E2 USER’S MANUAL P/N: M22004-01A5
The team at Escient would like to take this opportunity to thank you for purchasing an Escient FireBall product. Escient is committed to providing our customers the most technologically advanced, yet easierthan-ever to use products that converge the power of the Internet with home entertainment. To maximize your enjoyment, please take a few minutes to review this User’s Manual. It will guide you through all the features and benefits of your new FireBall.
DIGITAL AUDIO INPUTS AUDIO OUTPUTS VIDEO OUTPUTS RS-232 CONNECTIONS EXTERNAL MODEM CONNECTIONS IR CONNECTIONS ETHERNET CONNECTIONS EXTERNAL CHANGER CONNECTIONS Changer Types Control Connections Digital Audio Connections Analog Audio Connections Sony CD Mega Changer Hookup Sony DVD/CD Changer Hookup Kenwood DVD/CD Changer Hookup 28 28 28 29 30 30 30 31 33 33 33 33 33 33 34 34 Importing from a PC Importing from a Mac RECORDING FROM OTHER EXTERNAL SOURCES ERASING A CD-RW DISC 45 46 48 49 LISTENING TO MUSI
65 66 67 68 69 70 71 CREATING CDS 72 SETTING USER PREFERENCES 76 CREATING A CUSTOM MIX CD DUPLICATING A CD RECORDING FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE SETTING THE SCREEN SAVER PREFERENCES Activation Idle Time Other Modes Retail Demo Mode Photo Screen Saver Mode SETTING YOUR TIME ZONE CUSTOMIZABLE USER INTERFACE ENABLING PASSWORD PROTECTION CHOOSING YOUR NETWORK CONNECTION Testing the Your Connection Ethernet Settings Dialup Settings SETTING THE FIREBALL SERVER SETTINGS PEER TO PEER MUSIC SHARING SELECTING THE A
ID3 Tag Support 113 NETWORKED AUDIO USING FIREBALL MUSIC CLIENTS 114 114 114 115 115 116 117 117 117 117 ESCIENT TECHNICAL SUPPORT 118 TROUBLESHOOTING 119 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 120 GRACENOTE® END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT 121 NETWORK PROBLEMS SOFTWARE UPDATE PROBLEMS RECORDING PROBLEMS SPECIFICATIONS Video Specifications Audio Specifications Physical Specifications 3rd Party Certifcations FCC Part 15, Subpart B PAGE 5 119 119 119 120 120 120 120 120 120 FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual SERVERS CLI
PRODUCT INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing a FireBall Media Management system from Escient (a division of D&M Holdings). ABOUT THIS MANUAL This FireBall User’s Manual is intended to provide the reader with an overview of the main features and benefits of the Escient FireBall Media Management Systems. For more information, please refer to the Escient web site (www.escient.com) or contact your Escient dealer. RECORD YOUR SERIAL NUMBER The serial number for this unit is located at the rear of the device.
FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Do not use this apparatus near water. • Clean only with a dry cloth. • Do not block any ventilation openings. • Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. • To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the cover. No user serviceable parts are inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
TRADEMARKS & SERVICE MARKS Escient®, the Escient logo, and FireBall® are trademarks of Digital Networks North America. FireBall and Physital are trademarks of Escient®. Other product names mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. Music recognition technology and related data are provided by Gracenote®. Gracenote is the industry standard in music recognition technology and related content delivery. For more information visit www.
WARRANTY INFORMATION Terms of Coverage - Each Escient branded media management system sold comes with a standard one (1) year warranty. This warranty provides no-charge coverage under normal product usage, for a period of one year from the date of registration and/or purchase (whichever is earlier). This warranty program provides the following key features and benefits: • Twelve (12) months service, parts and labor. • Five (5) day turn around time on all standard in-warranty repairs.
• • • • Additionally, Escient does not cover the following items under the terms or its warranty programs: Installation or removal charges. Cost of initial technical adjustments (setup costs). Battery replacement. Escient’s sole liability for any defective product is limited to the repair or replacement of the product at our discretion.
ESCIENT PRIVACY POLICY Escient is committed to providing you with a product that you enjoy and are confident in using, and are committed to providing services in a private and secure environment. We recognize and respect each individual user’s privacy and have created this Privacy Policy to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy. We want you to be fully informed about the information that we collect, why we collect it, and with whom we share it.
FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual TERMS AND DEFINITIONS Following are terms used throughout this manual: • Button - refers to a graphic item on the display screen. • Group - a collection of similar music titles. Standard genre groups are provided and custom groups can be created by the user. • Highlight - highlighting is used to indicate the user’s selection on screen. When the selection moves up, down, left, or right, the highlight moves to the next nearest item.
SETUP This manual assumes that you followed the printed “Quick Setup Guide” that came with your FireBall. If you have not properly connected your FireBall to your audio/video system, please go back and follow the “Quick Setup Guide” guide before continuing with this User Manual. POWER STATES After the FireBall unit is plugged in, the Standby LED located next to the power button will flash red until the startup process is complete. Please wait. This may take several minutes.
FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW 1 3 5 4 9 10 6 1 - POWER 2 - GUIDE 3 - MUSIC SOURCE 4 - RADIO SOURCE 5 - CD-RW DRIVE 6 - TEXT DISPLAY & IR RECEIVER 7 - OPEN/CLOSE DRIVE 8 - NAVIGATION 9 - SELECT 10 - TRANSPORT CONTROLS PAGE 14 8 FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual 2 7
REAR PANEL OVERVIEW 3 4 5 10 2 11 6 7 1 - POWER 2 - ANALOG AUDIO IN 3 - IR IN / S-LINK/IR OUT 4 - DIGITAL AUDIO COAX OUT 5 - DIGITAL AUDIO OPTICAL OUT 6 - DIGITAL AUDIO OPTICAL IN 7 - DIGITAL AUDIO COAX IN 8 - ANALOG AUDIO OUT 9 - VIDEO OUT 10 - COMMUNICATION PORTS 11 - ETHERNET PAGE 15 8 9 FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual 1
FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual REMOTE OVERVIEW PAGE 16
ENTERING TEXT WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL The remote control can be used to enter text in all text fields. This text entry capability is provided to allow you to fill out short text fields – such as those that occur in the setup and edit screens. FireBall’s wireless keyboard should be used when extended typing is required. Typing Characters with the Remote The remote control based text entry capability is similar to that provided on standard telephones and cell phones.
display a “C”. The fourth key press displays a lower case “a”, the fifth key press displays a lower case “b”, and the sixth key press displays a lower case “c”. Lastly, pressing the “2” key a seventh time displays the number “2”. When entering the second character in a text field or the second character following a space, FireBall assumes that lower case is preferred and the character entry cycles in the following pattern – lowercase, uppercase, and numeric.
CONNECTING EXTERNAL DISC CHANGERS FireBall can manage up to three - 400 disc CD changers in addition to any music recorded onto the internal hard drive. All changer based CDs are seamlessly integrated into the same easy to use Music Guide as your recorded CDs. Supported External CD Changers The following changers are currently supported. This list may change from time to time as new changers are released by third party manufacturers.
Connecting Sony DVP-CX777ES CD/DVD Changers (CDs Only) FireBall requires that you connect each changer to the back panel using audio and control cables. Follow these steps to connect your Sony CD/DVD changers to your FireBall: 1. An RS-232 serial null modem cable with female DB-9 connectors on each end is required for connecting a Sony CD/DVD Changer. 2. Connect one end of the RS-232 serial cable into Communication Port number 1, on the back of your FireBall. 3.
Connecting Sony CD Changers FireBall requires that you connect each changer to the back panel using audio and control cables. Follow these steps to connect your Sony CD changers to your FireBall: 1. Locate the included S-Link cable. This is the 10’ black cable with 1/8” male plugs on each end. 2. Connect one end of the S-Link cable into the S-Link/IR Out jack number 1 on the back of your FireBall. 3. Connect the other end of the S-Link cable into the Control A1 jack on the back of your changer. 4.
Connecting Kenwood CD/DVD Changers (CDs Only) FireBall requires that you connect each changer to the back panel using audio and control cables. Follow these steps to connect your Kenwood DVD/CD changers to your FireBall: 1. Locate the RS-232 serial cable that came with your Kenwood changer. This is the black cable with female DB-9 connectors on each end. 2. Connect one end of the RS-232 serial cable into Communication Port number 1, on the back of your FireBall. 3.
Connecting Pioneer CD/DVD Changers (CDs Only) FireBall requires that you connect each changer to the back panel using audio and control cables. Follow these steps to connect your Pioneer DV-F07 changers to your FireBall: 1. A custom RS-232 serial cable with 9 pin and 15 pin connectors is required to connect the DV-F07 changer to the FireBall. These can be purchased from your Escient dealer. 2. Connect one end of the RS-232 serial cable into Communication Port number 1, on the back of your FireBall. 3.
LOADING DISCS INTO CHANGERS Insert CDs into your changers, following the changer manufacturer’s instructions and close the changer door. Quick Lookup will automatically start in a few seconds. If the Quick Lookup process does not automatically start, then manually start the Lookup using the steps described below. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual The disc information that FireBall displays on your TV screen is NOT included on the original CDs that you recorded or CDs loaded into your changers.
Automatically Getting Disc Information Once your changers are connected to FireBall and loaded with CDs, all you have to do is close the changer door and in a few seconds FireBall will begin looking up the disc information from each disc in each changer. Quick Lookup checks each previously empty slot in the changers to see if any new discs were added, and then checks each previously occupied slot in the changer to see if any discs were removed.
Getting Disc Information for a Range of Discs If you want to lookup the disc information for a specific range of slots in a changer, you can use the Lookup Range feature. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to lookup a range of changer slots: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the CHANGER MANAGEMENT menu. 3. Select the LOOKUP DISCS menu. 4. Select the LOOKUP RANGE menu. 5. Enter a valid range of slots to lookup.
Getting Disc Information for All Discs If you want to lookup the disc information for all discs in all changers, you can use the Lookup All feature. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to lookup all discs in all changers: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the CHANGER MANAGEMENT menu. 3. Select the LOOKUP DISCS menu. 4. Select the LOOKUP ALL menu. 5. The Lookup All screen displays the progress and results as each disc in each changer is looked up.
ADDITIONAL CONNECTION AND HOOKUP INFORMATION DIGITAL AUDIO INPUTS The FireBall defaults to the optical inputs for changer audio. If you are using the coax inputs it is necessary to manually change the digital inputs from optical to coax using the Setup / Audio / Digital Input Preferences screen. AUDIO OUTPUTS The optical, coax, and analog audio outputs are all active when playing media from the internal hard drive or Internet Radio.
