FreeAgent Theater+ User Guide

FreeAgent Theater+ User Guide

Version 2
2009 Seagate Technology LLC. All rights reserved. Seagate, Seagate Technology, the Wave logo, and FreeAgent are trademarks or registered trademarks of Seagate Technology LLC, or one of its affiliates. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. When referring to hard drive capacity, one gigabyte, or GB, equals one billion bytes and one terabyte, or TB, equals one thousand billion bytes when referring to hard drive capacity. In addition, some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions, and thus will not be available for data storage. Quantitative usage examples for various applications are for illustrative purposes. Actual quantities will vary based on various factors including file size, file format, features, and application software. Seagate reserves the right to change, without notice, product offerings or specifications. Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. HDMI, the HDMI Logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC. Macrovision: This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited. The name Macrovision is protected by trademark. DTS 2.0+ Digital Out: Manufactured under license under U.S. Patent #s: 5,451,942; 5,956,674; 5,974,380; 5,978,762; 6,487,535 & other U.S. and worldwide patents issued & pending. DTS and DTS 2.0 + Digital Out are registered trademarks and the DTS logos and Symbol are trademarks of DTS, Inc. 1996-2008 DTS, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Seagate Technology LLC 920 Disc Drive Scotts Valley CA 95066 U.S.A.
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Media Player Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Safely Disconnecting External Devices from the Media Player . . . . . 9 Navigating the Media Player Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Using the Remote with the Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2. Setting Up the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Choosing a Menu Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Configuring the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Menu Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Text Encoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MAC Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DivX Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DivX Deactivate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FreeAgent Go LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Factory Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13
Manually Resetting Your Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Night Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Digital Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Video Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TV System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Video Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Network Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wired Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wireless Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Collecting your Wireless Setup Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15
Supported Resolutions by Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Configuring the WiFi Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Firmware Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . USB Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Automatic Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 17 17 17
3. Playing Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Supported File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Movie Subtitles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 18 18 18 19
Opening a Media Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Searching for a Media File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Browsing Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Playing Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Movie Playback Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying Movie Album Art in DVD Thumbnail View . . . . . . . . . . . Getting Movie Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playing Movies in Slow Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playing Pictures and Movies from Compatible Digital Cameras and Camcorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playing a Slideshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 21 21 22 22 22 23 23 23
Setting Slideshow Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Playing Music with a Slideshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Playing Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Music Playback Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Displaying Album Cover Art in Music Thumbnail View . . . . . . . . . . 26
4. Using Internet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5. Managing Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Using a FreeAgent Go Drive with the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Using a USB Device with the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Using a Network with the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Using a Media Server with the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Accessing Devices on the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6. Using the FreeAgent Theater for Windows Application . . . . . 31

Installing the FreeAgent Theater Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Using the Seagate Thumbnail Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Supported Movie File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Managing Your Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the My Drives Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Drive Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting the Power Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 35 36 36
Testing Your Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Adjusting Drive Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Updating Your Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Changing Seagate Advisor Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Registering Your Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Getting Drive Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Using the System Tray Status Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Restoring the System Tray Status Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Using Media Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Simple Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Custom Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Media Sync Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Automatic Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning Off Automatic Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 40 41 42 43 43
7. Using the FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh Application . . . . 44

Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Default Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Manual Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning Off Automatic Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 46 46 47
A. About DivX Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

About DivX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1. Introduction
Overview
1. Introduction
The FreeAgent Theater+ media player is a home theater solution that makes it simple for you to transfer multimedia files from your computer for play on your TV or stream digital media files from your local network or media server. Getting started takes only a few minutes. Just connect the media player to your TV; drag your movies, pictures, and music from your computer onto a portable drive; and connect the portable drive to the media player. Use the media player menus and the remote control buttons to navigate to your media files and select viewing options.
Overview
The media player can play digital media files from a variety of sources: A FreeAgent Go portable drive or any NTFS, FAT32, or HFS/HFS+ formatted external USB storage device A compatible digital camera or camcorder Internet media services Devices connected to your local network (displays only files and folders shared to the network)
The media player indexes and creates a database of all the media files stored on connected external devices connected to it. This allows you to sort and display your media in a variety of ways. For example, you can view files as thumbnails or in a list or sort them by name or the date they were saved.
Note: The spinning blue icon in the lower right corner of the TV screen indicates that the media player is indexing or processing media files on connected external devices. You can turn off the media player while its indexing your files, but we recommend that you not disconnect it.
For additional help managing your media files, the FreeAgent Theater computer software allows you to synchronize media folders on your drive with those on your computer and access your external drive features. To use the FreeAgent Theater application to manage and sync your media files on your computer, see Chapter 6 Using the FreeAgent Theater for Windows Application on page 31 or Chapter 7 Using the FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh Application on page 44.
FreeAgent Theater + User Guide
1. Introduction
Media Player Components

The media player consists of these components: A media player that connects to both standard definition and high definition TVs.
FreeAgent | Go drive in play position
IR lens USB port
Figure 1:
FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player - Front View
Reset button Power USB LAN HDMI Optical AV Out
Pr
Pb
Component video
Figure 2:
FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player - Rear View
1. Introduction
A FreeAgent Go portable drive that connects directly to both the media player and your computer for easy transport of media files between computer and TV. (Not available in all packages.)
Figure 3:
FreeAgent Go Drive
A CD containing the FreeAgent Theater+ application software and this FreeAgent Theater+ User Guide. A remote control to navigate the FreeAgent Theater+ TV menus. All media player features are controlled using the remote control buttons and the on-screen menus.
Power Home Arrow Buttons OK Menu Information Back Play/Pause Fast Forward Stop Forward Skip Zoom
Reverse
Back Skip Volume
Mute
Figure 4:
Remote Control
1. Introduction
Power: Turn the media player on and off. Arrow Buttons: Press to navigate left, right, up, and down through the menus. OK: Confirm a menu selection.
Home: Return to the home screen from any other screen. Menu: Display the menu that contains options for the screen currently displayed on your TV. (Information): Get information about the content currently displayed on your TV. X (Play/Pause): Play or pause movies, music, and pictures. (Fast Forward): Fast forward the current playback. Press repeatedly to select faster forward speeds.
(Back): Move one step back to the previous screen. (Fast Reverse): Fast reverse the current playback. Press repeatedly to select faster reverse speeds. (Back Skip): Return to the previous file when playing music or viewing pictures or to the previous chapter in a movie. Mute: Press to mute audio output; press again to resume audio. Volume + -: Increase or decrease volume.
(Stop): Stop playback
(Forward Skip): Go to the next file when playing music or viewing pictures or to the next chapter in a movie. Zoom + -: Zoom in or out when playing pictures or movies. Press repeatedly to select higher zoom levels.
Safely Disconnecting External Devices from the Media Player

Before you disconnect a FreeAgent Go portable drive or other external storage device from the media player, turn off the media player using the power button on the remote. Failure to do this may result in damage to the contents of the external device.
1. Introduction
Navigating the Media Player Menus
Navigating the Media Player Menus

You use the buttons and directional arrows on the remote control to navigate among the media player screens and menus. The home screen provides links to the main media player features. From here, you can go directly to the Movies, Pictures, Music, Internet, or Devices screens. To open the home screen, press the Home button on the remote.
Figure 5:
Home screen
Using the main menu is the best way to move among media player screens. The main menu appears across the top of any screen when you press the Menu button on the remote. It provides access to all the media player features.
Figure 6:
Main Menu
Using the Remote with the Menus

Press Menu on the remote to display the main menu on any screen. Press Menu again to display a sub-menu. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to navigate a menu. Press OK on the remote to carry out a selected action. When any menu is open, press Menu on the remote again to close it.
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2. Setting Up the Media Player
Choosing a Menu Language

