User:DJ VorTechS/PhatHack Media Manager/Manual/Options and configuration

PhatHack Media Manager Manual - Options and Configuration
The biggest usability problems experienced by the PhatHack Media Manager user base, have mostly come about from an incorrectly configured application. In most cases, this is because PhatHack Media Manager does not default to using the most optimized, or necessarily sensible options which we will look to review at a later time.

The options and configuration settings can be modified through the user interface via the main toolbar, by clicking on 'Tools', and selecting the 'Options' item as illustrated to the left.

The options screen will be displayed, which consists of the following tabs:


 * General Options - options dictating application behavoiur
 * Encoder Settings - options related to folders/devices attached to the application
 * Media Player - options that control the behaviour of the applications built-in media player
 * PhatSort - Kenwood Keg/PhatBox DMS-related functionality configuration

You must save first!

Whenever editing the options screen, it is important that you close the screen using the 'Save' button. This button forces the application to apply, and store the changes made to the application configuration. Using the 'X' icon, or clicking on 'Cancel' will cause the application to revert to the configuration the application was using BEFORE the options screen was displayed.

Available Options and their meanings
There are a considerable number of options available to modify how the application behaves or treats attached folders/devices.

Here is a list of the options, the tab on which they can be found, and what they mean:

General Options

Encoder Settings

Media Player

PhatSort

PhatSort is specific to Kenwood Keg/PhatBox DMS cartridges. The PhatSort process allows the re-mapping of Album/Artist/Genre modes of the box to a specified ID3 tag, allowing you to re-define the way in which your PhatBox operates.

This concept was taken from the original PhatSort idea developed by Simon Torri (FireFox) and subsequently extended.

Kenwood Keg / PhatBox Configuration Settings
By default, PhatHack Media Manager contains default configuration settings that will enable you to get the best out of your device. Options that must not be changed, are disabled.

Depending on the size of the disk encased within the DMS cartridge, you may optionally choose to increase the Bitrate of the stored media, and/or use FLAC encoding to get the best sound, and performance quality from the device.

Configuration Settings Storage
All configuration settings for PhatHack Media Manager are stored on a per user basis within INI files. The settings are stored in three different files, 'Options.INI', 'Encoder Settings.INI' and 'Player.INI' all of which can be found within the relevant Windows User Profile under the 'My documents\PhatHack Media Manager' directory.

You can modify the options directly within these files, by simply locating the relevant setting and altering the value after the '=' symbol.

There may also be a number of redundant settings within these files which can be ignored. Refer to the tables above for the valid, current settings.

That said, within 'Options.INI' one setting is valid, and can be used to modify the location of the 'Imported Media' folder as per the following:

[Synch] SynchPath=\\buran\users\S_Massey\My Documents\PhatHack Media Manager\Library

<< Back to Manual Contents Adding Media >>