Use Windows Media Player Mobile |
| Your mobile phone includes Windows Media Player Mobile, a program that plays music and videos. Windows Media Player Mobile can play media files that are stored on the mobile phone, as well as songs and videos that you stream from the Internet.
Windows Media Player Mobile also helps you organize your media files. After you save media file to your mobile phone, you can create playlists of both music and video files with Windows Media Player Mobile.
Windows Media Player Mobile gives you access to the following folders:
My Music: Holds sound files downloaded to your mobile phone and any files that you add My Videos: Holds video files downloaded to your mobile phone and any files that you add My TV: Holds television programs downloaded to your mobile phone My Playlists: Holds the playlists that you create
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| Windows Media Player Mobile can play media files protected with Windows Media Digital Rights Management.
These how-to instructions are for touch screen and non-touch screen phones with Windows Mobile 5. To find help and how-to for Windows Mobile 6 and later versions, go to the main Help & how-to section.
Not sure what type of phone or version of Windows Mobile you have? Identify your Windows Mobile phone. |
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 5.0 Touch Screen | 5.0 Non-Touch Screen |
| | Play items on your device | Use the library to find and play songs, videos, and playlists that are stored on your Pocket PC or removable storage card. | If you are not on the Library screen, tap Menu > Library. If necessary, on the Library screen, tap the Library arrow (near the top of the screen), and then tap the library that you want to use (for example, Storage Card). Tap a category (for example, My Music or My Playlists), tap and hold the item that you want to play (such as a song, album, or artist name), and then tap Play or Queue Up.
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| Play an item on a network | Use the Open URL command to play a song or video that is stored on the Internet or on a network server. | If you are not on the Library screen, tap Menu > Library. In the URL box, enter a network address.
--or--
In the History box, tap a URL that you have previously used.
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| Note | To play an item on a network, your device must be connected to a network. For more information about connecting your device to a network, see Pocket PC Help or the documentation that came with your device. |
| Play a file at a specific point | |
| Note | If your device hardware supports it, you can rewind and fast forward files by pressing and holding the NAVIGATION left or right controls. |
| Play items in a random order | Use the Shuffle command to play the items in the Now Playing playlist in a random order. A check mark appears next to the command name when shuffle play is turned on. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to display the Playback screen. On the Playback screen, to turn on or turn off shuffle play, tap Menu > Shuffle/Repeat > Shuffle.
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| Tip | You can also access the Shuffle command from the menu on the Now Playing screen. |
| Play items repeatedly | Use the Repeat command to play all items in the Now Playing playlist repeatedly. A check mark appears next to the command name when repeat play is turned on. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to display the Playback screen. On the Playback screen, to turn on or turn off repeat play, tap Menu > Shuffle/Repeat > Repeat.
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| Tip | You can also access the Repeat command from the menu on the Now Playing screen. |
| | Note | | You can also use the NAVIGATION up and down controls to adjust the volume. To turn the sound on or off quickly, tap Mute. If your device has a hardware keypad, you can also press the pound key (#) to turn the sound on or off quickly. If your device has a dedicated volume control, you can also use it to adjust the volume. However, that control will affect all sounds on your device, not just the sounds from Windows Media Player Mobile.
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| Rate an item | You can rate an item on your device, such as a song or video, to indicate how much you like it. When you synchronize with the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10, your ratings are copied from your device to your computer. | Play an item. On the Playback screen, tap the Star Rating to change the rating. A number between zero and five appears below the star icon to indicate the current rating.
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| Notes | | Zero stars is the lowest rating. Five stars is the highest rating. If your device has a hardware keypad, you can also press the asterisk (*) key to rate an item.
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| View file properties | You can view detailed information about files (such as artist and album name, length, codecs used, protection status, storage location, and star rating). | |
| Notes | The amount of information displayed on the Properties screen may vary by file and file type. When you view the file properties of a song, you can use the Buy CD command to find out whether the corresponding CD is available for purchase. After you tap Buy CD, you must synchronize with the latest version of the desktop Player (Windows Media Player 10) to view the Buy CD Web page and complete the transaction. The Buy CD command is not available for all files.
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| Copy music and video files to your Pocket PC | Use the Sync feature in the desktop version of Windows Media Player to synchronize (copy) digital media files from your computer to your Pocket PC. Using Sync ensures that protected files and album art are copied to your device correctly.
To synchronize content to your device automatically, do the following: | On your computer, start Windows Media Player 10. Insert a 32 MB or larger storage card into your Pocket PC, and then connect your device to your computer. In the wizard, click Automatic, select the Customize the playlists that will be synchronized check box, and then select the playlists that you want to synchronize. Click Finish. The files begin synchronizing to your device. The next time you connect your device to your computer while the desktop version of Windows Media Player is running, synchronization will start automatically.
