MX / AVX SERIES USER’S MANUAL P/N: M42001-02A5
The team at Escient would like to take this opportunity to thank you for purchasing an Escient FireBall product. Escient is committed to providing our customers the most technologically advanced, yet easierthan-ever to use products that converge the power of the Internet with home entertainment. To maximize your enjoyment, please take a few minutes to review this User’s Manual. It will guide you through all the features and benefits of your new FireBall.
Audio Outputs MULTI-ZONE video Outputs SINGLE-ZONE video Outputs RS-232 Connections IR Connections Ethernet Connections External Changer Connections Changer Types Control Connections Digital Audio Connections Analog Audio Connections Sony DVD/CD Changer Hookup 27 27 28 29 30 30 31 33 33 33 33 33 33 Watching a Different Movie in the Other Room Watching the Same Movie in Two Rooms 39 41 Getting Music Into FireBall 42 54 Registration 34 34 Recording from the Internal CD Recording From
59 60 60 61 61 61 61 61 Listening To Internet Radio 62 Browsing Internet Radio Stations Playing the Current Station Managing Your Media Creating Playlists Creating Groups Adding Internet Radio Stations Updating the Internet Radio Stations List Editing Movie Information Editing Disc Info Automatically Lookup Information for This Disc Searching for Movie Information Manually Tips for Searching for Movies Selecting an Existing Cover Edit Description Editing Music Information Editing Track Na
surround mode settings Installing the ETP Touch Panel Calibrating the Touch Panel Changing the Touch Panel Button Overlay Using Your Touch Panel Ir remote control direct access codes playlist hot keys Serial COM Ports Controlling FireBall from Other Devices FireBall Utilities Getting Information about Your FireBall Restarting the System Updating the Software Controlling FireBall from a Web Browser Setting up the FireBall Web Server Using the Web User Interface Using the Web Browser as a M
Product Introduction Thank you for purchasing a FireBall Media Management system from Escient (a division of D&M Holdings). About This Manual This FireBall User’s Manual is intended to provide the reader with an overview of the main features and benefits of the Escient FireBall Media Management Systems. For more information, please refer to the Escient web site (www.escient.com) or contact your Escient dealer. Record Your Serial Number The serial number for this unit is located at the rear of the device.
PAGE 7 FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Warnings and Precautions • Do not use this apparatus near water. • Clean only with a dry cloth. • Do not block any ventilation openings. • Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. • To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the cover. No user serviceable parts are inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
Trademarks & Service Marks Escient®, the Escient logo, and FireBall® are trademarks of Digital Networks North America. FireBall and Physital are trademarks of Escient®. Other product names mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. Music recognition technology and related data are provided by Gracenote®. Gracenote is the industry standard in music recognition technology and related content delivery. For more information visit www.
Warranty Information Terms of Coverage - Each Escient branded media management system sold comes with a standard one (1) year warranty. This warranty provides no-charge coverage under normal product usage, for a period of one year from the date of registration and/or purchase (whichever is earlier). This warranty program provides the following key features and benefits: • Twelve (12) months service, parts and labor. • Five (5) day turn around time on all standard in-warranty repairs.
• • • • Additionally, Escient does not cover the following items under the terms or its warranty programs: Installation or removal charges. Cost of initial technical adjustments (setup costs). Battery replacement. Escient’s sole liability for any defective product is limited to the repair or replacement of the product at our discretion.
Escient Privacy Policy Escient is committed to providing you with a product that you enjoy and are confident in using, and are committed to providing services in a private and secure environment. We recognize and respect each individual user’s privacy and have created this Privacy Policy to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy. We want you to be fully informed about the information that we collect, why we collect it, and with whom we share it.
Following are terms used throughout this manual: • Button - refers to a graphic item on the display screen. • Group - a collection of similar music titles. Standard genre groups are provided and custom groups can be created by the user. • Highlight - highlighting is used to indicate the user’s selection on screen. When the selection moves up, down, left, or right, the highlight moves to the next nearest item.
Setup This manual assumes that you followed the printed “Quick Setup Guide” that came with your FireBall. If you have not properly connected your FireBall to your audio/video system, please go back and follow the “Quick Setup Guide” guide before continuing with this User Manual. Power States After the FireBall unit is plugged in, the Standby LED located next to the power button will flash red until the startup process is complete. Please wait. This may take several minutes.