The FreeAgent Theater+ media player is ready for use as soon as you plug it in. However, you can adjust the system, audio, video, network, and firmware update settings for optimal use with your TV.
Choosing a Menu Language

The first time you connect your media player to your TV, a language selection screen asks you to select your menu language from a list of available languages. You can change your language selection at any time by going to System Setup > Menu Language.
Configuring the Media Player

Use the Settings menu to configure the system, audio, video, network, and firmware settings for your media player. 1. Select Settings in the main menu, then press OK on the remote. The Settings menu opens.
Devices
Settings
System Setup Audio Setup Video Setup Network Setup Firmware Update
Help
Figure 7:
Settings Menu
2. Select the feature whose settings you want to adjust and press OK on the remote. 3. To close the Settings menu, press Menu. Once youve opened any of the Settings screens, you can navigate among all of them in a few ways: Press Menu on the remote to display the Settings menu and make a selection. Use the left and right arrow buttons on the remote to move among the five Settings screens (System, Audio, Visual, Network, and Firmware Update.
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System Setup
Using the left and right arrow buttons to move between media player screens works only for the Settings features. Use the back button on the remote to move back and forth on a split screen.
You must select a feature to work with on the left side of the split screen before you can select an option on the right side of the screen.
System Setup
Menu Language
Select the language to be used in all media player menus.
Text Encoding
Select the language to be used for media information.
Time
Manually set the date and time.
Version Information
View complete system information for the firmware version currently installed on your media player.
MAC Address
View the network ID assigned to the media player.
IP Address
Set your Network IP or Wireless IP.
DivX Register
If youve set up a DivX Video on Demand account at the Video on Demand website, your registration code is displayed here. Go to the website on your computer and enter the code to begin playing the selected video on your media player.
DivX Deactivate
To deactivate your DivX Video on Demand account, go to the Video on Demand website on your computer and enter the deactivation code shown here.
FreeAgent Go LED
Turn the LED on the FreeAgent Go drive on or off.
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Manually Resetting Your Media Player
Factory Default
Reset all Setup menu functions to the factory default and display the initial language selection screen.
Manually Resetting Your Media Player

If you mistakenly select the wrong TV system setup, its possible that your TV screen will go blank. Thats easy to fix using the reset button on the right end of the rear of the media player.
Reset
Pr Pb Y
Figure 8:
Reset Button
Press once briefly to restore factory default settings. Press and hold for 10 seconds to toggle between the PAL European TV standard and the NTSC American TV standard.
Audio Setup
Night Mode
Off: Default setting On: The bass output is automatically lowered so that others are not disturbed when you use the media player at night. Comfort: High and low volume levels are automatically adjusted to moderate levels among all media and TV channels so that the volume does not become too loud or too soft to be heard when you change from one device or media format to another.
Digital Output
S/PDIF LPCM: Converts the multi-channel audio output into stereo. S/PDIF RAW: Plays the digital audio without decoding. HDMI LPCM 2CH: Encodes multiple audio channels into only a left and a right channel; select when only two speakers are available. HDMI LPCM Multi CH: Contains multiple audio channels; select for surround sound when multiple speakers are available. HDMI RAW: Not decoded by the media player. You must connect the media player to a receiver with decoding capabilities.
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Video Setup
Video Setup
Aspect Ratio
Standard definition TVs display in a 4:3 aspect ratio; high definition TVs display in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Pan Scan: The standard definition broadcast television format. If you watch a standard DVD in 4:3 on a 16:9 monitor, you see a black bar on the left and right sides of the screen. Letter Box: Transfers a wide screen film to a 16:9 video display while maintaining the films original aspect ratio. 16:9: The same viewing area as a movie theater screen.
Brightness
Adjust the picture brightness to the desired level.
Contrast
Adjust the picture contrast to the desired level.
TV System
NTSC (480p, 60 HZ): Standard American television resolution PAL (576p, 50 HZ): Standard European television resolution
Video Resolution
The media player transmits an analog video signal in both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) resolutions for American NTSC- and European PAL-compatible televisions.
Supported Resolutions by Connector

Composite 480i 576i Component/HDMI 480i 480p 576i 576p 720i 520p 1080i 1080p
Network Setup
You can connect your media player to your local network using either a wired or a wireless setup. Connecting your media player to a network provides these benefits: Receive update notifications and download the updates directly to the media player. Stream content on your TV from media files stored on your computer or other storage devices connected to your network. Access media services, such as video feeds, stock reports, and weather conditions.
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Network Setup
Wired Setup
Choose one of these settings if youre using a wired setup. Cancel: No wired LAN Dynamic IP (AUTO): Automatically receive an assigned IP address from a router or server on the local network (suggested). Static IP (MANUAL): Manually configure the IP address (for advanced users only).
Wireless Setup
For wireless access to your local network, you must use the FreeAgent Theater+ WiFi Adapter, which connects to either of the USB ports on your media player.
Collecting your Wireless Setup Information

Before you set up your WiFi Adapter, collect this information: Wireless Network Name (SSID): the name of your wireless local area network. A list of available networks is displayed on the screen during setup; you need to know which one is yours. If your network is set up not to display the SSID, you must type in the name. Wireless Security Method: the method used to protect your network. If the network has no security, select the correct network name. If the network does have security, select the security method and enter the appropriate key. None Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): a set of security rules for wireless local area networks. Wireless Application Protocol WPA or WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access): a set of security rules that allows users to safely access information instantly via handheld wireless devices such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios, smartphones, and communicators.
Security Key or Pass Phrase: required only if security is enabled. If you use one, the security key on the media player must match the security key on your router The network name, security method, and security key can be found on your router setup page or, if the wireless network was installed professionally, on an information sheet or a tag attached to the router. Access Point vs. Peer to Peer: There are two wireless connection modes. Be sure to select the same mode for the media player as the one used for your router. Access Point, also known as Infrastructure (recommended) Peer to Peer, also known as Ad-Hoc
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Firmware Update
Note:
A slow network or weak wireless signal can limit the quality of your media playback or the ability to play some files. If playback is choppy, try adjusting the router antenna or positioning the media player and your router more closely together.
Configuring the WiFi Adapter

1. Turn on your FreeAgent Theater + media player. 2. Plug the FreeAgent Theater+ WiFi Adapter into one of the media players USB ports. The message WiFi Adapter detected appears briefly on the screen.
Note: If the message doesnt appear, check the WiFi Adapter LED to make sure its connected and working.
3. Press Menu on the remote to display the main menu. 4. Press the right arrow button on the remote to navigate to Settings and press OK. 5. Press the left or right arrow button to navigate to the Network screen and press OK. 6. Press the down arrow button to select Wireless Setup on the left side of the screen and press OK. The highlight automatically moves to the right side of the screen. 7. Select Connection1 and press OK. 8. Select the type of wireless connection (Access Point or Peer-to-Peer) and press OK. 9. Follow the on-screen prompts to enter your wireless setup information, such as security information. This will vary according to the type of router and security setup youve installed on your computer. You can save a wireless setup configuration with three different sets of settings. Profile Name: Identify a particular configuration Component 1: One set of saved wireless settings Component 2: A second set of saved wireless settings Component 3: A third set of saved wireless settings
Firmware Update
Updates to your media player firmware are released regularly. If your media player is connected to the Internet, you can receive a notification on your TV when an update is available or set the media player to update itself automatically. If you dont have an Internet connection, you must check the Seagate website regularly to see if an update is available.
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Firmware Update
See Network Setup on page 14 for information on connecting your media player to the Internet.
Online Update
If you prefer to manage your updates and your media player is connected to the Internet, 1. On the Settings menu, select Firmware Update > Online. The media player checks for an update and displays a prompt if one is available. 2. Follow the directions in the prompt to download the firmware update.
USB Update
If your media player is not connected to a network, you cannot receive automatic update notifications; you must check the Seagate website every few weeks to see if one is available. 1. On your computer, go to the Seagate website at www.seagate.com, select your language, and go to Support. 2. If a firmware update is available, download it to your computer. 3. Drag the update onto an external USB storage device. 4. Connect the USB storage device to your media player. 5. On the Settings menu, select Firmware Update > USB. The media player recognizes the update file and automatically installs it.
Automatic Update
You can set up your media player to search for, download, and install updates automatically. When you turn on automatic update, FreeAgent Theater+ turns on your media player sometime between 2 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. every morning, checks for an update, and, if it finds one, installs it and shuts the media player off. To turn on automatic update, 1. On the Settings menu, select Firmware Update > Automatic. 2. Select On and click OK on the remote.
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3. Playing Media Files
Supported File Types

