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Windows 98 Professional Reference

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- 14 -
Multimedia


Media are the electronic and mechanical means a computer uses to communicate with you. The monitor and video card combination provide you with something to see. Speakers and a sound device supply the sound. Force-feedback systems--joysticks that fight back and special computer chairs that rock and roll--take advantage of your sense of touch. These are the media discussed in this chapter.

The term multi comes into play when Windows 98 synchronizes the activities of the various media. Given Windows 98's function as a multimedia mediator, this chapter spends more time on hardware concerns than many other chapters in this book. This multimedia discussion proceeds according to the following outline:

The PC 98 Specification

Microsoft and Intel created a "PC 98" specification for use in developing hardware for Windows 98 and Windows NT 5.0. It first specifies a "Basic PC 98" and goes on to outline three main PC categories that build on the Basic PC's foundation: the Consumer PC, the Office PC, and the Entertainment PC.

According to Microsoft and Intel, the Basic PC requires the following hardware (or their equivalents):

The Consumer PC targets the relatively non-networked home user who will balance the checkbook, connect to the Internet, and play the occasional game. The Office PC is designed for a networked office environment where the goal is to keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) low.

The Entertainment PC is the most technologically ambitious category. Because the reader of this chapter is (or will be) serious about not compromising his or her computer's multimedia performance, the Entertainment PC category should be considered the most reasonable Windows 98 baseline. Recommended components for Entertainment PC systems include the following:

Now you know what Microsoft and Intel expect you to own if you intend to take full advantage of Windows 98's multimedia offerings.

An interesting item in the preceding Entertainment PC list is the "no ISA" requirement. In particular, 16-bit support is fading fast. This may cause you to grind your teeth a bit if you recently shelled out a chunk of change for a high-end ISA sound card.

A corollary to the "no ISA" law is "get lots of PCI slots" if you intend to take your multimedia explorations to the limit. To upgrade an older bare-bones motherboard, for example, you may be adding a DVD/MPEG decoder card, a video card, a network card (if you stick with old-fashioned Ethernet), a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) card, a sound card, a TV tuner card, and other sundry slot fillers. As time passes, more and more of the card functionality will be built into the motherboard (such as DVD/MPEG decoding) or be rendered obsolete by new technologies (such as USB and IEEE 1394 usurping SCSI's traditional role). But if you have a motherboard you want to upgrade right now, take the time to plan how you want to allocate your precious PCI slot resources.

Installing Multimedia

Because Windows 98 differs from its older kin, you should rightly expect some software installation glitches. In the heat of battle, you may be tempted to delete old programs and drivers using brute force. Resist that temptation! Windows 98 is happiest when you use your original setup program to install or uninstall software. Ideally, a good installer provides an uninstall option that not only cleans out the program files and any associated DLLs but also tidies up the Windows Registry.

If your software's installer does not offer an uninstall option, the next place to go is to Windows' Add/Remove Programs Control Panel (see Figure 14.1).

Figure 14.1

The Windows 98 Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

There may be cases in which neither of these installation or uninstallation options applies (with an old DOS-based game, for example). But it is important to let Windows do as much of the bookkeeping for you as possible. The last thing you want to do is to spend hours trying to figure out why the proper driver for your sound or video card won't load.

NOTE: As you open up packages containing the new software and hardware you'll be purchasing, you may ask this question: Where is the paper documentation? The minimal amount of printed material can be ascribed to a number of factors:
n The wizards in Windows 98 (and in most modern software packages) are intelligent enough to handle the vast majority of installation situations.
n The emphasis on online documentation--particularly as it relates to grabbing late-breaking updates from the Web--allows manufacturers to provide interactive, up-to-date information for their products.
n Paper documentation is more expensive for the manufacturer to create and ship.
Don't be fooled by the absence of printed information. If you want to take full advantage of your new multimedia capabilities, inspect the electronic documentation. If you are one of those folks who has to have paper documentation, use the Custom option in your software's Setup program to install the documentation by itself before you install the main program. Also visit the company's web site and see whether there are fresh tips, warnings, or patches. Then you can print out everything you require before the new software has a chance to confuse your printer or crash your computer!

Understanding Bus Standards

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with this list of pertinent acronyms:

USB Universal Serial Bus
IEEE 1394 Institute of Electrical and ("FireWire" is Apple's term)Electronic Engineers specification 1394
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
PC Card PC Card (or Association) PCMCIA--Personal Computer Memory Card International
ISA Industry Standard Architecture
SCSI Small Computer System Interface

A bus is a collection of wires that connects the individual computer components--processor, memory, video, and audio chip sets. A bus standard is a set of rules that dictates how data is sent through a bus. Fast and efficient buses and bus standards are crucial elements in a multimedia computer because of the large amount of time-sensitive data that must be moved and processed.

Windows 98 emphasizes the use of three bus standards (USB, IEEE 1394, and PCI), discourages the use of ISA, and politely tolerates the use of SCSI. Portable computers use PC Cards--adapters that allow bus connections through miniaturized (3.3-mm to 10.5-mm thick) connectors. The following sections discuss the three bus types most commonly associated with multimedia: USB, IEEE 1394, and SCSI.

USB

If you've purchased a computer within the last year, it may already be equipped with USB. The name itself--Universal Serial Bus--expresses its goal: to provide all the functionality traditionally supplied by serial and parallel ports. USB intends to eliminate the headaches traditionally associated with adding PC peripherals (such as setting dip switches, jumpers, IRQs, DMA channels and I/O addresses). USB can do the following:

USB's speed allows it to handle all but the most demanding I/O (input/output) chores. Keyboards, joysticks, modems, audio, and low-resolution video can all use USB. With USB, you don't have to open the computer's case to install a new peripheral. When you plug in a new USB device, Windows 98's Device Manager immediately gets to work, firing up the Add New Hardware Wizard and requesting any driver software the new device may require. Typically, you do not have to restart the computer. Multimedia mavens are arguably the prime benefactors in the move to USB.

USB-savvy keyboards, scanners, printers, CD-ROM drives, digital cameras, digital speakers, PC telephones, computer monitors, digital audio decoders, digital joysticks, and sophisticated game controllers promise to ease the pain of installation and setup.

You can view the latest USB lore at http://www.usb.org.

TIP: If you think something has gone wrong with the installation of your USB device, open the System Control Panel and click the Device Manager tab. Your new device should appear under the appropriate main device heading. In the example shown in Figure 14.2, the USB videoconferencing hardware appears under the Imaging Device heading.
Check the driver properties to make sure that Windows 98 properly recognizes your hardware.

Figure 14.2

USB videoconferencing hardware in the System Control Panel's Device Manager.

IEEE 1394 (FireWire)

So you aren't satisfied with USB's 12 Mbps data transfer rate? You need to pipeline some high-resolution video and a bunch of high-quality audio tracks down the wire? Then step up to 100+ Mbps data transfer rates of IEEE 1394. According to IEEE gurus, 100 Mbps is just the beginning. The goal is to transfer at least 3.2 Gbps--gigabits per second--in the not-too-distant future. Like USB, IEEE 1394 supports hot swapping, daisy chaining of up to 63 devices, and Plug and Play operation.

Because IEEE 1394 is more expensive to implement, its rate of adoption may be slightly slower than that of USB. But with the Intel/Microsoft PC 98 calling for IEEE 1394 to replace Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) and AT Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI), you won't have to wait long.

If you don't want to wait at all, you can currently buy PCI-to-IEEE 1394 interface cards. Some of these cards provide both 1394 and SCSI standards. If you want to cover all your input/output bases without sacrificing too many PCI slots, this option is cheaper than buying a PCI expansion chassis.

More information can be found at http://developer.intel.com/solutions/tech/1394.htm.

SCSI

SCSI was the external bus speed king for a number of years. If you are coming to Windows 98 from the Macintosh multimedia world, you probably already have some SCSI devices at hand.

Over the years, SCSI chefs have been busy whipping up a variety of SCSI flavors:

TIP: Although Wide Ultra SCSI is fast and sexy, consider your needs when shopping for a SCSI card. There is normally a considerable difference in cost between a plain-jane Fast SCSI-2 card and the Wide and Ultra SCSI card variations. If you just perform the occasional scan or are going to connect to an old, narrow SCSI hard drive, a top-of-the-line SCSI card is probably overkill.

Although rumor had it that SCSI devices were intended to be hot-swappable, it hasn't worked out that way in practice. Connecting or disconnecting a device from the SCSI chain while the power is on is not a good idea.