Front Panel Overview 3 4 1 PAGE 14 8 9 10 6 1 - Power 2 - movies source 3 - music SOURCE 4 - radio SOURCE 5 - cd-rw drive 6 - text display & ir receiver 7 - open/close drive 8 - navigation 9 - select 10 - transport controls & guide FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual 2 7 5
rear Panel Overview - 5 CHANGERS / 2 ZONES 7 8 9 3 2 4 1 PAGE 15 6 1 - Power 2 - DIGITAL AUDIO OPTICAL IN (1-5) 3 - DIGITAL AUDIO OPTICAL OUT (1-2) 4 - DIGITAL AUDIO COAX OUT (1-2) 5 - ANALOG AUDIO OUT (1-2) 6 - ANALOG AUDIO IN (1-5) 7 - VIDEO OUT: COMPONENT, COMPOSITE, S-VIDEO (1-2) 8 - VIDEO IN: COMPONENT, COMPOSITE, S-VIDEO (1-5) 9 - communication ports (1-6) 10 - ETHERNET 11 - S-LINK / IR OUT (1-5) 12 - IR IN 10 11 12 FireBall™ MX Series
rear Panel Overview - 3 CHANGERS / 1 ZONE 10 3 4 2 5 PAGE 16 6 7 8 1 - Power 2 - ANALOG AUDIO IN (1-3) 3 - IR IN / S-LINK | IR OUT (1-3) 4 - DIGITAL AUDIO OUT: COAX, OPTICAL 5 - DIGITAL AUDIO IN: OPTICAL (1-3) 6 - DIGITAL AUDIO IN: COAX (1-3) 7 - ANALOG AUDIO OUT 8 - VIDEO OUT: COMPONENT, COMPOSITE, S-VIDEO (1-2) 9 - VIDEO IN: COMPONENT, COMPOSITE, S-VIDEO (1-3) 10 - communication ports (1-4) 11 - ETHERNET 9 11 FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual 1
rear Panel Overview - 1 CHANGER / 1 ZONE 2 9 3 4 10 1 PAGE 17 6 7 1 - Power 2 - IR IN / S-LINK | IR OUT 3 - DIGITAL AUDIO OUT: COAX, OPTICAL 4 - DIGITAL AUDIO IN: COAX, OPTICAL 5 - ANALOG AUDIO IN 6 - ANALOG AUDIO OUT 7 - VIDEO OUT: COMPONENT, COMPOSITE, S-VIDEO 8 - VIDEO IN: COMPONENT, COMPOSITE, S-VIDEO 9 - communication ports (1-2) 10 - ETHERNET 8 FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual 5
FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual remote Overview PAGE 18
Entering Text with the Remote Control The remote control can be used to enter text in all text fields. This text entry capability is provided to allow you to fill out short text fields – such as those that occur in the setup and edit screens. FireBall’s wireless keyboard should be used when extended typing is required. Typing Characters with the Remote The remote control based text entry capability is similar to that provided on standard telephones and cell phones.
display a “C”. The fourth key press displays a lower case “a”, the fifth key press displays a lower case “b”, and the sixth key press displays a lower case “c”. Lastly, pressing the “2” key a seventh time displays the number “2”. When entering the second character in a text field or the second character following a space, FireBall assumes that lower case is preferred and the character entry cycles in the following pattern – lowercase, uppercase, and numeric.
Connecting External Disc Changers Supported External Changers The FireBall MX Media Managers only support the Sony DVP-777ES DVD/CD changer for DVD and CD storage. When connecting more than one changer, the first changer should be connected to video in 1, digital audio in 1, and RS232 1. The second changer to all #2 connectors, and so on... ABOUT SACD AUDIO DISCS FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual FireBall can also manage SACD audio discs loaded into a Sony DVP-777ES DVD/CD changer.
Connecting Sony DVP-CX777ES CD/DVD Changers FireBall requires that you connect each changer to the back panel using audio, video, and control cables. Follow these steps to connect your Sony CD/DVD changers to your FireBall: 1. An RS-232 serial null modem cable with female DB-9 connectors on each end is required for connecting a Sony CD/DVD Changer 2. Connect one end of the RS-232 serial cable into Communication Port number 1, on the back of your FireBall 3.
Loading Discs Into Changers DVDs or CDs into your changers, following the changer manufacturer’s instructions and close the changer door. Quick Lookup will automatically start in a few seconds. If the Quick Lookup process does not automatically start, then manually start the Lookup using the steps described below. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual The disc information that FireBall displays on your TV screen is NOT included on the original discs loaded into your changers.
Automatically Getting Disc Information Once your changers are connected to FireBall and loaded with CDs/DVDs, all you have to do is close the changer door and in a few seconds FireBall will begin looking up the disc information from each disc, in each changer. Quick Lookup checks each previously empty slot in the changers to see if any new discs were added, and then checks each previously occupied slot in the changer to see if any discs were removed.
Getting Disc Information for a Range of Discs If you want to lookup the disc information for a specific range of slots in a changer, you can use the Lookup Range feature. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to lookup a range of changer slots: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Changer Management menu. 3. Select the Lookup Discs menu. 4. Select the Lookup Range menu. 5. Enter a valid range of slots to lookup.
Getting Disc Information for All Discs If you want to lookup the disc information for all discs in all changers, you can use the Lookup All feature. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to lookup all discs in all changers: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Changer Management menu. 3. Select the Lookup Discs menu. 4. Select the Lookup All menu. 5. The Lookup All screen displays the progress and results as each disc in each changer is looked up.
Additional Connection and Hookup Information Audio Outputs The optical, coax, and analog audio outputs are all active when playing media from the internal hard drive or Internet Radio. Both digital and analog connections must be made from the changer(s) to the FireBall for the FireBall to output both digital and analog outputs.
MULTI-ZONE video Outputs Mulit-Zone FireBalls have several video output formats and connectors including: Main Zone • Component Video • S-Video • Composite Video Remote Zone (connects to an MP-200) • Component Video • S-Video • Composite Video The Component Video output will provide the best possible video quality for the FireBall User Interface, but will require that your video system has an available component input.
SINGLE-ZONE video Outputs Single-Zone FireBalls have several video output formats and connectors including: • Component Video • S-Video • Composite Video 3 CHANGER BACK PANEL All video outputs are active at the same time, so you can use as many as you like without causing signal degradation. However, the corresponding video input from the changer must also be connected to watch a movie from the changer on that video output.
RS-232 Connections External disc changers are controlled via two-way serial protocols using RS-232 serial cables. You should use the lower numbered COM ports for each external disc changer. The highest numbered COM port is to be used for connecting an Escient ETP-1500 wired touch panel or to interface with a third party control system such as AMX or Crestron. Note: You should use the Ethernet control system for controlling FireBall from a third party control system whenever possible.