You follow the same basic steps to find and play any type of media file. After youve used the remote and the menu to open the screen for a selected media type (movie, picture, or music), use the media menus to make choices about how to sort, select, and play the media files.
Supported File Types

The media player supports specific movie, picture, and music file types.
Movies
The media player supports these movie file types:
Table 1: ASF DivX ISO MOV MPG RMVB SRT TRP WMV Supported Movie File Types AVI FLV M2TS MP4 MTS SAMI SUB TS XVID DAT IFO MKV MPEG RM SMI TP VOB
Movie Subtitles
The media player plays supported subtitle formats with a movie. The subtitle file name must be the same as the movie file name and the subtitle file and movie file must reside in the same folder. The media player supports these subtitle formats: SMI/SAMI, SRT, and SUB.
Pictures
The media player supports these picture file types:
Table 2: BMP PNG Supported Picture File Types GIF TIFF JPEG/JPG
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Opening a Media Screen
Audio
The media player supports these audio file types:
Table 3: AAC FLAC OGG RMVB M3U Supported Audio File Types AC3 M4A RA WAV PLS ASF MP3 RM WMA
Opening a Media Screen

Each media type (Movies, Pictures, and Music) has its own screens and menu options. The same process is used to open those menus. 1. On the home screen, use the arrow buttons on the remote to select Movies, Pictures, or Music. OR Press Menu on the remote to open the menu, then use the arrow buttons on the remote to select Movies, Pictures, or Music in the menu. 2. Press OK on the remote. The screen for the selected media type opens. 3. Press Menu again on the remote on any screen to display the menu for that screen.
Searching for a Media File

Use the Search option on the Movies, Pictures, or Music menu to find a particular movie, picture, or music file. From any screen, 1. Press Menu on the remote to display the menu, select Search, and press OK to open the Search screen. 2. On the Search screen, use the on-screen keyboard and the remote to enter the name or part of the name of a movie, picture, or music track. 3. Select Done on the keyboard. The screen lists all files that contain that name. If the screen is blank, no files with that name were found. 4. Select one of the files to play or start a new search if you dont see the file you want.
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Browsing Folders
The bottom left key on the search keyboard is labeled English. Select this key if your menu language is something other than English but you want to enter English characters in your search. If your menu language is already English, theres no effect if you click the English key.
Browsing Folders
The media player indexes all the media files available on the external drives connected to your media player and creates a database that you can search and display in a variety of ways. If you prefer to view your files and folders as theyre stored on your drive, you can do that by browsing: Select Browse on the Movies, Pictures, or Music menu and navigate through the files and folders stored on all devices connected to the media player. Select Devices on the main menu and navigate through the Devices screen options to view your media files and folders. See Chapter 5 Managing Devices on page 29 for further information about using the Devices screen to browse folders.
Playing Movies
The media player can play movies and personal videos stored on your computer or on a digital camera or camcorder.
Table 4: Movies Menu
Search: Use the remote and the on-screen search keyboard to search for a movie by title. Show all movies: Display all personal videos and DVDs. Show DVDs: Display movies that were saved to the external device in DVD format. Instead of the multiple folders and files that may be associated with that type of movie format, this view shows only the name of the movie folder and clicking its icon plays the movie from the beginning. Browse Folders: Display all file and folders containing movies on all connected external devices. View Thumbnails: Display movies as thumbnails if thumbnail art has been saved in the same folder as the movie files. View List: Display movies in a list. Sort: Choose how to sort your movie titles for display: A-Z Z-A Sort by Newest Sort by Oldest
From the Movies screen, 1. Press Menu on the remote to display the Movies menu if you want to change how movie files are displayed. 2. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to navigate to and select a movie to play.
20
Playing Movies
3. Press Play/Pause (X
) on the remote to start the movie.
4. To restart a movie from the beginning rather than from the point at which it was last paused or stopped, press Back Skip ( ) on the remote within 10 seconds of restarting the movie.
Movie Playback Options

After youve started playing a movie, you can change the playback options. 1. While a movie is playing, press Menu on the remote to pause the movie and display the Movie playback menu options.
Home
Movies
DVD Menu Subtitles... Audio...
Pictures
Figure 9:
Movies Playback Menu
DVD Menu: If youre playing a DVD that contains its own menu, display that menu. Subtitles: If subtitles are available, choose a language for them. Audio: If dubbing is available, choose a language and an encoding format for the movie dialog.
You can choose one language for subtitles and another for dialog for the same movie.
Note:
2. After youve made your menu selections, press Menu again to close the menu and resume the movie.
Displaying Movie Album Art in DVD Thumbnail View

When you store a movie in DVD format on your computer, a folder named for the movie is created. Inside that folder are two sub-folders, Audio_TS and Video_TS. To display the movie album art on the media player Movies screen, put the movie album image in the movie folder next to the Audio_TS and Video_TS folders.
See Using the Seagate Thumbnail Creator on page 33 to learn how to create thumbnails for movie files that dont provide their own thumbnails
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Viewing Pictures
Getting Movie Info

While a movie is playing, press information ( ) on the remote to display the title and a progress bar. Press again to hide the information.
Playing Movies in Slow Motion

