Using Multimedia

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

Adjust the volume
Connect the external drive
Use the diskette drive
Use the CD/DVD drive
Play CDs and DVDs
Record and play audio files
Use Media Player
Use MusicMatch

Adjusting the volume

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

    HelpSpot

    For more information on adjusting volume, double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

    To adjust overall volume level:

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

         

    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 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 Volume Control dialog box.

         

    Connecting the external drive

      Your notebook has an optional external drive bay that lets you use a removable drive such as a diskette drive or CD/DVD drive. To change drives, you need to replace the drive module in the drive bay.

    To connect the external drive:

      1. Turn off your notebook.

      2. Plug the external drive cable into the connector on the back of the external drive bay. Make sure the cable plug's icons are facing up.
      1. Plug the other end of the external drive cable into the connector on the back of the notebook. Make sure the cable plug's icons are facing up.

      1. Turn on your notebook.

      2. To access files on the drive, use a program to open drive  A: (for a diskette drive) or drive  D: (for a CD/DVD drive).

         

    To change the drive module:

      1. Turn off your notebook.

      2. Remove the external drive cable from the external drive by pressing in both clips on the plug and pulling it away from the module.

      1. Turn over the external drive bay.

      2. Remove the drive module by pressing and holding the module release latch and pulling out the module with the other hand.

      1. Slide the new module into the bay until it clicks into place.

      2. Turn the external drive over, then reconnect the external drive cable. Make sure the cable plug's icons are facing up.

         

    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.

      To use a diskette:

        1. Attach the external diskette drive. For more information on attaching the external drive, see Connecting the external drive.

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

        3. To access a file on the diskette, double-click the My Computer icon, the drive letter (drive A: for the standard 1.44 MB diskette drive module), then the file.

        4. To remove the diskette, make sure the drive activity light is off, 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.

      Inserting a CD/DVD

      To insert a CD/DVD:

        1. Attach the external CD/DVD drive. For more information on attaching the external drive, see Connecting the external drive.

        2. Press the eject button on the CD/DVD drive, then pull the disc tray completely open.

        3. Place the CD/DVD 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.

             

        Listening to music CDs in Windows Me

          The Windows Media Player turns your computer into a multimedia center. Use the player to listen to Internet radio stations, play and copy your CDs, look for Internet movies, and create lists of all media on your computer. For more information about using the Windows Media Player, select Help.

        To listen to a CD in the Windows Media Player:

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

             

        Listening to music CDs in Windows 98

          Use the CD/DVD drive and the Windows CD Player to play an audio CD.

        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 the Play button.

             

        Recording and playing audio

          Use the instructions below to make an audio recording by speaking into the microphone.

          HelpSpot

          For more information on recording and playing audio, double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

          To make an audio recording:

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

            1. Click the Record button, then speak into the microphone.

            2. When you finish recording, click the Stop button.

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

               

          Playing audio and video files with 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 the using the Windows Media Player, select Help.

          To play a file using the Media Player:

            1. 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 the Play button, then stop playing the file by clicking the Stop button.

               

            For more information about the Windows Media Player, select Help.

          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. See the DVD help for more information about using the DVD player.

          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 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 the Play button. 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 the MusicMatch™ program, you can:

          Play music CDs
          Build a music library
          Create MP3 music files from your music CDs and add them to your music library
          Enter music track information
          Listen to Internet Radio

            HelpSpot

            For more information on using MusicMatch, double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

            Playing CDs

              You can use the MusicMatch program to play music CDs.

            To play a music CD:

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

              2. Place the music CD into the CD/DVD drive on your computer. The names of the music tracks appear in the playlist area.
              1. Click Play.

                 

            Creating music files

              Using the MusicMatch program, you can copy the tracks from a music CD to your computer 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 hard drive.

            To create (rip) MP3 files:

              1. Double-click the MusicMatch Jukebox icon.

              2. Place a CD into the CD/DVD drive on your computer. The CD tracks appear in the playlist with checkmarks next to them.

              3. If you do not want to record a track, remove the checkmark.

              4. Click REC. The recorder window opens.
              1. Click REC in the Recorder window. The tracks are copied as MP3 files to your music library on the hard drive.

                 

            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 song 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. Double-click the MusicMatch Jukebox icon.

              2. Select Options, then Settings. The Settings window opens.

              3. Click the Music Library tab.

              1. Select the categories that you want to display in the columns.

              2. Click OK.

                 

            Editing track information

              If you are connected to the Internet and listening to a music CD, MusicMatch downloads and displays information such as the artist, album, and track titles from a database on the Internet called CD DataBase (CDDB).

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

            To edit track information:

              1. Double-click the MusicMatch Jukebox icon.

              2. Create an MP3 file.

              3. Right-click the file, then select Edit Track Tag.

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

              2. Click OK.
                After you enter this track information, it is displayed in the MusicMatch playlist, music library, and recorder.

                 

            Listening to Internet radio

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

            To listen to an Internet radio station:

              1. Double-click the MusicMatch Jukebox icon, then connect to the Internet.

              2. Click Radio.
                The Radio window opens.
              1. Click Station Selector. A window opens that lists radio stations by music format, city, or country.
              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 online help that came with MusicMatch.