Ethernet Connections The Ethernet jack on the back panel of the FireBall accepts any standard twisted pair CAT5 Ethernet cable. If you are connecting FireBall to a home network, you typically connect a standard Ethernet cable from your Ethernet router or hub to the FireBall. There are different grades, or categories, of twisted-pair cabling. Category 5 is the most reliable and widely compatible, and is highly recommended. It runs easily with 10Mbps networks, and is required for 100Mbps networks.
CAT5 cabling should not exceed 100 meters. The following drawing depicts the typical wiring scheme for CAT5. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual For more information about wiring an Ethernet network, please refer to the Linksys web site (www.linksys.com).
External Changer Connections There are a few general rules to follow when connecting changers to your FireBall... Changer Types • Sony DVP-CX777ES DVD/CD (DVDs and CDs ONLY) • Sony 200, 300, 400 disc CDP Series CD changers (CDs ONLY) Note: Sony CD and DVD/CD changers can not be mixed Different models of Sony CD changers may be mixed Sony DVD/CD Changer Hookup • Sony DVP-CX777ES 400 disc changers must be connected via individual RS-232 cables (not S-Link cables).
Registration Registering your FireBall is accomplished automatically when you go through the Quick Start process described in the User’s Manual. Registration includes properly configuring your FireBall for Internet access and then connecting to the Escient servers to register your serial number and download the latest Internet Radio stations.
watching dvd movies Browsing your Movie Library If you have your DVD movies loaded into your changers and the movie information has been acquired from the Escient MovieDB using the Quick Lookup feature, it’s time to see what’s in your collection using the Movies Guide. Press the MOVIES key on the remote control to access your movie collection. Playing the Current Movie Playing the currently highlighted Movie is the same as playing a DVD in a standalone DVD player.
Selecting a Different Movie While a movie is playing, you can press the GUIDE key on the remote control to display the Movies Guide. The current movie is paused when you switch over the to Guide. Press the GUIDE key again to toggle back to the full screen movie and pickup where you left off. Movie Info View detailed infromation for the currently highlighted movie by pressing the Info button on the remote.
FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual VIEWING BY GENRE In addition to the current Guide View, the Movies Guide automatically organizes your DVDs into default “Genres” also called “Groups”. The Group Bar displays a horizontal scrolling list of Genres corresponding to the movies in your library. Five Genres or Groups are visible at one time. The “All” genre is the default, which displays all Titles in your Movie Library.
Watching a Movie from another Room Multi-Zone FireBall products with dual a/v outputs, provide the capability for watching two DVDs from your entire DVD collection at the same time. FireBall’s built-in video matrix switcher makes it possible to route the same movie or two different movies to two different rooms. In order to browse, select, and play a DVD in another room, you will need the optional FireBall MP-200 Digital Media Player.
Browsing Your Movie Library from Another Room The FireBall MP-200 works just like the Fireball Media Manager for browsing and selecting movies in the second room. There is nothing new to learn. What you will notice is that some DVD titles will turn gray in the Movies Guide when a movie is being playing in the other zone. The grayed out title indicates that the disc is stored in a changer that is currently playing a disc. Nongrayed out titles are stored in idle changers.
6Playing Movie - The Abyss If you select a non-grayed out title, the movie will load and play just as it does from the main room. If you select a grayed out title, you will be prompted to override the current user (who is watching a different movie from the same changer you selected) and play your movie. If you select CONTINUE, your movie will load and play and the user in the main room will see a message indicating what happened - you started a different movie in the other room.
6Mulit-Zone FireBall - Zone 1: Browsing 6Playing Movie - The Abyss Watching the Same Movie in Two Rooms If you want to watch the same movie in both rooms, from the Movies Guide, select the movie title currently playing in the other room and you will join the movie at it’s current point. The Movies Guide will display the name of the currently playing movie grayed out at the top of the All Group and it’s icon will have a 1 or 2 indicating which room it is playing in.
Getting Music Into FireBall Before you can enjoy the Music features of your FireBall Media Management system, you will want to get your music collection into the FireBall. The process of getting music into FireBall is called “Recording” or sometimes “Ripping”.
Follow these steps to record using the internal CD-RW drive: 1. Press the EJECT key on the front panel. 2. Insert an audio CD (label side up) into the CD-RW tray. 3. Press the EJECT key again to close the CD-RW tray. 4. The CD’s artist, album, and track names are automatically retrieved from the Gracenote® Music Recognition Service and are displayed on your TV. 5. Press the RECORD key on the remote control to display the Recording Options Menu. 6.
Recording From External Changers In addition to manually loading and recording CDs one by one using the front panel CD drive, you can record as many CD as you want directly from your external changers. Note: The FireBall does not support the recording of movies to the internal hard drive.
Automatically Recording CDs You can easily record changer based CDs to your FireBall’s internal hard drive using the Quick Record feature. Quick Record will record all tracks from newly added CDs which are NOT already record to your FireBall, in one easy step. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to automatically record changer CDs to your FireBall: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Changer Management menu. 3. Select the Record Discs menu. 4.
Recording a Range of CDs If you want to record a specific range of slots in a changer, you can use the Record Range feature. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to record a range of changer slots: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Changer Management menu. 3. Select the Record Discs menu. 4. Select the Record Range menu. 5. Enter a valid range of slots to record. If you have more than 1 changer, select which changer you want to use. 6.
Recording All CDs If you want to record all discs in all changers, you can use the Record All feature. Follow these steps to record each disc in all changers: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Changer Management menu. 3. Select the Record Discs menu. 4. Select the Record All menu. 5. The Record All screen displays the recording progress for each disc in each changer.
