Selecting the Tasks list, clicking Settings, and then clicking
General brings you to Windows Media Center’s main configuration section
(see Figure 1). You
should take advantage of the ability to customize Windows Media Center so
that you can optimize its use, as well as optimize the settings of your
sound, display, and video.
1. Configuring Window Behavior
When you click Tasks→Settings→General→Startup and Window
Behavior, you will see the Startup and Window Behavior screen shown in
Figure 2. From this
screen, you can choose how your Windows Media Center windows behave in
conjunction with other windows. You can tell Windows Media Center to
always be on top of other windows on your desktop by checking the box
next to this setting. You can also have Windows Media Center display a
warning before displaying web pages that are not designed for Windows
Media Center by checking the box next to this setting.
Selecting the checkbox next to “Start Windows Media Center when
Windows starts” will allow Windows Media Center to open on the desktop
display before anything else opens. This enables you to work with
Windows Media Center as the main focal point of the operating system,
and controlling it via a remote control allows you to use it like you
would use your TV.
The last setting available, “Show taskbar notifications,” allows Windows Media Center
to notify you with issues or settings you need to look at in Windows
Media Center. Once you have made your desired selections, click or
select Save to save the settings into your profile.
2. Configuring Visual and Sound Effects
When you click Tasks→Settings→General→Visual and Sound
Effects, you’ll see the Visual and Sound Effects screen shown in Figure 3. From this screen, you
can control the visual and sound behavior of Windows Media Center. You
can customize the behaviors of transition animations by selecting the
“Use transition animations” checkbox. Checking the “Play
sounds when navigating Windows Media Center” checkbox allows you to
control how sound is used with Windows Media Center. If you want to hear
sounds when you select menus or files, you should leave this setting
checked, as it is a default setting.
Selecting the best color scheme for Windows Media Center is simple. Leave the
“Windows Media Center standard” checkbox selected if you do not want to
change the color scheme. If you want a higher-contrast color scheme so
that you can view Windows Media Center better, select either “High contrast white” or “High contrast black” from the
menu.
Additionally, you can change the video
background color by selecting the – sign or the + sign available under
“Video background color.” This changes the black settings from 100
percent black to different shades of gray. This can help with specific
types of eyestrain. Once you have made your desired selections, select
or click the Save button to update the settings in your profile.
3. Configuring Parental Controls
Selecting Tasks→Settings→General→Parental Controls allows
you to customize how you view specific content within Windows Media
Center. These settings work similarly to adding access codes to your TV,
cable, or satellite device. Once you have selected the Parental Controls
option, you must enter a new four-digit access code to begin the
process, and then confirm the access code to ensure that you did not
mistype it. Make sure you write down and memorize this code. After
completing this step, you are allowed access to the content menu, as
shown in Figure 4.
The content menu allows you to control specific content related to
TV ratings and movie/DVD ratings, manage and reset the
access code, and reset the default parental controls. For example,
select TV Ratings to turn on the TV blocking attributes based on
standard TV rating scales. You can select from the following choices:
TV-MA, TV-14, TV-PG, TV-G, TV-Y7, TV-Y, and None. Table 1 provides more information concerning these
settings.
Table 1. TV ratings
| TV
rating | Description |
|---|
| TV-MA | Mature audience only.
This program selection is designed specifically to be viewed by
adults and, therefore, may be unsuitable for children under
17. |
| TV-14 | Parents strongly
cautioned. This program contains some material that many parents
would find unsuitable for children less than 14 years of
age. |
| TV-PG | Parental guidance
suggested. This program contains material that parents may find
unsuitable for younger children. |
| TV-G | General audience. Most
parents would find this program suitable for all
ages. |
| TV-Y7 | Directed to older
children. This program selection is designed for children ages 7
and older. |
| TV-Y | All children. This
program selection is designed to be appropriate for all
children. |
| None | All rated programs will
be blocked. |
Within the selection of each setting, you can use the Advanced
Options button to configure your system further. The available options
are:
Fantasy Violence
Suggestive Dialogue
Offensive Language
Sexual Content
Violence
This allows parents even greater flexibility in rating content
specific to their children’s needs or desires.