A chain of SCSI devices has to be "terminated" properly. SCSI terminators function as electronic shock absorbers, preventing data signals from being reflected back into the path of oncoming new data traffic. Most modern SCSI devices support "active" termination. If a device is actively terminated, it automatically senses its place in the SCSI chain and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

TIP: If you are shopping for a SCSI device (such as a scanner or hard drive), check to see whether it supports active termination. Active termination ensures that you don't have to worry about your whole SCSI configuration every time you rearrange your SCSI peripherals.

Understanding Software Standards

Windows 98's job is to coordinate the activity of all your new hardware and to translate information from one digital language into another. When you play a game, for example, the images on the screen must be synchronized with the sound coming out the speakers. Both video and audio, in turn, must respond quickly to new commands sent in from the joystick. If you consider manipulating high-resolution three-dimensional images, playing back sound sources that can be localized anywhere in the listener's field of hearing, and sending feedback to a joystick (telling it to fight back depending on the game's status), you can appreciate the magnitude of the multimedia coordination task. DirectX is the software that performs the coordination. Codecs (compressor/decompressor) provide the translations that convert specially encoded computer data into visual, audible, or tactile feedback. The following sections provide brief overviews of these processes.

DirectX

DirectX, originally intended to make Windows more game friendly, has extended its reach in Windows 98. DirectX now provides the infrastructure on which Windows 98's multimedia features depend. DirectX 5.0--the version included in the beta release of Windows 98--consists of six components:

Additional DirectX components--DirectShow, DirectAnimation, DirectModel, VRML, DirectPlay, and Direct3D Retained Mode--are located at a higher-level "media layer," whose job is to further integrate the activity of the lower-level DirectX components. Taking the reins from the Windows 95's Media Control Interface (MCI), DirectShow is the component primarily responsible for communicating with DVD. Finally, more DirectX goodies are in the pipeline. DirectMusic, for example, will provide support for Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and other interactive music applications.

The diagram in Figure 14.3 is taken from Microsoft's DirectX 5.0 Driver Development Kit.

The high-level software (usually an open software application) talks to DirectDraw. DirectDraw, in turn, talks to HAL and HEL--the Hardware Abstraction Layer and the Hardware Emulation Layer, respectively. HEL comes into play when the hardware vendor does not provide a DirectX driver. True to its name, the HEL provides an emulated DirectX driver that allows DirectX access to the hardware.

NOTE: Although the diagram in Figure 14.3 shows the configuration of DirectDraw, most of the other DirectX elements fit into the Windows picture in a similar fashion.

Unless you're a programmer, you probably have little reason to delve into DirectX's inner workings. But if your multimedia applications begin acting odd, you may want to do some DirectX troubleshooting. See the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter for some DirectX tips.

For the latest DirectX news, check http://www.microsoft.com/DirectX.

Figure 14.3

DirectDraw in relation to other system software elements.

Codecs

A codec (compressor/decompressor) performs the work of converting raw data either to or from an encoded state. Codecs are necessary because many languages are spoken in the digital realm, and many hurdles (such as low-bandwidth pipelines) may have to be negotiated. The choice of codec--along with bit rate, color depth, and key frames--determines the size and quality of your processed file. For example, Windows 98's Sound Recorder Format option offers to save your recorded sound at CD Quality, Radio Quality, or Telephone Quality. A CD-quality file sounds good but is very large in size. A telephone-quality file doesn't sound as good as a CD-quality file but is much smaller in size. Different codecs offer different trade-offs for file size and quality. Because the theory behind all codecs--video and audio--is the same, both types are discussed in this section.

You can check to see which codecs are installed in your system by opening the Multimedia Control Panel, clicking the Devices tab, and opening the Video or Audio Compression Codecs list (see Figure 14.4).

Because the list of specific codecs you encounter changes as time passes, the following text discusses codecs in a general way.

Codec Speeds and Sizes

If you look at the list of Windows 98 video and audio codecs, you'll notice that there are quite a number of them. The list is lengthy because choosing a codec isn't as simple a process as some users (or technical support people) might wish. At the simplest level, codecs typically give you a choice between required processor power and size: The less the file has to be processed, the larger the file will probably be. Raw video data, for example, is relatively easy for a Pentium-class computer to handle but it requires a very large pipeline and, if you want to record it, a very, very large hard drive. On the other hand, if you are constrained by a 56 K modem and only a few gigabytes of storage space, the data must be compressed before it is transmitted and decompressed when it is received, placing more demands on the CPU.

Figure 14.4

An example of Windows 98's Audio Compression Codecs list.

Once you face the inevitability of compression, you've begun the journey down the slippery slope of quality trade-offs. Do you require the unvarnished truth in your video and audio? If so, your compression schemes have to be "lossless"--every bit you encode on one end must come out in the decoding. Or can you live with a subtle diminution of quality? Can you even get by with a grainy, pixilated, color-challenged postage stamp of a picture? If so, you can choose a codec that employs a "lossy" encoding scheme--some of the less-important bits are thrown away by the encoder.

Which bits are the "less-important" ones? Different codecs embody different philosophies, but there are two broad categories: interframe and intraframe compression. Interframe, as its name suggests, determines the differences between two separate frames and throws away the common information. Intraframe compression looks at all the pixels in one frame and outputs a shorthand description.

Because one minute of uncompressed standard broadcast-quality video (at 30 frames per second) consumes over a gigabyte of memory, there is no such thing as a lossless video codec. But that's okay because uncompressed video typically contains a lot of redundant information when you analyze it on a frame-by-frame basis. Audio files, however, can use lossless compression schemes because the traditional upper limit of a 48 KHz sampling rate can easily be accommodated by Pentium-class computers.

Of course, you may not want to limit your audience to Windows owners. There are other operating systems: Mac OS, UNIX, BeOS, Windows 3.x, and even DOS! If you want your end product to be universally viewable, pick a format (AIFF audio, for example) that is available across the broadest variety of platforms.

The decoding of a file does not necessarily require as much number crunching as the encoding of a file. Asymmetrical encoding schemes, such as MPEG, perform a considerable amount of data massaging during the encoding process. When the MPEG file is played back, it doesn't demand as much of the CPU's attention. Asymmetrical encoding also lends itself to interframe analysis because the encoder usually has the leisure to look over a number of frames during the compression process. A symmetrical approach, such as Indeo video R3.2, is more evenhanded. If a computer can play back a file that was symmetrically encoded, chances are that computer can successfully record that same type of file.

Symmetry is relatively important for situations in which you anticipate having the same resources on both ends of the distribution pipeline. Internet communications devices, for example, usually use symmetrical codecs to encode and decode video and audio. Asymmetry is more desirable in one-way distribution, where the author has the time and money to preprocess the file. The MPEG files on a DVD-Video release are a prime example of an asymmetrical situation.

Window 98's Sound Recorder is the best place to see (or at least hear) codecs in action. Sound Recorder's File menu contains a Properties command that allows you to choose from a number of audio codecs. The "Sound Recorder" section, later in this chapter, contains an example that describes the codec selection process in more detail.

In general, your video/audio codec choices are as follows:

Because the world of codecs is still rapidly evolving, and because the video or audio editing package you buy will undoubtedly contain recommendations as to what format is best suited to a particular condition, we won't cover specific codec quirks. But there is one codec standard whose stock seems to rise daily: MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group).

MPEG

MPEG is a family of formats that currently contains MPEG-1 (video and audio storage), MPEG-2 (digital television), MPEG-4 (multimedia), and MPEG-7 (content description). There is no MPEG-3. Originally intended to work with HDTV (high-definition television), MPEG-3 was dropped when the digital television movers and shakers decided to use MPEG-2 instead. MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 have not yet been generally implemented. This section touches on the most important aspects of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2.

NOTE: If you have spent much time on the Internet, you have probably heard people discuss MPEG-3, or MP3--particularly in reference to audio files. What they are really describing is the MPEG-1, Layer 3 format.

MPEG in all its manifestations uses lossy compression algorithms. For video, MPEG employs both interframe and intraframe techniques in sophisticated ways to achieve a very substantial reduction in file size. MPEG audio relies on psychoacoustic phenomenon (such as the "masking" effect)--also referred to as "perceptual coding"--to filter out data that the human ear cannot detect.

MPEG requires lots of horsepower, particularly for encoding. Until recently, additional MPEG hardware was usually necessary to manipulate MPEG images at anything approaching 30 frames per second, the broadcast video standard. But with the advent of Pentium II-class processors and higher-speed data buses, MPEG encoding and decoding can be performed in software.

