Enjoying Photos and Media in Windows 7

By Mark Edward Soper

Date: Oct 12, 2010

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This chapter shows how to use the media tools Windows 7 to view and print photos, listen to music, and watch movies, TV shows, and online video content.

Windows 7 Media Tools

Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions feature several media playback programs, including Windows Photo Viewer, Windows Media Player, and Windows Media Center. Windows Photo Viewer provides convenient windowed or full-screen viewing of your digital photos, whereas Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center also support music and video playback. Windows 7 also includes a wizard to help you print your photos in a variety of sizes.

Starting Windows Photo Viewer

Windows Photo Viewer provides windowed or full-screen playback for common digital photo file types such as JPEG and TIFF and can also be used to view RAW files after you install the appropriate RAW codec. Here's how to open a photo with Windows Photo Viewer:

  1. Click Start.
  2. Click Pictures.
  3. Navigate to the picture you want to view.
  4. Choose from one of the following:
    • If you have not installed any other photo-viewing or photo-editing programs, double-click the photo or right-click it and select Preview (see Figure 4.1).
      Figure 4.1

      Figure 4.1 Opening Windows Photo Viewer with Preview.

    • If you have installed other photo-viewing or photo-editing programs, right-click the photo, select Open With, and select Photo Viewer from the list of programs (see Figure 4.2).
      Figure 4.2

      Figure 4.2 Opening Windows Photo Viewer from the Open With menu.

Using Windows Photo Viewer

The Windows Photo Viewer display is shown in Figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3

Figure 4.3 Windows Photo Viewer.

Use the controls along the bottom of the screen (from left to right) to:

Adjusting Picture Magnification

Windows Photo Viewer automatically scales photos to fit in the current window. If you want to see how sharp your photo is, or need to view a portion of your photo, adjusting the magnification is helpful. Here's how:

  1. Open the photo in Windows Photo Viewer.
  2. Click the slider at the left end of the controls below the photo and move it upward until you reach the desired magnification (see Figure 4.4).
Figure 4.4

Figure 4.4 Adjusting magnification in Windows Photo Viewer.

To adjust what portion of the picture fits into the display window:

  1. Move the mouse pointer into the photo. The default pointer turns into a hand.
  2. Click and drag the photo until you see the desired portion of the photo inside the Windows Photo Viewer window.
  3. Release the mouse button.

NOTE

The magnification adjustments affect only viewing size; print size is set by the settings used by your printer.

Rotating Photos

If you like to shoot vertical photos, it can be irritating to view them until they're rotated to the correct orientation. To rotate a photo:

  1. Open the photo in Windows Photo Viewer.
  2. If the top of the photo faces left, click the right curved arrow. If the top of the photo faces right, click the left curved arrow.
  3. Click the forward or back arrows to save changes to the current photo and display another photo.

Figure 4.5 compares a vertical photo before and after rotation.

Figure 4.5

Figure 4.5 Rotating a photo with Windows Photo Viewer.

NOTE

You cannot rotate a photo stored on read-only media, such as a recordable CD or DVD. If you need to rotate a photo stored on read-only media, copy it to your hard disk and then rotate it.

Viewing Your Photos in a Slide Show

To view the photos in the current folder as a slide show, click the Slide Show button, as shown in Figure 4.3. Each photo displays full-screen.

By default, slide shows play in a loop at medium speed. However, you can also advance to the next or previous photo manually, pause the show, shuffle picture order, and select fast or slow playback speeds. To adjust playback options, do the following:

  1. Right-click the display after starting the slide show.
  2. Select the option(s) wanted (see Figure 4.6).
    Figure 4.6

    Figure 4.6 Slide show playback options in Windows Photo Viewer.

  3. Click away from the menu to put changes into effect.
  4. To close the show and return to the normal Windows Photo Viewer display, click Exit.

Using the File Menu

The File menu includes options to:

Using the Print Menu

The Print menu provides two ways to print:

Figure 4.8

Figure 4.8 Preparing to order prints from an online provider.

TIP

If you want to order prints from multiple photos, I recommend installing Windows Live Photo Gallery. You can select multiple prints and use its Print menu to order prints. Learn more at http://download.live.com.

To learn more about printing photos with any Windows 7 application, see "Printing a Picture" later in this lesson.