Importing Music Files If you have digital audio files already recorded on your PC or Mac, you can transfer the files directly to your FireBall using an Ethernet network. This is a fast and convenient way to load up your FireBall with your favorite Music without having to re-record everything. FireBall will import each audio file, extract the song information, and add it to your Music Library. There are some rules to follow to make sure your files are transferred correctly.
Importing from a PC Make sure your PC is connected to the same network as your FireBall and follow these steps to mount, transfer, and import music files from your PC to your FireBall. On the FireBall (Note: This step only needs to be done once.) 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote control to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the NETWORK menu item. 3. Select the SERVER SETTINGS menu item. 4. Enter a name for your FireBall. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual On the PC 1.
Importing from a Mac FireBall’s File Server acts like a Windows File Server on your network, therefore you will need to connect using the MacOS X’s built-in Windows networking client. Make sure your Mac is connected to the same network as your FireBall and follow these steps to mount, transfer, and import music files from your PC to your FireBall. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual 1. Go to the Finder and select “Connect to Server…” from the Go Menu. 2.
FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual 4. Click on the Content pop-up menu and select the Import directory. 5. Next, an authentication dialog will appear. You can ignore this dialog and just click the OK button. 6. You will then have a new drive mounted on your desktop called “Import”. 7. Drag and drop your audio files onto the Import folder. FireBall will automatically import, add, and catalog each file into your Music Guide.
Recording from Other External Sources In addition to recording from external changers, FireBall allows you to record directly from it’s analog inputs to the internal hard drive. • When recording is complete, FireBall will return to the Music Guide. • Recording from the External Inputs creates one Title with one Track and adds the Title to the Music Guide. • You can edit the data later, just like any other Title. Please refer to the “Managing Your Media” section for more details.
Erasing a CD-RW Disc You can use FireBall’s built-in CD burner to erase the contents of a re-writable CD. Follow these steps to erase a re-writeable CD: 1. Press the RECORD key on the remote to display the Record menu. 2. Select the Erase CD-RW Disc menu. 3. Confirm that you want to proceed with completely erasing the disc by selecting the ERASE button on screen. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual • You will not be able to interrupt the erase function.
Listening to Music Browsing your Music Library Now that you have gotten your music into your FireBall, it’s time to enjoy it! The Music Guide allows you to browse, locate, and play all of your music in one easy to use on-screen guide. Press the MUSIC key on the remote control to access your music collection. The Music Guide displays a scrolling list of all your Music Titles. Using the remote control, you can navigate up and down the list.
Playing the Current Title Playing the currently highlighted Title is the same as playing a CD in a conventional CD player. Simply press the PLAY key on the remote control and it begins to play from track 1. Note: If you press SELECT with a Track highlighted, you will start playback from the selected Track. Selecting a Different Song In the Music Player you can navigate up and down the track list using the remote control. Highlight a different song and press SELECT to play the song.
Changing the Guide View The GUIDE button on the remote control is used to switch between the Music Guide and Music Player screens. When you are viewing the Music Player screen, press the GUIDE button to return to the Music Guide. The Music Guide provides you with several ways to view the contents of your Music Library. One of the easiest ways to browse and sort your Music Library is by using the Music “Views”.
View By Song-Artist View By Song will order the list of Titles alphabetically from A to Z, according to the Song Name. View By List View By List displays a nine line hierarchical view of your music library starting by Genre, then by Artist, Album, and finally by songs. View By Cover View By Cover displays a graphical grid of album cover art, sorted alphabetically from A to Z, according to the Artist Name then Album Name.
To change the current Play Mode, press the MODE key on the remote control. Each press of the MODE key will switch to the next Play Mode. Stop pressing the MODE key when you see the desired Play Mode appear on the screen. You can also directly select a Play Mode using the OPTIONS key and the Play Mode menu item.
Viewing By Genre In addition to the current Guide View, the Music Guide automatically organizes your Music into default “Genres” also called “Groups”. The Group Bar displays a horizontal scrolling list of Genres corresponding to the music in your library. Five Genres or Groups are visible at one time. The “All” genre is the default, which displays all Titles in your Music Library. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys on the remote, you can select a different Genre.
Using the Jukebox Queue By default, FireBall plays music from a “playlist” or “disc” based song list, meaning that you select an Artist-Title, Title, or Cover and it plays the entire Album you selected (according to the current Play Mode). If you select something else, what is currently playing is stopped and the newly selected music starts to play.
Reordering the Jukebox Queue Follow these steps to reorder tracks in the Jukebox Queue: 1. Make sure you are viewing the Music Player screen or press the GUIDE button to hide the Guide and display the Player screen. 2. Highlight the track you want to move. 3. Press the LEFT arrow key on the remote to move the highlighted track up in the Jukebox Queue or press the RIGHT arrow key to move it down. Saving the Jukebox Queue Follow these steps to save the Jukebox Queue as a Playlist: 1.
Listening To Internet Radio Browsing Internet Radio Stations The Radio Guide displays a scrolling list of Internet Radio Stations. Using the remote control, you can navigate up and down the list. As each Station is highlighted, you will notice that the Information Area and Cover Art changes to reflect the currently highlighted Station. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual • Press the iRADIO key on the remote control to display the Radio Guide.
You’ll notice that a new screen appears displaying information about the selected station. This is the Radio Player screen. The Radio Player displays the station name, location, genre, genre cover art, and status about the current Internet Radio station stream. • Playing Internet Radio requires a valid Internet connection. • Although some stations will work over a Dialup Internet Connection, a broadband Internet connection is recommended.