The layers of MPEG-1 audio all share the same make-the-best-of-a-lossy-situation philosophy. MPEG audio layers are differentiated by how hard they have to work to keep the perceived audio information accurate. Layer 1 uses relatively simple psychoacoustic models, meaning that the processor doesn't have to work too hard to encode or decode MPEG Layer 1 audio files. Layer 2's codec incorporates more sophisticated models, the codec works harder, and the resultant files are smaller than Layer 1 files. Layer 3 applies the most complex formulas to the raw material, works the hardest, and produces the smallest output files. Using Layer 3, you can compress a 12 M audio file down to a 1 M Layer 3 file and still retain CD-quality audio. If your audience requires only FM-quality audio, that same 12 M file can be squeezed down to 500 K. If audio quality is far down on your list (as in simple voice communication), you can squeeze that 12 M file down to 125 K and still be able to understand what is being said. Likewise, MPEG video schemes provide compression ratios of up to 30:1.

For the latest in MPEG developments, visit http://www.mpeg.org.

Other Video and Audio File Formats

Here is a list of the most common video and audio formats, followed by their filename extensions:

For audio formats, you get your pick of sampling sizes (8-bit or 16-bit), number of channels (stereo or mono), and sampling rates (from 8 KHz to 48 KHz).

Because all these formats use symmetrical codecs, you have to make a not-so-simple choice between size and quality when you decide to create a file. Given all the possible combinations of options, perhaps the best way to decide is to take a sample file (preferably one of high quality), save it in a number of formats, and play back the results. An even easier way to decide is to accept the default format in the multimedia application you are using and not worry about it!

A vast amount of information is available on the subject of file formats--and the information changes rapidly. The best way to ferret out the most up-to-date news is to go to Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com) and search on data formats. You'll find more than you bargained for.

Understanding Video Requirements

DVD and TV tuners are the high-profile video gadgets that have been grabbing most of the Windows 98 attention. But to take full advantage of these new media, a number of prerequisites must be satisfied. The following sections discuss video hardware considerations and then look at the software ramifications.

Video Card Memory

You should have distilled the essence of this chapter's message by now: More! You shouldn't be surprised to learn, then, that you should pack as much memory into your video card as you can afford. A DVD/MPEG decoder card will probably object to 256 colors and refuse to run, so consider 16-bit color to be the multimedia minimum. Combine the thousands-of-colors minimum with a bare-bones resolution of 800*600 (640*480 resolution is simply too low), and you end up with a minimum Video RAM requirement of 2 M. Because RAM is so cheap, you may as well install at least 4 M up front and not worry about running with a marginal amount of video RAM.

A less cut-and-dried decision is what kind of memory your video card should use. In very rough order from lowest to highest power (and cost), your options are DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), EDO RAM (Extended Data Out RAM), SGRAM (Synchronous Graphic Random Access Memory), MDRAM (Multibank DRAM), VRAM (Video RAM), WRAM (Window RAM), and RDRAM (Rambus DRAM). If you are buying a new system from a reputable manufacturer, the amount and type of the memory you receive in the box is probably more than adequate. But if you are upgrading an older system and your old video card uses DRAM, you may want to consider buying a new video card that sports a faster variety of memory (VRAM, SGRAM, or MDRAM), particularly if you are adding a DVD-ROM drive.

Video Card Speed

You've undoubtedly seen ads touting video acceleration, be it 2D or 3D. Acceleration simply means that the video card has its own processor. Acceleration may have been a big deal a few years ago, but it is pretty standard fare today. The question is now how much acceleration is enough.

The RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter) is the device that does the processing on the video card. It has to be fast enough to provide a steady stream of information to your monitor. Otherwise, your monitor will flicker--a phenomenon that sounds more innocuous than it really is. Remember the queasy feeling you develop in the pit of your stomach when you have to endure the presence of a failing fluorescent bulb? That's flicker.

On the other hand, if the refresh rate of your video system--the speed at which your video card and monitor agree to redraw the screen--is high enough to eliminate the perception of flicker, there is no reason to require a higher-performance video card. If your video system can supply a refresh rate of 85 Hz at a resolution of 1024*768, that should satisfy all but the most demanding user. A 72 Hz refresh rate is usually adequate.

Another technique to speed up video has recently lent its acronym--AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)--to the legions of computer acronyms. The idea behind AGP is simple: Provide a dedicated path between the video processor and system memory. AGP gives the video processor the opportunity to get what it needs when it needs it without having to wait for any other device and without having to clog any of the other data buses with video information. AGP is essentially a carpool lane for video information.

Although the target audience for the initial wave of AGP-enhanced computers is professionals who require the power to render 3D video quickly, AGP will soon appear in mainstream consumer-level machines.

You can get more information from Intel's AGP web site at http://developer.intel.com/technology/agp/.

General Video/TV Tuner/MPEG Decoder Card Installation Tips

Keep the following tips in mind when you're installing multimedia hardware:

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc)

Famous or infamous, DVD has at last arrived. Its storage capacity and format flexibility bring the fame. Its copy protection and horsepower requirements rate the infamy. But just about everyone agrees that DVD is the heir to the CD, VHS, and Laserdisc legacies. Let's review all the sections covered in this chapter so far and see how DVD fits in.

Although the absolute bare minimum that most DVD-equipped computers require is a true 133 MHz Pentium-compatible (OverDrive doesn't count), the farther upscale you can climb, the better. Most DVD-ROM drives require an MPEG decoder. That decoder occupies a PCI slot or an IEEE 1394 connection or a slot in the SCSI chain. No matter how it attaches, Windows 98's automatic configuration wizards kick in and guide you through the installation process. The codecs required--most notably MPEG--are installed and DirectX is engaged. If there are any problems, such as a DVD-hostile video configuration, alert boxes appear to describe the source of the problem.

Even though your DVD-ROM drive is probably not accompanied by a large, printed manual, it behooves you to peruse the online DVD documentation. This recommendation also applies to each and every DVD disc you buy. DVD's flexibility allows the creator of each disc to add a raft of features to their presentation that another disc may lack entirely. If you sense an open-ended quality in the DVD Player's help file, that's why.

TIP: Speaking of the DVD Player's help file, you should use it right away (but it may already be too late)!
If you are concerned about using the parental control features of DVD Player, you must be the first to get to the DVD Logon dialog box (available from the Options menu). The first person to find the Logon dialog box determines the passwords that dictate who can and cannot watch a DVD.

Flavors of DVD

Now that we're in the DVD section, it's time to be a little more specific about the varieties of DVD.

The thing that resembles a high-tech cup holder is a DVD-ROM (DVD Read-Only Memory) drive. It can read DVD-ROM discs that can hold from 4.7 gigabytes (G) to 17 G of data. One subset of DVD-ROM is DVD-Video. DVD-Video is the motion-picture data format we've all heard so much about. A DVD-ROM, like a CD-ROM, can also hold other types of computer data. A stand-alone DVD-Video player can play a DVD-Video disc but cannot play a DVD-ROM disc because the computerless stand-alone player doesn't know what to do with the computer-oriented data files.

As time goes on, other products will appear with DVD in their names:

Divx is another format whose future is uncertain as of this writing. Divx is DVD-Video wedded to a pay-for-play mechanism. A Divx disc would have a low initial purchase price. For that low price, you receive the ability to watch the Divx movie for a certain period of time (perhaps for 48 hours after the initial viewing) or a certain number of times (perhaps three viewings). If you want to see the movie after the initial period expires, you'd have to buy and download an authorization code to unlock more time or viewings. Because the Divx debate is still in progress, it is doubtful that the first release of Windows 98's DVD Player will support any Divx functionality. But if a Divx standard is embraced, there will probably be an update that adds the Divx "feature."

Things You Can Do with DVD

The quantity of storage supplied by a DVD, combined with the sophisticated navigational architecture that DVD producers can use, allows more playback flexibility than any of DVD's predecessors, including CD, VHS, or film.

For example, a cinema purist can view his or her favorite flick in a variety of aspect ratios (the ratio of height to width). The aspect ratio of your computer monitor (and American TV) is 4:3; the aspect ratio at your favorite movie theater is 16:9 (featured in "letterboxed" editions on video tapes, for example). If you don't want to lose a portion of your DVD movie's visual content to the "pan-and-scan" cropping of the picture that television viewing has traditionally sanctioned, DVD Player allows you to choose your favorite format.

Dolby Audio Options

DVD can also bring theater-quality sound into your home. The audio features you hear the most about are Dolby Digital (or AC-3), Dolby Pro Logic, and Dolby Surround.

