Advanced Functions

Introduction

Ways in which a Mac with the ZephIR can be used to set up and control CD playlists and TV station channel guides.

Channel Guides for Satellite TV systems

Channel Guides for Satellite TV systems A key feature of the ZephIR's ability to operate video components is a quick-access "Channel Guide" that "remembers" all of the channels that are available through a Digital Satellite System, TV, or other channel oriented component. When added to a Custom Remote, Channel Guides can be set to show all of a user's most frequently viewed stations and allow him to switch to those stations instantly without having to use the "Channel-up" or "Channel-down" functions. A Channel Guide can be set up by opening the "ZephIR Browser" window for the specific channel based component and then selecting the "Channel Guide" tab.

The list of channels, their names, and their numbers are then entered into "Untitled Channel" fields that are created with the New Channel button.

With the correct zeeCodes for the desired, channel based compoenent and a properly configured Channel Guide, selecting channels is simply a matter of dragging over the Quick Remote and clicking on the desired channel.

Additional information on creating ZephIR Channel Guides can be found at:

CD Playlists for Multi-disc CD players

A second feature of the ZephIR is the ability to catalog CDs and their contents with the Mac using a freeware application called NetCD.

Provided on the installation CD-ROM, Net CD, once launched and set in Catalog mode, will automatically gather the content information from any music CD placed in the Mac's CD-ROM drive. NetCD identifies the CD title, downloads a list of contents from an online database known as CDDB, and stores information in the System Folder. StudioZee indicates that fifty CDs can be cataloged into the CD Library in this fashion in less than half an hour.

Once established, the CD library can be used to set up a virtual Jukebox on the Mac. With the Magazine function from the Manager menu, a user can enter the type of multi-disc CD player he is operating.

By selecting the "CD Library" option from the same menu, the user can then drag and drop the content information about a CD from the Library window into the Magazine window.

The number field into which this information is placed, corresponds to the slot number where the disc is stored in the player. Once the CD player and Mac have been cbeen loaded and configured in this manner, the user can then create Cd Playlists. A New playlist can be created by selecting that option from the Magazine menu. Once its name and size has been established, the contents of the Playlist can be set by dragging individual song titles or entire album titles from the Cd Library into the CD Playlist window.

To take advantage of the CD management functions, however, the zeeCodes for the desired audio component must posses a script extension. Prerecorded zeeCodes and script extensions are provided by studioZEE in the Webztir library for the most common multi-disc players.

Additional information on NetCD, specific details on ZephIR CD management, and information regarding problems with audio components that have not been Applescripted for operation can be found at: