User Guide

Set Up

Overview
Setting up Replay Radio
Setting up your Firewall
Configuring the CD Burner

How To

Recording a Broadcast Radio Show
Recording Archived Radio Shows
Downloading Podcasts
Recording XM Radio Online
Recording XM Radio via a Cable or XM PCR
Recording from an External Audio Source (like a Radio)
How to Use Quick Record
Editing a Scheduled Show
Deleting a Scheduled Show
Duplicating a Scheduled Show
Organizing Shows
Playing and Deleting Recorded Shows
Recording a Listed Show Immediately
Tuning to a Show Immediately
Closing Replay Radio

Advanced Options

iTunes Tricks and Hints
Copying Recordings to your iPod
Syncing to other MP3 Players
Troubleshooting using the Log
Customizing Recording File Names
Using the URL Finder
Keeping Your PC Clock Accurate
Custom Conversion Options

Reference

Setting Show Recording Options
Configuring Replay Radio (Settings)
Burn/Copy Playlists

Troubleshooting

• FAQ and Troubleshooter for Replay Radio
• No audio in your recordings? Click here for help
• Realtek audio configuration settings

Overview

Replay Radio is best described as a TiVo-like software system for recording Radio broadcasts. It's a great way to ensure you don't miss your favorite shows, or to take your favorite stations with you using an MP3 player, iPod or car CD.

Replay Radio 6.0 can capture a variety of radio programming, including:

• Broadcast stations streamed over the internet.
• Podcasts.
• XM radio (via online or a hardware interface)
• Audio from an AM/FM radio or any external device attached to the mic or line-in input on your PC.

Picking shows to record is easy with the Replay Radio Guide. Over 1000 shows and stations are listed, with more being added every day.

To listen to your shows, Replay Radio makes MP3 files for playback on your PC or an MP3 player, or you can command Replay Radio to automatically burn an audio CD for playback on any CD Player.

Replay Radio is really simple to use -- here's how the main screen appears:

Replay Radio is a great way to listen to what you want, when you want it.

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Setting Up Replay Radio

Before using Replay Radio, you'll need to configure it with some basic information. When you first use the software, you'll see the Folders screen, which lets you specify locations for recordings and temporary files:

The various settings are:

• Save output files to this folder: Choose a folder or even create a new folder into which you will save all your recordings. Click the Browse button to pick your folder.
  
• Temporary Files Folder: This should be located on a drive that has lots of free space. Replay Radio sometimes captures uncompressed audio, and then converts it to MP3s. Uncompressed audio can be as large as 4 Gig, depending upon the length of your recording. By default, the program will choose the folder \Program Files\Replay Radio 6\Recordings\ in your C or D drive.
  

When you've finished with this screen, click Next. The Connections screen appears:

If you use a dial-up connection, or if you access the Web via a proxy server, enter this information here. Here's what these settings do:

• Connect Via default Dial-up Connection: If your PC is on a LAN, DSL or Cable Modem, leave this unchecked. Otherwise, Replay Radio will use the default dial-up connection to connect to the Internet before recording the show.
• Test Default Dial-up Connection: This lets you test the dial-up connection to be sure it is working properly.
• Internet Connections use a Proxy Server: If you connect to the Net using a proxy server, enter this data here. Replay Radio uses Internet connections to download up-to-date program schedules and station lists.

Click Finish. Finally, if you're going to be recording radio stations broadcast over the Web, you can test the various lines available for your sound card. The Audio recording Method Test screen appears:

Click Begin Audio Recording Test to test the various lines for the selected Sound Card. Click Done when the test is finished, or if you want to skip the test.

Congratulations! Replay Radio is all set and ready to go.

For advanced configuration options, click the Settings button.

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Setting up Your Firewall

When you use Replay Radio, it needs access to the Web to do various tasks. Often times, your firewall may not allow Replay Radio access. Here's how to configure two of the most popular firewall solutions, Windows Firewall and Zone Alarm.

Note: Make sure Replay Tuner (Tuner.exe), Replay Guide (Guide.exe), and the URL Monitor (URLMonitor.exe) are also allowed access.

Windows Firewall:

1. Open Windows Firewall. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, then Network Connections. Next, choose Change Windows Firewall Settings. Windows Firewall appears.
2. Click the Exceptions tab. The screen below appears:
   
   
   
   
3. Click Add Program, and then select Replay Radio from the list. Your will see this screen:
   
   
   
   
4. Click OK. Replay Radio will now be able to access the Web.

For Zone Alarm:

1. Open Zone Alarm, and click the program Control Tab.
2. Locate Replay Radio. If Replay Radio is blocked, you'll see red Xs next to it as shown here:
   
   
   
   
3. Click each X, and select Allow. When you're done, your screen should look like this:
   
   
   
   
   

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Configuring the CD Burner

If you plan to have Replay Radio make CDs, you should be sure to set up the CD Burner properly.