All video outputs are active at the same time, so you can use as many as you like without causing signal degradation. The Component Video output will provide the best possible video quality for the FireBall User Interface, but will require that your video system has an available component input. One of the S-Video outputs is typically used for the optional Escient ETP-1500 touch panel to provide the user interface directly on the touch panel.
RS-232 CONNECTIONS External disc changers are controlled via two-way serial protocols using RS-232 serial cables. You should use COM ports 1,2, and 3 for each external disc changer. COM port 4 is to be used for connecting an Escient ETP-1500 wired touch panel, external modem or to interface with a third party control system such as AMX or Crestron.
ETHERNET CONNECTIONS The Ethernet jack on the back panel of the FireBall accepts any standard twisted pair CAT5 Ethernet cable. If you are connecting FireBall to a home network, you typically connect a standard Ethernet cable from your Ethernet router or hub to the FireBall. There are different grades, or categories, of twisted-pair cabling. Category 5 is the most reliable and widely compatible, and is highly recommended. It runs easily with 10Mbps networks, and is required for 100Mbps networks.
CAT5 cabling should not exceed 100 meters. The following drawing depicts the typical wiring scheme for CAT5. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual For more information about wiring an Ethernet network, please refer to the Linksys web site (www.linksys.com).
EXTERNAL CHANGER CONNECTIONS There are a few general rules to follow when connecting changers to your FireBall...
Sony DVD/CD Changer Hookup • Up to three Sony DVP-CX777ES 400 disc changers may be connected via individual RS-232 cables. • An RS-232 cable is standard a DB9 null modem cable (not included with the changer) • All audio outputs from changers should be connected to the FireBall • The analog audio connection is required when recording from external changers • Set each changer to address Command Mode 1.
REGISTRATION Registering your FireBall is accomplished automatically when you go through the Quick Start process described in the User’s Manual. Registration includes properly configuring your FireBall for Internet access and then connecting to the Escient servers to register your serial number and download the latest Internet Radio stations.
TESTING A DIALUP CONNECTION 1. Check the phone line connection – using a standard phone, make sure there is a dial tone on the line. 2. The modem should be automatically detected after you select “dialup” as the connection type. If it fails to be recognized, make sure that the modem is connected to COM port 4 of the FireBall using a serial cable. (USB modems are NOT supported) 3. Make sure you have a valid dialup account and password.
6. Once you have verified all of the Dialing Preferences, you should test the dialup modem connection to the Escient servers. From the Dialing Preferences Quick Start screen, select the “Test Connection” button. This will start the Dialup Modem Test which will test the following network settings: a. Phone line test will check that the modem is connected to a live phone line which provides a dial tone. b. The access number to the ISP using the first access number. c.
GETTING MUSIC INTO FIREBALL Before you can enjoy the Music features of your FireBall Media Management system, you will want to get your music collection into the FireBall. The process of getting music into FireBall is called “Recording” or sometimes “Ripping”.
RECORDING FROM THE INTERNAL CD The easiest way to get music into your FireBall is to record CDs using the built-in internal CD-RW drive. This method requires no additional equipment and is very fast, as the internal CD drive can rip audio at several times the speed of normal playback. This is known as “fast-ripping”. • When recording is complete, FireBall will return to the Music Guide. • Repeat steps 1-8 for each disc in your music collection.
RECORDING FROM EXTERNAL CHANGERS In addition to manually loading and recording CDs one by one using the front panel CD drive, you can record as many CD as you want directly from your external changers.
Automatically Recording CDs You can easily record changer based CDs to your FireBall’s internal hard drive using the Quick Record feature. Quick Record will record all tracks from newly added CDs which are NOT already record to your FireBall, in one easy step. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to automatically record changer CDs to your FireBall: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the CHANGER MANAGEMENT menu. 3. Select the RECORD DISCS menu. 4.
Recording a Range of CDs If you want to record a specific range of slots in a changer, you can use the Record Range feature. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to record a range of changer slots: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the CHANGER MANAGEMENT menu. 3. Select the RECORD DISCS menu. 4. Select the RECORD RANGE menu. 5. Enter a valid range of slots to record. If you have more than 1 changer, select which changer you want to use. 6.
Recording All CDs If you want to record all discs in all changers, you can use the Record All feature. Follow these steps to record each disc in all changers: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the CHANGER MANAGEMENT menu. 3. Select the RECORD DISCS menu. 4. Select the RECORD ALL menu. 5. The Record All screen displays the recording progress for each disc in each changer.
IMPORTING MUSIC FILES If you have digital audio files already recorded on your PC or Mac, you can transfer the files directly to your FireBall using an Ethernet network. This is a fast and convenient way to load up your FireBall with your favorite Music without having to re-record everything. FireBall will import each audio file, extract the song information, and add it to your Music Library. There are some rules to follow to make sure your files are transferred correctly.
Importing from a PC Make sure your PC is connected to the same network as your FireBall and follow these steps to mount, transfer, and import music files from your PC to your FireBall. On the FireBall (Note: This step only needs to be done once.) 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote control to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the NETWORK menu item. 3. Select the SERVER SETTINGS menu item. 4. Enter a name for your FireBall. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual On the PC 1. Go to the START menu and select RUN. 2.
