Overview

Thanks for trying out FrontView for Windows XP Media Center Edition! We appreciate your interest!

This document describes how to install FrontView for Windows XP Media Center Edition. FrontView is an application that drives VFD or LCD displays in Windows Media Center computers. It displays customizable Media Center "session" information on the display built into your case. For pictures of a FrontView-controlled display in action, click here.

FrontView for Windows Media Center is a program that can be used to display session information from Windows Media Center on the VFD or LCD that is built into your case.

Some of the major features include:

1. Supports the LCD or VFD that is already included in many cases from Silverstone and Ahanix, as well as displays such as Crystalfontz, SoundGraph (iMon), Matrix Orbital, and LPT based Hitachi 44780 compatible displays. FrontView even has the ability to use display plug-ins which will allow the use of virtually any display that has an available plug-in (several of which are already being developed by third parties). Please contact us if you are interested in writing a display plug-in for FrontView!
2. Fully customizable strings can be displayed for each type of session in Windows Media Center.  Some session types include: DVD Movie, Music, Caller ID, and Picture slide shows.
3. Implements a customizable priority scheme that defines which session will be displayed on the LCD/VFD when multiple sessions are active.  For example, you can determine what will be displayed on the LCD/VFD if you are watching TV and MCE detects and incoming phone call with caller-id information.
4. A configuration app that makes all possible customizations as easy as possible.  The configuration app also takes care of setting up FrontView to work correctly with your LCD/VFD.
5. Support for third-party plug-ins. Several plug-ins will be arriving shortly and will be available for download from MediaCenterMagic.com. If you are interested in writing a session plug-in for FrontView - please contact us!.
6. Version 3.0 is implemented as a service so it is available to display information from other applications aside from Windows Media Center. This feature will be useful for third party plug-ins that become available.
7. Scroll settings are customizable, including speed, number of scroll iterations and pause time between scroll iterations.
8. Works correctly with Windows' power management to enable/disable the LCD/VFD when appropriate.

Registering FrontView

FrontView is available in a freely downloadable version and a registered version. The registered version gives you full control over your display and the ability to customize it completely. For the first thirty days, the free version provides this capability also, but afterwards reverts to a generic configuration.

Please register your copy of FrontView! Doing so costs very little and gives you full control over your display. It also helps us to be able to create new versions of FrontView and provide the kind of customer support you deserve. For information on how to register your copy of FrontView, visit http://www.MediaCenterMagic.com. Thanks!

Installing FrontView

Installing FrontView requires two steps: installing the software and configuring the display. To install the software, close the Media Center application, and double-click the file FrontView.msi. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the installation. After the install is complete, the FrontView configuration tool is automatically launched. (To run the configuration tool again later, click Start->All Programs->FrontView->FrontView Configuration.) For details on how to configure specific display types, see the product documentation or the paragraphs below.

Supported Devices

FrontView 3.0 supports LCD and VFD devices made by Crystalfontz, SoundGraph (iMon), and Matrix Orbital, as well as a variety of parallel port displays using controllers based on the Hitachi* 44780 controller chip. The LCD or VFD that is already included in your Ahanix or Silverstone case is probably supported by FrontView.

iMON* USB devices

FrontView supports iMON USB display devices through the "plug-in" mode of the iMON VFD Control Panel software. To use FrontView with iMON displays, you MUST have this software installed, and must manually set the control panel to "Plug-in" mode. Open the control panel applet by double-clicking the iMON VFD Control Panel icon in the task bar and selecting "Plug-in" mode (far right).

After Plug-in mode has been selected, open the FrontView Configuration tool (Start->FrontView->FrontView Configuration), click "Configure Display" on the tree view, then select "iMON Displays" from the "Installed Display Type" pull-down. Press "OK" to complete the configuration.

Crystalfontz* USB and serial devices

FrontView supports several Crystalfontz devices, including the CFA-631, CFA-632, CFA-633, CFA-634, and CFA-635. FrontView accesses all Crystalfontz displays -- even USB displays -- through a (virtual) serial port interface.

Open the FrontView Configuration tool (Start->FrontView->FrontView Configuration), click "Configure Display" on the tree view, then select "Crystalfontz Displays" from the "Installed Display Type" pull-down. To complete the configuration, you must now also select the display type and set up the communication channel.

To do this, press the "Configure Display" button. In the configuration dialog, select your Display Type, the Serial Port your device is connected to (see below for details on how to determine this), and the speed ("Baud Rate") that the device is using. Press the "test" button to check whether your settings are correct. If so, the display should mirror what is shown in the test dialog.

Determining which "serial port" a Crystalfontz USB device is connected to

For serial Crystalfontz devices, the display is connected to one of the physical serial ports on your system. This will typically be COM1 or COM2, occasionally COM3 or COM4. Select the appropriate port and baud in the "Configure Display" dialog.

For USB devices, the Crystalfontz drivers create a "virtual" serial port through which FrontView communicates with your display. You must configure FrontView with the correct port number in order to drive the display. To find the port number, launch the Computer Management tool by RIGHT clicking "My Computer" and choosing "Manage" from the menu. Click "Device Manager" on the left tree view. From the list of device types on the right, open "Ports (COM & LPT)". Look for an entry of the form "Crystalfontz CFA63x- USB (COMxx)". This will tell you both the model of you r display and the virtual port it is connected to. (If there is no such entry, then the Crystalfontz drivers have not been correctly installed.)

Hitachi* 44780-based parallel devices

FrontView supports a variety of parallel-port devices which use Hitachi 44780 (and compatible) chips as controllers.

Open the FrontView Configuration tool (Start->FrontView->FrontView Configuration), click "Configure Display" on the tree view, then select "Hitachi Displays" from the "Installed Display Type" pull-down. To complete the configuration, you must now also select the display's dimensions and set up the communication channel.

To do this, press the "Configure Display" button. In the configuration dialog, select your display's dimensions (#columns x #rows), and the parallel port that your display is connected to (LPT1 or LPT2). Press the "test" button to check whether your settings are correct. If so, the display should mirror what is shown in the test dialog.

Matrix Orbital* devices

FrontView supports Matrix Orbital USB and serial-port displays.

Open the FrontView Configuration tool (Start->FrontView->FrontView Configuration), click "Configure Display" on the tree view, then select "Matrix Orbital Displays" from the "Installed Display Type" pull-down. To complete the configuration, you must now also select the display's dimensions and set up the communication channel.

To do this, press the "Configure Display" button. In the configuration dialog, select your display's dimensions (#columns x #rows), the serial port that your display is connected to, and the baud rate of the port. Press the "test" button to check whether your settings are correct. If so, the display should mirror what is shown in the test dialog.

Customer support

All customer support issues will be handled through the MediaCenterMagic web site at http://www.mediacentermagic.com.

Notice

This software is furnished under license and may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of the license. The information in this document is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Media Center Magic. Media Center Magic assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this document or any software that may be provided in association with this document. Except as permitted by such license, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written consent of Media Center Magic.

Legal/Disclaimers

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Media Center Magic assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this document. Nor does Media Center Magic make any commitment to update the information contained herein.

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