Managing Your Media Follow these steps to create your own custom Playlist: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Music Options Menu 3. Select the PLAYLIST/New Playlist menu item. 4. Using the remote control or keyboard, enter a name for your Playlist. 5. Select the CONTINUE button on screen to advance to the Edit Playlist Select Guide. The Edit Playlist Select Guide works just like the Music Guide.
To create a custom Group, follow these steps: 1. Press the MOVIES key to make sure you are in the Movies source mode, MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode or press the RADIO key if you want to create a custom Radio Group. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3. Select the GROUPS/New Group menu item. 4. Using the remote control or keyboard, enter a name for your Group. 5. Select the CONTINUE button on screen to advance to the Edit Group Select Guide.
Adding Internet Radio Stations FireBall comes preloaded with several high quality streaming Internet Radio Stations from around the world, but that may not be enough for you, so FireBall also let’s you add your own Internet Radio Stations. Internet Radio stations must conform to these specifications: • Windows Media WMA or MPEG II layer 3 streams. • Windows Media 9 or earlier. Assuming you have a valid URL for a station, follow these steps to add your own Internet Radio Station to the Radio Guide: 1.
Updating the Internet Radio Stations List Escient makes every attempt to insure that the preloaded Internet Radio Stations are alive and well, but due to the dynamic nature of the Internet and the third parties who actually serve up these radio streams, sometimes you will not be able to play a station. The “Tune Stations” feature allows you to download a list of the most recent Internet Radio stations from Escient.
Editing Movie Information FireBall has access to tens of thousands of DVD titles, but you may still encounter a DVD that does not return the correct disc information from the Escient MovieDB™. You can edit the disc information for any DVD Movie Title using the Edit Disc screens. Editing Disc Info FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to edit the disc information for the current Movie Title: 1. Highlight the Movie Title you want to edit in the Movies Guide. 2.
Automatically Lookup Information for This Disc The “Lookup This Disc” button will initiate a disc lookup for only this disc. FireBall will connect to the Escient MovieDB™ Service to locate and download the disc information. Follow these steps to lookup information for the current disc: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Movies Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4.
Follow these steps to search for a cover: 1. Highlight the Movie Title you want to edit in the Movies Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4. Select the SEARCH FOR MOVIE button to display the Search for Movie screen. 5. The current Movie Title is entered as the default search string. You can change the Title to modify the search. Note that editing the Title WILL NOT change it in the Movie Library.
Selecting an Existing Cover If for some reason you can not download the original cover, you can choose one of the existing covers for the current Title. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to select an existing cover to assign to the current Title: 1. Highlight the Movie Title you want to edit in the Movie Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC` menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4.
Edit Description If for some reason you can not download the original description, you can edit it. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to select an existing cover to assign to the current Title: 1. Highlight the Movie Title you want to edit in the Movie Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC` menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4. Select the Edit description button to display the Edit Description screen. 5.
Editing Music Information FireBall has access to over 4 million CD titles, but you may still encounter a CD that does not return a custom cover or the correct disc information. You can edit the disc information for any Music Title using the Edit Disc and Edit Tracks screens. Editing Disc Info Follow these steps to edit the disc information for the current Music Title: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3.
Editing Track Names You can also manually edit the Track/Song names of the currently highlighted Title in the Music Guide. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to edit the track information for the current Music Title: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC INFO Info menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4. Select the EDIT TRACKS button to display the Edit Tracks screen. 5.
Automatically Lookup Information for This Disc The “Lookup This Disc” button will initiate a disc lookup for only this disc. FireBall will connect to the Gracenote® Music Recognition Service to locate and download the disc information. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to lookup information for the current disc: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3.
Follow these steps to search for a cover: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC INFO menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4. Select the Search for Cover button to display the Search for Cover screen. 5. The current Artist Name and Album Title are entered as the default search strings. You can change either one of these to modify the search.
Selecting an Existing Cover If for some reason you can not download the original cover, you can choose one of the existing covers for the current Title. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to select an existing cover to assign to the current Title: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC INFO menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4.
Editing Radio Information Similar to editing Music Information, you can also Edit the Radio Information. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to edit the station information for the currently highlighted Internet Radio Station: 1. Make sure you are in the Radio source mode by pressing the RADIO key on the remote. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3. Select the Edit Station menu item to display the Edit Station screen. 4.
Follow these steps to edit a Playlist: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Highlight the Playlist Name you want to edit. Note: The Playlist group will list all of your Playlists. 3. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Music Options Menu 4. Select the Playlists/Edit Playlist menu item. 5. Using the remote control or keyboard, change the name of your Playlist or select the CONTINUE button on screen to keep the current name and advance to the Edit Playlist Select Guide. 6.
Follow these steps to edit a Group: 1. Press the MUSIC key if you want to edit the Music Groups, press the MOVIES key if you want to edit Movies Groups, or press the RADIO key if you want to edit the Radio Groups. 2. Highlight the Group you want to edit within the Group Bar. 3. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 4. Select the Groups/Edit Group menu item. 5.
Deleting Music You can remove any music you have recorded to the FireBall by using the Delete Music feature. You may want to do this if you have filled up your FireBall and you can not record any more music or if you want to remove songs that you just don’t listen to. You can not “delete” physical CDs from the Music Library. You must remove the discs from your changers if you want the CDs to be removed from the Music Guide.
Deleting Playlists FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual You may delete entire Playlists from the Music Guide. Follow these steps to permanently delete one or more Playlists from the Music Guide: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3. Select the PLAYLISTS/Delete Playlists menu item to display the Delete Playlists screen. 4. For each Playlist you want to delete, highlight the Playlist and press the SELECT key on the remote.