Dolby Digital, which first made its appearance in 1992, provides 5.1 channels of audio for your listening pleasure. 5.1 is not a typo; the ".1" channel is for subwoofer data. Because the frequency range of a subwoofer tops out at around 120 Hz, its reduced audio demands relegate it to "small" channel status. Dolby Digital consists of the following channels:

Dolby Surround Pro Logic, the predecessor of Dolby Digital, made its debut in 1987. It uses four full-range channels:

Dolby Surround, released in 1982, is the oldest of these audio architectures. It consists of three full-range channels:

If you are interested in the audio side of the multimedia equation, you should keep these distinctions in mind. Just because your DVD setup can play back Dolby Digital does not mean that every DVD or CD you pop into the drive will be sonically rendered in 5.1-channel splendor. Check the fine print. A DVD must be encoded using Digital Dolby before it can play back Digital Dolby. When you purchase a DVD, check to make sure that the box says Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1, or something similar to ensure that your audio expectations are properly set.

On the other hand, don't panic if your sound system is an old-fashioned stereo. All DVDs have a built-in two-channel Dolby Digital decoder that takes the 5.1 channels and mixes them down to two.

Because the DVD arena is still rapidly evolving, DVD Player doesn't offer many audio features. The first two generations of DVD drive/MPEG decoder card packages didn't usually offer separate conventional audio outputs for the various channels. The full set of discrete channel information was usually available only through an S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) connector or an optical output on the DVD/MPEG decoder card. The S/PDIF or optical output was connected to an external surround processor. The surround processor was then hooked into the amplifiers and speakers, and off you went. But new DVD systems have built-in Dolby support, making the external surround processor unnecessary. As these changes make their way into the marketplace, DVD Player will be revised or supplemented by third-party DVD playback software.

A Little More DVD Player Advice

By default, DVD Player tries to begin playing a disc--the AutoPlay feature--as soon as one is placed in the drive. If you don't want DVD Player to start up immediately, press and hold the Shift key when you insert a DVD. You can permanently disable AutoPlay by going to the Device Manager and deselecting the Auto Insert Notification option.
As mentioned earlier in this section, the DVD format presents many more multimedia opportunities than its predecessors. You can jump from one section of a movie to another, choose alternate views or scene takes, display subtitles, listen to alternate languages, and view additional information. The decision to implement any of these features and the design of the implementation is up to the DVD producer. This is another reason behind the simplicity of DVD Player. The best way to begin investigating the features offered on a particular DVD is to right-click the DVD Player's Play button.
Speaking of languages, why not brush up on your foreign languages? You can display subtitles in one language and audio in another!

Things You Can't Do with DVD

The DVD acronym has been interpreted a number of different ways. If you are familiar with the historical struggles associated with DVD, another apt interpretation would be "Delayed Video Disc." Alas, the delays have not been caused by technical difficulties. The ongoing DVD saga is primarily a story of politics and high finance. In addition to taking advantage of DVD's loudly touted qualities, a number of interested parties saw in DVD the ability to correct some of the "mistakes" made in the Compact Disc specification. The CD's biggest flaw is that it (or the material on it) can be easily copied. So before you blame Windows 98 or your DVD drive for failing to respond to an old-fashioned drag-and-drop, consider the following three elements of DVD copy protection:

The Macrovision copy protection adds a signal to your DVD/MPEG decoder's composite and S-Video outputs that confuses most video recorders. This confusion manifests itself as random shifts in picture brightness and color. Because your video monitor is more forgiving than the typical VCR, plugging your DVD/MPEG decoder card's composite/S-Video output directly into your TV should result in a clear picture. Unfortunately, this can limit your ability to route your DVD signal through your VCR to your TV--even if you have no intention of copying the DVD onto tape. If you are not aware of the Macrovision/APS scheme, you may well tear your hair out troubleshooting hardware and software in an effort to "fix" components that are working flawlessly. The reason this is called an Analog Protection System is that the composite and S-Video outputs are analog, not digital.

The Serial Copy Generation Management System has been around for awhile, first surfacing in the DAT (Digital Audio Tape) world. It limits your ability to make digital copies of a file. For example, if you attempt to digitally transfer a file to a DAT deck, the copy management system may disable your DAT's record function.

The Content Scrambling System is a fancy way of saying that the data files on the DVD are encrypted. This encryption process is linked to a regional coding scheme. Regional coding allows a particular DVD to be displayed only on a DVD Player that was sold in a particular region. For example, if you tried to play a United States/Canada DVD in a Mexican DVD Player, regional coding would not decrypt the content and you'd be out of luck. Neither DVD Player nor Windows 98 can do anything about that!

TV Tuners

WebTV for Windows is the TV software bundled with Windows 98. WebTV consists of two main parts: the software that displays the output from your tuner/broadcast card and the Internet-savvy electronic program guide. One feature not included in the WebTV for Windows package is video capture. WebTV presents you with an abundance of information--whether you want it or not! The one thing to remember about WebTV is that pressing the Alt key displays the menu bar and the full set of WebTV's controls (see Figure 14.5).

You need a TV tuner card to use WebTV. TV tuner cards take an analog television signal from an antenna or cable source and digitize it. The series of digital snapshots the tuner card takes can be set to a certain rate (frames per second), a certain size, and a certain color depth. The American broadcast standard specifies 30 fps (frames per second). The typical full-screen capture size for a computer monitor is 640*480 pixels. Keep these numbers in mind when the time comes to make trade-offs in file size and image quality. As you would expect, the guidelines that apply to DVD--the more video memory and faster processor you have, the better--also apply to TV tuners.

Figure 14.5

WebTV's controls display when you press the Alt key.

The TV tuner card provides audio output through either an internal audio connection to your sound card or through audio outputs on the back of the TV tuner card itself. Keep in mind that many cheaper, older TV tuner cards are monophonic. If you want stereo or surround sound TV audio, check carefully before you buy.

Installing a TV tuner card is like installing just about anything else in Windows 98. When the computer wakes up with a new card in a slot, the hardware installation wizard goes to work and prompts you for the necessary Windows 98 and TV tuner manufacturer disks. But if Windows 98 did not install WebTV on your computer by default, you have to go back to the Windows 98 CD, run Setup, and add WebTV to your system by using Setup's Custom option. Be prepared: WebTV takes up more than 20M of hard drive space.

Once WebTV is installed, it can dial into your Internet service provider and download a program guide for your viewing area. Then you can use your computer like a regular (albeit expensive) TV set. You can also begin to investigate the very new world of Internet television broadcasts.

Video Capture

Even though no video capture application is part of Windows 98, most TV tuner cards offer a video capture option. In addition, many inexpensive video cameras are available that allow you to record video on your computer. As mentioned earlier in this chapter, video data can quickly suck up all your computer's CPU and hard drive resources. The file size versus picture quality trade-offs discussed in the "Codecs" section, earlier in this chapter, will weigh heavily on your mind. Here are a few general video capture guidelines to keep in mind:

The documentation that comes with your TV tuner or video capture system undoubtedly offers more tips.

Cameras and Scanners

Windows 98 has a Scanners and Cameras Control Panel (see Figure 14.6). But you won't see it until you install a digital camera or a scanner that uses a COM or LPT port.

Figure 14.6

The Scanners and Cameras Control Panel.

NOTE: Video devices connected to your computer through USB, IEEE 1394, or SCSI connections do not appear in the Cameras and Scanners Control Panel. To make sure that you aren't missing anything, look for configuration information in the System Control Panel's Device Manager page.

If you want to quickly test one of the devices listed in the Scanners and Cameras Control Panel, select the device, click the Properties button, and then click the Test Scanner or Camera button in the General tab of the device's Properties dialog box.

The other device-specific tab--Color Management--allows you to change the color profile associated with your scanner or camera. If you are experiencing color-matching problems between your scanner/camera and a display device (a monitor or printer), you may want to check your input device manufacturer's Web site for new color profiles to download and try.

Use the Logging Settings tab to change the way Windows 98 keeps track of the scanner and camera activity. The STI in STICLI and STIMON stands for Still Image (device). You will probably never have a reason to change these settings.

Other than having their own control panel, scanners and cameras have to abide by the same rules that apply to the other devices discussed in this chapter.

Media Player

The Media Player is the jack-of-all-multimedia-trades in Windows 98. It can play CD audio, MIDI, WAV, and AVI files. Media Player can even play DVD VOB (Video OBject) files--but it won't let you copy and paste images from DVD to some other application.

Figure 14.7 shows three copies of Media Player playing three different types of files.

Figure 14.7

Media Players playing MID, AVI, and WAV files.