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| For more information about the Sync feature, start the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10, and then press F1. |
| Notes | | Always use the desktop version of Windows Media Player to synchronize (copy) files to your Pocket PC. For example, do not use Windows Explorer to drag and drop files from your computer to your Pocket PC. Always synchronize files to a storage card that is inserted into your Pocket PC. Do not synchronize to a storage card that is inserted into a storage card reader. The desktop version of Windows Media Player is only available for computers running Windows XP. If you are not running Windows XP on your desktop computer, use the Copy to CD or Device feature of Windows Media Player 9 Series to copy your audio files and video files to your device. The desktop version of Windows Media Player 9 Series is not as full-featured as the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10. For example, the desktop version of Windows Media Player 9 Series does not support automatic synchronization, synchronization of playlists, synchronization of album art, or synchronization of TV shows recorded by computers running Windows XP Media Center Edition. For more information about the Copy to CD or Device feature, start the desktop version of Windows Media Player 9 Series, and then press F1. Audio files copy faster if the desktop Player is configured to automatically set the quality level for audio files copied to your Pocket PC. For more information, see the desktop Player Help.
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| | Update a library | In most cases, Windows Media Player Mobile automatically updates your libraries as necessary. However, you can manually update a library to ensure that it has links to any new files that you might have recently copied to your Pocket PC or a removable storage card. | If you are not already on the Library screen, tap Menu > Library. On the Library screen, tap Menu > Update Library. Wait for the files to be added, and then tap Done.
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| Delete an item from a library | | |
| Add items to the Now Playing playlist | | If you are not on the Library screen, tap Menu > Library. If necessary, on the Library screen, tap the Library arrow (near the top of the screen), and then tap the library that you want to use (for example, Storage Card). Tap a category (for example, My Music or My Playlists), tap and hold the item that you want to add to Now Playing (such as a single file or an album name), and then tap Queue Up.
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| Tip | On the Now Playing screen, tap Add to switch to the Library screen and find items to add to the Now Playing playlist. |
| Modify the Now Playing playlist | | |
| Notes | | Tap and hold an item in a playlist to see a list of actions you can perform. To quickly add a group of files to the Now Playing playlist, tap and hold an item in the library (such as an album name, artist name, or genre name), and then tap Queue Up. To move an item up or down in the Now Playing playlist, you can also tap and drag the item to the desired location.
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| Change options and appearance |
| Change Player appearance | You can change the appearance of the Playback screen by choosing a new skin. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Skins tab. To select a skin, tap Previous or Next until you find the skin that you want to use. Tap Done.
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| Notes | To download new skins, see the WMplugins.com site. After downloading a skin to your computer and unzipping it if necessary, use ActiveSync to copy the .skn and .bmp files to your device (such as to the location My Pocket PC\Program Files\Windows Media Player). To ensure that skins appear on the Skins tab, do not store skin files in the Windows folder on your device.
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| Scale video to fit window | You can choose whether you want video to be automatically scaled to fit the video area on the Playback screen. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Video tab. Select the Scale to fit window check box.
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| Note | In some cases, Windows Media Player Mobile might only support scaling video by whole numbers (such as scaling the video by two or three times its normal size). It might not support fractional scaling (such as scaling the video by two and a half times its normal size). Consequently, for certain video files, the video might not fill the video area completely. |
| Play video in full screen | You can choose when you want video to automatically play in full screen (always, never, only when the video is larger than the video area). | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Video tab. In Play video in full screen, do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Never play video in full screen | Tap Never. | | Play only oversized video in full screen | Tap Only when oversized. | | Play all video in full screen | Tap Always. |
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| Notes | Oversized video files are larger than the video area of a skin (typically, 240 × 176 pixels). To override the Never and Only when oversized options when playing a video, in the default skin, tap the Full Screen button, or on the Playback screen, tap Menu > Full Screen.
| | If your device has a hardware keypad, you can press the 0 key to switch between full screen and normal view. |
| Change background playback | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Playback tab. Do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Pause playback while using another program | Select the Pause playback while using another program check box. | | Continue playback while using another program | Clear the Pause playback while using another program check box. |
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| Change how time is displayed | When you play a file, the Playback screen either shows how much time has elapsed since you started playing the file or shows how much time is remaining until the file ends. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Playback tab. In the Show time as box: | To | Do this | | Show elapsed time on the Playback screen | Tap Elapsed. | | Show remaining time on the Playback screen | Tap Remaining. |
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| Change playback after a phone call | When you play a file, the Playback screen either shows how much time has elapsed since you started playing the file or shows how much time is remaining until the file ends. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Playback tab. Do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Resume playback after you complete a phone call | Select the Resume playback after a phone call check box. | | Prevent playback from resuming after you complete a phone call | Clear the Resume playback after a phone call check box. |
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| Change network connection speed | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Playback tab. In the Internet Connection Speed box, tap the speed of your network connection.