Deleting Groups Deleting Groups from the Group Bar is very similar to deleting Playlists. The contents of the Group (the Music Titles, Movie Titles, or Radio Stations) are not deleted. They are still available in any other Groups they may be assigned to and in the All Group. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to delete Groups. 1.
Creating CDs FireBall is a complete media solution for storing, managing, and listening to your music, but what if you want to get your music out of your FireBall and take it with you? FireBall has that covered as well. You can easily create custom mix CDs, backups copies of any physical CD, and record from the external analog inputs to a CD. Follow these steps to create a custom Mix CD: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2.
FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual 9. After all of the songs have been read, FireBall will ask if you want to add any more tracks to the CD. Select Add More if you do want to add more tracks or select Done to continue creating the CD. 10. When FireBall has added all of your songs and finished creating the new CD image, it will eject the CD tray and ask you to insert a blank CD. 11. Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc and close the CD tray by pressing the Eject button on the front panel.
Follow these steps to duplicate a CD: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the RECORD key to display the Music Record Options menu. 3. Select the Duplicate a Disc button to display the Music Record Select Guide. 4. Select a CD from any external changer or the built-in CD player. A check mark will be placed next to the selected disc. 5. Press the RECORD key again to continue the recording process and display the Music Record Progress - CD Read screen. 6.
Follow these steps to record direct to CD from an external source: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the RECORD key to display the Music Record Options menu. 3. Select the Record Ext Inputs Direct to CD menu item. 4. The External Record Options screen will be displayed showing the default information for the recording you are about to make. You can use these default settings or edit them. The default recording length is 30 minutes.
Setting User Preferences User preferences are available to specify global configuration options and preferred system settings. Press the SETUP key on the remote control to display the Setup Menu. Use the navigation keys on the remote control (up, down, left, and right) to highlight and select any menu item. Selecting Your Language FireBall supports 5 different languages for it’s on screen menus and text.
Setting the Screen Saver Preferences Screen Savers are provided for each source mode. Screen Savers provide two important functions, to prevent a static image from being displayed on the video output device for extended periods of time and to provide useful information to the user when activated. Follow these steps to set your screen saver preferences: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the General Menu 3. Select the Screen Saver Menu 4.
Retail Demo Mode FireBall has a Retail Demo Mode for use in retail display environments. The Retail Demo Mode (RDM) is a special screen saver that is activated during idle time. The RDM continuously displays key features and benefits of the FireBall product on the attached TV. Pressing any button on the remote will temporarily disable the RDM and allow the user to demo the product. After the specified idle time, the RDM will reactivate as the screensaver.
Photo Screen Saver Mode FireBall has a Photo Screen Saver Mode for displaying your own photos whenever FireBall is idle for a specified period of time. You can import your own photos into the Photos shared directory using Windows Networking. Photos should be 720x480 for 4:3 NTSC TVs and 640x360 for 16:9 widescreen TVs. Follow these steps to enable the Photo Screen Saver Mode in your FireBall: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote. 2. Select the General menu. 3. Select the Screen Saver menu. 4.
Setting Your Time Zone Specify which US time zone your FireBall is located in. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to set your Time Zone: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the General Menu 3. Select the Time Zone Menu 4. Select your select your Time Zone.
Follow these steps to select a custom background on your FireBall: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote. 2. Select the General menu. 3. Select the User Interface Skins menu. 4. Select one of the built-in Themes or “Custom” (if you want custom backgrounds) and Select the Save button. 5. If you selected the Custom Theme, you will see the Custom Backgrounds Select screen. 5.1. Select the screen you want to set the background for (Music Guide, Music Player, Music Option, etc…. 5.2.
Enabling Password Protection Optional Password Protection enables you to limit user access to the Setup Menus. This is useful to lockout the ability to change the global user settings and preferences. • You must exit Setup and re-enter setup to activate the password protection. • If a user password is specified, you will be prompted for your password whenever you press the Setup key on the remote.
Movie Ratings Movie Ratings are used to prohibit the display of certain movies in the Movies Guide. This feature is used in conjunction with the Password Protection feature, user settings and preferences for parental control. You must have Password Protection enabled and a password entered for the Movie Ratings to be in effect. See the section above for more information on Enabling Password Protection. Follow these steps to select a Movie Rating: 1.
Ethernet Settings Ethernet is the preferred networking choice which provides you with the best network performance and allows your FireBall to act as a “server” to deliver your music collection throughout your home network using the optional FireBall Music Players. Ethernet networks require that you configure each device on the network with a valid “address”. These addresses are usually configured automatically by your network hardware.
Server SETTINGS Your FireBall can act as a “server” delivering audio to optional FireBall “clients” over the network. FireBall’s server also allows you to control it remotely using a web browser on your PC and allows Network File Sharing for backup and import features. The FireBall Name allows you to easily locate and connect to your FireBall by name. Follow these steps to enter a password to be used when connecting to your FireBall from a web browser: 1.
FireBall Music Sharing FireBall contains a special music sharing feature that allows the FireBall-PC software and other FireBall Music Servers located on the same network to share their music library into two independent zones. The Music Guide from FireBall-PC or the second FireBall is merged into the Music Guide of the first FireBall to create one seamless Music Guide for browsing and playing all of your music.
Selecting the Audio Encoder Type You can specify which audio encoder (MP3 or FLAC) you want to use for recording audio in to your FireBall. The MP3 format allows the most flexibility and compatibility for efficiently storing many audio files while the FLAC format uses considerably more space than MP3 files, but preserves an exact bit-for-bit recording of the original, using half the space of the original CD. Follow these steps to select an audio encoder: 1.