In the figure, the first Media Player has a MIDI file open. The second Media Player has an AVI file open and is displaying it in the window just below the Media Player's console. The third Media Player is playing a WAV file in a loop. Notice that the Media Player in charge of the AVI file indicates its progress in terms of frames; the first and third Media Players display a time scale in their progress indicators. If you are playing back a video file, you can choose to see the playback progress in either frames or time.

The Media Player shares its Properties dialog boxes (in the Device menu) with the Multimedia Control Panel. Put another way, the Multimedia Control Panel is a collection of all the properties you'd find if you opened different file types with the Media Player (see Figure 14.8). When you use the Media Player to view an AVI file, and you select Properties from the Device menu, you are looking at the Video playback properties for all of Windows 98.

Figure 14.8

The Video playback properties as opened from Media Player.

The global sharing of the Video properties means that if you are using Media Player to view an AVI file, and you change the Show Video In property, that change is reflected in all subsequent Media Player playbacks. Window size preferences are not saved with specific AVI files.

Media Player also globally shares the Volume Control. When you choose Volume Control from the Media Player's Device menu, you see your whole Volume Control mixing console spring to life (see Figure 14.9). Once again, that means if you pump up the volume for one WAV file, all subsequent WAV files are played back at that same volume. And if you turn up the master volume, be prepared for a surprisingly penetrating system beep!

ActiveMovie Control

The ActiveMovie Control (AMC) looks like a stripped-down Media Player. If you drag a video or audio file to an open ActiveMovie window, the file plays immediately. Perhaps the best way to differentiate Media Player from AMC is to remember that AMC is intended primarily to display streamed files (audio and video) from your network or from the Internet. The Media Player, on the other hand, is a self-contained application designed to play files found on one of your drives.

Figure 14.9

The Volume Control in action.

ActiveMovie Control shares the Multimedia Control Panel and Volume Control settings with the Media Player. But ActiveMovie Control can also tell you more than you may want to know about your audio and video configuration. To take a peek behind the scenes, right-click anywhere in an ActiveMovie Control window and select the Properties option from the drop-down list. (Universal Windows 98 Snoop : Right-click everything!) You see four properties tabs: Playback, Movie Size, Controls, and Advanced (see Figure 14.10).

Figure 14.10

The ActiveMovie Control Properties dialog box in action.

The contents of these tabs change depending on what you are playing back. In Figure 14.10, ActiveMovie Control is playing an AVI file, so just about all the options are visible.

The first three tabs are familiar enough. The volume and stereo panning controls on the Playback tab allow you to adjust the sound for this playback only--the settings disappear as soon as you close the file. The Playback Timing options are similar to those available in Media Player. The Movie Size tab duplicates the Video tab in the Multimedia Control Panel and the Media Player's Properties command in its Device menu. The Controls tab allows you to tweak ActiveMovie Control's interface to your liking.

The fourth ActiveMovie Control Properties tab--Advanced--peels back Windows 98's thin veneer of civilization and exposes some of the innards (see Figure 14.11). If you didn't believe in DirectX before, you should by now. Figure 14.11 shows three Advanced tabs: Quality, DirectDraw, and Performance.

Figure 14.11

Advanced DirectDraw Properties for an ActiveMovie Control AVI playback session.

The Quality tab is handy if you suspect that your video (or audio) playback isn't up to snuff. This tab can tell you the number of frames played, the number of frames dropped, the average frame rate, and more. The DirectDraw tab allows you to go in and play with DirectDraw's options. It also tells you how much of your DirectDraw support is real and how much is emulated. (Refer to the DirectDraw diagram in Figure 14.3 for a quick review.) Finally, the Performance tab allows you to turn attributes on and off--which may come in handy while troubleshooting an esoteric bug.

WordPad and Cardfile

The Windows 98 WordPad and Cardfile applications may not be the first to come to mind when you consider a multimedia project, but both can store and present audio and video clips. The example at the end of this chapter uses WordPad as the framework into which WAV, MIDI, and AVI files are placed.

Understanding Sound Requirements

High-quality audio output is essential to the Entertainment PC. The following sections begin with a discussion of multimedia audio hardware and move on to Windows 98's audio applications.

Installing a Sound Card

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, Windows 98 strongly favors PCI cards and DirectX software drivers. These are two assets many legacy ISA sound cards don't possess. If you plan on using a cheap older ISA sound card with Windows 98, you may be in for some disappointment (and a bit of frustration). On the other hand, if you have big plans for all your PCI slots, you may want to stick with an ISA sound card just to keep a PCI slot open.

A number of ISA sound cards lived on the fringes of Windows 95's Plug and Play spectrum. Windows 98 may not cut fringe cards much slack and may not do to much to notify you of any problem. If your ISA card becomes mute after a Windows 98 installation, you may or may not receive an alert that one or more of your audio drivers did not load. A trip to the Device Manager will probably help you identify the troublemaker--it will be flagged in the Sound, Video and Games Controllers list by either a yellow exclamation point or a red X. At this point, your only hope probably rests with the Web site of your sound card manufacturer. If a new Windows 98-compatible driver has been posted, download it, update your driver(s), and keep your fingers crossed. If not, it's time to go shopping for a new sound card.

New audio cards no longer support FM synthesis or other low-fi audio techniques that were cobbled together in the DOS days. If you really want to keep those old sounds, you'll be motivated to find a way to keep your old card. One response to the need for legacy audio is the sound accelerator card. Sound accelerators are usually PCI cards that leverage the sounds from your old ISA card while adding new audio features to your computer. A cable is usually included with a sound accelerator that takes the audio output from the old card and runs it to the input of the new card. But if your old ISA card won't work at all (see the previous paragraph), a sound accelerator has no input to leverage.

Most new sound cards come with a cornucopia of connectors, but the set of connections is not at all standard from one card to the next. For example, some cards provide headphone outputs, but others offer only line-level outputs. If your card does not support built-in support for headphones, you'll have to use an external amplifier to hear your sound card. Some sound cards provide S/PDIF outputs (discussed in the "DVD" section, earlier in this chapter). Then there are internal connectors that allow you to attach audio cables to your CD, DVD, and TV tuner subsystems. Many sound cards also provide connectors that accommodate proprietary daughterboards to expand memory or add features. If you have a good idea how you intend to use your sound card, you'll have a better idea about which connections are most important to you.

In your sound card research, you may run across the terms full duplex and half duplex. Full duplex means that the card can record and play audio simultaneously. Half duplex means that the card can either play or record, but it can't do both at the same time. Virtually all modern sound cards support full-duplex operation, but you may as well check--particularly if you are thinking about purchasing a cheapie sound card.

NOTE: See Chapter 12, "Supporting Devices," for more information about installing devices in Windows 98.

Microphones

You can go down to the corner drugstore, buy a six-dollar microphone, and plug it into your sound card. Of course, you'll end up with audio fidelity equivalent to the drive-up intercom at McDonald's. Or, if you've chosen the wrong microphone, you'll end up with the sound of silence.

There are two types of microphones: dynamic and condenser. A dynamic microphone operates like a loudspeaker in reverse--it uses a magnet to transform audible input into electrical output. A dynamic microphone does not require a battery or any external source of power. A condenser microphone, on the other hand, changes a quality called capacitance in response to the sound it senses--by itself, it generates no electrical output. A condenser microphone requires a battery or some external power source in order to operate. Therefore, if you plug the wrong type of microphone into your sound card, your input quality will probably range from bad to nonexistent. If your sound card doesn't come with a microphone, check the box carefully to make sure that you end up purchasing a mike that matches your card.

Speakers

It's an old bromide but it's true: Speakers are the most important part of an audio system. If you have to make trade-offs when budgeting for your multimedia components, make sure that your speaker allotment doesn't get slashed because you spent too much on another bell or whistle.

Speaker advice could fill another long chapter, but there is one recent development in speakers that directly relates to Windows 98: USB speakers. USB speakers don't need a sound card if the other components, such as the CD drive, are capable of playing audio over the USB bus. You'll also need at least a 166 MHz Pentium-class computer with 32 M of RAM to do justice to your USB speaker setup. Like other USB components, just plug the USB speakers into the USB slot. As is the case whenever you are installing any new component, you should have the Windows 98 CD nearby just in case the installation wizard has to grab a driver it didn't get the first time around.

3D and "Surround" Sound

In the "DVD" section of this chapter, the varieties of Dolby Surround sound were discussed. 3D and surround sound are not confined to Dolby, however. A number of games have used 3D and surround sound techniques for years. Although the meanings of both 3D and surround have been stretched and confused as the audio hype increases, here is a quick definition of some buzzwords that you may encounter when looking to add an audio device to Windows 98.

