cd3o Music Server Readme Document
Update Release 1.1 - updated 6/07/2003

Welcome to the cd3o Network MP3 Player and accompanying PC Music Server software. This readme document contains important information about the cd3o hardware and software.

If you are already using an earlier version of the cd3o software, please carefully review the installation instructions below to ensure a smooth update.

The Update Release 1.1 includes the cd3o Music Server PC software version 2.2.9.1 and cd3o Network MP3 Player firmware version 2.2.2.67

System Requirements

The cd3o Music Server software is supported on Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 2000 only.

Your computer must have Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.1 or later and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later installed.

Up to 75 MB of free disk space may be required during the installation process. The software itself occupies approximately 25 MB once installed.

A working sound card is required in order to use the Voice-Guide™ remote control. (The sound card is not actually used by the Voice-Guide, and no speech will come out of your computer's speakers. Without a working sound card, though, the Microsoft Text-to-Speech engine used by the Voice-Guide will fail.)

Upgrade Installation

There are two steps to upgrade an existing cd3o installation to the Update Release 1.1:

  1. Update the cd3o Music Server software on your PC
  2. Update the firmware in your cd3o Network MP3 Player(s)

To update your music server software

First, determine whether you are currently running the Production Release music server. In the cd3o Control Center, select About cd3o Music Server from the Options menu. If the version number at the upper right is 2.2.7.2, you are running the Production Release and can use the patch updater. If the version number is earlier than 2.2.7.2, you are running pre-production software.

If you are already running the 2.2.7.2 Production Release software, you can use the "patch updater" to update the music server. The patch updater preserves your existing Network MP3 Player configuration, so that you don't have to repeat the setup wizard. It's also a smaller download than the full installer. Simply download and run the patch updater, following the on-screen instructions. Then update your player firmware as described below.

If you have a pre-production or beta Network MP3 Player and have not yet installed the Production Release software, you must perform a complete re-installation:

  1. First, you must uninstall the existing music server software:
    1. Open the Windows Start menu and choose Settings > Control Panel.
    2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon in the control panel.
    3. Select "cd3o Music Server" in the "Currently installed programs" list, and then click the Change/Remove button.
    4. When the InstallShield dialog appears, choose "Remove" and then click the Next button.
  2. Next, install the Update Release software:
    1. Download and run the full Update Release installer.
    2. When the installation completes, the cd3o Control Center will start up. After it has rescanned your music library, you will see the Network MP3 Player Setup Wizard for your player. Enter exactly the same network settings as you did when you first configured the player.
    3. (If you have more than one Network MP3 Player, the Setup Wizard will appear for each one. Repeat the settings.)

To update your player firmware

After upgrading the music server software on your PC, you should also update the firmware in your Network MP3 Player.

  1. In the cd3o Control Center, click the Options button at the upper-right corner of the window, and choose Settings from the menu.
  2. In the Settings dialog, on the Network Players tab, select your existing Network MP3 Player from the list.
  3. Click the Update Firmware button.
  4. In the Select Firmware File dialog, select "bootrom.2.2.2.67.bin", and click Open. (Be sure to select the file with "67" in its name, rather than the one with "0".)
  5. In the Update Player Firmware dialog, click Start to begin the update process.
  6. The update will take about two minutes. Do not unplug the player while the update operation is in progress.
  7. When the dialog indicates that the process is complete, click the Finish button. The player will restart and should appear in the Control Center in about 30 seconds. If it does not appear, unplug the player from the AC adapter, wait five seconds, and plug it in again.
  8. (If you have more than one Network MP3 Player, repeat the steps above for each one.)