You can play movies in forward or reverse slow motion at varying speeds: 1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16. 1. While the movie is playing, press Play/Pause ( X ) to pause the video.
2. Press Fast Forward ( ) for play in slow forward motion. Press repeatedly to decrease the speed of the forward play. 3. Press Fast Reverse ( ) for play in slow reverse motion. Press repeatedly to decrease the speed of the reverse play. 4. Press ( X ) again to resume normal play.
Viewing Pictures
The media player allows you to manage how pictures are displayed in a variety of ways: Display pictures in a list view or a thumbnail view. Sort by image name or date. Rotate images. Play photos directly from compatible digital cameras or camcorders on your TV. Play a folder of photos as a slideshow complete with background music and transition effects.
Pictures Menu
Table 5:
Search: Use the remote and the on-screen search keyboard to search for a picture by name. View Thumbnails: Display pictures as thumbnails. View List: Display pictures in a list. Show all pictures: Display all pictures on all connected external storage devices. Browse Folders: Look through all the pictures files and folders on all connected external devices. Sort: Choose how to sort your pictures for display: A-Z Z-A Sort by Newest Sort by Oldest
From the Pictures screen, 1. Press Menu on the remote to display the Pictures menu if you want to change how pictures are displayed.
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Viewing Pictures
2. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to select a picture. 3. Press OK on the remote to view a specific picture or Play/Pause (X ) to start a slideshow.
4. Press Play/Pause (X ) to stop the slideshow on a particular picture and press it again to resume the slideshow.
Playing Pictures and Movies from Compatible Digital Cameras and Camcorders
You can connect a compatible digital camera or camcorder to the media player with a USB cable to play photos and movies stored on the camera on your TV. Not all digital cameras can be used with the media player. To find out if your camera is compatible, connect it to the USB port on the front of the media player and see if the camera is displayed in the list of external devices on your TV. Not all movie file types are compatible, either. To find out if a movie or a picture on your camera can be viewed with the media player, click the movie folder or the image. If it doesnt open, it cant be viewed via the media player.
Note: Checking to see if a digital camera or file type is compatible with the media player will not harm it.
From the Devices screen, 1. Select your digital camera and navigate to the cameras memory card from the Devices menu. 2. Select the media file you want to play. 3. Press Play/Pause (X ) on the remote to start the playback.
Playing a Slideshow
To set up a slideshow of your pictures, you select the pictures to include and, if you wish, set special slideshow effects and select music to play with the slideshow.
Selecting Pictures
To play a slideshow of all the pictures on all the external devices connected to your media player, On the Pictures screen, select a picture, and press Play/Pause ( X start the slideshow. ) on the remote to
To play a slideshow of the pictures in a specific folder, 1. On the Pictures screen, press Menu to display the Pictures menu, select Browse Folders, and click OK.
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Viewing Pictures
2. Browse through the picture folders stored on all the devices connected to the media player. 3. When youve selected a folder of pictures to play, press Play/Pause ( X start the slideshow. ) on the remote to
Setting Slideshow Effects

Once youve started a slideshow or have opened a picture, use the Pictures slideshow menu to set up your slideshow preferences. Your preferences remain in effect for future slideshows until you change them. 1. While a slideshow is playing or a picture is displayed, press Menu on the remote open the Pictures slideshow menu.
Movies
Pictures
Rotate Right 90 Rotate Left 90 Zoom Slide Timing... Slide Transition... Continuous Play Shuffle
Music
Figure 10:
Pictures Slideshow Menu
2. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to select a slideshow menu option and press OK on the remote. Repeat this step until youve set preferences for each menu option. 3. When youve finished your settings, press Play/Pause ( X slideshow with your preferences. Rotate: Turn an image 90 degrees to the left or right. 1. When a picture you want to rotate is displayed, press Play/Pause ( X stop the slideshow. 2. Click Menu on the remote to display the slideshow menu. 3. Select Rotate Right 90 or Rotate Left 90 on the menu to rotate the image. 4. Press Play/Pause ( X
Note:
) on the remote to resume the
) on the remote to
) to resume the slideshow.
The image rotation is not saved. To permanently rotate an image, you must open the folder on your computer, rotate the image, and save it to the drive.
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Playing Music
Zoom: Zoom in on a picture: 2x, 4x, 8x. Slide Timing: Choose how long to display each image in the slideshow. Slide Transition Effects: Choose how to move from one image to the next during a slideshow. Continuous Play: Play your pictures in order from first to last, then start from the beginning again. Shuffle: Play your pictures in random order continuously.
Playing Music with a Slideshow

You can prepare the music and pictures for a slideshow on your computer before transporting the slideshow folder to your media player. 1. On your computer, put a music playlist in the folder containing the pictures you want to play in your slideshow. 2. Drag the slideshow folder onto a portable drive, safely disconnect the drive from your computer, and connect it to your media player. 3. Use the remote control buttons and media player menus to navigate to and select the folder. 4. Press Play/Pause ( X ) on the remote to start both the music and the slideshow.
You can play music with a slideshow even if you havent prepared a slideshow folder on your computer. 1. Use the remote control buttons and media player menus to navigate to and start playing the music. 2. Navigate to the pictures you want to play and press Play/Pause ( X the slideshow ) on the remote to start
Playing Music
You can find music on your media player by browsing through your music lists or searching for music by title. Once youve found the music you want to play, you can use the Music menu to select your Play options.
Table 6: Music Menu
Search: Use the remote and the on-screen search keyboard to search for a music track by title. View Thumbnails: Display music files as thumbnails showing the album cover if thumbnail art has been saved in the same folder as the music files. View List: Display music files in a list. Show all Songs/Albums/Artists/Genres/Years: Select how to view your music files. The view you select determines which music is displayed on the music screen. Show Playlists: Display song playlists you created on your computer. Browse Folders: Look through all the music on all connected external devices.
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Playing Music
Table 6:
Music Menu
Sort: Choose how to sort your music for display: A-Z Z-A Sort by Newest Sort by Oldest
From the Music screen, 1. Press Menu on the remote to display the Music menu if you want to change how music files are displayed 2. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to select an album or music track to play and press Play/Pause (X ) on the remote.
Music Playback Options

Once youve started playing a music track, use the Music playback menu to choose playback options. 1. While a music track is playing, press Menu on the remote to display the Music playback menu options.
Pictures
Music
Normal Repeat One Continuous Play Shuffle Loop
Internet
Figure 11:
Music Playback Menu
Normal: Play all music once. Repeat One: Repeat the current track until you choose a different option. Continuous Play: Repeat all the music in the order its listed. Shuffle Loop: Play the music continuously in random order.
2. Press the Volume keys on the remote to adjust the sound. 3. Press Stop to stop the music and Back to return to the Music window.
Displaying Album Cover Art in Music Thumbnail View

You can display an image of the album cover art in the thumbnail view of a music folder.
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Playing Music
1. On your computer, find the album art. 2. Drag the image into the music album folder. 3. Drag the music folder onto an external device and carry it to the media player. The music folder displays the album cover image in thumbnail view on the Music screen.
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4. Using Internet Services
4. Using Internet Services

The Internet screen provides links to various media services. These include text and video news feeds, stock market information, weather reports, and a variety of popular Internet sites. Services are regularly added and updated, so be sure to visit the Internet screen often to see new services. 1. Select Internet from the home screen or the menu. The Internet screen displays the names of the Internet media services to which your media player can link. 2. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to highlight the service you want to connect to and press OK on the remote. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions for the selected media service. 4. To return to the media player screens, Press Menu on the remote to display the media player menu and select another media player feature. Press the Home button on the remote to display the media player home screen.
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5. Managing Devices
Using a FreeAgent Go Drive with the Media Player
5. Managing Devices
The Devices screen provides access to all external devices connected to the FreeAgent Theater+ media player and allows you to browse through the media files stored on them in the traditional file/folder view. Devices can include a FreeAgent Go drive, a camera, and a USB device in addition to a local network and a media server.
Using a FreeAgent Go Drive with the Media Player

Although the media player can be used with any NTFS, FAT32, or HFS/HFS+ formatted external USB storage device, its designed specifically for use with a FreeAgent Go drive. The slot on the front of the media player provides a direct connection between the media player and the FreeAgent Go drive.
Using a USB Device with the Media Player

The media player can be used with any NTFS, FAT32, or HFS/HFS+ formatted external USB storage device. You can connect a supported USB device into either the front or the rear USB port on the media player.
Using a Network with the Media Player

You can connect your media player to your local network using either a wired or a wireless setup. Connecting your media player to a network allows you to stream content on your TV from media files stored on your computer or on other storage devices connected to your network (but only files and folders shared to the network). See Network Setup on page 14 for information on connecting your media player to a network.
Using a Media Server with the Media Player