Setting the Disc Insert Preferences You can specify what to do with new discs inserted into FireBall’s front panel CD drive. “Display and Play” will display the information for the disc and then play the disc. Record and Eject assists in bulk recording, allowing you to insert disc after disc, automatically recording then ejecting each one. Follow these steps to set the Disc Insert Preferences: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Audio menu 3.
Video ForMat Allows you to select 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios on your TV screen. 64:3 User Interface PAGE 101 616:9 User Interface FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to center the FireBall screen: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Video menu. 3. Select the Video format menu. 4. Using the Up and Down keys on the remote, select your desired aspect ratio. 5. Press the SELECT key on the remote to highlight the SAVE button. 6.
centering the fireball screen Allows you to center the FireBall user interface horizontally on your TV screen. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to center the FireBall screen: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Video menu. 3. Select the Screen Centering menu. 4. Using the Left and Right keys on the remote, adjust the screen so that it appears horizontally centered on your TV. 5. Press the SELECT key on the remote to highlight the SAVE button.
adjusting your tv’s brightness FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the brightness on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Video menu. 3. Select the Brightness menu. 4. Turn your TV’s brightness control all the way up then lower it to the point where the vertical black bar on the left just disappears. This will get your brightness control as close to the proper setting as possible without the use of special software and hardware.
adjusting your tv’s contrast The Contrast or Picture Adjustment control allows you to optimize the contrast (which is sometimes called Picture) of their TV, using the TV’s Contrast or Picture controls. This setting helps reduce video “blooming” and create a clearer, more readable user interface. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the contrast on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Video menu. 3. Select the Contrast menu. 4.
adjusting your tv’s sharpness The Sharpness adjustment allows you the set the Sharpness or Detail control of their TV so that onscreen text is as readable as possible. Proper adjustment of the Sharpness control (sometimes called the Detail control) on your TV, allows you to see video and on screen menus more accurately. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the sharpness on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Video menu. 3.
adjusting your tv’s color and tint Color Bars are used to test the TV monitor’s ability to reproduce the proper color values. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the Color and Tint on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Video menu. 3. Select the Color Bars menu. 4.
external control surround mode settings FireBall can connect to a supported Denon or Marantz receiver and automatically select different surround mode settings depending on what type of media is playing. For example, you might want to listen to MP3 audio using the Neo6 Music surround mode while FLAC audio would use straight STEREO mode. Follow these steps to set the Surround Mode Settings: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote control. 2. Select the External Control Menu. 3.
Installing the ETP Touch Panel The optional Escient Touch Panel is an external 15” flat LCD color display that offers full control of a FireBall via it’s integrated touch sensitive surface. Follow these steps to connect the ETP-1500 to a FireBall: 1. Place the FireBall into Standby. 2. Connect the RS-232 serial cable to COM PORT 6 on the rear panel of your FireBall. 3. Connect the other end of the RS-232 serial cable to the bottom of the ETP-1500. 4.
Calibrating the Touch Panel To obtain the maximum performance form the ETP-1500 Touch Panel, the main user should calibrate the display using the Calibration tool. Follow these steps to calibrate the ETP-1500 Touch Panel: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote control. 2. Select the External Control Menu. 3. Select the Touch Panel Menu. 4. Select the Calibration Menu. 5. The calibration screen is displayed. 6. Follow the on screen instructions, by touching the moving target with your finger.
Changing the Touch Panel Button Overlay The Button Overlay feature places button controls onto the FireBall user interface for use with the Escient ETP-1500 touch screen and third-party touch panels. The ETP-1500 is automatically detected on the FireBall serial ports and the select overlay is enabled. Using Your Touch Panel The Touch Panel Overlay should now be displayed around the edges of your screen.
Ir remote control FireBall is preset from the factory to operate from the FB1 source button, however, the FireBall can be configured to use any one of the four source buttons using the on screen Setup menus. This is useful when there are multiple FireBalls installed at the same location, so all FireBalls don’t respond to the same IR commands.
direct access codes Direct Access Codes are used in conjunction with the MACRO key on the remote control to provide an IR code sequence to access just about any media in your FireBall server. This is useful for programming third-party external control systems and programmable IR remote controls such as the Marantz RC9500. Follow these steps to view the direct IR codes for your FireBall content: 1. Press the Setup key on the remote to display the FireBall setup menu. 2.
The following table is used to determine the button sequence for direct access code sequences from the Escient IR remote and IR keyboard.
The following table is used to determine the button sequence for direct access code sequences from the Escient IR remote and IR keyboard.
Follow these steps to assign a Playlist to one of the five available keyboard combinations: 1. Press the Setup key on the remote to display the FireBall setup menu. 2. Select the External Control menu item. 3. Select the IR & Serial menu item 4. Select the Playlist Hot Keys menu item. 5. Select one of the five keyboard combinations from the spin control using the SELECT button on the remote. 6. Navigate down to the list and select which Playlist to assign to the current keyboard combination. 7.
Serial COM Ports The Serial Control COM Port setting is used to specify which RS-232 serial COM port is to be used for two-way external control communications with a third party control system. If there are no available COM ports, you must use the Ethernet based external control for two-way external control communications with a third party control system. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to select which serial port to use for external control: 1.
Controlling FireBall from Other Devices In addition to the Escient ETP-1500 wired touch panel, FireBall provides the user and custom A/V installer with many options for control and integration into any home theater or home automation system using direct IR codes, two-way RS-232 serial control, two-way Ethernet control, and wireless web pad control.