You can select the Movie/DVD Ratings option to control viewing of
specific movie and DVD content. By turning on movie blocking, you can
control movies available for viewing based on their ratings. Selections
include NC-17, R, PG-13, PG, G, and None. Table 2 summarizes these settings and their
meanings.
Table 2. Movie ratings
| Movie
rating | Description |
|---|
| NC-17 | Not intended for anyone
17 and under. |
| R | Restricted. Children
under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult
guardian. |
| PG-13 | Parents strongly
cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under
13. |
| PG | Parental guidance
suggested. Some material may not be appropriate for
children. |
| G | General audience.
Appropriate for all ages. |
| None | All rated movies will be
blocked. |
After you have selected the settings you feel are appropriate for
viewing on your system, click or select the Save button to save your
settings into your profile. Failure to save the settings will leave the
previous settings selected and saved to your profile.
You can change the access code for parental controls by clicking
the Change Access code option, typing and confirming a new access code.
You can reset the parental controls at any time and remove the access
code as well as any restrictions by selecting the Reset Parental
Controls option. As both options are available only when you type in the
current access code, don’t lose your access code.
4. Configuring Automatic Download Options
Selecting Tasks→Settings→General→Automatic Download
Options allows you to turn on or off the capability of Windows Media
Center to connect to the Internet to retrieve information as it pertains
to your CDs, DVDs, and movies. If you do not want Windows Media Center to connect to the
Internet to retrieve this information, you need to uncheck the box next
to the “Retrieve CD album art, media information for DVDs and movies,
and Internet Services from the Internet” checkbox (see Figure 5). To restrict the times when
Windows Media Center can download information, select the “Automatically
download Windows Media Center data between the following times” checkbox
and then set start and stop times.
By default, Windows Media Center will always automatically try to
connect to the Internet to retrieve information, in the belief that it
gives you a better user experience within Windows Media Center. Once you
have made your desired selection, click or select the Save button to
save these settings to your profile. If you want to use manual
downloads, you must remember to access this screen periodically and then
click “Download now” to retrieve media information.
5. Configuring Optimization
Selecting Tasks→Settings→General→Optimization allows you
to turn on and configure automatic optimization (see Figure 6). When
optimization is enabled, your computer will periodically optimize your
media to work more smoothly with Windows Media Center. Windows Media
Center will perform specific optimization tasks that make it easier to
use, such as reindexing your media content for faster content
retrieval.
When you select the “Perform optimization” checkbox, you must
choose a time for optimization to start. You can select any time during
a 24-hour period, but keep in mind that during the optimization process,
you will be unable to use Windows Media Center. Standard times are after
11:00 p.m., for most people, but if you require a different time, you
can select it here. Once you have made the desired selection, click or
select the Save button to save your configuration settings into your
profile.
6. Using the About Windows Media Center Menu
Selecting Tasks→Settings→General→About Windows Media
Center provides you with critical information concerning Windows Media
Center. Within this section, you can view the software version of the
application by selecting the Software Version button. The About Windows
Media Center menu also allows you to view the terms of service when
using the program. Finally, you can select Data Provider Credits to open
a listing of the content providers for media information, allowing you
to see where Windows Media Center retrieves its online content.
7. Viewing Privacy Information in Windows Media Center
Selecting Tasks→Settings→General→Privacy allows you to
view the online Windows Media Center privacy statement, privacy
settings, and customer experience settings. Clicking on the Online Windows Media Center Privacy Statement opens a
window showing you the updated privacy available from Microsoft’s
website. To view the specific content from your browser, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=8430.
From the Privacy Settings option, you can change the Guide and
Most Viewed settings available in Windows Media Center. The Guide
selection allows you to turn on or off the ability for Windows Media
Center to send anonymous information to Microsoft, which helps Microsoft
improve the quality and accuracy of the services available within
Windows Media Center. The Most Viewed selection turns on or off the
favorites filter in the Windows Media Center guide. Once you have made
your selections, click or select the Save button to update your local
profile.