Emailing a Picture

Windows 7 does not include an email program. However, after you install an email program such as Windows Live Mail (available as part of Windows Live Essentials) or others, you can use the E-Mail menu to email photos. Using Windows Photo Viewer to email your photos enables you to send a reduced-size version of your photo that's easier for recipients to view and takes less time to download and upload. Here's how to do it:

  1. Select a photo you want to email.
  2. Click E-Mail.
  3. Select the size of photo you want to email (see Figure 4.9).
    Figure 4.9

    Figure 4.9 Creating a smaller-sized version of a photo to email.

  4. Click Attach.

    NOTE

    The default photo dimensions are 1024x768 (medium). Other sizes include 640x480 (smallest); 800x600 (small); 1280x1024 (large); and original size.

  5. Your email program opens, creates a message, and attaches the photo to the message (see Figure 4.10).
    Figure 4.10

    Figure 4.10 Windows Photo Viewer attaches your photo to an email message.

  6. Enter the recipient's address.
  7. Add other text as desired.
  8. Send the message.

NOTE

If you use Windows Live Mail, you might be asked if you want to create a photo email. A photo email stores a photo online using Windows Live Skydrive, embeds a small thumbnail in the message, and includes a link to the photo.

By creating a photo email, you can send a photo in its original size without filling up the recipient's email inbox.

Printing a Picture

Windows 7 automatically uses its Print Pictures Wizard whenever you select Print from within Windows Photo Viewer or after selecting one or more photos from Windows Explorer.

The Print Pictures Wizard (see Figure 4.11) provides options for:

Figure 4.11

Figure 4.11 Using Print Pictures to print four pictures on a single sheet of paper.

TIP

Physical printers connected to your computer, physical printers shared over a network, and virtual printers that create PDF, XPS, or other files are all listed in the Printer menu. Print Pictures "remembers" the last printer selection made.

Network printers are listed as \\computername\printername.

To print your photos, do this:

  1. Select the picture or pictures you want to print.
  2. Click Print. The Print Picture Wizard opens.
  3. Select the printer you want to use.
  4. Select the paper size.
  5. Choose the print quality.
  6. Choose the paper type.
  7. Select the number of copies of each picture to print.
  8. Select the layout.
  9. Click Print.

Photo-Printing Tips and Tricks

Paper size, quality, and paper type settings vary with the printer you select. To see additional paper sizes, click More.

By default, Print Pictures lists only photo papers in its Paper Type menu. To see other options, such as Plain Paper, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Options link (see Figure 4.11) to open the Print Settings dialog.
  2. Click Printer Properties.
  3. Select the paper type.
  4. Click OK to close the dialog.

By default, Print Pictures lists only photo-optimized quality settings in its Quality menu. To see other options:

  1. Follow the previous set of instructions to select the paper type.
  2. Open the Quality menu.
  3. Select the desired option.

CAUTION

Make sure you select a paper type that matches the paper you use, or your photo prints might be of poor quality.

The Print Settings dialog includes links to help you get better prints. Use the Color Management link to select the correct printer profile for your printer. Use the Printer Properties link to view and select additional paper types, check ink levels, and perform additional printer-specific tasks.

Using Windows Media Player

Although Windows Media Player can play video, DVD movies, and photos, its most common use is for music and audio file playback. The following sections show you how to perform common tasks with music files. These methods can also be used to work with other types of files.

To start Windows Media Player:

  1. Click Start.
  2. Hover the mouse over All Programs.
  3. Scroll down to Windows Media Player.
  4. Click Windows Media Player.
  5. The first time you start Windows Media Player, you are prompted to select Recommended or Custom Settings. If you want to use recommended settings, click Finish. To use custom settings, click Custom Settings, click Next, and provide the information requested.
  6. Windows Media Player opens to the Album view of the Music library (see Figure 4.12).
Figure 4.12

Figure 4.12 Windows Media Player playing an audio CD.

NOTE

To turn on the menu bar shown in Figure 4.12, click Organize, Layout, Show Menu Bar.

Playing and Ripping an Audio CD

Windows Media Player can convert audio CDs into digital music files (a process called "ripping") or play the music on the CD. To play an audio CD:

  1. Insert the CD into the optical drive on the computer.
  2. Windows Media Player reads the CD tracks.
  3. The CD starts playing automatically (see Figure 4.13).
Figure 4.13

Figure 4.13 Windows Media Player playing an audio CD.

