ComproFM2 User's Guide Compro Technology, Inc. www.comprousa.
Copyright © 2001-2004. Compro Technology, Inc. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of Compro Technology, Inc. Compro, VideoMate, Poladyne, Play with Power, and the Compro logo are trademarks of Compro Technology, Inc. Other names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................ 1 Key Features................................................................ 2 Installation .................................................................... 3 Updates........................................................................ 3 Remove software ......................................................... 3 2 Remote Control .......................................................
Introduction 1. Introduction ComproFM lets you enjoy FM radio programs on your PC. Listen to music or other programs while you work or browse the Internet. All this, with the industry's first universal remote control. You can also record your favorite programs to MP3, WMA, and WAV formats for later playback. You can later download these recordings to your MP3 player (purchased separately) for listening on the go.
Introduction Key Features z Listen to and record live FM programs. z Powerful and easy to use scheduled recording function. z Easy-to-use, familiar user interface. z Deluxe, ergonomic, multi-function IR remote control. z Capture audio and encode to WAV, WMA or MP3 formats. z My favorite stations — Sort and rearrange station order. z Easy to install. z Stereo and mono support. z Auto tune for best sound quality frequencies.
Introduction Installation ComproFM is usually automatically installed while you install the VideoMate TV drivers. Follow the instructions of the software installer. You can also manually install it by inserting the installation CD. Choose “Exit” or “Cancel” when the installation program starts. Open Explorer, double-click on the “setup.exe” in the folder named ComproFM. ComproFM will be installed right away. Updates User satisfaction is the first priority for Compro Technology.
Remote Control 2. Remote Control Definitions and Usage Remote control keypad lets you control the ComproFM application with a familiar, user-friendly interface. The next two pages describe how to use the remote control to operate ComproFM. Note The Compro remote control cannot be reprogrammed to control other appliances such as your VCR or satellite decoder box.
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Remote Control Key Number ComproFM Function 0-9 Pre-set stations 10 Mute 11 Minimize/Maximize 12 Start/Stop ComproDVD (if available) 13 Start/Stop ComproFM 14 Start/Stop ComproPVR (if available) 15 Rewind 16 Play/Pause during playback 17 Forward 18 Jump to last station 19 Stop 20 Not used 21 Open on-line help file 22 Open properties setup dialog box 23 Up Arrow 24 Scan Down 25 Down Arrow 26 Scan Up 27 Volume Adjustment 28 Open play list 29 Station Up 30 Station D
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ComproFM User Interface 3. ComproFM User Interface Control Panel The ComproFM control panel resembles the controls on a radio. Keep in mind that not all options are available at all times, and may be grayed out or inaccessible depending on your hardware setup and FM services available. The following pages describe the ComproFM control panel functions and usage tips.
ComproFM User Interface ICON Keyboard Shortcut Ctrl-A Description Always on top F1 Online Help System - Open HTML help file Z Minimize ComproFM Ctrl-W Page Up Page Down Exit ComproFM Station Up - Jump up to next pre-set station Station Down - Jump down to next pre-set station N Last station - Jump back to last selected station R Record - Start recording FM audio program to system Right Arrow Key Station searching / Forward when playing audio files Left Arrow Key Station searching / Backward
ComproFM User Interface ICON Keyboard Shortcut Description S Properties - Open FM radio properties window B Schedule Recording setup. +/- Ctrl-S Volume Control - Increase or decrease sound intensity. Drag your mouse over this icon to change the audio volume.
ComproFM User Interface Configuration Use the ComproFM options menus to control how ComproFM looks and functions. Click the Options button to open the Options dialog box. The Options dialog box is composed of tabbed pages, each with its own group of feature-specific settings. Station Options Follow these steps to setup and customize your station list.