A media server is any device that stores and shares digital media files. Media servers manufactured by companies who are part of the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) can be used with the FreeAgent Theater+ media player. DLNA is a collection of companies around the world who have agreed to make products that are compatible with one another so that entertainment devices within the home can share their content with each other across a home network. This allows you to easily and conveniently enjoy your media content using any electronic device from any location in your home.
Accessing Devices on the Media Player

1. Press Menu on the remote to display the menu.
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5. Managing Devices
Accessing Devices on the Media Player
2. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to highlight Devices in the menu and press OK on the remote. The screen displays available devices: FreeAgent Go if a FreeAgent Go drive is inserted in the media player USB if a USB storage device is connected to the media player Network if the media player is connected to your local network. Media Server if a DLNA device is connected to the media player
3. Use the arrow buttons on the remote to select a device and press OK. 4. Press Menu again to display the Devices menu.
Internet
Devices
View Thumbnails View List Show All Media Show Movies Show Pictures Show Music
Settings
Figure 12:
Devices Menu
Use this menu to decide how to display the media on this device (Thumbnails or List) and which kinds of media files to display (Movies, Pictures, Music, or All). 5. When youve found the movie, music, or pictures you want to play, press Play ( X remote. ) on the
Note:
Using the Devices menu is the only way to browse through the folders on a device and view media files within their folders. You can access the Devices menu either by selecting Devices on the menu or by selecting Browse Folders on the Movies, Pictures, or Music menu.
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6. Using the FreeAgent Theater for Windows Application
Installing the FreeAgent Theater Software

The FreeAgent Theater application includes Media Sync, a feature that allows you to automatically synchronize media files between your computer and a FreeAgent Go portable drive or any NTFS or FAT32-formatted USB external storage device. You can use the media player without installing the FreeAgent Theater software, but you cant synchronize your media files without it.

The FreeAgent Theater application software can be found on the Installation CD included in the product box 1. Insert the Installation CD in your computer. The first of three Registration windows opens.
Note: If AutoPlay does not begin on its own, go to My Computer, right-click on the Installation CD, and select AutoPlay from the pop-up menu.
2. Fill in the information on the three Registration windows. OR Click Cancel to postpone the registration and continue with the software installation.
Note: You can register later via the My Drives Settings menu.
The Choose Language window opens. 3. Click the language in which you want to install the application.
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The main menu opens.
Figure 13:
Installation Main Menu
4. Click Install FreeAgent Theater. The InstallShield Wizard Welcome window opens. 5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software. 6. Click Finish to complete the installation. A FreeAgent Theater icon appears on your desktop. The Installation CD main menu is still open on your desktop. 7. Click Exit to close the main menu.
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Using the Seagate Thumbnail Creator
The FreeAgent Theater application launches automatically.
Figure 14:
Media Sync Window

Not all movie files come with their own thumbnail cover art. You can use the Seagate Thumbnail Creator to automatically create thumbnails for movie files on your PC before you move them from your computer to your media player. The Thumbnail Creator selects a single frame from each movie file in a selected folder or drive and shows it in FreeAgent Theater+ when the movie file is displayed. The program is easy to use and can be found on the installation CD included in the product box. You can install the software on your computer at the same time you install the FreeAgent Theater software or you can install it at another time by inserting the Installation CD in your computers CD/DVD drive. 1. Insert the Installation CD in your computer. 2. On the main menu of the Installation CD, click Install Seagate Thumbnail Creator. The Seagate Thumbnail Creator wizard opens. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software. When the software has been installed, the Seagate Thumbnail Creator window opens. 4. Click Choose Folder, navigate to a movie folder for which you want to create a thumbnail, and click OK.
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The Seagate Thumbnail Creator automatically selects a frame from each movie file in the selected folder to create a thumbnail for that file and then displays Finished in the lower part of the window. 5. If you want to create thumbnails for another movie, click Choose Folder to select another movie folder and click OK. OR If youre done creating thumbnails, click Finished to close the Seagate Thumbnail Creator window. When those movie files are shown on your TV by the FreeAgent Theater+ media player, the thumbnails will be displayed. The Installation CD main menu is still open on your desktop. 6. If youre finished with the main menu, click Exit to close it.
Supported Movie File Types

The Seagate Thumbnail Creator supports these movie file types:
Table 7: ASF DivX MOV MPG SAMI SUB TS Supported Movie File Types AVI FLV MP4 MTS SMI TP WMV DAT M2TS MPEG RM SRT TRP XVID
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Managing Your Drives

The My Drives window provides a central point from which to manage your connected drives. You can get to the My Drives window by clicking the My Drives icon in the menu bar from any other window within the application.
Menu Bar
Help
Figure 15:
My Drive Window
Using the My Drives Window

In the My Drives window, you first select your drive and then the feature you want to use with it. The middle of the My Drives window displays the connected drives. The currently selected drive is highlighted in light blue.You can use the FreeAgent Theater application with any NTFS or FAT32-formatted USB, Firewire, or eSATA drive. The icons in the menu bar allow you to move between the My Drives window, used to manage the features of the selected drive, and the Media Sync window, used to sync media files on the selected drive with media files on your computer. To select a different drive, click the drive icon or partition name. To access advanced settings for the selected drive, click Settings. To get more information about the selected drive, click Drive Info. To get help, click the Help icon. If youre not able to find the answer to your question, click Customer Support to go to Seagates Support website.
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Note:
All NTFS and FAT32-formatted USB external drives are automatically detected and listed in the My Drives window. It can take a few seconds for the FreeAgent Theater software to detect your drive. If your drive doesnt appear, make sure its properly connected and turned on.
Managing Drive Settings

Click Settings at the bottom of the My Drives window to open the Settings window and access the following features for the selected drive: Adjust Power Setting Test My Drive Adjust Drive Lights (FreeAgent drives only) Check for Software Update Change Seagate Advisor Setting Register My Product (Seagate and Maxtor drives only)
Adjusting the Power Setting

You can choose how long your drive should remain inactive before it goes into power-saving mode. Power-saving mode conserves energy by telling your drives internal storage disk to stop spinning when its not in use. Though power-saving mode uses less electricity, it takes a little more time for your drive to become active again when you want to use it. If you use your drive a lot, you may want to choose a longer time interval so your work isnt interrupted when you're opening files from or saving files to your drive. If you use your drive less frequently, you may want to choose a shorter time interval so your drive doesnt consume more energy than it needs. 1. In the Settings window, click Adjust Power Setting. The Adjust Power Setting window opens. 2. Select an interval from the drop-down menu or click Default to return to the original power setting for the drive. 3. Click Apply to save the power setting. The Adjust Power Setting window confirms that the power setting for your drive has been changed. 4. Click OK to return to the My Drives window.
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Testing Your Drive

Test your drive to check the health of your drive. The diagnostic utility performs its tests without affecting the data on your drive. 1. In the Settings window, click Test My Drive. The Test My Drive window opens. 2. Click Test. A progress bar indicates the progress of the test. When the test is complete, the results are displayed. If the diagnostic encounters an error during testing, the serial number of the bad device is displayed with instructions to contact Seagate for service and support. 3. Click OK to return to the My Drives window.
Adjusting Drive Lights

The drive lights control allows you to turn off the lights on your drive. By default, your drive lights remain on and flicker to indicate drive activity and status. If the drive is in your bedroom, the lights could be distracting at night and you might want to turn them off.
Note: This feature is available only for FreeAgent drives.
1. In the Settings window, click Adjust Drive Lights. The Drive Lights window opens. 2. To turn the drive lights off, click Turn lights off. To turn the drive lights back on, click Display status and activity lights. 3. Click Apply. The drive lights automatically turn back on in the following situations: If drive power is turned off and back on If the drive is disconnected and reconnected
Updating Your Software