1. From the main Replay Radio display, select Settings, Other. The Other Settings dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
2. Click Setup CD Burner. The CD Burner Setup dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
3. The CD drive should appear. Set the proper write speed for the media you want to use.
4. Select any other Write CD Options as they pertain to your system.
5. Click OK.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. CD-R discs will generally give better results than CD-RW discs, especially with older CD players.
2. Ensure the write speed is within range for the disc you are using. For example, if your discs are rated at 24x, make sure the CD Burner is configured for 24x or less.

Please read the Replay Radio CD Burning Guide before creating audio CDs to learn more and avoid some of the potential pitfalls of creating audio CDs.

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Recording a Broadcast Radio Show

Recording shows broadcast over the Internet is as easy as picking a show from the Replay Radio Guide. Here's how to do it:

1. Click the Guide button. The Guide appears:
   
   
   
   
2. Choose Shows or Stations . Shows and Stations refer to radio stations broadcast over the internet. Podcasts are a new type of downloadable show, which will automatically place a new show on your PC when it becomes available.
   
   Click Shows from the top of the Guide to locate a particular show to record. The Find Show screen appears:
   
   
   
   
3. In this example, we'll look for the "Car Talk" radio show. Enter a show name to locate, then click Find Show. The results of your search appear like this:
   
   
   
   
4. Click the symbol to add the show to your recordings list. (If you want to learn more about the show, click the symbol.) The new show (Car Talk) appears in Replay Radio, as shown here:
   
   
   
   

Once you've added a show, you can fine-tune the various recording options by double-clicking the show (see Show Recording Options).

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Recording Archived Radio Shows

Often a radio show is presented as an archive which you can listen to from start to finish anytime you like. Here's the best way to record archives:

1. Click Quick Record. The Quick Record dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
   
2. Enter the name of the show, the approximate duration, and the audio recording method to use. Make sure to over-estimate the duration so you can capture the entire show!
3. Click the Audio Options tab. The Audio Options appear:
   
   
   
   
4. Make sure Eliminate Dear Air is checked, and set it for 15 seconds of silence.
5. Click OK to start the recording.
6. If you're at the PC when the archive has finished playback, you can click Stop Quick Record. Otherwise, the recording will stop on its own after the duration you set in step 2.

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Downloading Podcasts

A Podcast is a downloadable radio show which can automatically be placed on your PC, MP3 Player or iPod. You can "subscribe" to podcasts, whereby each new show is downloaded automatically when it becomes available, or you can simply download individual episodes. There are currently Podcasts available in the Replay Media Guide.

The easiest way to subscribe to Podcasts or download individual show episodes is from the Replay Media Guide as follows:

1. Click the Guide button. The Guide appears:
   
   
   
   
2. Choose Podcasts. The Find Podcast screen appears:
   
   
   
   
3. In this example, we'll look for the "Engadget" Podcast. Enter the Podcast name to locate, then click Find Podcast. The results of your search appear like this:
   
   
   
   
4. Click the symbol to add the show to your recordings list. (If you want to learn more about the show, click the symbol.) The new show (Engadget) appears in Replay Radio, as shown here:
   
   
   
   

Once you've added a Podcast, you can fine-tune the time it's recorded, the final output format, and whether to add it automatically to iTunes by double-clicking the show (see Show Recording Options).

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Entering a Podcast Manually

If the Podcast doesn't appear in the Replay Radio Guide, you can enter the RSS XML Feed as follows:

1. In Replay Radio, click the Guide button. The Guide appears.
2. Select Podcasts.
3. Select Enter XML. The Guide appears like this:
   
   
   
   
4. Enter the RSS/XML feed URL of the Podcast. (On some sites, you'll see . Right click this, and choose Copy Shortcut, and then Paste it into the Podcast Feed URL input field.)
5. Click the Submit button.
6. The Podcast is entered into the Replay Radio Guide. The Guide shows the new show.
7. If you enter a category, this is used by the Guide as well.
8. Click the button to add it to your shows list.

Updating Podcasts

When you subscribe to a Podcast, Replay Radio automatically checks for new Podcasts periodically. You can determine when these checks occur by double-clicking on a Podcast in your list of shows, and selecting the Schedule tab.

To force a download of all new Podcasts:

1. Open the Replay Center.
2. Click Options.
3. Select Update All Podcasts from the menu.

Downloading Individual Episodes

Sometimes, you might just want to download an individual show, and not an entire series of Podcasts. Here's how to do it:

1. Find the Podcast.
2. Click the button to see more information about the Podcast.
3. When viewing the Podcast, you'll see summaries of the most recent episodes. Click the button to download the episode to your PC right away.
4. If you have iTunes, click   to load the show straight into iTunes.

