A: All Laser Personal Media Players will connect to computers running Window 2000 and later without the need for drivers to be installed on the computer. These Operating systems have native drivers that should load as soon as the device is plugged in to an active USB port. The player will be displayed in the “My Computer” Window as a removable device. The player can now be access as you would any other drive on your computer.

Q: How do I copy files to my player?

A: Once the player is connected to the computer you can copy files to the player from your computer as you would any other drive or folder on your computer. Files and folders can be copied, moved, or deleted on the player the same way they are on the computer hard drive.

Q: Can I put all my music files in separate folders?

A: Placing files in separate folders is a good idea because it helps the player search and display the files on the screen. Placing all the files in the root directory or in just one folder can cause the player to slow down when trying to display all the files.

Q: What music files will the GROOVE MATE player play?

A: The Laser range of GROOVE MATE players and personal media players will only play file in the MP3 or WMA format and only files that are not copy protected. Files downloaded from “Pay per Track” sites are usually copy protected and will result in an error message being displayed when you try to play back the track. Please check with “terms and conditions” on the download site before attempting to transfer your downloaded files to the GROOVE MATE player. We are not able to provide information on removing any copy protection in any way

Q: The screen on GROOVE MATE player goes black after a while. Is there a problem with it?

A: This is a power saving feature of the GROOVE MATE player. The biggest drain on GROOVE MATE Player batteries is the LCD screen. In most cases the screen is set to go off after a preset time to help with battery endurance. The display can be returned by simply pressing on of the control buttons. Please refer to the manual to change this setting.

Q: The GROOVE MATE player turns itself off when I am trying to navigate my way through the menu. Is faulty?

A: As with the question above, this is a power saving feature. It is usually set to turn off after a preset time from the last button press if none of the features are being used, such as Music playback. This is to help the player retain the battery life and not go flat if it is forgotten to be turned off.

Q: Can I copy my records and CD’s to use on my GROOVE MATE player?

A: In Australia, as long as you own the record or CD and it is intended to be used on devices that you own only, then yes you can. More detailed information about this can be found the following website http://www.copyright.org.au/information/specialinterest/music.htm. Look for the link Music: copying MP3s, CDs, & audio Cassettes. You can download the information in PDF format. This document also covers copying Vinyl Albums and singles. Please respect the Copyright laws in your area.

Q: So how do I copy music so it can be played on my GROOVE MATE player?

A: Most computers now come with software that can be used to convert CDs to MP3 format. On Windows based computers the program is called Microsoft “Windows Media Player.” This program can be used to listen to CDs, MP3’s, watch Video files, and of course convert your Audio CDs to the MP3/WMA format used by your Laser personal media player. For detailed information on how to convert your CD’s start the program and press the “F1” key on your keyboard. Select the “Index” tab and the type in “Ripping” in the search field. You will be shown detailed instructions on converting you CD to MP3. Please ensure that the “ADD COPY PROTECTION” option is the setting is turned off to ensure the files can be played on your player. Please refer to the previous question about Copyright issues.

Q: I have downloaded tracks from ITunes and when copied to the GROOVE MATE player they do not show up. Why?

A: Unfortunately ITunes tracks present a couple of problems with the Laser personal Media players; Firstly, the format of tracks from ITunes are in the ACC format. This means that file will be “TRACKNAME.ACC” this format is not compatible with Laser personal media players as it will not be detected by the player when it has been copied to it. While they can be converted to the MP3 format using the ITunes software, there is still the problem of the copy protection. Just about all tracks downloaded from ITunes are copy protected and can only be used on the computer that the file was downloaded to or devices that is DRM (Digital Rights Management) capable. We cannot offer any information on removing any copy protection.

Q: I am getting sound from one side of my earphones only. What should I do?

A: Please check that the earphones plug is fitted firmly in to the socket. Some it can works its way out slightly and simply needs to be seated correctly. If after trying that the results are the same, please test the player with another set of earphones. This will determine if the player is faulty or the earphones are the problem. The Laser GROOVE MATE uses 2.5MM Stereo earphone jacks. An adapter is required to use standard 3.5mm headsets.

Q: The sound quality from the music is poor. What is the problem?

A: There are a couple of reasons for poor quality playback. The most common reason for this is poor encoding of the music file. Check the playback quality of the file on your computer, bear in mind that the difference between hearing the playback through speakers and through earphones. It is also possible that the earphones are beginning to degrade from use. This is normal for earphones and they will not last forever. Please replace them.

Q: My GROOVE MATE has an FM radio. Why will not pick up stations?

A: GROOVE MATE players and personal media players fitted with FM radios use the earphone lead as the antenna. The earphones need to be fitted to the player before you can tune the radio to the station. Please ensure that you are in a good reception area before you attempt to tune the radio. If the signal is week it may not be strong enough to be “Auto tuned” but strong enough for listening too. Tune the radio in a good reception area and store the stations. These can then be selected in other locations. The internal speaker cannot be used when using the FM radio as the earphones must be fitted for this feature to be used.

Q: In the manual it says that I can update the firmware of the GROOVE MATE player how do I go about this?

