, 8)WESTERN, 9)ADULT, 10)SCIENCE FICTION, 11)MYSTERY,
12)ADVENTURE, N)NON-RENTAL, and A)FOR ALL CATEGORIES.
Video Tape Control Page 19
REPORT GENERATOR (CONT.)
After the printing starts on any of the reports you may
abort or stop the process by pressing the [ESC] key.
Description of each report:
<1> Members With Late Fees:
This report will give you a list of all the members which
have late fees not paid in their file.
<2> Members With Late Tapes:
A listing of all the members who have tapes or items out
pass the return time.
<3> Tape Information List:
A condensed list with all the tape information such as cost,
date purchased, times rented, revenue earned, etc. You also
have the option of sorting in ASCENDING or DESCENDING order
on the following fields:
[1] Item Number
[2] Item Title
[3] Date Purchased
[4] Last Date Rented
[5] Times Rented
[6] Item Revenue
<4> Tape List For Members:
A condensed list that you may sell or give to your
customers. The tape list is formatted in 3 columns with
item#, title, and rating.
<5> Membership list:
A condensed list of membership information such as total
items rented, revenue earned from each customer, etc.
<6> Reservation List:
A list of tape reservations you have made for your
members. The list contains the items reserved and all the
members who are on the waiting list. You will have the
option of printing all reservations or just the reservations
on items that are currently available in you store.
Video Tape Control Page 20
<7> Membership Mailing Labels:
This feature will print membership mailing labels. The
address label required is 3 1/2" X 15/16" - 1 across.
After pressing selection 7 you will be prompted for the
letter range you wish to print, FROM > is the starting
range, and THRU > would be the ending range of the names
you wish to print labels for. If you want to print one
range of names such as "C" then you would make FROM >C
and THRU >C. This would print only the names beginning
with the letter "C".
After the sorting has taken place this message and prompt
will be displayed:
Ready Printer, xx Labels Will Be Printed...
Print 2 Test Labels (Y/N/ESC)?_
xx = the number of labels. If you answer "Y" at the prompt
2 test labels used for alignment will be printed and you
will return to the "Print 2 Test Labels (Y/N/ESC)?" prompt.
You can keep printing test labels until your mailing labels
are aligned properly in you printer. If you answer "N" at
this prompt the labels will be printed. Pressing the [ESC]
key would not print and allow you to start over.
While the labels are printing you can abort the process by
pressing the [ESC] key.
<8> Return To Main Menu:
Option 8 will return you to the main menu.
ACCOUNTING INFORMATION
Selection 5 on the main menu will let you access your stores
revenues. To access this area you must know the password which
was entered in the initialization program. If the password is
not entered correct after 3 tries you will be returned to the
main menu. If no password is being used just press [ENTER] at
the "Enter Password ?" prompt. After gaining access to the
accounting area and the screen is displayed you will notice that
all money received is kept track of on a daily, monthly, and
year-to-date basis. These totals are broken down into rentals
and sales, late fees collected, credits (negative number), and
sales tax collected.
Video Tape Control Page 21
The options in the Accounting Information are:
[1] Print Totals
[2] Zero Totals
[3] Change Price Codes
[RETURN] For Menu
[1] Print Totals:
This option will send the totals to the printer as they are
displayed on the screen. A break down of the activity on
each of the price codes and a daily summary will also be
printed. The daily summary is a listing of all invoices
processed that day. After selecting option 1, the following
prompt will be displayed:
xx transactions in the summary file...
Do you wish to print a Daily Summary (Y/N/ESC)? _
(xx = the number of transactions for the the day.)
If you press the "Y" key, then the daily summary will be
printed. If you press "N" then no summary will be printed.
Pressing the [ESC] key here would return you to the "Enter
Option" prompt and no action would be taken. This feature
will give you the option of using, or not using the daily
summary report.
The "Daily Break Down By Price Code" consists of a break
down of the activity on each of the price codes. Price
Codes 1 thru 12, and the manual code will be listed along
with the activity and the amount each code has produced
during the day. All credits and late fees collected ARE NOT
included in the break down but are listed only in the Daily,
Monthly, and Year-To-Date summary.
When you zero the daily totals, the daily break down by
price code will also be zeroed.
[2] Zero Totals:
Option 2 is used for zeroing your daily, monthly, and year-
to-date totals. This is a manual operation and must be done
by you when the need arises. Which means you should zero
daily totals every day, monthly totals at the beginning of
each month, and year-to-date at the beginning of the year.
Video Tape Control Page 22
When you press option 2 the following will be displayed:
<D>AILY <M>ONTHLY or <Y>EAR-TO-DATE
Here you would enter "D", "M", or "Y" depending on which
column you wish to zero. After choosing the proper column
to zero the word <D>AILY, <M>ONTHLY, or <Y>EAR-TO-DATE will
flash on and off depending on your selection and you will be
prompted to "Verify (Y/N)?" your selection. Pressing "Y"
here would zero the column you selected, a "N" response
would take no action and return you to the "Enter Option"
prompt.
* When you zero the daily column the summary file will also be
erased so before zeroing any column be sure to print your
totals first.
[3] Change Price Codes
This option is used for changing or adding price codes.
These are the same codes you entered in the initialization
program. The codes are changed by entering the the line
(A thru L) to change. Press [ENTER] to exit this area and
answer the prompt "> Make Above Prices Defaults (Y/N)?" with
a "Y" or "N". A "Y" response here would make the changes
you made permanent in the files. A "N" response would make
the changes temporary. This feature could be used for
specials you may have during the week on certain tapes.
Example: Lets say you have tapes with a normal rental price
of $2.00 which is price code 1. Every Tuesday you
have a special price of $1.00. So to make the
temporary price change you would change Price 1
from $2.00 to $1.00 on Tuesdays and answer "N"
to the "> Make Above Prices Defaults (Y/N)?".
This would change the $2.00 rentals to $1.00 for
that day only.
Keep in mind that if you exit and re-enter Video Tape
Control, any temporary price code changes will have to be
re-entered.
Video Tape Control Page 23
EXITING VIDEO TAPE CONTROL
Selection 7 on the main menu will exit the program and
return you to the C> prompt of the computers operating system.
Even though Video Tape Control protects your data in the event of
a power failure, always exit the program properly before shutting
down your computer.
Video Tape Control Page 24
