|
May 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 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. 3.0 (or newer), and is subject to revision. To download OverDrive Media Console, click here.
What you need
- PC/laptop/Tablet PC running Microsoft® Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), Windows 2000 (Professional or Server), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), Windows XP (Home, Professional, Tablet PC, or Media Center Edition), Windows Vista (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate Edition).
- OverDrive Media Console (Note that OverDrive Media Console v.3.0 (or newer) is required to use some of the features detailed here. For steps on downloading the latest release of OverDrive Media Console, click here.
- Window 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 titles in this format.
- If you intend to transfer OverDrive MP3 Digital Audiobooks to a portable device, please note the following…
- iTunes version 7.6.2.9 (or newer) is required in order to transfer MP3 Audiobooks to an Apple Device.
- OverDrive Media Console can transfer MP3 content to most devices using the built-in Transfer Wizard with a few exceptions…
- Microsoft Zune: If you intend to transfer MP3 titles to a Microsoft Zune, you should be able to do so using Zune Marketplace. MP3 titles cannot be transferred to the Zune using the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard.
- iPod Shuffle: If you intend to transfer MP3 titles to an iPod Shuffle, you should be able to do so using iTunes. MP3 titles cannot be transferred to the Shuffle using the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard.
- If you want to use the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard to transfer content to an Apple device other than the iPod Shuffle, the setting 'Manually manage music' must be enabled in iTunes before you can complete the transfer.
How to download an OverDrive Media title (4 steps)
- 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 prompts 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 Part(s)' dialog box is displayed. At the 'Download Part(s)' 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 Part(s)' 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 and the size of these parts.
- 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 your 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 audio title to CD using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (6 steps)
Note that many OverDrive audio titles (audiobook and music) may be burned to CD, but OverDrive video files cannot be burned to CD or DVD.
- 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.
- Place a blank CDR in your CD-ROM drive. Note that you will need one CD for each part you want to burn to CD.
- In OverDrive Media Console, highlight the desired title and click the 'Burn' button, or choose menu option File > Burn.
The OverDrive Media Console Burn Wizard is displayed.
- Select the Part(s) you wish to burn to disk by checking the box(es) next to the Part name(s) and click 'Next'.
The Progress screen is displayed.
- When the burning process is complete, the 'Success' screen is displayed.
- You can now eject the disc and enjoy the Part you have burned on CD.
For information about burning to CD in previous versions of OverDrive Media Console, click here.
How to transfer an OverDrive Media title to a portable device using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (6 steps)
- 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.' Click here for more information about why your portable player could not be found.
- 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 your device.
Note: If you are using a Pocket PC, OverDrive Media files must be transferred to a memory card. Be sure you have a memory card with sufficient memory space installed, and be sure to specify the memory card in the course of the transfer process.
Note: To use OverDrive WMA Audiobooks on a device, the device must play DRM-protected WMA content and either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 64kbps or be able to transcode 64kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive Music on a device, the device must play DRM-protected WMA content and either support the bit rate of 64kbps or be able to transcode 64kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive Video on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 500kbps or be able to transcode 500kbps files to a supported bit rate. To review a list of supported portable devices, click here.
For 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
|
 |