Importing from a Mac FireBall’s File Server acts like a Windows File Server on your network, therefore you will need to connect using the MacOS X’s built-in Windows networking client. Make sure your Mac is connected to the same network as your FireBall and follow these steps to mount, transfer, and import music files from your PC to your FireBall. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual 1. Go to the Finder and select “Connect to Server…” from the Go Menu. 2.
FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual 4. Click on the Content pop-up menu and select the Import directory. 5. Next, an authentication dialog will appear. You can ignore this dialog and just click the OK button. 6. You will then have a new drive mounted on your desktop called “Import”. 7. Drag and drop your audio files onto the Import folder. FireBall will automatically import, add, and catalog each file into your Music Guide.
RECORDING FROM OTHER EXTERNAL SOURCES In addition to recording from external changers, FireBall allows you to record directly from it’s analog inputs to the internal hard drive. • When recording is complete, FireBall will return to the Music Guide. • Recording from the External Inputs creates one Title with one Track and adds the Title to the Music Guide. • You can edit the data later, just like any other Title. Please refer to the “Managing Your Media” section for more details.
ERASING A CD-RW DISC You can use FireBall’s built-in CD burner to erase the contents of a re-writable CD. Follow these steps to erase a re-writeable CD: 1. Press the RECORD key on the remote to display the Record menu. 2. Select the ERASE CD-RW DISC menu. 3. Confirm that you want to proceed with completely erasing the disc by selecting the ERASE button on screen. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual • You will not be able to interrupt the erase function.
LISTENING TO MUSIC BROWSING YOUR MUSIC LIBRARY Now that you have gotten your music into your FireBall, it’s time to enjoy it! The Music Guide allows you to browse, locate, and play all of your music in one easy to use on-screen guide. The Music Guide displays a scrolling list of all your Music Titles. Using the remote control, you can navigate up and down the list. As each Title is highlighted, you will notice that the Information Area and Cover Art changes to reflect the currently highlighted Title.
PLAYING THE CURRENT TITLE Playing the currently highlighted Title is the same as playing a CD in a conventional CD player. Simply press the PLAY key on the remote control and it begins to play from track 1. Note: If you press SELECT with a Track highlighted, you will start playback from the selected Track. SELECTING A DIFFERENT SONG In the Music Player you can navigate up and down the track list using the remote control. Highlight a different song and press SELECT to play the song.
CHANGING THE GUIDE VIEW The GUIDE button on the remote control is used to switch between the Music Guide and Music Player screens. When you are viewing the Music Player screen, press the GUIDE button to return to the Music Guide. The Music Guide provides you with several ways to view the contents of your Music Library. One of the easiest ways to browse and sort your Music Library is by using the Music “Views”.
CHANGING THE CURRENT PLAY MODE The default Play Mode will play the current Title from Track 1 to the last track in order, then stop. If you want to change the order of how tracks are played, there are six different Play Modes to choose from: • Normal - play each track in order in the current Title, then stop. • Repeat Track - repeat the same track over and over until you press stop. • Repeat Title - play each track in the current Title in order then repeat the entire disc until you press stop.
VIEWING BY GENRE In addition to the current Guide View, the Music Guide automatically organizes your Music into default “Genres” also called “Groups”. The Group Bar displays a horizontal scrolling list of Genres corresponding to the music in your library. Five Genres or Groups are visible at one time. The “All” genre is the default, which displays all Titles in your Music Library. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys on the remote, you can select a different Genre.
LISTENING TO INTERNET RADIO BROWSING INTERNET RADIO STATIONS The Radio Guide displays a scrolling list of Internet Radio Stations. Using the remote control, you can navigate up and down the list. As each Station is highlighted, you will notice that the Information Area and Cover Art changes to reflect the currently highlighted Station. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual • Press the iRADIO key on the remote control to display the Radio Guide.
You’ll notice that a new screen appears displaying information about the selected station. This is the Radio Player screen. The Radio Player displays the station name, location, genre, genre cover art, and status about the current Internet Radio station stream. • Playing Internet Radio requires a valid Internet connection. • Although some stations will work over a Dialup Internet Connection, a broadband Internet connection is recommended.
MANAGING YOUR MEDIA Follow these steps to create your own custom Playlist: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Music Options Menu 3. Select the NEW PLAYLIST menu item. 4. Using the remote control or keyboard, enter a name for your Playlist. 5. Select the CONTINUE button on screen to advance to the Edit Playlist Select Guide. The Edit Playlist Select Guide works just like the Music Guide.
To create a custom Group, follow these steps: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode or press the RADIO key if you want to create a custom Radio Group. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3. Select the NEW GROUP menu item. 4. Using the remote control or keyboard, enter a name for your Group. 5. Select the CONTINUE button on screen to advance to the Edit Group Select Guide. The Edit Group Select Guide works just like the Music or Radio Guide. 6.
ADDING INTERNET RADIO STATIONS FireBall comes preloaded with several high quality streaming Internet Radio Stations from around the world, but that may not be enough for you, so FireBall also let’s you add your own Internet Radio Stations. Internet Radio stations must conform to these specifications: • Windows Media WMA or MPEG II layer 3 streams. • Windows Media 9 or earlier. Assuming you have a valid URL for a station, follow these steps to add your own Internet Radio Station to the Radio Guide: 1.