A: Firmware is written specifically for each model GROOVE MATE player. Firmware updates released by the factory will be posted on the website when and if they become available. Firmware is released to overcome reported issues and usually do not add any new feature to the player. While the firmware version shown on the player may be very similar to versions on other brands and types of players, the firmware one each model player has distinct aspects that need to be account for in the firmware. Downloading and installing firmware on a Laser GROOVE MATE or Personal Media Player that has not been posted on our website specifically for a particular model may render the player inoperable and will void the warranty on the Player.

Q: I try to copy file to the player from my computer but I get an error message stating the “Disk is Write Protected.” What is going on?

A: Some model GROOVE MATE players have a “lock” switch on them. This switch is designed to “lock out” the buttons to ensure that the buttons are not pressed accidently if the player is in your pocket or bag when in use. This switch also acts as Write Protect switch to ensure that any data on the GROOVE MATE player is not accidently erased. Please check the position for the switch and move to the “Unlocked” position and reconnect to the computer.

Q: When I try to access the Music feature of the player I get the message “Disk Error” What can I do?

A: Due to the nature of the memory used in GROOVE MATE players in general, it is possible form time to time that the FAT (File Allocation Table) can become corrupted. This sometime happens if the player has been removed from the USB port while data was still being transferred to or from the player. Another cause is a static discharge to the chipset. In most cases the problem is simply resolved by reformatting the player. IF using Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, please connect the player to the computer as per normal. Open the “My Computer” window and then “Right click” on the drive icon that represents the player connected to your computer. Select “Format” from the options menu as shown below.

Q: The player will only play the first 10 or 12 seconds on the song and then starts the beginning of the nest track. What is wrong with my player?

A: Your player is set to “Intro Mode” This mode will only play the first few seconds of the song before going on to the next track. Please change the playback settings as shown in the manual to “Normal”. This should fix the problem.

Q: How do I recharge my GROOVE MATE player?

A: The battery can be charged by simply connecting the GROOVE MATE player to the computer via the USB port on your computer and turning the player on. The player will charge as long as there is power to the USB port. The computer must remain on during the charging process. The process will take about 4 to 5 hours to charge the player.

Q: What picture can be displayed on the GROOVE MATE player?

A: The Laser GROOVE MATE players can display pictures in the BMP and JPG format. It is a good idea to resize the images that you are transferring to the MPV. The larger the image file that the player is to display, the longer it will take to process. Reducing the size of the image file will also help with the storage space required for the files.

Q: How can get video files on to my GROOVE MATE?

A: The Laser GROOVE MATE player requires all video files to be converted to the AVI format before being transferred to the player. The required software is installed on your computer when the player utilities are installed from the included CD. Open the AVIConverter Tool from the program group “AVIConverter.”

Click on the “ADD” button to locate the source file and make the required setting changes and select the destination folder for the converted file.
Repeat as required to “stack” the files for conversion.
When all the files you require to be converted have been added, click the “Convert Now” button to begin the conversion.
The process status will be displayed for each file.
When all files have been converted they can be copied to the GROOVE MATE.

The following tips may be helpful.

· It is easier to convert the video files on your computer and then transfer them to the GROOVE MATE player.

· All files, even files downloaded as AVI files must converted for viewing on the GROOVE MATE.

· Check the converted file for playback on your computer before transferring to the GROOVE MATE player.

· Ensure that all the required Codec’s are installed on your computer before converting the video file.

· The AVIConverter cannot convert any video file that is copy protected. This includes DVD files.

· Check the settings to ensure that the correct aspect ratio is used for the conversion. This may require trial and error as different video sources may have different results.

· Check there is enough space on the GROOVE MATE player for the converted file or files before transferring to the player.

· The AVI Converter program is common among personal Media Players. Use only the version that is supplied with your Groove Mate as it has been tailored to the Groove Mate and other versions may not generate compatible files.

Q: The time is reset whenever I turn the GROOVE MATE off. Is there fault with the GROOVE MATE?

A: The Laser GROOVE MATE player can be turned off in 2 ways.

1. In day to day use the best way to turn the player off is to press and hold the “Play” button for about 3 seconds. This acts as a “Saved State” mode for the player. If you are in the music playback mode and you wish to turn the player off for short period, press and hold the “Play” button and the GROOVE MATE will turn its self off. To turn the player on again, press and hold the “Play” button and the GROOVE MATE will turn its self on returning you to the last point that the GROOVE MATE was in. Turning the GROOVE MATE off in this way will retain the time settings.

2. If the player is not to be used for a long period, it is recommended that the player be turned off using the ON/OFF switch. Turning the player off in this manner will lose the time setting and it will need to be re-entered if required. When you turn the player back on again you will always start at the main menu.

Q: The files voice recordings that I have made with my GROOVE MATE will not play on my computer even though they are in the WAV format. Why Not?

A: Some customers have reported that the Voice files reported that the GROOVE MATE is not compatible with the WAV format as they should be. This is problem with the Codec on the GROOVE MATE that records the file. While the file is playable on the GROOVE MATE, in some case it may not be playable in other devices or on your computer. We are trying to obtain a firmware release that will resolve the issue and it will be posted on the download page as soon as it is available. I the mean time the file can be converted using a Freeware program called VLC Media Player that can be downloaded here http://www.videolan.org/vlc/. It is a very use full program that as well as playing a large number of media files can convert them as well. This program is highly recommended.