THE MP3 VCR

Tutorial 2: How to start up Windows with your favorite radio station

Using the same principles described in setting up the MP3VCR with a scheduler, you can set up the MP3 VCR to start up with your favorite radio station!

Here's how to do this:

  1. Setup the radio station as described in the basic recording instructions.
  2. Turn on the "Start Paused" and "Listen to Stream" options.
  3. Save the radio station preset as described here.
  4. Generate a batch file for the preset.
  5. Add this batch file to your Start Menu (under Startup)

For this demonstration, we will start up Windows with the "SkyFM Classical" station.

  • If you haven't already done so, make sure that the advanced options are selected! (This will allow you to select the critical Start Paused option!)

  • Load the preset marked "SkyFM Classical". You should see a screen like this:

  • The default options are pretty good: timed recording is off. "Listen to stream" also is on. The only thing we now want to do is start paused so the station plays back, but doesn't record anything. So, check start paused.

    The screen should now look like this:

  • In order to utilize schedulers, a configuration must be saved as a preset. So, we need to save our new settings. Since I want to keep the old options, I'm going to save this preset under a new file name. In this case, I'll call it "SkyFM Classical Startup"

  • Now that we have saved this preset, as in the scheduling tutorial, we are now going to generate a batch file for this preset. (Click the Advanced menu, then click Generate command line for this preset. )

    This feature will open up the following window:

  • Let's click Write Batch File now.

    By default, the MP3 VCR will save all batch files in the Scheduler sub-folder of the program (typically c:\Program Files\MP3VCR\Scheduler\). Click Save now.

    You have finished setting up the MP3 VCR.

    Now, to start up Windows with your favorite radio station, simply copy that batch file over to your Startup folder!

    Here's one way to do this in Windows XP:

    1. Open up Windows Explorer.
    2. Move over to the folder which you saved the batch file in (e.g. c:\Program Files\MP3VCR\Scheduler\)
    3. Click on the batch file you just saved (in our case, SkyFM Classical.bat)
    4. Copy the batch file.
    5. Click on the Start Menu -- go to All Programs and then to the Startup folder.
    6. Right click on the startup folder.

    7. Click explore
    8. Right click on the right pane of Windows Explorer.
    9. Click Paste Shortcut

    That's it! Now the classical station will start up everytime you boot Windows!

    You will see a little note icon on the bottom of your screen, in your system tray, like so:

    Double clicking the icon will bring up the standard MP3 VCR playback window ; right clicking the icon will bring up the system tray commands, including commands to stop the music if you want. :)

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