Removing Episodes from the List

Hint: After you have downloaded one or more episodes, you can remove them from your list of shows as follows:

1. Click the Options button.
2. Click Remove Downloaded Podcast Shows from List.

This doesn't delete any files, but does remove them from the list view.

Making Shows "Bookmarkable" on the iPod

When listening to long Talk Shows, you might want to pause the show and resume listening at the same place where you left off. Enabling this feature on the iPod requires converting MP3 files to a "bookmarkable AAC" format. You can have Replay Radio do this automatically with subscribed shows as follows:

1. Subscribe to a show using the Replay Media Guide.
2. Double click the show from the shows list in Replay Radio.
3. Click the Output tab.
4. Next to "After Recording, Convert to" choose AAC (iPod Bookmarkable).

Hint: See iTunes Tricks and Hints for more great suggestions on managing Podcasts.

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Recording XM Radio Online

Replay Radio can capture XM radio broadcasts from the online streaming feeds made available to every XM Radio subscriber. No external hardware is needed!

Here's how to schedule a recording from the XM Radio Online:

1. Click the Options button.
2. Select Enter New Show from the menu. The Edit Show dialog appears with a blank show:
   
   
   
   
3. Change the Type to XM Online. The Edit Show screen changes to this:
   
   
   
   
4. Enter the XM Channel to record.
5. Enter your XM Online Login and Online Password. (Once you enter these, they are saved for future recordings.)
6. Enter the Name of Show.
7. Set the Audio Recording Method: choose Stereo Mix, Wave, Wave Out Mix, or What U Hear as the Recording Source. (If you've installed the Enhanced Sound Card Driver option, you should choose Enhanced Sound Card Driver instead.)
8. Click the Schedule tab. Enter the time and days to record.
   
   
   
   
9. Click OK.

The rest of the options are just like recording any other streaming broadcast. (See Setting Show Recording Options and Recording a Broadcast Radio Show for more details.)

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Recording XM Radio via a Cable or XM PCR

Before recording, you'll need to ensure you have the proper equipment. See the XM Recording Guide here for details.

To record XM Radio via a cable:

1. Click the Options button.
2. Select Enter New Show from the menu. The Edit Show dialog appears with a blank show:
   
   
   
   
3. Change the Type to XM Hardware. The Edit Show screen changes to this:
   
   
   
   
4. Set the Audio Recording Method: choose Line In as the Recording Source. (If you attached the RCA Stereo Cable to the Mic port, then choose Mic.)
5. Enter the Name of Show.
6. Enter the XM Channel to record.
7. Click the Schedule tab. Enter the time and days to record.
   
   
   
   
8. Click OK.

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Recording from an External Audio Source (like a Radio)

In addition to recording over the Internet, you can record any other audio sources your PC accepts, including the Line In or Microphone jack on your PC's sound card, CD Players, Video tuners and more.

If you have a device like a radio or police scanner attached to your PC, you'll need a dual male headphone adapter as shown here:

This adapter is available at Radio Shack for about $4. Look for the following on the package: Part #42-2497 Stereo Audio Cable 1/8" stereo mini plug to 1/8" stereo mini plug For connecting audio components to a computer's sound card

Before connecting the adapter, check to be sure you get sound out of the microphone or line-in input. Often times Windows is not set up properly for this by default. You can check this by opening Sound Recorder from Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, and then recording something.

Configuring Windows for Recording from External Audio Sources

To record, you need to make sure Microphone or Line In recording is selected using the Windows Volume control. Here's how to set it up properly:

1. Double-click on the speaker icon on the task bar tray.
   
   OR
   
   If there is no icon, select Start, Settings, Control Panel. Click Sounds and Audio Devices (or Sounds and Multimedia). Then click the Audio tab, then click the Volume button under Sound Recording.
   
   This opens the Windows Volume Control.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click Options, Properties, Adjust Volume for Recording.
   This makes the recording inputs appear.
   
   
   
   
3. Be sure Microphone and Line In are checked to display these inputs.
   (Some PCs may not have a Line In control, in which case just Microphone will appear.)
4. Click OK.
   The Recording Control dialog appears.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Depending upon your version of Windows, make sure that the Select box for both Microphone and Line-In are checked, and make sure that Mute is unchecked.
6. Close the Windows Volume Control.

Replay Radio notes: When you record in this manner, be sure to select the proper Audio Recording Method when adding a new show to record.

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How to Use Quick Record

Sometimes you may want to record what's playing through the PC speakers without scheduling a show or tuning -- this is known as Quick Record.

To start a Quick Record:

1. Select Quick Record from the main screen. The Quick Record dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
2. Enter the Name of Show as you want the MP3 or WAV file to appear.
   (The show will be saved with the date added to the name of the show, for example "My Show" will be saved as "My Show Aug 10.mp3".)
3. Set the duration for recording by entering Hours and Minutes in the Record for input.
4. Set an Audio Recording Method (click here for details).
5. You can also set Output, Splitting, and Audio Options, just like you do for a scheduled recording.
6. Click OK. Recording commences shortly, and the Quick Record button changes to "Stop Quick Record".