ComproFM User Interface Autoscan The first time you start ComproFM, Autoscan will automatically search for all available FM stations. 1. The number of scanned stations varies according to the quality of reception and your country settings. 2. You can interrupt the scanning process by pressing the Stop button. 3. When Autoscan is finished, detected stations are automatically enabled and marked with a check mark. Stations, where a valid signal could not be detected, are disabled and marked with a blank.
ComproFM User Interface You can shorten the list of enabled stations the icon. to reduce station-browsing time disabling stations from the station list by clicking on the icon. You can re-enable stations by clicking on the Mem+ field again. Disabled stations will not be played when you use the Station Up and Down buttons. Random Access Press Random Access button, you will see the popup window to enter the frequency of the radio station you wish to listen to.
ComproFM User Interface Click OK to confirm your changes. You can then select your favorite stations by press the number key. Note: There are ten numbers you can use, from 0 to 9. The number box only shows the available numbers. If you wish to reassign a pre-set, choose the number you wish to use in the number box again. You can select the number again to undo the change?.
ComproFM User Interface Fine Tuning ComproFM includes a fine-tuning feature. Check the box labeled, "Fine Tune." if you like to do so. Fine-tuning is normally not necessary. Sleep mode You can enable this mode to automatically shutdown the system after 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours.
ComproFM User Interface Recording Options Recorded Programs Folder Click on the button to set the directory where recorded programs are stored. Check that you have ample disk space to store recorded programs. Recording Format Here you can select the audio format of recorded programs. ComproFM includes useful quality pre-sets, from MP3, WMA, and WAV format.
ComproFM User Interface Recording Quality Choose between 8.000 KHz to 44.100 KHz sampling rate for your audio quality. For example, select 44.100 KHz if you want CD quality. Note: You must install Microsoft Windows? Media Encoder 9 in order to record to WMA or MP3 formats. Microsoft Media Encoder 9 is included in the FM installation CD and will be installed automatically. This CODEC, however, only supports up to 56 Kbps audio bit rate.
ComproFM User Interface System Devices Options Audio Device Normally, the audio device is set to the name of your sound card. Note: You must select the proper Audio devices for correct operation. If you cannot see the name of your sound card, the sound card drivers are probably not correctly installed. Please see Chapter 5, ”Troubleshooting.
ComproFM User Interface Audio Input Choose the “AUX-In” if you are using an internal audio patch cable connected to “AUX-In” of your sound card. If you are using an external audio patch cable, you should connect it to the “Line-In” port on your sound card. Note: If you cannot see the audio device on the field, the sound card drivers are not properly installed. Please make sure that your sound card works normally and reinstall the sound drivers, if necessary.
ComproFM User Interface Notes Please check the troubleshooting chapter of this manual for more information before contacting Compro for support. In order to solve the problem quickly, submitting the details about your problem is crucial to understanding the problem.
Using ComproFM 4. Using ComproFM Listening ComproFM lets you easily listen to your favorite FM programs. After autoscanning the stations, you are ready to listen. Station Browsing When listening to FM, you can browse stations with the Station Down and Station Up buttons to scroll up and down through the available, enabled stations. The Page Up and Page Dn keys on your keyboard can be used instead.
Using ComproFM disk space. To instantly start recording: 1. Press the Record button . ComproFM starts recording the audio currently showing in the display window. It will save it to a file on your disk. 2. Press the Stop button to stop recording. 3. When you stop recording, ComproFM prompts you to name the file containing the recorded audio. Enter the name and press OK.
Using ComproFM During playback, the display area of the control panel provides information about currently playing program and provides playback control functions. To delete a recorded program, open the Play List dialog box, by pressing ?? , highlight the file name on the program list, and press the Delete button.
Using ComproFM Scheduled Recording ComproFM can be scheduled to record a FM program later or remind you of an upcoming program. The schedule can be set for a one-time or a recurring session. You can repeatedly record any regularly scheduled programming. Relax. Never miss your favorite shows. Press the icon to open the Schedule Recording dialog box.