CDs can be ripped into your choice of several different digital formats. The most popular are Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3. To select a format and a bit rate:

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Click the Rip Music tab (see Figure 4.14).
    Figure 4.14

    Figure 4.14 Windows Media Player's Rip Music tab configured for automatic ripping and ejection of CDs and the highest bit rate for creating MP3 audio files.

  4. Open the Format menu and select the format desired.
  5. Adjust the Audio Quality slider to select the bit rate desired.
  6. To rip CDs automatically, click the Rip CD Automatically check box. This setting takes effect after you insert a new CD.
  7. To automatically eject the CD after ripping, click the Eject CD After Ripping check box.
  8. Click Apply.
  9. Click OK.

TIP

Unless you have a portable media player that can play only WMA files, I recommend creating MP3 files. The default sampling rates for WMA and MP3 files are suitable for creating music for portable media players. However, if you are building a digital media library for playback on high-quality speakers, consider increasing the bit rate. This can result in higher-quality audio but also larger file sizes.

To rip the CD manually:

  1. Right-click the CD icon in the left pane.
  2. Select Rip CD to Library.
  3. A progress bar appears next to each track in the middle pane.
  4. At the end of the process, the CD is listed in the Album/Music library.
  5. You can eject the CD manually if you did not select the option to automatically eject the CD.

Creating a Playlist

A playlist is a list of songs you can play, burn to CD, or sync to a portable media device. To create and save a playlist, do the following:

  1. Select a song, video, or photo.
  2. Drag it to the Playlist pane on the right side of the Windows Media Player interface.
  3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until your playlist is complete.
  4. Click Save List.
  5. Enter a name for the list in the Name field above the list of songs (see Figure 4.15).
Figure 4.15

Figure 4.15 Creating a playlist.

Syncing Files to a Portable Media Device

When you sync files to a portable media device, you can sync a saved playlist or create a new list. To sync files from a playlist, do the following:

  1. Connect the portable media device to your computer.
  2. Windows Media Player switches to the Sync tab.
  3. Click Playlists in the right pane.
  4. Drag a playlist to the Sync pane.
  5. Repeat Step 4 until you have added all the playlists you want to the sync list.
  6. Click Start Sync (see Figure 4.16).
    Figure 4.16

    Figure 4.16 Synchronizing a playlist to a portable media player.

  7. Disconnect the device when you see the Sync Completed message.
  8. Click the Click Here link to display the results of the file synchronization.

NOTE

To sync individual media files instead of a playlist, select individual media files and drag them to the sync list in Steps 3–5.

Burning an Audio CD

Windows Media Player makes it easy to create an audio mix CD of your musical favorites. Here's how to create an audio CD:

  1. Click the Burn tab.
  2. Insert a blank CD.
  3. Drag playlists or individual songs to the burn list.
  4. To change the order of a music track, drag it to the preferred location.
  5. Click Start Burn (see Figure 4.17).
    Figure 4.17

    Figure 4.17 Preparing to burn an audio CD.

  6. At the end of the burn process, the CD is ejected.

TIP

Use CD-R media if you want to create a disc that can be played on the widest range of CD players. If you have players that can use CD-RW media, you can use CD-RW discs to create an audio mix CD for short-term use. You can erase the contents of a CD-RW disc using Windows Explorer.

To create a playlist from the burn list:

  1. Click the first file in the burn list.
  2. Press and hold either Shift key.
  3. Click the last file in the burn list. All files should now be highlighted.
  4. Right-click the highlighted burn list.
  5. Select Add To and then Additional Playlists.
  6. Click Create Playlist.
  7. Enter a name in place of New Playlist (see Figure 4.18).
    Figure 4.18

    Figure 4.18 Creating a playlist from a burn list.

  8. Click OK.

Using Windows Media Center

Windows Media Center, like Windows Media Player, can play all types of media supported by Windows. However, Windows Media Center can also watch and record TV on computers equipped with a TV tuner. Because it can be used to watch and record TV, Windows Media Center is designed primarily for use with big-screen TVs and home theater systems. It includes a 10-foot UI (user interface) and support for optional infrared (IR) remote controls.

Initial Setup

Windows Media Center must be configured before you can use it. Here's how to perform initial setup.