To stop recording, click the Stop Quick Record button.

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Editing a Scheduled Show

You can change or adjust recording settings for each scheduled show easily. Here's how:

1. Double-click on the show to change.
2. Make your modifications, then click OK.

See Setting Show Recording Options for details on the various options.

You can also right-click on a show, then choose Edit from the menu to change recording settings.

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Deleting a Scheduled Show

To delete a show:

1. Right click on the show to delete.
   
   OR
   Click the show to delete and then click the Options button.
   
2. Select Delete from the pop-up menu.
3. Click OK when asked to confirm.

The show is removed from the schedule. The recordings from that show still remain on your PC.

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Duplicating a Scheduled Show

Sometimes you may want to make a duplicate copy of a show, and modify it slightly to make a new show.

Here's how to create a duplicate show:

1. Right click on the show to duplicate.
   
   OR
   Click the show to duplicate and then click the Options button.
   
2. Select Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
3. You'll see a duplicate show at the bottom of the list. Double click it to change it.

Important: The new show will have the same scheduled time as the original show, so you will need to change the scheduled time.

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Organizing Shows

You can change the order which your scheduled shows appear on the main screen, either by sorting shows, or rearranging them manually. Here's how the main screen appears again:

To sort shows:

• Click the Name or Status/Last Recording heading in the list of shows.

To rearrange the order of shows:

• Click a show, and then click the Move Up or Move Down buttons, or press the Shift + Up or Shift + Down keyboard combinations. The selected show changes position.

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Playing and Deleting Recorded Shows

To see all the shows you've recorded and play them or delete them:

1. Click the View button. Windows File Explorer appears, displaying the folder containing subfolders where your recordings have been saved.
2. Choose a subfolder to view recordings for a particular show.
3. Double-click a file to play it. Right-click a file and choose Delete to delete it.

To play or delete recordings for a specific show:

1. Right click the show.
   
   OR
   
   Click the show, then click the Options button.
   
2. Select View Shows from the pop-up menu.

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Recording a Listed Show Immediately

Sometimes you may just want to record a radio station that appears in your schedule manually.

Here's how to start recording a scheduled show immediately:

1. Right click the show to record.
2. Click Start Record/Download from the pop-up menu.
3. When you want to stop recording, right click the show again, and click Stop Record/Download from the pop-up menu.
4. Answer Yes when you are asked "Would you like to save the current recording?"

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Tuning to a Show Immediately

Sometimes you may just want to listen to a preset show or station without recording. To do this:

1. Right-click the show to listen to.
2. Click Tune to Station from the pop-up menu.
   

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Closing Replay Radio

To close the program:

1. Locate the Relay Radio icon in the lower right part of your screen. The icon will appear like this:
   
   
   
   
2. Click the icon.
3. Choose Exit from the menu

Important: Once you close Replay Radio, your scheduled recordings won't occur until you restart Replay Radio.

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Troubleshooting using the Log

If you have trouble recording, the View Log button will show you all of the activity in Replay Radio. This may help in diagnosing some errors.

The Log is saved as the file log.txt in the Replay Radio program files folder (usually c:\program files\replay radio 6). If you're sending a support request, attaching the Log file to your email helps the support technicians diagnose your problem.

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Customizing Recording File Names

You can specify how you want the names of recorded files to appear. By default, a show named "My Show" saved as an MP3 file on December 1 will be named "My Show Dec 1.mp3". However, you can change this using the File naming format string in Settings, Other.

Here are the various symbol options and what they mean:

%%s - This is the name of the show, and must be present.
%a - Abbreviated weekday name.
%A - Full weekday name.
%b - Abbreviated month name.
%B - Full month name.
%c - Date and time representation appropriate for locale.
%d - Day of month as decimal number (01 – 31).
%H - Hour in 24-hour format (00 – 23).
%I - Hour in 12-hour format (01 – 12).
%j - Day of year as decimal number (001 – 366).
%m - Month as decimal number (01 – 12).
%M - Minute as decimal number (00 – 59).
%p - Current locale’s A.M./P.M. indicator for 12-hour clock.
%S - Second as decimal number (00 – 59).
%U - Week of year as decimal number, with Sunday as first day of week (00 – 53).
%w - Weekday as decimal number (0 – 6; Sunday is 0).
%W - Week of year as decimal number, with Monday as first day of week (00 – 53).
%x - Date representation for current locale.
%X - Time representation for current locale.
%y - Year without century, as decimal number (00 – 99).
%Y - Year with century, as decimal number.
%z - Time-zone name or abbreviation; no characters if time zone is unknown.
%#c - Long date and time representation, appropriate for current locale.
%#x - Long date representation, appropriate for current locale.