UPDATING THE INTERNET RADIO STATIONS LIST Escient makes every attempt to insure that the preloaded Internet Radio Stations are alive and well, but due to the dynamic nature of the Internet and the third parties who actually serve up these radio streams, sometimes you will not be able to play a station. The “Tune Stations” feature allows you to download a list of the most recent Internet Radio stations from Escient.
EDITING MUSIC INFORMATION FireBall has access to over 2.5 million CD titles, but you may still encounter a CD that does not return a custom cover or the correct disc information. You can edit the disc information for any Music Title using the Edit Disc and Edit Tracks screens. Editing Disc Info Follow these steps to edit the disc information for the current Music Title: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3.
Editing Track Names You can also manually edit the Track/Song names of the currently highlighted Title in the Music Guide. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to edit the track information for the current Music Title: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC INFO Info menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4. Select the EDIT TRACKS button to display the Edit Tracks screen. 5.
Automatically Lookup Information for This Disc The “Lookup This Disc” button will initiate a disc lookup for only this disc. FireBall will connect to the Gracenote® Music Recognition Service to locate and download the disc information. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to lookup information for the current disc: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3.
Follow these steps to search for a cover: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC INFO menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4. Select the SEARCH FOR COVER button to display the Search for Cover screen. 5. The current Artist Name and Album Title are entered as the default search strings. You can change either one of these to modify the search.
Selecting an Existing Cover If for some reason you can not download the original cover, you can choose one of the existing covers for the current Title. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to select an existing cover to assign to the current Title: 1. Highlight the Music Title you want to edit in the Music Guide. 2. Press the OPTIONS key on the remote control. 3. Select the EDIT DISC INFO menu item to display the Edit Disc Information screen. 4.
EDITING RADIO INFORMATION Similar to editing Music Information, you can also Edit the Radio Information. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to edit the station information for the currently highlighted Internet Radio Station: 1. Make sure you are in the Radio source mode by pressing the RADIO key on the remote. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3. Select the EDIT STATION menu item to display the Edit Station screen. 4.
Follow these steps to edit a Playlist: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Highlight the Playlist Name you want to edit. Note: The Playlist group will list all of your Playlists. 3. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Music Options Menu 4. Select the Edit Playlist menu item. 5. Using the remote control or keyboard, change the name of your Playlist or select the CONTINUE button on screen to keep the current name and advance to the Edit Playlist Select Guide. 6.
Follow these steps to edit a Group: 1. Press the MUSIC key if you want to edit the Music Groups or press the RADIO key if you want to edit the Radio Groups. 2. Highlight the Group you want to edit within the Group Bar. 3. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Music Options Menu 4. Select the Edit Group menu item. 5. Using the remote control or keyboard, change the name of your Group or select the CONTINUE button on screen to keep the current name and advance to the Edit Group Select Guide. 6.
DELETING MUSIC You can remove any music you have recorded to the FireBall by using the Delete Music feature. You may want to do this if you have filled up your FireBall and you can not record any more music or if you want to remove songs that you just don’t listen to. You can not “delete” physical CDs from the Music Library. You must remove the discs from your changers if you want the CDs to be removed from the Music Guide.
DELETING PLAYLISTS FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual You may delete entire Playlists from the Music Guide. Follow these steps to permanently delete one or more Playlists from the Music Guide: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3. Select the DELETE PLAYLISTS menu item to display the Delete Playlists screen. 4. For each Playlist you want to delete, highlight the Playlist and press the SELECT key on the remote.
DELETING GROUPS Deleting Groups from the Group Bar is very similar to deleting Playlists. The contents of the Group (the Music Titles, or Radio Stations) are not deleted. They are still available in any other Groups they may be assigned to and in the All Group. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to delete Groups. 1. Press the MUSIC key if you want to edit the Music Groups or press the RADIO key if you want to edit the Radio Groups. 2. Press the OPTIONS key to display the Options Menu 3.
CREATING CDS FireBall is a complete media solution for storing, managing, and listening to your music, but what if you want to get your music out of your FireBall and take it with you? FireBall has that covered as well. You can easily create custom mix CDs, backups copies of any physical CD, and record from the external analog inputs to a CD. Follow these steps to create a custom Mix CD: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2.
FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual 8. When FireBall has added all of your songs and finished creating the new CD image, it will eject the CD tray and ask you to insert a blank CD. 9. Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc and close the CD tray by pressing the Eject button on the front panel. Note: You must use royalty paid blank CDs which are typically marked as “audio” or “music” CDs when creating and Audio CD. Data CDs typically used for computers can be used for data mix CDs. 10.
Follow these steps to duplicate a CD: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the RECORD key to display the Music Record Options menu. 3. Select the DUPLICATE A DISC button to display the Music Record Select Guide. 4. Select a CD from any external changer or the built-in CD player. A check mark will be placed next to the selected disc. 5. Press the RECORD key again to continue the recording process and display the Music Record Progress - CD Read screen. 6.
Follow these steps to record direct to CD from an external source: 1. Press the MUSIC key to make sure you are in the Music source mode. 2. Press the RECORD key to display the Music Record Options menu. 3. Select the RECORD EXT INPUTS DIRECT TO CD menu item. 4. The External Record Options screen will be displayed showing the default information for the recording you are about to make. You can use these default settings or edit them. The default recording length is 30 minutes.