Surround sound usually implies an expanded plane of sound--creating the electronic illusion of separating two speakers by an ever-increasing distance. Surround sound also implies that the surround processor adds subtle sonic elements to simulate the sound characteristics of a particular room or concert hall.

3D sound aims to locate sonic objects at precise points in the sphere around the listener. If an evil entity is breathing heavily to your left and a battle cruiser is coming up on you from the rear, you'll know where they are without seeing them.

If you install new audio software that adds either surround or 3D capabilities to Window 98, be sure that the new software works properly with Windows 98. For example, some third-party software may install its own volume control, causing confusion or conflicts. The lesson: Watch a third-party installer very carefully and make sure that you know which Windows pieces the new program has modified.

MIDI Capabilities

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is the descendant of the piano roll. A MIDI file does not contain any sound files. Instead, a MIDI file is a blueprint that a MIDI application uses to play sound synthesizers, either internally on the sound card or on an external MIDI tone module or keyboard. Because MIDI files are only blueprints, MIDI file sizes are typically very small. MIDI files larger than 200 K are very rare.

MIDI provides channels: independent pipelines through which the musical instructions can pass. In the beginning (1983), the maximum number of MIDI channels was 16. That meant 16 different MIDI instruments--pianos, drums, horns, strings, and so on--could be controlled simultaneously from a single MIDI file. Today, the number of MIDI channels you can use is limited only by the size of your bank account.

With hard drive capacities mushrooming into the gigabyte regions, MIDI's small file size isn't quite the boon it once was. Furthermore, MIDI output depends on the kindness of strangers--in this case, sound cards that may range in quality from sublime to ridiculous. If MIDI is important to you, make sure that you buy a card that features high-quality built-in sounds.

The most common variety of MIDI these days is General MIDI (GM). The intent behind GM was to create a standard among MIDI playback devices that allowed a file created on one MIDI system to sound "right" on another system. But how does a manufacturer differentiate itself if its GM module sounds exactly like someone else's module? Answer: By not sounding exactly like anything else. So each manufacturer created a GM sound set with its own special sound. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to screw up the orchestral mix that involves ten MIDI instruments. Take General MIDI claims with a grain of salt.

The MIDI-only card--so painfully common in the DOS days--has become virtually extinct. MIDI is now available as part of the feature set of all but the cheapest sound cards. Frequently, MIDI documentation refers to MPU-401--an ancient moniker provided by Roland Corp. Beware: Even though some card manufacturers provide a MIDI port (usually a DB-15 connector), they may not provide the MIDI cable itself. A MIDI cable typically costs around $30. If you are buying a sound card, check the box carefully to see whether or not a MIDI cable is included.

If you have MIDI-equipped external tone modules or keyboards, you don't have to live with your sound card's audio translation of MIDI files. You can connect external modules or keyboards to your MIDI port and have your computer control the external devices. Once you have your MIDI interface set up--a process that normally is handled by your sound card's installation setup wizard--you plug your MIDI-Out cable to the MIDI-In port on your tone module or keyboard. Windows 98's Media Player can play back MIDI files.

You can also connect your computer's MIDI-In cable to your tone module/keyboard MIDI-Out jack. Unfortunately, your computer's MIDI-In won't do you any good unless you buy an application that allows you to record MIDI data. No MIDI recorder is built into Windows 98. MIDI applications run the whole spectrum of prices and features, from $20 to $600 or more.

Use the MIDI page in the Multimedia Control Panel to switch back and forth between your internal sound card and your external MIDI setup (see Figure 14.12).

Figure 14.12

The Multimedia Control Panel's MIDI page.

The Multimedia Control Panel's MIDI page permits you to assign a given MIDI channel to a specific output device. For example, a MIDI musician has three external MIDI devices: An ElectroDrum module that, out of sheer spite, is set to receive information on MIDI channel 1. There is also a SuperMegaBass MIDI module dedicated to nothing but bass sounds. That module is set to receive information on MIDI channel 3. The SuperMegaBass module is monophonic--it can play only one note at a time. The ElectroDrum is polyphonic--it can play more than one note at a time, such as a bass drum and a snare drum. The Mini-Mozart MIDI keyboard is a keyboard that also contains a built-in synthesizer. It can play more than one note at a time (all the notes of a chord, for example) and it is multitimbral--it can play more than one "voice" or "patch" at a time. We've assigned multiple MIDI channels to the Mini-Mozart so that it can play the keyboard, guitar, saxophone, and kazoo parts while the SuperMegaBass plays the bass part and the ElectroDrum bangs away. To store this configuration in Windows 98, we created My first MIDI patch by clicking the Configure button in the MIDI page, which produces the MIDI Configuration dialog box (see Figure 14.13).

Figure 14.13

My first MIDI patch in the MIDI Configuration dialog box.

To change the configuration of a MIDI channel in the Configuration list, select the channel you want to redefine, click the Change button, and select the MIDI instrument you want to assign to that channel. To add a new MIDI instrument, back out to the main MIDI window, click Add New Instrument, and follow the MIDI Instrument Installation Wizard.

The Percussion on Channel 16 option in the MIDI Instrument Installation Wizard is an arcane reference to the fact that General MIDI plays the percussion (that is, drums) on MIDI channel 10. Other non-General MIDI instruments can put the percussion on any MIDI channel. Long ago, most MIDI musicians put the percussion track on MIDI channel 16 (the last MIDI channel in those dark, distant days).

Deleting a MIDI instrument isn't terribly intuitive. Go to the Multimedia Control Panel's Devices page and open up the MIDI Devices and Instruments hierarchy. In the example shown in Figure 14.14, the SuperMegaBass instrument is slated for deletion, so it is selected in the list.

Figure 14.14

Selecting a MIDI instrument for deletion.

To finish the deletion process, click the Properties button and then click the Remove button in the General page. While you're in this neck of the Windows 98 woods, you can check the details of each MIDI device and instrument by clicking the General and Details tabs presented after you click the Properties button.

This example was designed to take you on a quick tour of the MIDI page. In actual practice, you'll spend very little time here. Even the most basic MIDI software allows you to assign instruments and channels from within the application, which means you're probably in luck: Basic MIDI recording and editing software is usually bundled with most sound cards. Still, if you have a complex MIDI setup geared to running 32, 64, 128, or more MIDI channels, you may want to stop in at the Multimedia Control Panel every once in a while to make sure that all your MIDI pipes are connected properly.

To find out more about MIDI, visit http://www.midi.org.

CD Player

The CD Player in Windows 98 remains pretty much unchanged from the version in Windows 95. It supplies all the functionality you expect from a full-featured CD player: Play, Pause, Stop, Previous Track, Rewind, Fast Forward, Next Track, and Eject. The Continuous Play and Random Play features are available on just about any CD player.

A task CD Player can perform that most stand-alone CD players cannot is keeping track of play lists. When you select Edit Play List from the Disc menu, the Disc Settings window opens, allowing you to enter or edit data in the play list (see Figure 14.15).

Every commercial audio CD is assigned a unique code. CD Player reads that code, associates that code with the title and track information you enter, and stores the result in the CDPLAYER.INI file. If you have spent a lot of time entering CD track information, you should back up your CDPLAYER.INI file from time to time.

Figure 14.15

Entering track names into the CD Player's play list.

CD Player can also play CDs in a DVD drive. Just select the drive you want to listen to from the Artist drop-down list. Furthermore, if you have CD and DVD drives, you can use the Multi-disc Play option (in the Options menu) to create your own mini-jukebox (see Figure 14.16).

Figure 14.16

Using the CD and DVD drives as a two-CD jukebox.

The AutoPlay function described in the "DVD" section, earlier in this chapter, also applies to the CD. If you don't want a particular CD to start playing as soon as you insert it, hold down the Shift key. If you want to permanently disable the AutoPlay feature for the CD drive, open the CD drive's Properties dialog box in the System Control Panel's Device Manager and clear the Auto Insert Notification checkbox.

If you can't remember the name of a tune but you know that the tune you want is somewhere on a CD, you can select the Intro Play option from the Options menu to listen to only the beginning of each track. You can adjust the length of the Intro Play time by selecting Preferences from the Options menu and adjusting the Intro Play Length value in the Preferences window (see Figure 14.17).

Volume Control

The Volume Control will be familiar to Windows 95 users. Single-click the little speaker icon in the system tray and the master volume slider will appear (see Figure 14.18).

Figure 14.17

CD Player's Preferences window.

Figure 14.18

The basic volume control.

Lurking behind that one master volume slider is a whole nest of subordinate sliders. To view the whole Volume Control family, double-click the speaker icon (see Figure 14.19).