Use the # character to remove any leading zeroes, as in any of the following:

%#d, %#H, %#I, %#j, %#m, %#M, %#S, %#U, %#w, %#W, %#y, %#Y

The characters / ? : * \ cannot be used anywhere in the format string. Any other characters that appear are presented as-is.

Examples:

The default format string is:
%%s %b %#d

The above default string makes show names like "My Show Dec 1.mp3".

A format string like this:
%m-%d-%y %%s

Would make a show name like this: "12-01-03 My Show.mp3".

Note: Track numbers are always appended to the END of each show, before the .mp3 suffix. For example:
12-01-03 My Show - 01.mp3
12-01-03 My Show - 02.mp3
etc.

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Using the URL Finder

The URL Finder is an advanced tool that helps you determine the URL for the audio feed when it's not listed in the Replay Radio Guide. There are two methods for locating URLS:

1. Replay Radio employs an optional "packet sniffer" which looks at all the Internet traffic coming into your PC, and extracts URLs that look like streaming audio.
2. Many radio station sites have a pop-up window appear when you click on the "listen live" link, which obscures the actual URL needed to tune to the program. This tool makes it easy to retrieve the URL, and to test it before adding the show to your schedule.

Before using the URL finder, often you can get the URL for an audio feed as follows:

1. Right click the link.
2. Select Copy Shortcut.
3. Paste the link into Replay Radio's URL field after clicking Add Show.

To use the URL Finder to get the audio feed:

Open Replay Radio, and click the URL Finder button. The URL Finder appears.

If you see a URL in the Recently Visited URLs list that looks good, you can click it, and then click Add Selection as New Show.

Click Clear List to clear the list of Recently Visited URLs.

To enable URL Monitoring, you may need to click Configure URL Monitor. (See URL Monitor Settings.)

The other method is to use the Pop-up finder. MAny radio stations employ a pop-up Web page which hosts their tuner. Often, the URL for this pop-up window is hidden, but you can easily find it as follows:

1. Tune to the radio station you want to record. Wait for the pop-up player to appear, and for audio to start playing.
2. Click Get URL from Active Browser Window. The URL appears under Pop-up URL.
3. Click Add URL as New Show to use this URL in a scheduled recording.

Note: You may want to test the audio feed URLs you've captured as follows:

1. Close all open browser windows, and make sure no audio is playing.
2. Copy the URL into the Address field of your browser, and press enter.

In a few seconds, if your audio starts playing, then you've located the feed!

NOTE: If you have trouble locating the feed, email us, and we'll do our best to find the feed and add it to the Replay Media Guide.

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Keeping Your PC Clock Accurate

You can configure your Windows 2000 or XP system clock to synchronize with a government NIST time server, thereby ensuring your shows always record on time. Click here to read the NIST document for Windows 2000 .

For Windows XP, you can ensure your clock is synchronized as follows:

1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel.
2. Choose Date and Time.
3. Click the Internet Time tab. The Internet Time dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
4. Make sure Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server is checked.
5. Choose a server. (The default should be fine.)
6. Click Update Now to set the correct time.
7. Click OK.

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Custom Conversion Options

For Advanced Users Only!

With Replay Radio 6.0, you have the ability to automatically convert recorded audio files using any command line conversion utility you choose. The conversions are done after the recording has finished. Replay Radio comes with a few built-in conversions already, and you can create your own as well. Here's how to do it:

1. Locate a "command line" utility that performs the conversion you'd like to add to Replay Radio.
2. Make a .cnv file, or look at one of the ones in the Replay Radio program files folder.
3. Fill in each line in the .cnv file.

Here's a sample CNV file used to convert from WAV to OGG Vorbis:

[Custom Conversion]
name=WAV to OGG
from=WAV
to=OGG
exe=audiocv.exe
cmd=audiocv.exe "%from" "%to"
fromext=wav
toext=ogg

Each line has a parameter that Replay Radio reads to perform conversions. Here's what they are:

• name - The name of the conversion.
• from - The format you're converting from. This should be the same as appears in the Record to This Format selection in the Output tab for your scheduled shows (see here).
• to - The format name to appear as an After Recording, Convert to setting (see here).
• exe - The name of the command line converter EXE file. This EXE file must reside in the Replay Radio program files folder.
• cmd - The command to pass to the conversion utility EXE file. In the command, you can have "%outfolder" as the output folder, "%from" as the full path name to the source file, "%to" as the full path name to the destination output file, "%name" as the name of the show, and "%episode" as the name and date of the show.
• fromext - The filename extension of the "from" file.
• toext - The filename extension of the destination output file.
  