FireBall Utilities Getting Information about Your FireBall Information about your FireBall hardware and software is available under the Utilities menu. This information is useful for troubleshooting any problems you may encounter with your network connection or verifying the current software versions. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to view the FireBall system information: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Utilities menu. 3.
Restarting the System There are two ways of manually performing a full restart or reboot of the FireBall system, one using the front panel power button and the other using the Restart System menu. Follow these steps to restart the system using the front panel Power Button: 1. Press and hold the power button for 4 seconds. 2. When the LED on the front panel begins to flash, release the power button. 3. When the LED on the front panel glows solid RED (standby mode), FireBall is ready to use. 4.
Updating the Software FireBall will automatically check the Escient server once a week for any FireBall software updates, and automatically install them. You can also manually check for a software update. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual Follow these steps to manually update the software: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the Utilities menu. 3. Select the Update Software menu. 4. Select the Check for Update button. 5.
Controlling FireBall from a Web Browser FireBall contains a built-in web server which means you can connect to your FireBall and remotely control it using a standard web browser from a PC, Mac, or PDA over your home network. Setting up the FireBall Web Server Your FireBall acts as a web server on your network allowing you to connect and control the FireBall using your PC or Mac computer. This web server is automatically configured and started each time the FireBall is plugged in.
Using the Web Browser as a Music Client In addition to remotely controlling your FireBall, the built-in web server also functions as a streaming audio server, providing an easy way to add multiple streaming music clients to your FireBall. Follow these steps to configure the FireBall web interface client mode to either streaming from or remote controlling your FireBall: 1. Make sure your web browser is properly configured and connected to your FireBall. 2.
Backup and Restore FireBall Music Backup It is possible to backup and restore the music contents of a FireBall using the CIFS or “Windows” Networking feature. Backup is accomplished by mounting the FireBall onto your PC or Mac desktop and using your computer’s backup software. You can also backup the music files to any standard media which your PC supports, such as: DVD+/-R/W, CD-R/RW, or external hard drive. There are several methods and tools for backup your FireBall’s music content.
FireBall Music Restore You can restore music to a FireBall using the same method used for importing audio files into a FireBall. Restore and Import both use the CIFS Networking feature to add audio files to a FireBall. Simply drag your music files to the Import directory and let FireBall import the audio files. Note: This may take several days for a large music collection! Upon Import, FireBall will rebuild the internal database based on the music file’s ID3 tag information.
Networked Audio using FireBall Music Clients Clients A FireBall Client is a FireBall that can play media from a FireBall Server over a network. Currently there are three different FireBall products that can play media from FireBall servers: • FireBall FP-1 • FireBall ZP-1 • FireBall MP-150 • FireBall MP-200 • FireBall DVDM-100 • Client-Server networking is limited to the same local subnet. You can not stream over the Internet unless you have a VPN setup between the two FireBalls.
FireBall is built from the ground up with many features that allow you to centrally locate and remotely control your FireBall clients and servers, such as: • Direct IR input • Two way serial control over RS-232 • Two way serial control over ethernet • Wireless IR remote and Keyboard options • Support for 4 different IR banks (4 IR zones) • Templates for integration into many third party wired and wireless IR distribution systems • Philips and Marantz Pronto remote control templates PAGE 126 FireBall™ MX S
Distributed A distributed FireBall installation means that your FireBall Servers and Clients are physically distributed or located in different rooms. Distributed FireBalls communicate over a wired or wireless network to share access to your media. FireBall™ MX Series User’s Manual The biggest advantage of a distributed clientserver system over a central system is that everything you need is built into FireBall.
Configuring a FireBall Server Every FireBall capable of server functions is automatically enabled to serve MP3, AAC, and FLAC audio whenever it is plugged in and properly configured for your network. It is recommended that you give each of your FireBall servers a unique name that describes it’s location using the SERVER SETTINGS screen which can be accessed from Setup/Network /Server Settings. Names like “LivingRoom”, “HomeTheater”, “MyMusicServer” are all good examples.
Escient Technical Support Contact your dealer or Escient’s Customer Support group. Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 7pm EST Phone: 800-372-4368 Press “2” for Sales, or “3” for Support Fax: 317-616-6790 Internet: www.escient.com Email: support@escient.
Troubleshooting Software Update Problems Manual Software Update Checks Software Updates are automatically checked once a week starting on the day of the week your FireBall was first registered. You can manually check for a software update by accessing the Software Update menu found under the Setup/Utilities Menu. Recording Problems Audio vs. Data CDs FireBall requires Royalty paid blank media when recording audio CDs. Blank CDs marked with “Data” can not be used when creating Red Book audio CDs.
Specifications Specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check the Escient web site for any changes to the specifications. Video Specifications • NTSC • 10 bit Video DACs • Frequency Response: • Composite: -2 dB @ 5MHz • S-Video: -2 dB @ 5MHz • SNR: 50 dB • Crosstalk: 50 dB • Input Impedance: 75Ohm • Output Impedance: 75Ohm Audio Specifications • Frequency Response: 2 – 20,000 Hz, ±1 dB • THD+N (playback) < -80 dB FS A (< 0.
Gracenote® End-User License Agreement USE OF THIS PRODUCT IMPLIES ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BELOW. You agree that you will use Gracenote Data, the Gracenote Database, and Embedded Software for your own personal non-commercial use only. You agree that you will access Gracenote Data only by means of the standard end user functions and features of this product. You agree not to assign, copy, transfer or transmit the Embedded Software or any Gracenote Data to any third party.