The Software Update feature automatically informs you when an update is available for your software. You can also manually check to see if an update is available or you can turn off the Software Update feature. 1. In the Settings window, click Check for Software Update. The Software Update window opens. Check for updates automatically is selected by default. 2. To turn off Software Update, deselect Check for updates automatically.
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3. To check for updates now, click Check Now. A Software Update window appears to inform you of whether your software is up to date. If new software is available, you can download it from this window. For more information about the new software, click More Info.
Changing Seagate Advisor Setting

You can choose whether to show Seagate Advisor popup messages (special promotions and Tips and Tricks) in your system tray. 1. In the Settings window, click Change Seagate Advisor Setting. The Change Seagate Advisor Setting window opens. Show Seagate Advisor messages is selected by default. 2. To turn off Seagate Manager pop-up messages in your system tray, deselect Show Seagate Advisor messages.
Note: Turning off Seagate Manager system tray popup messages does not turn off Software Update Notification popup messages.
Registering Your Drive

Note: This feature is available only for Seagate and Maxtor drives.
1. In the Settings window, click Register My Drive. The Seagate Product Registration web page opens. 2. Enter the required information. 3. Click Register at the bottom of the page.
Getting Drive Info

The Drive Info feature provides the following information about your drive: Serial Number: The drive identification number Fiirmware: The version number of the firmware Volume: The name of your drive Capacity: The total available space on your drive Free Space: The amount of unused space remaining on your drive File System: The Windows file system of your drive
1. In the My Drives window, select the drive you want information about.
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2. Click Drive Info. The Drive Information window opens. 3. To close the Drive Information window, click OK.
Using the System Tray Status Icon

The FreeAgent Theater Status icon in your system tray keeps you apprised of the status of your external drive and provides quick access to drive features. To check the status of your drive, roll your mouse over the Status icon.
Status Icon
Figure 16: FreeAgent Theater Status Icon
The color of the Status icon conveys this information:

Table 8: Status Icon Colors
Status Icon Color

Blue Green Gray Yellow Red
Status
Drive connected Drive connected Sync idle No drive connected Sync in progress Sync failed
Note:
When a sync has failed, the red icon continues to display until the next successful sync.
To use the FreeAgent Theater system tray menu,
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Using Media Sync
1. Click the Status icon to display the menu.
Figure 17:
FreeAgent Theater Status Icon
2. Select the feature you want to access or select Exit to close the menu.
Restoring the System Tray Status Icon

If you select Exit on the system tray menu, the Status icon disappears from the system tray. To restore the Status icon to the system tray, go to Start > Programs > Seagate > FreeAgent >Theater > FreeAgent >Theater Status Icon
Using Media Sync

You can use either a FreeAgent Go portable drive that comes packaged with the media player or one that youve purchased separately. The drive that comes with the media player does not contain any software. The drive purchased separately contains its own software, which includes a different Sync feature. There is no conflict between FreeAgent Theater Media Sync and FreeAgent Go Sync, but only Media Sync is designed to find media files on your computer and sync them with external drives. Whenever you connect an external storage device to your computer, the media folders on the computer are copied to the media folders on your device to keep them synchronized. You can sync the same folder on your computer with multiple external drives, one at a time. You can also use one external drive to sync folders on multiple computers. There are two sync options:
Simple Sync Sync media files in XP My Documents folder or Vista Personal folder Sync all media file types Sync automatically Custom Sync Select one or more folders to sync Select media file types to sync Select automatic or manual sync
Using Simple Sync

Simple Sync is pre-configured to automatically sync all compatible media files in your XP My Documents or Vista Personal Folder folder. Newer file versions always overwrite older versions. In the Media Sync window, click Simple Sync.
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Using Media Sync
The Simple Sync Confirmation window opens. Your XP My Documents folder or Vista Personal Folder folder is now synchronized with your FreeAgent drive.
Using Custom Sync

Custom Sync allows you to select specific folders and media file types for synchronization and to choose sync settings. 1. In the Media Sync window, click Custom Sync. The Folder Selection window opens. 2. Select the folders to be synchronized. 3. Click Next. The File Types window opens. 4. Select the types of media files you want to sync: Photos (bmp, gif, jpeg, jpg, png, tiff) Music (aac, ac3, asf, flac, m4a, mp3, ogg, ra, rm, rmvb, wav, wma, m3u, pls) Videos (asf, avi, dat, divx, flv, ifo, iso, m2ts, mkv, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpg, mts, rm, rmvb, sami, smi, srt, sub, tp, trp, ts, vob, wmv, xvid)
5. Click Next. The Media Sync Rules window opens. 6. Set your Sync Rules: Sync automatically each time a file changes OR Sync manually using the Sync Now button in the Sync window
7. Click Finish. The Media Sync settings window opens.
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Using Media Sync
Managing Media Sync Settings

Use the Media Sync Settings window to edit your sync settings, check the sync status, or delete your sync settings.
Figure 18:
FreeAgent Theater+ Media Sync Settings
Editing Media Sync Settings 1. In the Media Sync window, click Edit Sync Settings. 2. Use the Media Sync windows to add or remove folders from sync and change your file type and Sync Rules selections. Checking Sync Status 1. In the Media Sync window, click Check Sync Status. The Sync Status window opens. Listed are the names of the computers on which sync was set up, the date of the last sync, and the Automatic Sync setting (On or Off). 2. Click OK to return to the Media Sync window. Deleting Media Sync Settings
Note: Deleting your Media Sync settings will not delete the media files stored on your drive.
1. In the Media Sync window, click Delete Sync Settings.
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Using Media Sync
The Delete Sync Settings Confirmation window opens. 2. Click Delete. The original Media Sync window opens. 3. To create new sync settings, select Simple Sync or Custom Sync.
Using Automatic Sync

The Automatic Sync feature continuously tracks file changes in synchronized folders and automatically synchronizes revised versions by overwriting older versions with newer versions. Your external drive must be connected during Automatic Sync. By default, Automatic Sync is turned on.
Turning Off Automatic Sync

You can turn off Automatic Sync and control when files are synchronized rather than synchronizing files automatically. 1. In the Media Sync window, click the Automatic Sync Off button. 2. To sync manually when Automatic Sync is off, Click Sync Now in the lower right corner of the Media Sync window. OR Select Sync Now from the System Tray FreeAgent Theater+ menu.
Finding More Help

Seagate Support provides a broad range of resources (including FAQs, a knowledge base and a community forum) to help you solve any problem you might have while using your media player.
Note: To access Seagate Support, you must be using a computer with Internet access.
To access Seagate Support from the FreeAgent Theater application, select Seagate Support from the Help menu. The Seagate Support home page opens in a browser.
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7. Using the FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh Application
Installing the Software

Use the FreeAgent Theater application to synchronize media files between your computer and a FreeAgent Go portable drive or any FAT32- or HFS/HFS+-formatted external USB storage device. You can use the media player without installing the FreeAgent Theater software, but you cant synchronize your media files without it. You can use either a FreeAgent Go that comes packaged with the media player or one that youve purchased separately. The drive that comes with the media player does not contain any software. The drive purchased separately contains its own software, which includes a different Sync feature. There is no conflict between FreeAgent Theater Media Sync and FreeAgent Go Sync, but only Media Sync is designed to find media files on your computer and sync them with external drives.