What's New in the Update Release

The Update Release 1.1 includes several enhancements and bug fixes designed to improve your experience with your Network MP3 Player:

  • Support installation on non-English machines
    It is now possible to successfully install the software on machines that are not running the English version of Windows. (The cd3o software and Voice-Guide will still be in English.)
  • Support for variable bitrate WMA files
    The software will now recognize and play WMA files using variable bitrate (VBR) encoding up to the "135-215 Kbps" setting. (The new lossless and 240-355 Kbps VBR settings in Windows Media Player 9 are not supported.)
  • Ability to read m3u playlists exported from Windows Media Player
    Fixes a bug where the software was only recognizing the first track in an m3u playlist exported from Windows Media Player.
  • Improved DHCP support
    Addresses a problem that could lead to IP address conflicts with multiple Network MP3 Players on the same network.
  • Allow empty music library folders
    Fixes a bug where the cd3o software would consume 100% of the CPU if any folder listed in the music library did not contain at least one music file.
  • Follow network shortcuts in music library
    Permits use of network neighborhood shares as top-level folders in the music library.
  • New sorting option in Control Center
    A new option in the Settings dialog, Control Center tab allows you to change how items are sorted in the Control Center's music library. By default, items are sorted strictly alphabetically, so items starting with The are sorted under T. If you enable the new "Sort names like Voice-Guide" option, the words A, An, and The will be ignored at the beginning of titles. (Note that the Voice-Guide always treats these words as optional when you are spelling titles.)
  • Voice-Guide support for accented characters
    It is now possible to use the Voice-Guide to search for titles containing accented characters. When spelling a name, press the button for the unaccented version of the character. E.g., to search for Björk, spell Bjork -- 25675.
  • Improved grouping for inconsistent metadata
    In large music collections, there are often inconsistencies in the use of the word the at the beginning of a name. For example, you may have some tracks listed under "Who" and others under "The Who", all of which are by the same artist. The music server now groups all these tracks together as a single artist.
  • Improved pronunciations
    Several popular artists whose names were mangled by the Voice-Guide are now pronounced correctly.
  • Ignore .mp3.xxx files
    Fixes a bug where files that had an .mp3 extension followed by another extension (such as SoundForge's .mp3.sfk files) could cause the server to crash.

Known Issues

cd3o has identified the following issues in the music server software:

  • 802.11b shared key not suported
    The cd3o wireless players do not support "shared-key" authentication. Your wireless router or access point must be configured for "open system" or set to allow either type of authentication. (You can choose to use WEP encryption independently of the authentication type, and the cd3o players fully support WEP.)
  • MPEG Layers I and II not supported
    The cd3o players support only MP3 files that are encoded using MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Layer III. The music server will reject a file encoded with layer I or II as being an "unsupported or invalid music file" -- even though they may play using some software MP3 players. To use these files with the cd3o system, you must first convert them to a true MP3 format (MPEG-1 or -2 Layer III). You can convert batches of files using Music Match or many other MP3 players.
  • Personal firewall software compatibility
    If you are using a personal firewall product (such as ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet Security, or Windows XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall) on the PC running the cd3o Music Server software, you must configure the firewall to allow the cd3o software to communicate with your Network MP3 Player. (This only applies to firewalls running on your computer; it is not necessary for a firewall built into your cable/DSL router.)

    In most installations, your personal firewall will alert you the first time the cd3o software runs. Choose the appropriate "Permit" or "Allow" option to allow the cd3o programs to communicate within your home network.

    If you have configured your PC's personal firewall to block all incoming traffic without prompting you, you will need to explicitly permit the cd3o protocols through the firewall. More information is available at the cd3o web site.
  • Empty genre tab in Control Center
    Occasionally, the genres tab in the Control Center will appear without any music listed. Other music library tabs will show the complete library. If this occurs, simply exit the Control Center using the command on the Options menu, and then restart the Control Center from the Windows Start menu.
  • Incorrect time display with unusual sample-rate MP3s
    A very small number of MP3 files have been created from music that was not recorded at the CD-standard 44.1kHz sample rate. Although these files will play correctly through the cd3o system, the elapsed time shown in the Control Center may be incorrect if you pause and restart the file during playback.