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Setting Show Recording Options

From the list of shows, double click any show, and you'll be presented with the following screens:

Basic Options

The available options here are:

• Name of Show: Enter the name of the show as you want it to appear in the list of shows. This name will also be used to name the output file.
• Capture by Recording Audio Output: Selecting this option makes Replay Radio record by playing audio on your PC, and capturing the audio you hear. You can also record from the Mic or Line-In inputs using this method. When you select this, choose a suitable Audio Recording Method.
• Capture by Downloading: This method can be used to record without having to play audio through your PC's speakers. This option is typically used for podcasts. Very fiew broadcast radio shows will capture by downloading.
• Type: The options here change depending upon whether you have selected Capture by Recording Audio Output or Capture by Downloading.
  
  For Capture by Recording Audio Output, the following options are present:
  
  • General Streaming Audio - Records a show by opening a mini-browser window that plays the show.
  • Window Media (Audio) - If the show is streamed using Windows Media Player, use this option, as a mini Windows Media Player tuner window will appear when recording the show. If the show is NOT a Windows Media stream, then you won't be able to record if you choose this option.
  • Real (Audio) - If the show is streamed using Real Player, use this option, as a mini Real Player tuner window will appear when recording the show. You must have Real Player installed on your computer in order to record Real audio streams. If the show is NOT a Real Player stream, then you won't be able to record if you choose this option.
  • External Input (Line In or Mic) - Use this option when recording from a device attached to your Line In or Mic port on your PC.
  • XM Online - Use this option to record from XM Online. You'll need to enter your XM Login and password, as well as the channel to record.
  • XM Hardware - If you have an XM PCR, or a hardware cable from Hybrid Mobile, select this option. Replay Radio will be able to tune to the station to record before capturing the audio via the Line In port.
    

  For Capture by Downloading, the following options are available:

  • Podcast - If you're using Replay Radio to record a Podcast, select this option. The URL field must have the RSS XML feed for the Podcast.
  • Link to File - If the show is available as a downloaded file, enter the URL for the file here. Note that very few shows will download directly. Unless the file has a .mp3 or .wma extension, you won't be able to download this, and will need to use one of the other recording methods.
  • Windows Media (via WM Recorder) - Note: Requires the Replay A/V upgrade. If you have the WM Recorder option installed, you can use it to record without playing the audio or monopolizing your sound card. Plus, you can record multiple shows simultaneously as well.
  • Real (via RM Recorder) - Note: Requires the Replay A/V upgrade. Works just like the Windows Media option (above), but requires the optional RM Recorder program to be installed.


• URL: The URL of the show to record. For most shows, entering this URL into your browser should start playing the audio for the show. For Podcasts, this is the RSS XML feed for the show.
• Audio Recording Method: Choose how the audio is to be recorded. This selection corresponds to recording inputs available on your Sound card. For recording Internet Radio, one of these options should be present: Stereo Mix, Wave Out Mix, Mix-record, All, What U Hear, Stereo Out or Wave. If you have installed the Enhanced Sound Card Driver option, "Enhanced Sound Card Driver" will appear at the top of this list. (See the Enhanced Sound Card Driver information page to learn more.)
• Test Methods: When you start an audio recording session, you need to pick an Audio Recording Method. Many sound cards have several different options. Use the Test Methods button to determine the best source for recording what you hear from your PC's speakers. (Note that the Enhanced Sound Card Driver option is not tested here.)

Advanced Feature: You can make a specific program load a URL to play by entering the full path name and command line into the URL field. For example, entering this into the URL field forces Windows Media Player to play a stream:

"C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" "mms://66.250.188.10/KGO_AM"

Schedule Options

This screen lets you determine the recording schedule for the show.

• Start Recording At: Choose the time (your local time) when you want to start recording.
• End Recording At: Choose the time when you want to stop recording.
• Unscheduled: Keeps the show in your list, but doesn't automatically record it.
• Record Once On: Pick this if you are recording a show that is broadcast only once.
• Repeating: Choose which days to record the show.
• Weekdays, Weekends, All, None: These buttons make it easy to select multiple days to record shows.

Output Options

This screen lets you decide how to output the show. Your choices are:

• Record to this Format: Choose how the show is recorded initially. The choices listed depend upon the Capture and Type selections in the Basic screen. Usually MP3 and WAV will be present.
• After Recording, Convert to: Replay Radio comes with a variety of post-processing converters. The selections shown depend upon what is selected in the Record to this Format field. These conversions take place after the recording has completed.
• Don't Delete Original File After Converting: Normally, once a conversion has finished, Replay Radio will delete the original. For example, if you're converting from WAV to MP3, the WAV file will be deleted once the MP3 has been created. Check this option to keep the original file as well.
• Make Audio CD: If you are making WAV files, then you can burn them to an Audio CD, which will play in most Car CD Players. Audio CDs have a maximum of 74 minutes (some can hold up to 80 minutes). If you've selected this option, make sure you have configured the CD Burner (see Setup CD Burner).
• Make Data CD: This is handy if you have an MP3 capable CD player. MP3 files are burned to a "Data CD", which holds up to 650 Meg.
• Setup CD Burner: You will likely need to configure Replay Radio's CD Burner once before making Audio or Data CDs. Click this button to do the setup.
• Add to iTunes Library: If iTunes is present on your PC, this will automatically add the recorded track to iTunes.
• Overwrite Last Recording: This is used when you want a single copy of a recurring show. For example, if you're recording the daily news, you might use this. The show file name does not include the date when you use this option.
• Delete Shows Over __ Days Old: This option enables Replay Radio to automatically delete shows older than a specified number of days.
• Maximum number of shows to download: For Podcasts or other downloadable shows, use this option to limit the number of shows downloaded.