SETTING USER PREFERENCES User preferences are available to specify global configuration options and preferred system settings. Press the SETUP key on the remote control to display the Setup Menu. Use the navigation keys on the remote control (up, down, left, and right) to highlight and select any menu item. SETTING THE SCREEN SAVER PREFERENCES Screen Savers are provided for each source mode.
Retail Demo Mode FireBall has a Retail Demo Mode for use in retail display environments. The Retail Demo Mode (RDM) is a special screen saver that is activated during idle time. The RDM continuously displays key features and benefits of the FireBall product on the attached TV. Pressing any button on the remote will temporarily disable the RDM and allow the user to demo the product. After the specified idle time, the RDM will reactivate as the screensaver.
Photo Screen Saver Mode FireBall has a Photo Screen Saver Mode for displaying your own photos whenever FireBall is idle for a specified period of time. You can import your own photos into the Photos shared directory using Windows Networking. Photos should be 720x480 for 4:3 NTSC TVs and 640x360 for 16:9 widescreen TVs. Follow these steps to enable the Photo Screen Saver Mode in your FireBall: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote. 2. Select the General menu. 3. Select the Screen Saver menu. 4.
SETTING YOUR TIME ZONE Specify which US time zone your FireBall is located in. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to set your Time Zone: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the GENERAL Menu 3. Select the TIME ZONE Menu 4. Select your select your Time Zone.
CUSTOMIZABLE USER INTERFACE In addition to the Escient Classic user interface theme, the FireBall allows you to select a custom theme and select your own background images for each Guide, Player, Options, Setup, and Message screens. You can import your own background images into the Backgrounds shared directory using Windows Networking. Images should be 720x480 and saved in either jpg, gif, or png formats. Note: Some backgrounds look better than others.
ENABLING PASSWORD PROTECTION Optional Password Protection enables you to limit user access to the Setup Menus. This is useful to lockout the ability to change the global user settings and preferences. • You must exit Setup and re-enter setup to activate the password protection. • If a user password is specified, you will be prompted for your password whenever you press the Setup key on the remote.
CHOOSING YOUR NETWORK CONNECTION FireBall supports two networking methods, Ethernet and Dialup Modem. Your FireBall must be connected to the Internet in order to lookup disc information, download software updates, and access Internet Radio. Note: An external modem is necessary for Dialup access. External modems are available from most computer retail stores or contact your Escient dealer for more details.
Testing the Your Connection It is a good idea to verify that your selected network connection is functioning properly before exiting the Network Connections screen. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to test your selected network connection: 1. Select the TEST CONNECTION button on the Network Connections screen. 2. Wait for the tests to complete. A check mark next to each test indicates that it passed while an “X” indicates that the test failed. 3.
Ethernet Settings Ethernet is the preferred networking choice which provides you with the best network performance and allows your FireBall to act as a “server” to deliver your music collection throughout your home network using the optional FireBall Music Players. Ethernet networks require that you configure each device on the network with a valid “address”. These addresses are usually configured automatically by your network hardware.
Connect you phone line to a Hayes compatible modem and connect the modem to COM PORT 4 on the back of your FireBall, then follow these steps to specify your Dialup Modem settings: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the NETWORK Menu 3. Select the DIALUP SETTINGS Menu 4. Enter your login or user name. 5. Enter your password. 6. Enter 1 or 2 dialup access numbers obtained from your ISP. 7. Select your dialing method: Tone or Pulse. 8.
SETTING THE FIREBALL SERVER SETTINGS Your FireBall can act as a “server” delivering audio to optional FireBall “clients” over the network. FireBall’s server also allows you to control it remotely using a web browser on your PC and allows Network File Sharing for backup and import features. The FireBall Name allows you to easily locate and connect to your FireBall by name. Follow these steps to enter a password to be used when connecting to your FireBall from a web browser: 1.
PEER TO PEER MUSIC SHARING FireBall contains a special music sharing feature that allows two FireBall Music Servers located on the same network to share their music library into two independent zones. The Music Guide from the second FireBall is merged into the Music Guide of the first FireBall to create one seamless Music Guide for browsing and playing all of your music. This effectively can double the capacity of your FireBall using one FireBall as the master and one as a second zone or “slave” server.
SELECTING THE AUDIO ENCODER TYPE You can specify which audio encoder (MP3 or FLAC) you want to use for recording audio in to your FireBall. The MP3 format allows the most flexibility and compatibility for efficiently storing many audio files while the FLAC format uses considerably more space than MP3 files, but preserves an exact bit-for-bit recording of the original, using half the space of the original CD. Follow these steps to select an audio encoder: 1.
SETTING THE DISC INSERT PREFERENCES You can specify what to do with new discs inserted into FireBall’s front panel CD drive. “Display and Play” will display the information for the disc and then play the disc. Record and Eject assists in bulk recording, allowing you to insert disc after disc, automatically recording then ejecting each one. Follow these steps to set the Disc Insert Preferences: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the AUDIO menu 3.
DIGITAL INPUT PREFERENCES You must specify which of the digital audio inputs you are using to connect the digital audio outputs from your external changers. The optical connectors are the small square connectors with a red light shining from the center. The coaxial connectors are the round connectors which look like analog audio connectors or “RCA” jacks. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to select a your Digital Audio Input Preferences: 1.