The Customer Experience Settings option lets you select whether
you want to send anonymous usage and reliability information to
Microsoft. When you experience an error within the program, you are
asked whether to send a report to Microsoft, which helps Microsoft
determine specific problems with the product and its interaction with
additional programs. If you want to send this information to Microsoft,
leave the checkbox selected, as it is a default setting within Windows
Media Center. After you have completed your selection, click or select
the Save button to save your preferences.
8. Using Windows Media Center Setup
If you did not use the Startup Wizard to configure your
hardware and customized settings in the initial startup screen, you can
select Tasks→Settings→General→Windows Media Center Setup to configure
your hardware and network settings. You also can run the entire Setup
Wizard again. Even if you did use the wizard to set up Windows Media
Center, you can use these menu options to add new hardware or change the
configuration settings.
When you select Tasks→Settings→General→Windows Media Center Setup,
you will have these additional options, discussed in the following
sections:
8.1. Configuring your Internet connection
If you have not previously configured an Internet
connection for your computer, the Set Up Internet Connection option
allows you to configure an Internet connection. Click Next on the
first screen of the wizard. When prompted as to whether you have an
always-on connection, click Yes or No as appropriate. If you are using
a cable modem or DSL, select Yes and then click Next. If you are using
dial-up, click No, click Next, select the dial-up connection to use
with Windows Media Center, and then click Next again. If you choose a
wrong selection, you can always select the Back button to change your
settings.
Click the Test button to see whether you can connect to the
Internet. If you can successfully connect to the Internet, you will
see Connection Working listed under the test button. If you are
unsuccessful, click the Back button to change your settings.
Once you have resolved any problems and can successfully
complete the connection, click the Next button to proceed to the
“Setup Finished” window. Click the Finish button to complete setup of
your Internet connection.
8.2. Configuring your TV signal
The Set Up TV Signal option allows you to configure your
TV tuner card. Click Next on the first screen in the wizard, and then
confirm your respective region. If the region selected matches your
desired region, click the “Yes, use this region to configure TV
services” radio button. If the settings listed do not match your
region, click the “No, I want to select a different region” radio
button. After making your selection, click the Next button to proceed.
This section moves forward on the assumption that your region is now
correct. Next, you see the Download TV Setup Options screen. Windows
Media Center will download the TV options available for your region.
Once this section completes, click the Next button to proceed.
It is recommended that you use the “Configure my TV signal
automatically” selection, which will load the most common default
settings available for your TV settings. You do have the option to
configure your TV signal manually, but you will have to have specific
information to provide to the wizard, including region and local
information. Next, you are brought to the “Examining your TV signal
setup” window. Windows Media Center scans your TV antenna signal to
find the relevant TV information available to your hardware. Once this
section completes, select the Next button to begin setting up your TV
program guide.
You are presented with a menu
selection asking you to agree to the licensing information provided to
you. To proceed, you must select “I agree” and the Next button. Then
enter your zip code in the text box provided, and click Next. Windows
Media Center will download the guide information and show you a status
of either Downloading or Download Complete. Once you see the Download
Complete status, click the Next button to proceed. Congratulations,
you have successfully installed and configured your TV signal and
guide options.
8.3. Configuring your speakers
Use the Set Up Your Speakers option to configure your
speakers within Windows Media Center. Click Next on the first screen
of the wizard to proceed to the Speaker Connection Type window.
In this window, you need to select the type of connection you
use to connect your speaker to the system. Table 3 lists the types
of connections available for use in Windows Media Center.