Splitting Options

Recorded shows can be split into smaller files in various ways:

• Create New Track after: Automatically makes separate MP3 files or CD tracks after a period of silence. This is handy for recording commercial free radio or other playlists.
• Split tracks every: Makes a new track or MP3 file automatically after a period of time. This is useful for splitting long radio shows into smaller segments. For example, set this to 60 to make a separate file for each hour of your favorite show.
• Split Tracks at __ minutes after the hour: This lets you have track splits occur at particular times. For example, if you enter 0, 30 into these boxes, you will get 30 minute segments, starting at 0 minutes and 30 minutes after the hour. For example, if you enter "9' as a value, a split will occur at 12:09, even if the recording starts at 12:05.

Audio Options

When recording audio shows (not downloaded ones), you have some extra features available:

• Compress Speech: This is used to record talk-oriented shows so that you can listen to more in less time, with no loss in comprehension.
• Mute Sound While Recording: Mutes the speaker while you are recording.
• Eliminate Dead Air: Removes periods of silence from the recording. (Works great for recording things like Police Scanners or stations that have silence instead of advertisements).
• Disable Automatic Retuning: Select this only if you're recording an archive. Automatic retuning reloads the internet audio feed if silence is detected for a long period of time.

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Configuring Replay Radio (Settings)

To fully configure and fine-tune Replay Radio, click the Settings button. The Settings dialog appears. Below are details on each section of the settings dialog:

Folders

Tell Replay Radio where to save your recorded radio show files here.

• Save MP3 or WAV Output files to this folder: Pick a folder where your recorded shows are to be saved.
• Temporary Files Folder: This should be located on a drive that has lots of free space. In some rare cases, Replay Radio captures uncompressed audio, and then converts it to MP3s. Uncompressed audio can be as large as 4 Gigabytes, depending upon the length of your recording.

Podcasts

You can have Replay Radio check for new Podcasts at certain times of day or at regular intervals.

• Don't Automatically Check: Don't ever check for new Podcasts.
• Check at these times: Specify three different times per day when to check for new podcasts to download.
• Check every: Specify how often to check or new Podcasts.
• Also check when program starts: Looks for new Podcasts when you first open Replay Radio.

Tuning

For recording radio shows broadcast over the Internet, you can specify how to tune to record them as follows:

• Start Connecting : Since it takes time to load the radio feed, as well as connect to the Internet, Replay Radio starts the tuning process before the show is scheduled to start. This setting lets you decide how much time to allow for this process.
• Automatically Retune: If Replay Radio detects a certain amount of silence, it assumes that the network connection has broken, and attempts to tune to the station again. You can set the amount of time before a retune occurs. Some Internet radio stations have periods of silence during commercial spots, so make sure you set this value high enough.
• Tune with Replay Tuner: Selecting this option uses Replay Tuner to tune to radio shows. This appears inside of a small window below the Replay Radio program.
• Tune by Opening Browser: Select this option if you want Replay Radio to open your browser for tuning to an Internet feed to record. Using this if you have trouble with the Replay Tuner.

Connections

If you are connecting to the Internet via a dial-up modem, or with a proxy server, you'll need to configure those settings here.

• Connect Via default Dial-up Connection: If your PC is on a LAN, DSL or Cable Modem, leave this unchecked. Otherwise, Replay Radio will use the default dial-up connection to connect to the Internet before recording the show.
• Test Default Dial-up Connection: This lets you test the dial-up connection to be sure it is working properly.
• Internet Connections use a Proxy Server: If you connect to the Net using a proxy server, enter this data here. Replay Radio uses Internet connections to download up-to-date program schedules and station lists.

Sound Mixer

Use these settings for fine-tuning audio recordings.

• Sound Card Driver in Use: Select the active sound card driver to record from. Usually, Default works fine.
• Optimize Mixer Volume for Recording: Select this to have Replay Radio automatically set the input volume to a middle level for each recording. If you have sound quality issues, you may want to uncheck this and set the values yourself. but this should work well on most PCs.
• Test Recording Sources: When you start a recording session, you need to pick a recording source. Many sound cards have several different options. Use the Test Recording Sources button to determine the best source for recording what you hear from your PC's speakers.
• Setup Windows Sound Mixer: Click this to select input and output devices and sound levels (advanced users only).