VIDEO OUTPUT PREFERENCES Video Format Allows you to select 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios on your TV screen. 4:3 User Interface PAGE 91 16:9 User Interface FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to center the FireBall screen: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the VIDEO menu. 3. Select the VIDEO FORMAT menu. 4. Using the Up and Down keys on the remote, select your desired aspect ratio. 5. Press the SELECT key on the remote to highlight the SAVE button. 6.
Centering the FireBall Screen Allows you to center the FireBall user interface horizontally on your TV screen. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to center the FireBall screen: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the VIDEO menu. 3. Select the SCREEN CENTERING menu. 4. Using the Left and Right keys on the remote, adjust the screen so that it appears horizontally centered on your TV. 5. Press the SELECT key on the remote to highlight the SAVE button. 6.
Adjusting your TV’s Brightness FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the brightness on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the VIDEO menu. 3. Select the BRIGHTNESS menu. 4. Turn your TV’s brightness control all the way up then lower it to the point where the vertical black bar on the left just disappears. This will get your brightness control as close to the proper setting as possible without the use of special software and hardware. 5.
Adjusting your TV’s Contrast The Contrast or Picture Adjustment control allows you to optimize the contrast (which is sometimes called Picture) of their TV, using the TV’s Contrast or Picture controls. This setting helps reduce video “blooming” and create a clearer, more readable user interface. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the contrast on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the VIDEO menu. 3. Select the CONTRAST menu. 4.
Adjusting your TV’s Sharpness The Sharpness adjustment allows you the set the Sharpness or Detail control of their TV so that onscreen text is as readable as possible. Proper adjustment of the Sharpness control (sometimes called the Detail control) on your TV, allows you to see video and on screen menus more accurately. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the sharpness on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the VIDEO menu. 3.
Adjusting your TV’s Color and Tint Color Bars are used to test the TV monitor’s ability to reproduce the proper color values. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to adjust the Color and Tint on your TV: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the VIDEO menu. 3. Select the COLOR BARS menu. 4.
EXTERNAL CONTROL INSTALLING THE ETP TOUCH PANEL The optional Escient Touch Panel is an external 15” flat LCD color display that offers full control of a FireBall via it’s integrated touch sensitive surface. Follow these steps to connect the ETP-1500 to a FireBall: 1. Place the FireBall into Standby. 2. Connect the RS-232 serial cable to COM PORT 4 on the rear panel of your FireBall. 3. Connect the other end of the RS-232 serial cable to the bottom of the ETP-1500. 4.
Calibrating the Touch Panel To obtain the maximum performance form the ETP-1500 Touch Panel, the main user should calibrate the display using the Calibration tool. Follow these steps to calibrate the ETP-1500 Touch Panel: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote control. 2. Select the External Control Menu. 3. Select the Touch Panel Menu. 4. Select the Calibration Menu. 5. The calibration screen is displayed. 6. Follow the on screen instructions, by touching the moving target with your finger.
Changing the Touch Panel Button Overlay The Button Overlay feature places button controls onto the FireBall user interface for use with the Escient ETP-1500 touch screen and third-party touch panels. The ETP-1500 is automatically detected on the FireBall serial ports and the select overlay is enabled. Using Your Touch Panel The Touch Panel Overlay should now be displayed around the edges of your screen.
IR REMOTE CONTROL FireBall is preset from the factory to operate from the FB1 source button, however, the FireBall can be configured to use any one of the four source buttons using the on screen Setup menus. This is useful when there are multiple FireBalls installed at the same location, so all FireBalls don’t respond to the same IR commands.
DIRECT ACCESS CODES Direct Access Codes are used in conjunction with the MACRO key on the remote control to provide an IR code sequence to access just about any media in your FireBall server. This is useful for programming third-party external control systems and programmable IR remote controls such as the Marantz RC9500. The Direct Access Codes are available for all music titles, playlists, groups, and radio stations. Follow these steps to view the direct IR codes for your FireBall content: 1.
The following table is used to determine the button sequence for direct access code sequences from the Escient IR remote and IR keyboard.
The following table is used to determine the button sequence for direct access code sequences from the Escient IR remote and IR keyboard.
PLAYLIST HOT KEYS Playlist Hot Keys provides a Keyboard Macro sequence to directly access any five Playlists in your Music collection from any of these five keyboard combinations: • Control + Backspace • Control + Insert • Control + Delete • Control + Top • Control + Bottom Note: If there is nothing in the Playlist Hot Keys list, you must first create Playlists on your FireBall.
SERIAL COM PORTS The Serial Control COM Port setting is used to specify which RS-232 serial COM port is to be used for two-way external control communications with a third party control system. If there are no available COM ports, you must use the Ethernet based external control for two-way external control communications with a third party control system. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to select which serial port to use for external control: 1.
CONTROLLING FIREBALL FROM OTHER DEVICES In addition to the Escient ETP-1500 wired touch panel, FireBall provides the user and custom A/V installer with many options for control and integration into any home theater or home automation system using direct IR codes, two-way RS-232 serial control, two-way Ethernet control, and wireless web pad control.
FIREBALL UTILITIES GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR FIREBALL Information about your FireBall hardware and software is available under the Utilities menu. This information is useful for troubleshooting any problems you may encounter with your network connection or verifying the current software versions. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to view the FireBall system information: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the UTILITIES menu. 3.