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| Change network protocol options | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Playback tab. In Protocol, select the check box for each protocol you want to enable.
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| Notes | Enter the port number for User Datagram Protocol (UDP), if necessary. You must select at least one protocol. We recommend that you select all protocols. However, if your network implements a firewall that prevents you from receiving streams that use the UDP or TCP protocols, you may want to clear the UDP or TCP check boxes.
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| Change the startup screen | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Library tab. Do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Show the Library screen when you start Windows Media Player Mobile | Select the Start Player on Library screen check box. | | Show the Playback screen when you start Windows Media Player Mobile | Clear the Start Player on Library screen check box. |
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| Assign hardware buttons | To give you quick access to some Windows Media Player Mobile controls without tapping the screen, you can assign their functions to certain hardware buttons on your device. | If you are not on the Playback screen, tap OK to close the current screen and display the Playback screen. Tap Menu > Options > Buttons tab. In the list of controls, tap a control name (such as Play/Pause), tap Assign, and then press the hardware button (such as ENTER) that you want to assign to that control.
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| Notes | To reset a control to its default hardware button, tap a control name, and then tap Reset. To assign no hardware button to a control, tap a control name, and then tap None. The particular hardware buttons that you can assign vary depending upon the device that you are using. Typically, you can assign any of the NAVIGATION controls (such as ENTER, up, down, left, and right) to Windows Media Player Mobile functions. If your device has number and symbol hardware keys (such as 1-9, *, and #), you might be able to assign those to Windows Media Player Mobile functions, too. Some hardware buttons, such as CALENDAR, CONTACTS, RECORD, CAMERA, TALK, and END, cannot be assigned to Windows Media Player Mobile functions by using the Buttons tab in Windows Media Player Mobile. However, depending upon your device, you might be able to use the Buttons setting of Windows Mobile to reassign some program buttons, such as CALENDAR or CONTACTS, to start Windows Media Player Mobile or to perform certain Windows Media Player Mobile functions (tap Settings > Buttons).
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| Overview of the default hardware button assignments | By default, these hardware buttons are assigned to Windows Media Player Mobile functions. In some cases, the manufacturer of your device may have changed these button assignments.
| Hardware Button |
Player Function |
| ENTER |
Play/Pause |
| NAVIGATION left |
Previous |
| NAVIGATION right |
Next |
| NAVIGATION up |
Volume Up |
| NAVIGATION down |
Volume Down |
| # |
Mute |
| 0 |
Full Screen |
| * |
Rating |
| NAVIGATION right (hold) |
Fast Forward |
| NAVIGATION left (hold) |
Rewind |
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| Accessibility for people with disabilities | Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. Many accessibility features have been built into Microsoft products, including features for individuals who have difficulty typing or using a mouse, who are blind or have low vision, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. For more information about the following topics, see the Accessibility section of the Microsoft Web site: | Accessibility in Microsoft Windows Adjusting Microsoft products for people with accessibility needs Free step-by-step tutorials Microsoft documentation in alternative formats Assistive technology for Windows Customer service for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
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| Note that the information in this section applies to users who license Microsoft products in the United States. If you obtained this product outside the United States, your package contains a subsidiary information card that you can use to contact your subsidiary about the products and services available in your area. |
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| Play items on your phone | Use the Repeat command to play all items in the Now Playing playlist repeatedly. A check mark appears next to the command name when repeat play is turned on. | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. On the Playback screen, to turn on or turn off repeat play, click Menu > Shuffle/Repeat > Repeat.
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| Tip | You can also access the Repeat command from the menu on the Now Playing screen. |
| | Notes | If your phone has a dedicated volume control, you can also use it to adjust the volume. However, that control will affect all sounds on your phone, not just the sounds from Windows Media Player Mobile. To turn the sound on or off (mute) quickly, press the pound key (#).
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| Rate an item | You can rate an item on your phone, such as a song or video, to indicate how much you like it. When you synchronize with the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10, your ratings are copied from your phone to your computer. | Play an item. On the Playback screen, press the asterisk (*) key to change the rating. A number between zero and five appears below the star icon to indicate the current rating.
