A: SATA and SATAII 3.5 hard drives up to 750GB in size can be fitted the MEDIA MATE. It can also be used as a network only player if you do not have a hard drive.

Q: I have an external hard drive that is used for backing up media files from my computer; can I connect this to the MEDIA MATE?

A: Yes you can. The MEDIA MATE has 2 USB host ports that allow you to connect other devices to the player and access the content for playback. As long as the device is USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 compliant it can be connected. External hard drives can be formatted in FAT32 or NTFS. USB Flash drives must be formatted in FAT or FAT32. Most devices that connect via USB to your computer without propriety software can be connected to the MEDIA MATE.

Q: Can I connect the MEDIA MATE to the network and my computer with the USB cable at the same time?

A: You cannot connect the MEDA MATE to the network and to you computer at the same time. When connected to the computer with the USB cable, this connection takes precedents over other forms of connection. If you are running a wired network connection it should be unplugged when connecting the MEDIA MATE to the computer with the USB cable.

Q: I have an external DVD drive; can I connect this to the MEDIA MATE?

A: As above you can conned the external DVD drive to your MEDIA MATE and it will read data from any DVD inserted in to the drive. You can also use an external DVD drive to watch DVD movies through the player. Most DVD-ROMs and DVD Burners are region coded and player DVDs from different regions will require the region on the drive to be reset. Most drives will lock after 4 changes and cannot be unlocked. Use with caution.

Q: When fitted what file system must the hard drive be formatted to?

A: The hard drive fitted to the Laser MEDIA MATE can be formatted to the FAT32 or NTFS (recommended) file system. Formatting the drive should be down once the drive is fitted to the MEDIA MATE and connected to a computer via the USB cable. Using the NTFS file system will allow file sizes of greater than 4GB to be stored on the hard drive.

Q: I am using Windows Vista on my home computer is this a problem?

A: No. Generally speaking there should not be a problem connecting the player via USB or the network to computers running Vista. It is recommended that you download and install SP1 for Vista to increase the transferring speed for transferring files via USB.

Q: Some files that I play on my computer will not play on the MEDIA MATE, why is this?

A: There are several different encoding methods used to convert video file to AVI. The most common is DIVX and XVID. There are several others that may or may not comply too these standards. If the video has been converted using a different conversion process it may not be playable on the MEDIA MATE and in some cases cause the MEDIA MATE to hang. These files may need to be re-encoded to be played on the MEDIA MATE.

Q: I have just tried to play file and the MEDIA MATE has stopped and I only see the Hour Glass shown on the screen and it is not responsive to the remote or buttons. What should I do?

A: Please read the above question for the most common reason for this. To resolve the problem please turn the power to the MEDIA MATE off at the wall, wait for about 10 seconds and then turn it on again. Turn the MEDIA MATE on using the remote control. If the same thing happens with the same file, try converting the file to another format on your computer before you attempt play back of the file again.

Q: I have some HD files in WMV format; can I play them on an ordinary TV set?

A: Yes the MEDIA MATE will play HD files back on ordinary CRT TVs as long as the files are in a compatible format they will play.

Q: Can I use a HD/Blue ray DVD burner as an external drive?

A: You can use the drive connected to the player as long as the data on the disk in the drive is of a valid format for the MEDIA MATE. It is not possible to play HD or Blue ray movies through the MEDIA MATE.

Q: I am trying to connect the MEDIA MATE to my Plasma/LCD TV with a HDMI cable but the MEDIA MATE will not detect it and will not connect via the HDMI cable. What should I do?

A: To connect the MEDIA MATE to the HDMI input of any device you will need a DVI to HDMI cable or adaptor. Ensure that the adaptor and or cable that you are using is HDMI V1.3. Of course we recommend using the Laser DVI to HDMI cable (http://www.laserco.com.au/cables/transguard/CB-HDMIDVI3-R.htm) for use with the MEDIA MATE.

Q: The MEDIA MATE becomes unresponsive during menu navigation; what should I do?

A: You should ensure that he MEDIA MATE is positioned to allow a circulation around the case. Heat build up can cause the MEDIA MATE to hang. If the case is in suitable position, turn the power to the MEDIA MATE off at the wall, and wait for 10 seconds and the turn it back on again. If the problem continues please read page 73 of the manual for instructions on how to update the firmware for the MEDIA MATE. The firmware can be downloaded from the following location. http://www.laserco.com.au/downloads_mm.htm. Please read the instructions carefully before beginning the update.

Q: I am using WPA-PSK[TKIP]/WPA2-PSK[AES] security on my router how do I set it up on the MEDIA MATE?

A: Please read from page 32 onward in the manual for detailed instructions for setting up both wired and wireless network access for the MEDIA MATE. The Wireless (Auto Setting) as described on page 33 will detect your access point and determine what level of Security and encryption you are using on your network. Once you have checked the details of the access point you then only need to enter the wireless password. Once the have completed the wireless setup, use the previous button to save the settings.

Here are some tips for setting up the MEDIA MATE on a wireless Access Point.

· Check to see if your router is using MAC filtering. If it is it is best to turn this feature of while setting up the MEDIA MATE. It can be turned on again when the setup is completed to include the wireless MAC address for the MEDIA MATE.

· When you completed the network setup on the MEDIA MATE, power the unit of using the remote control, wait for a few seconds and then power the MEDIA MATE back on again.

· It can be easier to set the Network settings of the MEDIA MATE if you have it on the desk next to you computer so you can access the router settings to confirm that all information is correct during the setup. There is nothing worse than having to go back and forward to check settings while you are trying to set the MEDIA MATE UP.

· Record all settings for the MEDIA MATE in the back of the manual for latter reference in case you need reset the MEDIA MATE up again.

· Record the NDAS KEY, NDAS Write KEY, and MAC address for both wired and wireless access from the base of the MEDIA MATE in the back of the manual.

· Once the information is recorded in the manual, store it in a safe place that is handy in case you need to refer to it at a later stage.

Q: I have configured the MEDIA MATE to access the network but I cannot see it on the computer. How do I access it over the network?

A: Once the MEDIA MATE has been set up on the network, you will need to install the NDAS software on your computer if you need to access the MEDIA MATE over the network. Once the software is installed on your computer you will need to enter the NDAS Device ID and the Write Key. The Write Key is only required if you are going to transfer files to the MEDIA MATE over the network.

Please refer to the manual for detailed instructions on the NDAS software.

Q: Can I use the MEDIA MATE to record programs or surf the net?

A: No. The MEDIA MATE cannot record files. It can only play files stored on it or access over the network. It cannot access the internet.

Q: Is there a power saving mode?

A: There is no power saving mode on the MEDIA MATE. As long as the player is on there is power to the hard drive and it will continue to spin. It is recommended that the MEDIA MATE be powered off when not in use.

Q: Can I us the MEDIA MATE with a MAC computer?

A: The MEDIA MATE can be connected to a MAC computer running OS X or later as a USB device if the drive has been formatted in FAT32. If the Drive is formatted in the NTFS file system the MAC will not be able to recognise the files system. The NDAS software supplied with the MEDIA MATE is not MAC compatible.

Q: I can play some files over the wireless network but others are jerky and not watchable. Is there a problem?

A: When connected to a wireless network the transfer speed I limited. Even when connected to an 802.11g network it is rare that a wireless device would be able to attain anything close to the 54Mbps rated for this protocol. The further away from the Access point the lower the signal and the transfer speed. Some files will play fine over the network and others that contain more data will be harder to player over the network. If possible a wired network connection is preferable to wireless for streaming video files.