RESTARTING THE SYSTEM There are two ways of manually performing a full restart or reboot of the FireBall system, one using the front panel power button and the other using the Restart System menu. Follow these steps to restart the system using the front panel Power Button: 1. Press and hold the power button for 4 seconds. 2. When the LED on the front panel begins to flash, release the power button. 3. When the LED on the front panel glows solid RED (standby mode), FireBall is ready to use. 4.
UPDATING THE SOFTWARE FireBall will automatically check the Escient server once a week for any FireBall software updates, and automatically install them. You can also manually check for a software update. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual Follow these steps to manually update the software: 1. Press the SETUP key on the remote to display the Setup menu. 2. Select the UTILITIES menu. 3. Select the UPDATE SOFTWARE menu. 4. Select the Check for Update button. 5. Confirm that you want to update the current software.
CONTROLLING FIREBALL FROM A WEB BROWSER FireBall contains a built-in web server which means you can connect to your FireBall and remotely control it using a standard web browser from a PC, Mac, or PDA over your home network. SETTING UP THE FIREBALL WEB SERVER Your FireBall acts as a web server on your network allowing you to connect and control the FireBall using your PC or Mac computer. This web server is automatically configured and started each time the FireBall is plugged in.
USING THE WEB BROWSER AS A MUSIC CLIENT In addition to remotely controlling your FireBall, the built-in web server also functions as a streaming MP3 music files to the web browser, providing an easy way to add multiple streaming music clients to your FireBall. Note: Your web browser and computer must be setup to properly handle streaming audio files. The proper configuration of these settings is beyond the scope of this document.
BACKUP AND RESTORE FIREBALL MUSIC BACKUP It is possible to backup and restore the music contents of a FireBall using the CIFS or “Windows” Networking feature. Backup is accomplished by mounting the FireBall onto your PC or Mac desktop and using your computer’s backup software. You can also backup the music files to any standard media which your PC supports, such as: DVD+/-R/W, CD-R/RW, or external hard drive. There are several methods and tools for backup your FireBall’s music content.
FIREBALL MUSIC RESTORE You can restore music to a FireBall using the same method used for importing audio files into a FireBall. Restore and Import both use the CIFS Networking feature to add audio files to a FireBall. Simply drag your music files to the Import directory and let FireBall import the audio files. Note: This may take several days for a large music collection! Upon Import, FireBall will rebuild the internal database based on the music file’s ID3 tag information.
NETWORKED AUDIO USING FIREBALL MUSIC CLIENTS SERVERS A FireBall Server is a Fireball media management system that is capable of “serving” media to other FireBalls over a network. The FireBall is a considered a “server” product. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual CLIENTS A FireBall Client is a FireBall that can play media from a FireBall Server over a network.
FireBall is built from the ground up with many features that allow you to centrally locate and remotely control your FireBall clients and servers, such as: • Direct IR input • Two way serial control over RS-232 • Two way serial control over ethernet • Wireless IR remote and Keyboard options • Support for 4 different IR banks (4 IR zones) • Templates for integration into many third party wired and wireless IR distribution systems • Philips and Marantz Pronto remote control templates PAGE 115 FireBall™ E2 U
Distributed A distributed FireBall installation means that your FireBall Servers and Clients are physically distributed or located in different rooms. Distributed FireBalls communicate over a wired or wireless network to share access to your media. FireBall™ E2 User’s Manual The biggest advantage of a distributed clientserver system over a central system is that everything you need is built into FireBall.
CONFIGURING A FIREBALL SERVER Every FireBall capable of server functions is automatically enabled to serve MP3 and FLAC audio whenever it is plugged in and properly configured for your network. It is recommended that you give each of your FireBall servers a unique name that describes it’s location using the SERVER SETTINGS screen which can be accessed from Setup/Network /Server Settings. Names like “LivingRoom”, “HomeTheater”, “MyMusicServer” are all good examples.
ESCIENT TECHNICAL SUPPORT Contact your dealer or Escient’s Customer Support group. Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 7pm EST Phone: 800-372-4368 Press “2” for Sales, or “3” for Support Fax: 317-616-6790 Internet: www.escient.com Email: support@escient.
TROUBLESHOOTING SOFTWARE UPDATE PROBLEMS Manual Software Update Checks Software Updates are automatically checked once a week starting on the day of the week your FireBall was first registered. You can manually check for a software update by accessing the Software Update menu found under the Setup/Utilities Menu. RECORDING PROBLEMS Audio vs. Data CDs FireBall requires Royalty paid blank media when recording audio CDs. Blank CDs marked with “Data” can not be used when creating Red Book audio CDs.
SPECIFICATIONS Specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check the Escient web site for any changes to the specifications. Video Specifications • NTSC • 10 bit Video DACs • Frequency Response: • Composite: -2 dB @ 5MHz • S-Video: -2 dB @ 5MHz • SNR: 50 dB • Crosstalk: 50 dB • Input Impedance: 75Ohm • Output Impedance: 75Ohm Audio Specifications • Frequency Response: 2 – 20,000 Hz, ±1 dB • THD+N (playback) < -80 dB FS A (< 0.
GRACENOTE® END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT USE OF THIS PRODUCT IMPLIES ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BELOW. This product contains technology and data from Gracenote of Emeryville, California (“Gracenote”). The technology from Gracenote (the “Gracenote Embedded Software”) enables this product to do disc identification and obtain music-related information, including name, artist, track, and title information (“Gracenote Data”), which is included on the Gracenote Database (the “Gracenote Database”).