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| Note | Zero stars is the lowest rating. Five stars is the highest rating. |
| View file properties | You can view detailed information about files (such as artist and album name, length, codecs used, protection status, storage location, and star rating). | |
| Notes | The amount of information displayed on the Properties screen may vary by file and file type. When you view the file properties of a song, you can use the Buy CD command to find out whether the corresponding CD is available for purchase. After you tap Buy CD, you must synchronize with the latest version of the desktop Player (Windows Media Player 10) to view the Buy CD Web page and complete the transaction. The Buy CD command is not available for all files.
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| Copy files to your phone | Use the Sync feature in the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10 to synchronize (copy) digital media files from your computer to your phone. Using Sync ensures that protected files and album art are copied to your phone correctly.
To synchronize content to your device automatically, do the following: | On your computer, start Windows Media Player 10. Insert a 32 MB or larger storage card into your phone, and then connect your phone to your computer. In the wizard, click Automatic, select the Customize the playlists that will be synchronized check box, and then select the playlists that you want to synchronize. Click Finish. The files begin synchronizing to your phone. The next time you connect your phone to your computer while the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10 is running, synchronization will start automatically.
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| For more information about the Sync feature, start the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10, and then press F1. |
| Notes | | Always use the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10 to synchronize (copy) files to your phone. For example, do not use Windows Explorer to drag and drop files from your computer to your phone. Always synchronize files to a storage card that is inserted into your phone. Do not synchronize to a storage card that is inserted into a storage card reader. The desktop version of Windows Media Player is only available for computers running Windows XP. If you are not running Windows XP on your desktop computer, use the Copy to CD or Device feature of Windows Media Player 9 Series to copy your audio files and video files to your phone. The desktop version of Windows Media Player 9 Series is not as full-featured as the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10. For example, the desktop version of Windows Media Player 9 Series does not support automatic synchronization, synchronization of playlists, synchronization of album art, or synchronization of TV shows recorded by computers running Windows XP Media Center Edition. For more information about the Copy to CD or Device feature, start the desktop version of Windows Media Player 9 Series, and then press F1. Audio files copy faster if the desktop Player is configured to automatically set the quality level for audio files copied to your Pocket PC. For more information, see the desktop Player Help.
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| | Update a library | In most cases, Windows Media Player Mobile automatically updates your libraries as necessary. However, you can manually update a library to ensure that it has links to any new files that you might have recently copied to your phone or a removable storage card. | If you are not already on the Library screen, click Menu > Library. On the Library screen, click Menu > Update Library. Wait for the files to be added, and then click Done.
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| Delete an item from a library | | If you are not already on the Library screen, click Menu > Library. On the Library screen, select the item that you want to delete (such as a song, video, or playlist), and then click Menu > Delete from Library. The item is deleted from the library, but not from your phone or removable storage card. If you want to also delete the file from your phone or storage card, click Yes when you are prompted.
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| Add items to the Now Playing playlist | | If you are not on the Library screen, click Menu > Library. If necessary, on the Library screen, click Menu > Library, and then select the library that you want to use (for example, Storage Card). Select a category (for example, My Music or My Playlists), tap and hold the item that you want to add to Now Playing (such as a single file or an album name), and then click Menu > Queue Up.
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| Modify the Now Playing playlist | | |
| Note | To quickly add a group of files to the Now Playing playlist, select an item in the library (such as an album name, artist name, or genre name), and then click Menu > Queue Up. |
| Clear the Now Playing playlist | The Now Playing playlist displays the currently playing file and any files that are queued up to play next. You can quickly remove all items from the playlist by clearing it. | If you are on the Library screen, select the Now Playing category to display the Now Playing screen. If you are on the Playback screen, select Now Playing to display the Now Playing screen. On the Now Playing screen, click Menu > Clear Now Playing.
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| Change options and appearance |
| Change Player appearance | You can change the appearance of the Playback screen by choosing a new skin. | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Skins. To select a skin, press NAVIGATION left or right until you find the skin that you want to use. Click Done.
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| Notes | To download new skins, see the WMplugins.com site. After downloading a skin to your computer and unzipping it if necessary, use ActiveSync to copy the .skn and .bmp files to your device (such as to the location My Smartphone\Program Files\Windows Media Player). To ensure that skins appear on the Skins tab, do not store skin files in the Windows folder on your device.
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| Scale video to fit window | You can choose whether you want video to be automatically scaled to fit the video area on the Playback screen. | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Video. Select the Scale to fit window check box.