Figure 14.19

The whole Volume Control mixing panel.

If more people knew about the existence of this more complete "mixing console," it would probably eliminate many desperate "no sound out" calls to tech support.

Instead of trying to explain the Volume Control all by itself, an example of the use of the Volume Control panel is combined with the Sound Recorder example in the following section.

Sound Recorder

The Sound Recorder is a simple Windows 98 application that should seem familiar to you from previous generations. But its simplicity can be deceiving if the elements on which the Sound Recorder depends are not adjusted properly. Instead of pointing out the obvious features of Sound Recorder, this section presents an example of the Sound Recorder in action. This example should provide you with a better understanding of how the Windows 98 audio components work together.

The following example requires a computer equipped with a sound card (preferably full duplex), a microphone, and at least one speaker (or a set of headphones).

1. Open Sound Recorder.
2. From the Sound Recorder's Edit menu, select Audio Properties.
3. In the Recording area of the Audio Properties dialog box, make sure that the sound input device you are going to use is selected. This example uses the microphone input from a Monster Sound card, so the Monster Sound Wave Input device is selected (see Figure 14.20).

Figure 14.20

The Sound Recorder's Audio Properties dialog box.

4. Click the microphone/volume control icon in the Recording area of the Audio Properties dialog box. The Recording Control window opens, displaying your input volume and panning options (see Figure 14.21).

Figure 14.21

The Recording Control window.

5. Make sure that the Select checkbox is selected for the input device you want to use. You can select only one input device--microphone, CD, Line-In, and so on--at a time.
6. Adjust the input level and stereo balance to your needs. The output of the microphone used in this example is fairly weak, so the input level is rather high. If your signal source is strong, you may not have to turn up the input nearly this much. Unfortunately, there is no sophisticated input-level testing option available, so you should count on a couple of trial-and-error run-throughs. But after all, this is free software!
7. Return to the Audio Properties dialog box and click OK to close it.
8. From the File menu, select the Properties command. The dialog box that appears allows you to specify the file format you want to use. The format you chose affects the recording quality of your end product and the recording time you have available.
9. In the Format Conversion area of the Properties dialog box, choose Recording Formats from the drop-down list and click Convert Now.
10. The Sound Selection dialog box appears, offering you a vast number of format and sample rate options. You can save combinations of file format and sample rate as presets. Windows 98 provides three default presets: CD Quality, Radio Quality, and Telephone Quality. Because the goal of this example is to produce a cheesy little system beep/document annotation using a cheap microphone, Telephone Quality is selected (see Figure 14.22). This low-quality option won't waste hard drive space and processor power on an undeserving audio sample.

Figure 14.22

Audio choices offered by the Sound Selection dialog box.

NOTE: To create your own Sound Selection presets, simply choose a Format/Attributes combination (such as MPEG Layer-3 and 32 KBit/s, 16,000 Hz, Stereo, 4 KB/s), click Save As, supply a name for your preset, and click OK. Your new preset appears as the new Sound Selection name.

11. After you choose your Format and Attributes options, click OK to close the Sound Selection dialog box.
12. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.
13. Click the Record button and make noise. Notice that the Length indicator on the right side displays the maximum amount of recording time. This time is a function of the Format/Attributes choice you made in the Sound Selection dialog box and the amount of free space on your hard drive. If you don't have enough recording time available, consider another, lower-quality Format/Attributes option or free up some hard drive space.
14. When you've finished making noise, click the Stop button. If you run out of hard drive space, Windows 98 clicks the Stop button for you (not recommended).
15. Right-click the speaker icon in Windows 98's status bar to open the Volume Control window. Now you can adjust your playback configuration. Make sure that the Mute checkbox is not selected for the device you want to listen to.
16. Click the Sound Recorder's Play button and listen to the output. Adjust the output level as necessary. In this example, the Wave Audio device has an LED-like level meter that visually indicates the audio level (see Figure 14.23).

Figure 14.23

The Volume Control window during Sound Recorder playback.

17. Edit your file using the various functions Sound Recorder has to offer--Mix with File, Increase/Decrease Volume, Increase/Decrease Speed, Add Echo, and Reverse. See the "Modifying Sound Files" section of Sound Recorder's online help for details.
18. If you want to save your file in a format different from the one in which you recorded, select Save As from the File menu and click the Change button in the Save As dialog box. The Sound Selection dialog box (discussed in step 10) appears, giving you a whole range of Format/Attributes options. Make your choices and close the Sound Selection dialog box.
19. Name your new audio file and save it.

Of course, after you have your volume and format settings defined, recording a sound will not be a 19-step process. But this little exercise can remind you of the number of options available through the uncluttered Sound Recorder and Volume Control interfaces.

Understanding Touch (Input/Output) Hardware

Force-feedback devices--joysticks, pedals, and even pneumatic bladders (to put in your gaming chair)--are on the way! Those items can be added to the legion of familiar input devices Windows 98 (specifically, DirectX) is designed to accommodate to provide new ways in which you can physically interact with your computer. Alas, the Windows 98 Game Controllers Control Panel isn't nearly as exciting or complex as the software and hardware it supports. That's okay; we want the setup part to be easy.

As it does with any other Plug and Play device, Windows 98 will install the appropriate driver software as soon as it detects a new game controller device (a joystick, game pad, steering wheel, and so on). Each device appears in the Game Controllers Control Panel list. If you have just installed a new controller, open the Game Controllers Control Panel, select the name of the new controller, click the Properties button, and click the Test tab in that controller's Properties window (see Figure 14.24).

Figure 14.24

Testing a controller's button #6.

If your controller fails the test, you can back up to the Game Controller Properties' Settings tab, click Calibration, and follow a wizard through a calibration routine (see Figure 14.25).

If you want to assign a controller to a specific controller ID, back up to the main Game Controllers dialog box and click the Advanced tab. This page presents a list of controller IDs (see Figure 14.26). Choose an ID number, click Change, select a controller type from the list, and click OK to complete the controller ID assignment.

Figure 14.25

Calibrating a game pad.

Figure 14.26

Assigning a new controller to ID #5.

A Simple Example

Let's look at an example that puts some of Windows 98's entertainment accessories to work. The end product is a WordPad document that contains a sound file (The Cat's Meow), a MIDI file (Smetana's Bartered Bride), and a movie (Strings and Wind). We'll use WordPad because it ships as part of Windows 98 and because WordPad, Sound Recorder, Media Player all support OLE--Object Linking and Embedding. Because the vast majority of modern Windows software supports OLE, you can transfer ideas contained in this example to your favorite Windows software.

The first step is to create the individual sound, MIDI, and movie files. Unfortunately, only one of these three files can be created with a basic Windows 98 application: The Cat's Meow was recorded using Sound Recorder. The MIDI file was created with a commercial MIDI music application (using an external MIDI keyboard, MIDI drum pad, and General MIDI tone module). The AVI file was created using the video capture function of a USB video- conferencing hardware and software package.

The Cat's Meow is the recording of a cat's meow--descriptive filenames are always helpful! The recording hardware consisted of an ISA sound card and the condenser microphone it required. Extravagantly, it was recorded in CD-quality stereo using the PCM 44,100 Hz, 16-bit stereo codec. The completed file was dragged and dropped into a new WordPad document.

Smetana's Bartered Bride--a MIDI file--was created in a commercial MIDI application and stored on the hard drive. The MIDI file was then opened in the Media Player and dragged into the WordPad document.

Strings and Wind is a short AVI movie file captured in 160*120 resolution at 15 frames per second with a pixel depth of 12 using the I420 codec. Sound for the AVI file was captured at 11,025 Hz in 8-bit mono. The file was saved to the hard disk. The file's icon was then dragged to the WordPad document. The completed WordPad document was then saved to the hard drive as Multimedia Mania.doc. Figure 14.27 shows a view of the end product.

Figure 14.27

A multimedia-enhanced WordPad document.

To use Multimedia Mania.doc, the user simply opens the document and double-clicks the media element he or she wants to audition. You can also inspect the properties of the various elements by right-clicking their icons.

Your documents need not be as crude as Multimedia Mania.doc. Instead of a cat's meow, the audio file could be a voice annotation of some sort--perhaps a clip from an important speech. The MIDI file could be used to convey a musical idea without having to rely on a huge WAV file. (In this example, Smetana's Bartered Bride is a seven-minute orchestral piece that occupies only 200 K of disk space.) The movie could be a video capture of some blooper--America's Funniest AVI Files. Windows 98's mixed-media presentation options are limited only by your imagination and your pocketbook.