Sync

The Sync settings are used to copy your recorded files to a single folder on the PC, or for syncing to a USB-based MP3 player or other external drive. (This option is available in version 6.1 only.)

• Copy all Finished Recordings to this PC Folder: When a recording has completed, a copy is made to this folder on your PC. Choose Browse to pick a folder. Choose View to view the contents of that folder.
• Sync Recordings to this Device Folder (if present): If the selected folder is present, files are also copied to this folder. This folder is also used for synchronizing between the Device and your PC.
• Sync Now: Make sure the contents of the PC folder are copied to the device folder, and removes any files on the device that are NOT in the PC folder.
• When Device Connects, Sync: If a new USB device is detected, a sync will occur Always, Never, or from a prompt (Ask Me). The Sync will occur only if the Device Folder is detected.
• Delete Files Over: When a sync occurs, any files older than the specified number of days will be deleted on both the PC folder and the device folder.

URL Monitor

The URL Monitor is a handy way to capture URLs from various radio stations. You can configure it as follows:

• Monitor Network Adapters to discover Radio Feeds: This turns on a "packet sniffer" that will collect URLs from the various radio stations you have played on your PC.
• Network Adapter to Monitor: You need to pick the adapter that is used for your Internet connection.
• Test Adapters: If you're not sure which adapter to pick, this button will help you locate the proper adapter.

XM Hardware

If you have an XM PCR, or a hardware cable interface from Hybrid Mobile, you can record XM Satellite feeds once Replay Radio is properly configured. The functions on this page help you test the XM HArdware connection.

• Check XM Hardware Interface: Click this button to ensure that Replay Radio can talk to your XM receiver.
• Turn Off Radio: Turns off the XM Radio.
• Tune to Channel (Test): Lets you change the channel on your XM receiver.

Other

• File Naming Format: This lets you customize how Replay Radio names recording files. (See Customizing Recording File Names for details.)
• Start Replay Radio when Windows starts: When you reboot your PC, Replay Radio is automatically loaded if this option is checked. Since Replay Radio needs to be running for a scheduled show to be recorded, this helps ensure you don't miss any shows.
• Run uPnP Server: If you have a uPnP device like a WiFi boom box or a Media Extender, it can play recordings from Replay Radio. Check this option to start the uPnP server.
• Setup CD Burner: Click this button to configure your CD Burner.

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iTunes Tricks and Hints

If you're using iTunes to manage your downloaded MP3 files, here's some neat tricks:

Making Smart Playlists

Wouldn't it be cool if you could have any shows recorded by Replay Radio automatically appear in their own playlist? Replay Radio saves each recorded file with a Genre of "Replay Radio", which makes it easy to do this. Here's how:

1. Open iTunes, and select File, New Smart Playlist from the menu.
2. Set the Genre to contain "Replay Radio", as shown here:
   
   
   
   
3. Enter the name of the Playlist. Suggested names are "Replay Radio" or "Podcast".

To make just new shows appear in a Playlist, add the following condition: PlayCount=0. The smart playlist screen appears like this:

For more tricks on managing Podcasts, see the Podcasts section.

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Copying Recordings to your iPod

You can have your recordings automatically added to iTunes, which will have them copied to your iPod the next time you sync up. You can do this using either Quick Record or by scheduling a recorded show.

In iTunes and on the iPod, your recordings are tagged as follows: The Genre will always be "Replay Radio", and the Title will be the show as you've named it. This way, all your recordings are easily located as the top entry in your list of artists. This is also true for Podcasts.

To automatically add recordings to your iPod:

In Quick Record or Scheduled Shows, click the Output tab, and select Add to iTunes Library, as shown below:

Note: These options will only appear if Replay Radio detects that iTunes is installed on your PC.

You can also transfer recordings to your iPod after they have been saved using the Burn/Copy function. (Click here for details.)

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Syncing to other MP3 Players

With Replay Radio 6.1, you can have all your recordings copied to a single folder on your PC, as well as sync them to any USB-based MP3 player. This is set up using the Sync option in the Settings menu.

If your MP3 Player attaches via a USB or Firewire connection, and can appear as a drive letter on your PC, then this option will work for you.

Here's how the Sync settings appear:

See the Sync Settings reference for details on how this option works.

Burn/Copy Playlists

The Burn/Copy button is the gateway to making CDs, copying tracks to iTunes, or just making a playlist for immediate listening. You can do these things using the Burn/Copy function as follows:

1. Select a show.
2. Click Burn/Copy. The Burn/Copy dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
3. Click files in the top pane to to add to your playlist on the bottom pane.
4. To remove a file from the playlist, just click it in the bottom pane.
5. When your playlist is complete, pick an operation: Play Playlist, Burn Audio CD, Burn Data CD or Copy to iTunes.
6. Click Exit when you're done.

Hint: Click View ALL if you want to make Playlists from shows in several different folders.

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