The Video and Music subpanels (which you access using the two leftmost icons at
the top of the Media Files panel) have Properties mini-panels that work just like that
of the Photo subpanel. You’ll have no trouble using them if you’ve carried out the
above steps.
Clicking the
i
(Properties) button again will close the Properties mini-panel. You can
also leave it open, even when switching panels or subpanels. If you switch subpanels
and it goes blank, that is because no file is currently selected in the list box above it
(we found this
very
disconcerting the first time we saw it).
If you’re ready for a break, it might be a good idea to make it a short one. Much of
what follows concerns the Properties mini-panels of the Media Files panel’s last two
subpanels. We would feel terrible if you came back from a long, relaxing break and
said, “Oh, no, not
that
again.”
If you stay with the tour, we’re sure it will be worth your while. The subpanels
described below provide some very useful functions that won’t take very long to
explain — and when you’re done, you’ll know everything there is to know about the
Media Files panel . . . .
Playlists and Internet Radio
The Playlist and Internet Radio subpanels, and their Properties mini-panels, are
different from those described above. There are similarities, however, and the main
difference is that these two subpanels and their mini-panels are
simpler
, even though
they provide some fairly powerful functions.
The Playlist subpanel shows the names of any playlists that you have selected for
sharing with the media adapter. A playlist is basically a list of audio files to be played
back in sequence. The most common types of playlist have the extensions .m3u and
.pls. Playlists are normally created using music file management programs such as
those included with most MP3 players.
(If you don’t have software for creating playlists, you can create a
playlist as follows: Open a command prompt window [
Start
>
Programs
>
Accessories
>
Command Prompt
] and type the following
command:
dir c:\*.mp3/a/s/b > allmp3s.m3u
Then press Enter. This will create a file in playlist format listing all MP3
files on disk C. Note the folder name shown on the command line so
you can find the file easily later. Type
exit
and press Enter to close the
window.)