Using ComproFM Scheduled Program Lists Create: Create a new scheduled recording event. Modify: Modify an existing recording event. Delete: Delete an existing recording event. Event Information: Shows details about your recording schedule. Scheduled Recording Settings You can see the following after clicking Create. Event Name: Type the event name. The saved recording file will also use this name. ComproFM will automatically create the Event Name and file name.
Using ComproFM Channel Number: Check this box to add station numbers to the names of the recording files. Start Date: Check this box to add the start date to the names of the recording files. Start Time: Check this box to add the start time to the names of the recording files. Power Up Scheduling feature If your hardware supports Compro Power Up Scheduling, ComproFM can wake your PC from the Shutdown (ACPI:S5) state.
Using ComproFM hardware? VMTV card and PC?> supports Power Up Scheduling. Power Up will start your computer 5 minutes in advance of the scheduled time. If you set schedule to 4 o’clock, Power up will wake up your computer at 3:55. Therefore, you need to shut down the computer before 3:54 in order to let Power Up start the computer. You may select from three possible actions to occur after recording is complete: z Shut down the system: After recording, shut down the system.
Using ComproFM There are three fields in the Automatic Logon window. z User: ComproFM will detect your current user name automatically. Unless you wish to logon by a different user, there is no need to change it. z Password: Type in your password. z Domain: ComproFM will automatically detect your Windows Domain name, if any. In most home PCs, this field will be blank and need not be changed. (See Note below).
Using ComproFM Audio mode: Select the audio mode you want to record. Mute speakers while recording: Check this box to mute speakers while recording. This feature is useful if the program is to be recorded while you are asleep. Quality Settings Format: Here you can select the audio format of recorded programs. ComproFM includes useful quality pre-sets, from MP3, WMA, and WAV format. Choose between 8.000 KHz to 44.100 KHz sampling rate for your audio quality. For example, select 44.
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Troubleshooting 5. Troubleshooting Driver Installation The most common cause of problems with the TV Tuner Card is incorrect installation of the TV capture and TV tuner drivers (also called WDM drivers). If you have problems watching, recording, or timeshifting live TV, please check the status of the WDM drivers with Device Manager. You should see both "VideoMate TV Capture" and "VideoMate TV Tuner" drivers, in the "Sound, video and game controllers" section of Windows Device Manager.
Troubleshooting add a figure of it here, with the Compro drivers entry. These days, most software install the Uninstall item in the Start Menu, so people rarely use the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel Applet. Also add it to the support web site.] Error Code: 0x1000006 This error code generally indicates a WDM driver installation problem. Please uninstall and reinstall the WDM drivers, as described above. If the problem persists, the cause could be an IRQ conflict.
Troubleshooting For best performance, no other device should share an IRQ with the VideoMate TV card. If another device shares an IRQ with the TV tuner card, remove other PCI cards from your PC and insert TV card on another slot. Then uninstall and reinstall the TV card driver. This usually solves the problem. If the problem persists, try moving the PCI TV Tuner card to another PCI slot. After you can successfully use ComproFM, install the other PCI devices one at a time.
Troubleshooting No Audio Check that the sound is not muted or low volume in the Windows Volume Control dialog. (Double-click on the speaker icon in the system tray.) Verify that the external audio patch cable is connected between the Audio-Out of TV tuner card and Line IN of your sound card if you select the audio source to “Line-In”. Or the inner audio patch cable is connected between the inner Audio-Out of TV tuner card and AUX of your sound card if you select the audio source to “AUX”.
Troubleshooting same location to test if the reception is OK. Make sure that you connect the FM antenna tightly and try repositioning the antenna for optimum reception. Why isn’t the MP3 128Kbits format available ComproFM uses Microsoft Media Encoder 9 to be the encoder. However, Microsoft Media Encoder 9 can only support 56Kbits audio bit rates. Therefore, the 128Kbits audio bit rates of MP3 is not available.
