Using Multimedia

    This chapter provides information on using the multimedia capabilities of your notebook. Read this chapter to learn how to:

Use the diskette drive
Use the CD/DVD drive
Play CDs and DVDs
Use Audio DJ (Solo 9550 only)
Record and play audio files
Use Windows Media Player
Use MusicMatch
View the display on a television
Capture video using the IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire or i.Link) port

Using diskettes

    The diskette drive uses 3.5-inch diskettes (sometimes called floppy disks ). Diskettes are useful for storing files or transferring files to another computer.

Warning

Do not expose diskettes to water or magnetic fields. Exposure could damage the data on the diskette.

Important

The diskette drive is a module that is used in the 3.5-inch module bay. If the bay contains a module other than the diskette drive, you will need to swap modules. For more information about swapping modules, see "Changing 3.5-inch bay modules".

To use a diskette:

    1. Insert the diskette into the diskette drive with the label facing up.

    2. To access a file on the diskette in Windows XP, click Start , then select My Computer , then the drive letter, then double-click the file.
      - OR -
      To access a file on the diskette in Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, double-click the My Computer icon, the drive letter, then the file.
    1. To remove the diskette, make sure the drive activity indicator is off (see Status indicators), then press the diskette eject button.

       

Using the CD/DVD drive

    You can use your computer to enjoy a wide variety of multimedia features, such as making recordings, listening to audio CDs, and watching DVD movies.

Important

The CD/DVD drive is a module that is used in the 5.25-inch module bay. If the bay contains a module other than the CD/DVD drive, you will need to swap modules. For more information about swapping modules, see "Changing 5.25-inch bay modules".

Inserting a CD or DVD

To insert a CD or DVD:

    1. Press the eject button on the CD/DVD drive. After the tray opens slightly, pull the disc tray completely open.

    2. Place the disc in the tray with the label facing up, then press down carefully on the disc until it snaps into place.

Important

When you place a single-sided disc in the tray, make sure that the label side is facing up. If the disc has two playable sides, place the disc so that the name of the side you want to play is facing up.

    1. Push the tray in until it is closed.

       

Using Audio DJ on the Solo 9550

    You can play CDs on your Solo 9550 without turning on the notebook. You control Audio DJ by using the buttons on the front of the notebook.

Component Description

Power indicator

Indicates the current Audio DJ status:

  • LED green - Audio DJ is turned on and playing.
  • LED amber - Audio DJ is turned on and play is stopped.
  • LED off - Audio DJ is turned off.

Power slider

Slide to the right to turn the Audio DJ on or off. This switch works only when the Solo 9550 is turned off.

Back

Skip back one song or to the start of the current song.

Play/Pause

Select play to start playing your CD or pause to pause playing.

Stop

Stop playing.

Next

Skip ahead one song.

Volume

Press the left button to increase the volume and the right button to decrease the volume.

To play a CD using Audio DJ:

    1. Slide the power slider to the right.

    2. Complete the steps in "Inserting a CD or DVD".

    3. Press the Play button.

Adjusting the volume in Windows XP

    You can use the volume controls to adjust the overall volume and the volume of specific sound devices in your computer.

Help and Support

For more information on adjusting volume, click Start , then select Help and Support .

To adjust the overall volume level using hardware controls:

On the keyboard, press the volume buttons to change the volume, or press the mute button to turn off all sound.

       

To adjust the overall volume level from Windows:

    1. Click Start, then select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

    2. Select Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.

    3. Select Adjust the system volume . The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box opens.
    1. On the Volume tab, drag the Device Volume slider to change the volume or click to select the Mute check box, then click OK .

       

To adjust specific volume levels:

    1. Click Start, then select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

    2. Select Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.

    3. Select Adjust the system volume . The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box opens.
    1. On the Volume tab, click Advanced in the Device volume area. The Master Volume dialog box opens.
      If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the Master Volume dialog box, select Options , Properties , select the audio device you want to adjust, then click OK .

    1. Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to adjust, then close the window. For more information about the volume controls, select Help in the Master Volume dialog box.

    2. Click X in the top right corner of the Master Volume dialog box.

       

Adjusting the volume in Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows 98

    You can use the volume controls to adjust the overall volume and the volume of specific sound devices in your computer.

Help and Support

For more information on adjusting volume, click Start , then select Help .

To adjust overall volume level:

On the keyboard, press the volume buttons to change the volume, or press the mute button to turn off all sound.
      - OR -
Click the speaker icon on the taskbar, then drag the slider to change the volume or click to select the Mute check box.

To adjust specific volume levels:

    1. Double-click the speaker icon on the taskbar. The Volume Control dialog box opens.
      If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the Volume Control dialog box, select Options , Properties , select the audio device you want to appear, then click OK .
    1. Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to adjust, then close the window. For more information about the volume controls, select Help in the Volume Control dialog box.