The FreeAgent Theater application software can be found on the Installation CD included in the product box. 1. Insert the installation CD in your computer. A FreeAgent Theater folder containing the installer opens. 2. Drag the installer to the Applications folder on your hard disk. 3. Double-click FreeAgent Theater in the Applications folder to open the application.
Figure 19:
FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh Application
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Opening the application for the first time initiates an automatic install of the software. It also opens the first of three Product Registration windows. 4. Enter the information in the three Registration windows. OR Click Cancel to postpone the registration and complete the software installation.
Note: You can register later by selecting Product Registration in the FreeAgent Theater Help menu.
Using the Media Sync Application

You can manually select the folders to synchronize or you can set up automatic synchronization so that the media folders on your computer are synchronized when the external drive is connected to your computer.
Note: You can sync the same folder on your computer with multiple external drives, one at a time. You can also use one external drive to sync folders on multiple computers.
The left panel shows the drives connected to your computer. These are the destination folders onto which you will sync your source media files (Movies, Pictures, and Music or other folders you choose) from your computer. The right panel is where you choose the source files to be copied to the destination drive. The bottom right section of the window is where you set up automatic synchronization and where you start synchronizing files after you have selected the source and destination folders.
There are two sync options: Default Sync: Use your default media folders (Movies, Pictures, Movies) as the source folders Manual Sync: Manually select the source folders to synchronize
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Using Media Sync

Note: An external drive must be connected to your computer before you can select the source folders used for media sync.
You do not need to create any folders on the destination drive. The appropriate folders are created on the drive at the time you choose to synchronize your media files, as described below: When the users default Movies, Pictures and Music folders are used as the source, these folders are added to a folder on the external drive called user name_MAC1, where user name is the users name and MAC1 is the computer name. When you manually select a source folder outside of your default folders, a folder called volume name_MAC1 is created on the external drive, which contains Folder1, Folder2, etc., where volume name is the name of the volume and MAC1 is the computer name.
Using Default Sync

The FreeAgent Theater application allows you to use your default media folders (Movies, Pictures, Movies) as the source folders for synchronizing with the external drive. 1. Connect the external drive to your computer. 2. In the right panel of the application window, select Use my Movies, Pictures and Music folders to use your computers default media folders as the source folders. These are the folders that were automatically created when the user account was set up on your computer. 3. Click Sync Now to synchronize the files now.
Using Manual Sync

Manual Sync allows you to select specific folders and media file types for synchronization and to choose the sync settings. 1. Connect the external drive to your computer. Make sure that the drive appears in the left panel of the FreeAgent Theater window. If more than one drive is connected to your computer, select the appropriate drive for synchronization. Each drive has its own settings. 2. Click the + button and then navigate to the source media folders. (Click the button to remove an item from the list.) When the new window appears, select the files and folders to sync and then click Add to Sync. 3. Below Sync only these files, select one or more of the file types to filter what is synchronized. For example, select Movies and then leave Pictures and Music unchecked if you only want to sync movie files. The following file types are supported: Photos (bmp, gif, jpeg, jpg, png, tiff)
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Music (aac, ac3, asf, flac, m4a, mp3, ogg, ra, rm, rmvb, wav, wma, m3u, pls) Videos (asf, avi, dat, divx, flv, ifo, iso, m2ts, mkv, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpg, mts, rm, rmvb, sami, smi, srt, sub, tp, trp, ts, vob, wmv, xvid)
4. Click Sync Now.
Using Automatic Sync

The Automatic Sync feature continuously tracks file changes in synchronized folders and automatically synchronizes revised versions by overwriting older versions with newer versions. Automatic Sync can occur only when your external drive is connected. Automatic Sync is turned on by default. If you do not want your drive automatically synchronized while its connected, you can turn off the Automatic Sync feature.
Automatic Sync
Figure 20:
Automatic Sync Option
Turning Off Automatic Sync

You can turn off Automatic Sync and control when files are synchronized rather than synchronizing files automatically. 1. In the FreeAgent Theater application window, clear the check box for Automatic Sync. 2. To sync manually when Automatic Sync is off, Click Sync Now in the lower right corner of the application window.
Updating the FreeAgent Software

The Software Update feature can automatically inform you when an update is available for your software. You can also manually check to see if an update is available or you can turn off the Software Update feature.
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1. In the Help menu, click Software Update. The Software Update window appears. 2. To turn on automatic Software Update, select Check for updates automatically. 3. To check for updates now, click Check Now. A Software Update window displays to inform you of whether your software is up to date. If new software is available, you can download it from this window. For more information about the software, click More Info.
Finding More Help

Seagate Support provides a broad range of resources (including FAQs, a knowledge base and a community forum) to help you solve any problem you might have while using your media player.
Note: To access Seagate Support, you must be using a computer with Internet access.
To access Seagate Support from the FreeAgent Theater application, select Seagate Support from the Help menu. The Seagate Support home page opens in a browser.
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About DivX
A. About DivX Certification