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| Note | In some cases, Windows Media Player Mobile might only support scaling video by whole numbers (such as scaling the video by two or three times its normal size). It might not support fractional scaling (such as scaling the video by two and a half times its normal size). Consequently, for certain video files, the video might not fill the video area completely. |
| Play video in full screen | You can choose when you want video to automatically play in full screen (always, never, only when the video is larger than the video area). | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Video. In Play video in full screen, do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Never play video in full screen | Click Never. | | Play only oversized video in full screen | Click Only when oversized. | | Play all video in full screen | Click Always. |
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| Notes | Oversized video files are larger than the video area of a skin (typically, 240 × 176 pixels). To override the Never and Only when oversized options when playing a video, in the default skin, on the Playback screen, click Menu > Full Screen.
| | If your device has a hardware keypad, you can press the 0 key to switch between full screen and normal view. |
| Change background playback | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Playback. Do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Pause playback while using another program | Select the Pause playback while using another program check box. | | Continue playback while using another program | Clear the Pause playback while using another program check box. |
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| Change how time is displayed | When you play a file, the Playback screen either shows how much time has elapsed since you started playing the file or shows how much time is remaining until the file ends. | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Playback. In the Show time as box: | To | Do this | | Show elapsed time on the Playback screen | Click Elapsed. | | Show remaining time on the Playback screen | Select Remaining. |
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| Change playback after a phone call | When you play a file, the Playback screen either shows how much time has elapsed since you started playing the file or shows how much time is remaining until the file ends. | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Playback. Do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Resume playback after you complete a phone call | Select the Resume playback after a phone call check box. | | Prevent playback from resuming after you complete a phone call | Clear the Resume playback after a phone call check box. |
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| Change network connection speed | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Network. In the Internet Connection Speed box, select the speed of your network connection.
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| Change network protocol options | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Network. In Protocol select the check box for each protocol you want to enable.
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| Notes | Enter the port number for User Datagram Protocol (UDP), if necessary. You must select at least one protocol. We recommend that you select all protocols. However, if your network implements a firewall that prevents you from receiving streams that use the UDP or TCP protocols, you may want to clear the UDP or TCP check boxes.
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| Change the startup screen | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Library. Do one of the following. | To | Do this | | Show the Library screen when you start Windows Media Player Mobile | Select the Start Player on Library screen check box. | | Show the Playback screen when you start Windows Media Player Mobile | Clear the Start Player on Library screen check box. |
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| Note | This option does not take effect until you turn your phone off and then turn it back on again. |
| Assign hardware buttons | To give you quick access to some Windows Media Player Mobile controls without tapping the screen, you can assign their functions to certain hardware buttons on your device. | If you are not on the Playback screen, press BACK to display the Playback screen. Click Menu > Options > Buttons. In the list of controls, select a control name (such as Play/Pause), click Assign, and then press the hardware button (such as ENTER) that you want to assign to that control.
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| Notes | To reset a control to its default hardware button, select a control name, and then click Menu > Reset. To assign no hardware button to a control, select a control name, and then click Menu > None. The particular hardware buttons that you can assign vary depending upon the phone that you are using. Typically, you can assign any of the NAVIGATION controls (such as ENTER, up, down, left, and right) to Windows Media Player Mobile functions. If your phone has number and symbol hardware keys (such as 1-9, *, and #), you might be able to assign those to Windows Media Player Mobile functions, too. Some hardware buttons, such as HOME, BACK, TALK, and END, cannot be assigned to Windows Media Player Mobile functions.
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| Overview of the default hardware button assignments | By default, these hardware buttons are assigned to Windows Media Player Mobile functions. In some cases, the manufacturer of your phone may have changed these button assignments.
| Hardware Button |
Player Function |
| ENTER |
Play/Pause |
| NAVIGATION left |
Previous |
| NAVIGATION right |
Next |
| NAVIGATION up |
Volume Up |
| NAVIGATION down |
Volume Down |
| # |
Mute |
| 0 |
Full Screen |
| * |
Rating |
| NAVIGATION right (hold) |
Fast Forward |
| NAVIGATION left (hold) |
Rewind |
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| Accessibility for people with disabilities | Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. Many accessibility features have been built into Microsoft products, including features for individuals who have difficulty typing or using a mouse, who are blind or have low vision, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. For more information about the following topics, see the Accessibility section of the Microsoft Web site: | Accessibility in Microsoft Windows Adjusting Microsoft products for people with accessibility needs Free step-by-step tutorials Microsoft documentation in alternative formats Assistive technology for Windows Customer service for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
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| Note that the information in this section applies to users who license Microsoft products in the United States. If you obtained this product outside the United States, your package contains a subsidiary information card that you can use to contact your subsidiary about the products and services available in your area. |
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