       

Listening to CDs in Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Me

    Use the Windows Media Player to listen to CDs in Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Me. For more information about the using the Windows Media Player, select Help .

Tips & Tricks

If you have a Solo 9550, you can use the Audio DJ to listen to your CDs. For more information, see "Using Audio DJ on the Solo 9550".

To play a CD:

    1. Insert a CD into the CD/DVD drive.

    2. If a message asks you to chose a CD player, select Windows Media Player. The Windows Media Player opens.

    3. When the media player opens, click Play.

       

Listening to CDs in Windows 98

    Use the Windows CD Player to play an audio CD.

Tips & Tricks

If you have a Solo 9550, you can use the Audio DJ to listen to your CDs. For more information, see "Using Audio DJ on the Solo 9550".

To play a CD:

Insert a CD into the CD/DVD drive. The CD Player opens and the CD plays.
      If the CD Player does not open automatically when you insert the CD, open it from the Start menu by clicking Start, then selecting Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then CD Player. When the CD Player opens, click Play.

       

Recording and playing audio

    Use the instructions below to make an audio recording by speaking into a microphone. Your Solo notebook has a built-in microphone, however you can also plug an external microphone into the available microphone jack. See "Right side" for the location of the jack on the Solo 9500 or "Right side" for the location of the jack on the Solo 9550.

Help and Support

For more information on recording and playing audio, click Start , then select Help and Support or Help .

To make an audio recording:

    1. Click Start , then select All Programs , Accessories , Entertainment , then Sound Recorder . The Sound Recorder opens.

    1. Click Record, then speak into the microphone.

    2. When you finish recording, click Stop.

    3. Select File, then Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.

    4. Name the recording, specify the path, then click Save . The recording is saved.

       

To play an audio recording in Sound Recorder:

    1. Open the Sound Recorder.

    2. Select File, then Open. The Open dialog box opens.

    3. Select the file you want to play back, then click Open.

    4. Play the file by clicking Play, then stop playing the file by clicking Stop.

       

Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player

    The Windows Media Player can play several types of audio and video files, including WAV, MIDI, MP3, AU, AVI, and MPEG formats. For more information about using the Windows Media Player, select Help .

To play a file using the Windows Media Player:

    1. In Windows XP or Windows Me, click Start , then select All Programs , then Windows Media Player .
      - OR -
      In Windows 98, click Start , then select Programs , Accessories , Entertainment , then Windows Media Player .
      The Windows Media Player opens.

    1. Select File, then Open. The Open dialog box opens.

    2. Select the file you want to play, then click Open.

    3. Play the file by clicking Play, then stop playing the file by clicking Stop.

       

Playing a DVD

    A Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is similar to a standard CD but has greater data capacity. Because of this increased capacity, full-length movies, several albums of music, or several gigabytes of data can fit on a single disc. If your computer has a DVD drive, you can play DVDs with the DVD Player program. For more information about playing DVDs, select Help in the DVD player program.

To play a DVD:

    1. Make sure that the speakers are turned on or headphones are plugged in and that the volume is turned up.

    2. Turn off your system screen saver and standby timers.

    3. Click Start, then select All Programs, DVD Player, then DVD Player. The DVD Player video screen and control panel open.

    4. Insert a DVD into the DVD drive, then click Play. The DVD plays.

    5. To control the DVD or adjust the volume, use the controls in the DVD player. For more information on using the DVD player, see its online help.

       

Using MusicMatch

    Using MusicMatch™, you can:

Play music CDs
Create MP3 music files from your music CDs
Use your music files to build a music library
Enter music track information
Listen to Internet Radio

    For more information on using MusicMatch, see its online Help.

Playing CDs

    You can use the MusicMatch program to play music CDs.

To play a music CD in Windows XP:

    1. Insert the music CD into the CD/DVD drive on your computer. The first time you insert a CD, the Audio CD dialog box opens.
    1. Click Play Audio CD using mmjb , select Always do the selected action , then click OK . MusicMatch opens, the CD begins playing, and the names of the music tracks appear in the playlist area.
      The next time you insert an audio CD, MusicMatch plays the CD automatically.

       

To play a music CD in Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98:

    1. Double-click the musicmatch JUKEBOX icon on your desktop. MusicMatch opens.

    2. Insert the music CD into the CD/DVD drive on your computer, then click the CD tab. The names of the music tracks appear in the playlist area.
    1. Click Play.

       

Creating music files

    Using MusicMatch, you can copy the tracks from a music CD to your computer's hard drive as MP3 files.

    Here are some terms that you need to know before you get started:

Bit rate is the number of bits required to store one second of music. CD quality is 128 kilobits per second. A high bit rate gives you better sound quality but the file size is also larger. For information about changing the sound quality settings, see the online help in MusicMatch.
MP3 (MPEG Layer 3) is a standard for digitally compressing high-fidelity music into compact files without noticeably sacrificing quality. MP3 files end in the file extension .mp3 .
Ripping is the process of copying a music track from a music CD and storing it on your computer's hard drive.

