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September 2008
This guide offers an overview of the OverDrive Media Console™. A free, easy-to-use application, OverDrive Media Console allows you to download and enjoy OverDrive audiobooks, music, and video on most Windows® computers. Use OverDrive Media Console to navigate, play, and bookmark OverDrive media titles, and to manage and customize your media library. OverDrive Media Console grants you the added functionality to transfer media to supported portable devices, and to burn CDs of audiobooks and music (when allowed by the publisher).
In this guide, you'll find system requirements and instructions for downloading, navigating, and playing OverDrive media. The steps needed to burn audio files to CD are also included, as are instructions on transferring OverDrive media files to supported portable devices.
Please note that this guide is intended for use with OverDrive Media Console v. 3.1 (or newer), and is subject to revision. To download OverDrive Media Console, click here.
What you need
- PC/laptop/Tablet PC running Windows Vista® (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate Edition), Windows XP (Home, Professional, Tablet PC, or Media Center Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), Windows 2000 (Professional or Server), Microsoft® Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)
- OverDrive Media Console (Note that OverDrive Media Console v.3.1 (or newer) is required to use some of the features detailed here. For instructions on downloading the latest release of OverDrive Media Console, click here.)
- Windows Media® Player 9 Series (or newer) (To visit the Windows Media Player download page, click here.)
- An Internet connection (Note that OverDrive Video is supported as a high-speed Internet product only.)
- Access to a library website that lends OverDrive Media or a retail website that sells OverDrive Media
How to download an OverDrive Media title
- After purchasing or checking out an OverDrive Media title, click on the 'Download' link for the title.
OverDrive Media Console opens, and the 'Get Media' dialog box is displayed. The 'Get Media' dialog box allows you to specify the location to which the file(s) you download will be saved.
- Click 'OK' to save the files to the default location or click the 'Browse...' button to specify a different location on your computer, then click 'OK'.
The 'Download' dialog box is displayed. At the 'Download' dialog box, you can specify the Part(s) of the titles you want to download. By default, all available Parts are selected for download.
- Use the checkboxes to indicate the Part(s) you want to download, and click 'OK'.
The 'Download' dialog box closes, and your download begins. The progress of the download of each Part is displayed in OverDrive Media Console. The download may take several minutes, depending on the number of Parts selected, the size of the Parts, and your Internet connection. Once the download is complete, proceed to the next section: 'How to navigate and play an OverDrive Media title.'
How to navigate and play an OverDrive Media title
Once the download is complete, the title is displayed in OverDrive Media Console.
Select the title you want to play, then click the 'Play' button.
The OverDrive Media Explorer™ window is displayed, and the selected title begins to play.
For ease of download and use, many OverDrive media titles are divided into 'Parts', and Parts are then divided into logical sections (such as chapters for audiobooks or scenes for videos). The beginning points of these logical sections are called 'MediaMarkers™'. Use Parts and MediaMarkers to skip directly to, and begin play at, a desired point in a title. Click on the desired Part to display associated MediaMarkers. Click the desired MediaMarker to start play at that point in the file.
How to burn an OverDrive Audiobook or Music title to CD using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (or newer)
The steps involved in burning an OverDrive Audiobook or Music title to CD using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (or newer) vary according to the operating system you have installed:
- If you have Windows 98 SE or Windows 2000, you will need to use Windows Media Player to burn OverDrive Audiobooks or Music to CD. To view instructions for Windows 98 SE or Windows 2000 and Windows Media Player 9, click here.
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- If you have Windows XP or newer, you can burn OverDrive Audiobooks or Music to CD using the OverDrive Media Console Burn Wizard. Burn a title to CD using Burn Wizard as follows:
- If you have not already done so, verify that the permissions on the title allow you to burn the file to CD (publishers may opt to disable this functionality):
- In OverDrive Media Console, highlight the desired title and click the 'Properties' button.
The 'Properties' dialog box is displayed.
- Click the 'License' tab. (Note that if a 'License' tab is not displayed, the title is not digitally protected and can be burned to CD.)
'License details' for the selected title are displayed, indicating whether or not the title may be burned to CD.
- Click the 'Cancel' button to close the 'Properties' dialog box.
- Burn a title to CD using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (or newer) as follows…
- Place a recordable CD into your recordable CD drive.
- In OverDrive Media Console, highlight the title you wish to burn and click the 'Burn' button.
The OverDrive Media Console Burn Wizard is displayed.
- Verify that the correct title is displayed on the first screen of the Burn Wizard and click 'Next'.
The 'Confirm' screen is displayed.
- In the 'Confirm' screen, select the Part(s) you want to burn by checking the box(es) next to the Part name(s).
- Click 'Next' to begin burning the first file to CD.
The Progress screen is displayed. You can click 'Cancel' at any point while the OverDrive Media Console 'prepares' the file. However, it is not possible to cancel the process once the file starts burning to CD.
- If you have selected more than one Part to burn to CD, the Burn Wizard will prompt you to enter a new CD for each Part. When all Part(s) have been successfully burned to CD(s), the Burn Wizard displays a 'success' message.
- Click 'Finish' to exit the Burn Wizard.
Note: If you need information about burning to CD in previous versions of OverDrive Media Console, click here.
Note: Many OverDrive audio titles (Audiobooks and Music) can be burned to CD, but OverDrive Video titles cannot be burned to CD or DVD.
How to transfer an OverDrive Media title to a portable device using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (or newer)
- Connect your portable player to your computer.
- In OverDrive Media Console, highlight the title you wish to transfer and click the 'Transfer' button.
The OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard is displayed.
- Verify that the correct title is displayed on the first screen of the Transfer Wizard and click 'Next'.
The Transfer Wizard searches for a connected portable device. If your device is detected the 'Confirm' screen is displayed. If your device is not detected, the Transfer Wizard will display a message stating that 'no portable players could be found'. Reconnect your device, and complete steps 1 - 3.
- In the 'Confirm' dialog box, select the Part(s) you want to transfer by checking the box(es) next to the Part name(s).
- Click 'Next' to begin transferring the file(s) to your device.
When the file transfer is complete, the Transfer Wizard displays a 'success' message.
- Click 'Finish' to exit the Transfer Wizard.
You can now disconnect your portable device and enjoy the title on-the-go.
Note: Device support varies by format. To read more about which devices support which formats, click here.
Note: If you need information about transferring to a portable device in previous versions of OverDrive Media Console, click here.
OverDrive is a registered trademark of OverDrive, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Important Notice About Copyrighted Materials
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