Table 3. Cable connection types in Windows Media Center
| Connector | Description |
|---|
| Mini-plug | A single stereo jack
connected to your computer |
| Dual RCA | Two RCA connectors
colored red and white |
| Single
RCA | A single RCA connector
colored yellow |
| Toslink | A single fiber-optic
connector with a predominantly square connector and a shaft
containing the filament for light connectivity on the end,
usually colored white |
| HDMI/DisplayPort | An HDMI or DisplayPort
connector that delivers high-definition video and up to 7.1
channels of surround sound in one cable |
| Built-in | Laptop-integrated
speakers |
After you have chosen the correct cable connection type for your
system, click the Next button to proceed to the Speaker Setup window.
Select the proper speaker configuration for Windows Media Center to
test. Selections available include two speakers, 5.1 surround
speakers, and 7.1 surround speakers. Table 4 provides more
information concerning these configurations.
Table 4. Speaker selections available in Windows Media Center
| Speaker
setting | Description |
|---|
| Two
speakers | Two individual speakers
connected via a single cable to your system. The main speaker
has the master volume, and the other connects to the main
speaker. |
| 5.1 surround
sound | A subwoofer, center
channel, and four satellite speakers connected to your system
via a single connection managed through the
subwoofer. |
| 7.1 surround
sound | A subwoofer, center
channel, and six satellite speakers connected to your system
via a single connector managed through the
subwoofer. |
Once you have selected the correct speaker type, click the Next
button to proceed, and then click the Test button to test your
settings. If you heard the sound provided by Windows Media Center,
select the “I heard sound from all of my speakers” option. If you did
not hear the sound, select the “I do not hear sound from all of my
speakers” option, or click the Back button to change your speaker
selection.
8.4. Configuring your TV or monitor
Selecting the Configuring Your TV or Monitor option runs
the Display Wizard. Click Next on the first screen to begin your
configuration. You need to tell Windows Media Center whether your
preferred display is connected to your system. Make sure you are
watching the wizard from your preferred display to configure the
correct settings. If you are viewing on your desired display, click
the “Yes, I see the wizard on my preferred display” selection. If you
are not, select “No, I want to use a different display” option. Click
Next to proceed to the next screen, where you are asked to identify
the correct display device connected to your system. Choices include
Monitor, Built-in display, Flat panel, Television, and Projector.
Table 5 provides
information about each device type.
Table 5. Display types available in Windows Media Center
| Display
type | Description |
|---|
| Monitor | A single CRT-type
monitor with an SVGA connector connected to your video
card |
| Built-In
Display | A laptop screen or
all-in-one PC unit |
| Flat
Panel | A flat-panel screen
with a digital connector connected to your video
card |
| Television | A television set
connected to your system, usually with component, HDMI, or DVI
cable |
| Projector | A device with a lens
and separate lighting source used to project a picture onto a
wall or screen, connected to your system with an SVGA
connection, S-Video connection, HDMI connection, or additional
connectors |
Once you have selected the correct display type for use on your
system, click the Next button to proceed. You need to tell Windows
Media Center the connection type for the display. You have four
options to choose from: Composite or S-Video; DVI, VGA, or
DisplayPort; HDMI; and Component cable. Selecting the proper
connection helps Windows Media Center optimize itself to your system
by using the best settings for each type of cable and device connected
to your system. If you have a digital connection such as HDMI, choose
it over composite or S-Video.
Click next and then specify the width of your display. Only two
formats are available: standard (4:3) and widescreen (16:9). Select
the appropriate display ratio for your display and click Next. The
next screen asks you to confirm your display resolution, and asks you
to either keep or discard your current settings. Click the desired
selection and then click the Next button. Once you have completed this
task, you are finished setting up your display device.
8.5. Running the Windows Media Center Setup Wizard again
The next-to-last menu selection under Tasks→Settings is
“Run Windows Media Center setup again.” This selection will actually
run the original Setup Wizard again, allowing you to reconfigure your
system using the wizard. If you either did not initially run the
wizard or did not feel comfortable going through the different setup
menus, this option will help you add new hardware and change specific
settings relevant to your system.
Before running the Setup Wizard again, Windows Media Center
prompts you to confirm that you really want to do this. If you click
Yes to continue, you will lose all current preferences and settings.
If you click No, you will exit Setup.