To create (rip) MP3 files:

    1. Open MusicMatch by clicking Start , then selecting All Programs , MusicMatch , then MusicMatch Jukebox .
    2. Insert a CD into the CD/DVD drive, then click Record. The Recorder window opens.
    3. In the Recorder window, select the tracks you want to record, then click Record. The tracks that you selected are copied as MP3 files to your computer's hard drive.

       

Editing track information

    After you add a CD track as an MP3 file to your music library, you can edit the track's information.

To edit track information:

    1. In MusicMatch, click My Library . The library window opens.

    2. In the library window, right-click the file, then select Edit Track Tag(s) . The Edit Track Tag dialog box opens.

    1. Enter information such as track title, lead artist, album, and genre.

    2. Click OK . The new track information is displayed in the MusicMatch playlist, music library, and recorder.

       

Building a music library

    Use MusicMatch to build a music library. You can organize your music tracks by categories, find a track quickly by using the sort features, and add information to a music file.

    You can add music tracks to your music library by:

Creating MP3 files - When you create MP3 files from the tracks on your music CD, MusicMatch automatically adds these files to your music library.
Dragging and Dropping - Drag and drop files from Windows Explorer or your desktop to the music library.
Downloading files from the Internet - When you are connected to the Internet, MP3 files that you download are automatically added to your music library.

Changing the music library display settings

To change the music library display settings:

    1. In MusicMatch, select Options, then Settings. The Settings window opens.

    2. Click the Music Library tab.
    1. Select the categories that you want to display in the columns, then click OK.

Listening to Internet radio

    Use the Radio feature in MusicMatch to listen to Internet Radio stations.

To listen to an Internet radio station:

    1. Connect to the Internet, then in MusicMatch, click Radio Stations.
      The Radio window opens.
    1. To select one of the MusicMatch Internet radio stations, select one of the Popular Stations. You can also choose another Internet radio station by clicking Broadcast Stations, then clicking Station Selector.
    1. Select a radio station, then click Play. MusicMatch connects to the station.

       

Using advanced features

    You can also use MusicMatch to create your own music CDs and to download MP3 files to your portable MP3 player. See the MusicMatch online Help.

Viewing the display on a television

    The TV out (NTSC/PAL Composite Video) jack on your notebook, port replicator, or docking station lets you view your notebook display on a television screen using a standard RCA video cable. The S-Video out jack on your port replicator or docking station lets you view your notebook display on a television screen using a standard S-Video cable.

Important

To turn on external video by default, connect the television (or other external video device) before starting your notebook.

Important

Audio is not transmitted through the TV out jack. Use the built-in speakers, a set of headphones or external powered speakers, or connect your notebook to a stereo system to hear sound while playing a DVD. DVD playback to a VCR will be scrambled by copyright protection technology.

To view your notebook display on a television:

    1. With your notebook off, connect one end of a standard RCA video cable to the TV out (Composite Video) jack on your notebook, port replicator, or docking station.
      For the location of the TV out jack on the Solo 9500, see "Back". For the location of the TV out jack on the Solo 9550, see "Back". For the location of the TV out jack on the port replicator or docking station, see "Back" or "Back".
      -OR-
      With your notebook off, connect one end of a standard S-Video cable to the S-Video out jack on your port replicator or docking station.
      For the location of the S-Video out jack on your port replicator or docking station, see "Back" or "Back".

    1. Connect the other end of the cable to the Video in jack on your television or VCR.

    2. Turn on the television or VCR.

    3. Start your notebook.

    4. In Windows XP, click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Appearance and Themes.
      - OR -
      In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel.

    1. Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties window opens.

    2. Click the Settings tab.
    1. Reset your display screen area setting to 640  ×  480 with large text fonts for best viewing.
      For more information on customizing screen settings, see "Adjusting the screen and desktop settings". If 640 × 480 is not an option on the Settings tab, click Advanced, select the Adapter tab, click List all Modes, select 640 × 480 from the list, click OK, then click Apply.

    1. Click Advanced.

    2. On the Solo 9500, click the Displays tab. Click the tab in the upper left corner of the TV option. TV is now selected as your primary display. Click Apply.
      -OR-
      On the Solo 9550, click the TwinView tab. Click Output Device. From the menu, select Select Output Device. Select TV out and click Apply.
    1. Click OK.

       

Capturing video

    MGI VideoWave IV is a video capture program that lets you capture and edit full-motion video, single images, and audio through the IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire or i.Link) port. If your notebook has the IEEE 1394 port installed, MGI VideoWave IV has already been installed on your system.

To use MGI VideoWave:

    1. Connect the IEEE 1394 jack on your external source, such as a video camera, to the IEEE 1394 port (if available) on the side of your notebook.

    2. Click Start, then select All Programs, then MGI VideoWave IV. The program starts. For more information on using MGI VideoWave, see its online Help.