But don't get completely carried away. Embedding multimedia files in a document can soon cause the size of that document to balloon to unmanageable proportions. To keep the overall file size to a minimum, you have some options:

This is indeed a simple example. If you are using Microsoft Office or any other application that supports OLE, your embedding and linking options are limited only by the size of your hard drive, the speed of your processor, and (if you try to distribute the files) the strength of your network.

Troubleshooting

Windows 98 installation and error-checking routines are clever but not omniscient. Sooner or later, you'll have to deal with a multimedia device that does not want to perform. The next section, "Dodging the Bullet," provides some tips on how to prevent failures before they occur. "Biting the Bullet" discusses what to do and where to look when you're faced with restoring your computer's multimedia health.

Dodging the Bullet

Here are two courses of preventative action you can take:

Cheap Route Case Study

John Doe bought a no-name DVD-ROM kit in a plain white box. Mr. Doe knew enough about the history of DVD-ROM to know that, at that low, low price, the drive had to be a first-generation Toshiba model. He figured that at least he could use Toshiba and DVD as leverage in his web and Usenet searches. Not surprisingly, the DVD-ROM and its MPEG decoder card were not well documented--the drive/board combination was apparently originally intended to be sold to a large, famous computer manufacturer as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) kit. But the documentation did provide an URL, which is all a good detective needs these days!

The documentation also provided minimal clues about the compatibility of this DVD-ROM. If you're a pessimistic sort, suspicious gaps in the documentation can also be used as clues about what your hardware will not work with. In short, if your hardware or software isn't mentioned, expect the worst. In Mr. Doe's case, the video card--a first-generation oddball 3D accelerator--wasn't listed as compatible with this DVD-ROM drive. "Who knows," John thought. "Maybe the manufacturer of my old 3D accelerator has developed new drivers that work with my DVD." So he checked and, sure enough, new drivers were available.

Mr. Doe downloaded and installed the new 3D drivers, installed the DVD hardware and software--but disappointingly, the DVD didn't work too well. John was somewhat able to get video on his monitor, but the system as a whole didn't really function as it should. Even with the new driver, his 3D setup was just not up to the task. So he decided to replace the old 3D setup with a new video card--a cheap new video card.

Going back to the DVD documentation (both printed and from the Web site), Mr. Doe distilled a list of video chip sets that would satisfy the DVD and would also be compatible with the rest of his system. With this list in hand, John went back to the computer hardware store and began rifling through the video cards. The $200-plus options were enticing, but provided way more video power than he needed. A popular video card that fit his video chipset criteria was on sale for $100. John gave it a long, hard look. This card was manufactured by a reputable company that could provide potentially valuable technical support. But Mr. Doe wasn't ready to end his search quite yet.

As he thumbed through the dusty ranks of no-name video cards, John ran across a $20 model that used the same video chip set as the more expensive cards. It didn't include any bundled software, and promised very little documentation or technical support. For the savings, however, Mr. Doe was willing to make that sacrifice.

John plunked down two sawbucks for the cheapie video card and took it home. It didn't come loaded with lots of memory, but that was okay for the short term. Video RAM was very cheap and this gave Mr. Doe the option to add memory at his leisure. The documentation was predictably poor, but this company did have a web site. Windows 98 recognized the new hardware and installed its drivers without a fuss. It worked on the first try!

Biting the Bullet

Here are some tips to consider when your multimedia installation exercise has resulted in less than satisfying results:

Control Panels

There are two levels of problems: relatively minor configuration problems and relatively major functionality problems. The majority of multimedia configuration options can be found in the Multimedia Control Panel, the Scanners and Cameras Control Panel, and the Game Controllers Control Panel. Many of the options in these control panels have been discussed earlier in the chapter.

There are some key locations in Windows 98 from which you can attack the bigger functionality problems. The Multimedia Control Panel's Devices page is one such place (see Figure 14.28).

Figure 14.28

The Multimedia Control Panel's Devices page.

Using the Properties dialog boxes of the devices in this list, you can change some parameters associated with that device (the parameters available depend on the device chosen), turn the device driver on or off, or remove the device driver.

Another key troubleshooting location is the System Control Panel's Device Manager page (see Figure 14.29).

Figure 14.29

The System Control Panel's Device Manager page.

The Device Manager tells you which devices are properly loaded. For example, if you have just installed a new piece of hardware or updated a driver, and that device is not working, go to the Device Manager and find the name of the device in the list. If a device is marked with a yellow exclamation point or a red X, there's a problem. Double-click a device name to open its Properties dialog box. The pages in the Properties dialog box usually provide more information about any problems. You can also modify the device settings, check driver revision numbers, and update driver software from here as well. Figure 14.30 shows the Settings page for a DVD-ROM drive.

Figure 14.30

An example of a particular device's Device Manager Settings page.

This Settings page, for example, is the place to go to turn off Auto Insert Notification (the feature that starts a program on a CD or DVD automatically as soon as the disc is popped into the drive). This Settings page is also the place to go to assign a drive letter. Different devices feature various options on these pages.

If you're having a major problem, and all your reconfiguration and driver update efforts don't budge the yellow exclamation point or the red X, you can always select the device in the main Device Manager list and click Remove (see Figure 14.31).

Figure 14.31

Using the Device Manager to remove a device.

WARNING: It is normally not a good idea to remove a device unless you have the Windows 98 CD and all applicable driver disks at hand. Chances are you'll need them when your computer restarts.

When the removal is complete, Windows 98 suggests that you restart the computer right away. Follow that recommendation.

If the problematic device is still physically installed in (or attached to) the computer, the Windows 98 Plug and Play elves go to work and do their best to correctly install the driver software this time around. If everything fails--new drivers (from the manufacturer's web site), configuration tweaks, and wholesale removals and reinstallations--it may be time to check with your vendor and inquire about deeper compatibility problems or hardware failures.

SCSI Concerns

Most SCSI problems have their roots in one of two main areas: termination and SCSI ID number. As mentioned earlier in this chapter, a chain of SCSI devices must be properly terminated. Most modern SCSI devices use active termination to keep the SCSI activity healthy. But if you've attached an older SCSI device, such as an old hard drive, you may have to add a terminator to the end of the SCSI line. Check the documentation that came with your hardware.

Each SCSI device requires a SCSI device ID number. This ID assignment is usually accomplished using a numbered switch on the back of the case. Some SCSI hardware (first-generation Zip drives, for example) allowed you to choose from only two of the possible eight ID numbers. As long as no two SCSI devices in the chain use the same ID number, you should be okay. Your SCSI adapter should be accompanied by diagnostic software that allows you to see who is claiming which ID in the SCSI chain (see Figure 14.32).

Figure 14.32

An example of SCSI diagnostic software.

DirectX

Microsoft has provided a DirectX diagnostic checklist in the online help system. To use the DirectX Troubleshooter, follow these steps:

1. Select the Windows Help file from the Start menu.
2. Type DirectX in the Search box.
3. Click the List Topics button.
4. Select DirectX Troubleshooter from the Topics list.
5. Click the hyperlink to start the DirectX Troubleshooter.

Figure 14.33

The DirectX Troubleshooter.

You'll see the DirectX Troubleshooter in the Help window, as shown in Figure 14.33.


DVD Hiccups

If your DVD playback is occasionally interrupted, or if you hear pops in the audio, your computer may be too occupied with the Windows 98 background processes to devote adequate attention to its demanding video and audio decoding duties. Background processes--small programs that start and run invisibly--can interrupt the steady flow of data that video and audio require, particularly if your computer has a slower processor. Examples of software that runs in the background include screen-savers, network software, antivirus software, Microsoft's Office Shortcut bar, and fax/answering machine software. To see a list of Windows 98's background processes, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. A list of currently active applications appears in a Close Program window. Click the Close Program's Cancel button to resume normal Windows 98 activity and then find and shut down any of the unnecessary programs.

Audio Problems

If you can't hear the audio from your CD or DVD drives through your sound card, first check the main volume control and the big volume control mixer. The volume sliders you want to use should be set at reasonable levels and should not be muted. If the software settings are okay, check the hardware. Make sure that you connected the audio outputs from the backs of the CD and DVD drives to the CD and AUX inputs of your sound card. Check your CD or DVD hardware installation documentation for details.

Windows 98's online help contains a good troubleshooting section. To view its recommendations, go to the Index and select the Sound Cards, Troubleshooting topic.

Conclusion

This chapter described some of the features and concepts that make up Windows 98 multimedia. The chapter discussed video and audio components, as well as some of the multimedia formats and standards. For more on installing and supporting devices in Windows 98, see Chapter 12.

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