FreeAgent Theater+ is an official DivX certified product with the DivX Home Theater Profile. It plays all versions of DivX video (including DivX 6) with standard playback of DivX media files. DivX Certified products are officially tested by the creators of DivX and guaranteed to play all versions of DivX video, including DivX 6. Certified products qualify for one of several DivX Profiles that designate the type of video the product supports, from compact portable video to high-definition video.
About DivX
DivX is a popular media technology created by DivX, Inc. DivX media files contain highly compressed video with high visual quality that maintains a relatively small file size. DivX files can also include advanced media features like menus, subtitles, and alternate audio tracks. Many DivX media files are available for download online, and you can create your own using your personal content and easy-to-use tools from DivX.com. MOV and AVI files can be played on FreeAgent Theater+ if they are run through the DivX Converter application. The DivX Converter is available on www.DivX.com.
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Index
Index
A access point (infrastructure), wireless connection mode 15 album thumbnail cover art DVDs 21 music 26 aspect ratio 16 by 9 14 letter box 14 pan scan 14 video setup 14 audio file types 19 audio settings, media player 13 audio setup digital output 13 night mode 13 Automatic Sync turning off 43, 47 using 43 B blank screen, what to do about 13 C certification, by DivX 49 choosing a language 21 compatible external drive formats FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh 44 FreeAgent Theater for Windows 31 media player 6 components, media player 7 connector types, which one to use 14 continuous play of music 26 of pictures 25 Custom Sync 41 D database, media files 6 default sync settings
Media Sync for Macintosh 46 Media Sync for Windows 40 defaults, factory 13 desktop application drive settings, Windows 36 system tray status icon, Windows 39 updating the software, Macintosh 47 updating the software, Windows 37 devices 29 accessing on the media player 29 browsing 20 managing 29 digital cameras and camcorders playing media 23 playing movies and videos 23 playing pictures 23 Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) 29 digital output 13 HDMI 13 S/PDIF 13 disconnecting external devices from the media player safely 9 DivX 49 deactivate 12 register 12 Video on Demand 12 DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance ) 29 drive info capacity 38 file system 38 firmware version 38 free space 38 serial number 38 volume 38 drive lights, adjusting 37 dubbing 21 DVD movie album thumbnails 21 Dynamic IP wired setup 15 E external devices 29 cameras and camcorders 29
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Index
FreeAgent Go 29 local networks 29 media servers 29 USB drives 29 F factory defaults, resetting to 13 factory defaults, restoring 13 file system, of the drive 38 file types, supported audio 19 movie subtitles 18 movies 18 music 19 pictures 18 firmware update, media player automatic 17 on line 17 USB 17 firmware version, of the drive 38 FreeAgent Go drive LED, turning on or off 12 transporting media files 29 using with the media player 29 FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh desktop application 44 compatible external drive formats 44 software installation 44 software updates 47 FreeAgent Theater for Windows desktop application 31 compatible external drive formats 31 drive info 38 drive lights, adjusting 37 drive settings 36 drive, registering 38 drive, testing 37 drives, managing 35 My Drives window 35 power setting, adjusting 36 Seagate Advisor settings, changing 38 software installation 31 software, updating 37 system tray menu 39
system tray status icon, how to use 39 system tray status icon, restoring 40 H HDMI digital output 13 help 43, 48 how the media player works 6 I infrastructure (access point), wireless connection mode 15 Internet services 28 news feeds 28 stocks 28 weather 28 IP address, network 12 K keyboard how to use 19 L letter box aspect ratio 14 local network 29 streaming content 29 M Macintosh desktop application FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh 44 main menu, media player 10 manual sync settings 46 Media Sync for Macintosh 46 media file database 20 media file types 18 media files 18 creating a database for 6 indexing 6 movies, playing 20 music, playing 25 pictures menu 22 searching 19 supported file types 18 media files, carrying to the media player FreeAgent Go drive 29
51
Index
media servers 29 USB devices 29 using a local network 29 media files, playing 18 media folders, browsing 20 media player about 6 accessing devices 29 automatic firmware update 17 components 7 configuring 11 features 6 firmware 17 front view 7 how it works 6 Internet services 28 introduction 6 MAC address 12 main menu 10 managing external devices 29 menu language 12 menus 10 network IP address 12 online firmware update 17 overview 6 rear view 7 remote control 8 resetting 13 resetting to factory defaults 13 resetting to NTSC 13 resetting to PAL 13 setting up 11 settings menu 11 system firmware version information 12 system settings 12 USB devices 29 USB firmware update 17 using with a FreeAgent Go drive 29 using with a local network 29 using with a media server 29 using with a USB device 29 media player firmware automatic update 17 online update 17
USB update 17 media player menus, navigating 10 media player settings 11 audio 13 firmware update 16 menu language 11 network 14 system 12 video 14 media screens, opening 19 media servers Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) 29 DLNA 29 media services 28 Media Sync for Macintosh 45 Automatic Sync 47 default sync settings 46 manual sync settings 46 turning off Automatic Sync 47 Media Sync for Windows 40 Custom Sync 41 managing settings 42 Simple Sync 40 Media Sync settings Automatic Sync 43 checking sync status 42 deleting 42 editing 42 managing 42 menu language, for the media player changing 11 choosing 11 menus main 10 movies 20 music 25 pictures 22 menus and the remote control 10 movie album covers in DVD thumbnail view, displaying 21 movie file types 18 movie files, creating thumbnails for 33
52
Index
movie info 22 movie playback options 21 dubbing movies 21 from digital cameras and camcorders 23 opening a DVD menu 21 playing in slow motion 22 subtitles 21 movie progress 22 movie subtitles 18, 21 choosing a language 21 displaying 21 movie thumbnails, displaying 21 movies menu 20 playing 20 playing from digital cameras and camcorders 23 movies, playing 20 from digital cameras and camcorders 20, 23 getting movie info 22 in slow motion 22 restarting movies from the beginning 21 music browsing folders 25 listening 25 playing 25 playlists 25 sorting 25 music album thumbnail art 26 music menu 25 music playback options continuous play 26 repeat 26 shuffle loop 26 volume 26 music, playing audio file types 19 with a slideshow 25 N network setup benefits 14 wired 15 wireless 15
news feeds 28 night mode, audio settings 13 NTSC 14 NTSC and PAL, toggling between 13 NTSC, changing to 13 O online firmware updates 17 overview, media player 6 P PAL 14 PAL and NTSC, toggling between 13 PAL, changing to 13 pan scan 14 pass phrase 15 peer to peer (ad hoc), wireless connection mode 15 picture file types 18 picture playback options continuous play 25 from digital cameras and camcorders 23 rotating 24 shuffling playback order 25 slide timing 25 slide transitions 25 slideshow, playing 23 slideshow, setting up 23 zooming 25 picture, movie, or music screen, opening 19 pictures browsing folders 22 selecting for a slideshow 23 sorting 22 viewing 22 playback options movies 21 music 26 pictures 24 playing media files supported file types 18 playlists 25 power setting, adjusting 36
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Index
profile name 16 R remote control 8 remote control and the menus 10 remote control, buttons 8 reset, of the media player manual 13 restoring factory defaults 13 restart movies from the beginning 21 rotate pictures 24 S S/PDIF digital output 13 safely disconnecting external devices from the media player 9 screen goes blank, what to do 13 Seagate Advisor, changing settings 38 Seagate Thumbnail Creator 33 supported movie file types 34 search for a media file 19 search keyboard English key 20 how to use 19 security key 15 serial number (drive ID) 38 setting up a slideshow slide timing 25 settings menu 11 setup information, for network wired 15 wireless 15 setup, media player audio 13 firmware updates 16 network 14 system 12 video 14 shuffle pictures 25 Simple Sync 40 slideshow effects continuous play 25
rotating pictures 24 shuffling playback order 25 slide timing 25 slide transitions 25 zooming pictures 25 slideshow setup music 25 selecting pictures 23 slow motion 22 slow network, possible causes 16 software installation FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh 44 FreeAgent Theater for Windows 31 software update FreeAgent Theater for Macintosh 47 FreeAgent Theater for Windows 37 sorting movies 20 music 25 pictures 22 SSID 15 Static IP wired setup 15 status icon, in the Windows system tray 39 streaming content, from local network 29 subtitles 18 choosing a language 21 supported file types audio 19 movie subtitles 18 movies 18 music 19 pictures 18 supported formats, USB devices 29 supported video resolutions by connector type 14 composite vs. component/HDMI 14 sync automatic 47 manual 46 synchronizing media files on your computer 40 system setup 12
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Index
factory defaults 13 firmware version information 12 MAC address 12 menu language 12 network IP address 12 text encoding 12 time 12 system tray menu 39 system tray status icon, restoring 40 system tray status icon, Windows 39 T text encoding 12 Thumbnail Creator 33 thumbnails creating for movie files 21, 33 time, setting 12 TV system NTSC 14 PAL 14 supported resolutions by connector 14 video resolution 14 U USB devices supported formats 29 using with the media player 29 V version, media player system firmware 12 video feeds 28 video setup 14 aspect ratio 14 brightness 14 contrast 14 resolution 14 TV system 14 videos, playing 20 W weak signal, possible causes 16 weather reports 28
what to do if the screen goes blank 13 WiFi Adapter, configuring 16 components 16 profile name 16 setup 15 WiFi Adapter, connecting 16 Windows desktop application adjusting the power setting 36 drive, registering 38 drive, testing 37 FreeAgent Go drive lights, adjusting 37 software, updating 37 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) 15 wired network connection 15 wired setup Dynamic IP 15 Static IP 15 Wireless Application Protocol WPA or WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) 15 wireless network connections access point (infrastructure) 15 peer to peer (ad hoc) 15 wireless security method Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) 15 Wireless Application Protocol WPA or WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) 15 wireless setup 15 access point 15 network name (SSID) 15 pass phrase 15 peer to peer 15 required information 15 security key 15 security method 15 slow network 16 weak signal, possible causes 16 WiFi Adapter, configuring 16 Z zooming pictures 25
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