  1. Click Start.
  2. Hover the mouse over All Programs.
  3. Click Windows Media Center.
  4. When the Windows Media Center window opens, click Continue.
  5. The Get Started dialog appears. Click Express to perform basic setup.
  6. Windows Media Center displays its main menu (see Figure 4.19). Each major category, such as Movies, Music, and so on, is often called a "stripe."
Figure 4.19

Figure 4.19 Windows Media Center's main menu.

NOTE

If you have a TV tuner, you also need to connect it to your TV source (broadcast, cable, and so on) and configure it before you can watch TV with Windows Media Center. To configure your TV tuner, click Tasks, Settings, TV, TV Signal, Set Up TV Signal, and follow the prompts. To learn more, see the online articles "Setting Up and Watching ATSC with Windows Media Center" at http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1396502 and "Windows 7 Feature Focus: Windows Media Center" at http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/windows_7_feature_focus_windows_media_center.

Navigating Through Windows Media Center

You can use a mouse and keyboard or a Windows Media Center-compatible remote control with Windows Media Center. Use the following methods to navigate Windows Media Center with a mouse and keyboard:

Figure 4.20 illustrates the on-screen controls just listed.

Figure 4.20

Figure 4.20 Windows Media Center mouse-based navigation controls.

Setting Up Libraries

By default, Windows Media Center displays media found in the current user's Pictures, Music, and Videos libraries and recorded TV and movies folders on the current system. To add additional locations on the same computer or other computers on the network, follow these steps:

  1. Click the green Windows Media Center icon in the upper left-hand corner (if you are using a mouse), or press the Windows Media Center Home button on your Windows Media Center remote control.
  2. Click Tasks.
  3. Click Settings.
  4. Click Media Libraries.
  5. Select the media library to manage; in this example, we work with the recorded TV library (see Figure 4.21).
    Figure 4.21

    Figure 4.21 Selecting a media library.

  6. Click Next.
  7. Select whether to add or remove folders from the library.
  8. Click Next.
  9. Select where to browse for folders: This Computer; Another Computer; Manually Add a Folder (in this example, we choose Another Computer).
  10. Click Next.
  11. Scroll down to the location you want to add.
  12. Click the empty check box for the location (see Figure 4.22); you can scroll and select multiple locations in this step.
    Figure 4.22

    Figure 4.22 Adding the My Videos folder from a network computer to a Windows Media Center library.

  13. Click Next.
  14. To complete the process, click Finish.

NOTE

To add or remove other locations (folders), click No in Step 14 and continue as prompted.

Playing Media with Windows Media Center

The following sections discuss how to play back videos and photos from Windows Media Center. The methods in these examples are similar to those used to play back other types of media, such as recorded TV shows, music, and movies.

All TV shows, including Internet TV, live TV, recorded TV and movies recorded from broadcast, cable, and so on, are accessed from the TV menu stripe. Movies on DVD, Blu-ray (when you add a third-party Blu-ray player), or ripped from those media, are accessed from the Movie menu stripe. All music tracks on CD, ripped from CD, or downloaded from the Internet, are accessed from the Music menu stripe.

Video Playback

Videos other than those recorded from TV are viewed in the Video Library section. To view videos from the main menu:

  1. Click Pictures + Videos.
  2. Click Video Library.
  3. Click the wanted view: Folders, Date Taken, or Shared.
  4. Highlight an item to see details (see Figure 4.23).
    Figure 4.23

    Figure 4.23 Selecting a video in the Video Library's default Folders view.

  5. Navigate to the video you want to play, and click it.
  6. To play all videos in the current view, click Play All.

NOTE

The Shared view in any Windows Media Center library lists media residing on another computer on the network. When you play back shared media, you might see a Buffering x% message appear before and during playback, and pauses during playback.

Viewing Photos

Digital pictures and scanned photos are viewed in the Picture Library section of the Pictures + Videos task. To view pictures from the main menu:

  1. Click Pictures + Videos.
  2. Click Picture Library.
  3. Click the wanted view: Folders, Tags, Date Taken, Ratings, Slide Shows, or Shared. Figure 4.24 illustrates a typical Date Taken view.
    Figure 4.24

    Figure 4.24 Viewing Picture Library by Date Taken.

  4. Click to navigate to the specific item you want to view.
  5. Click a photo to view it individually.
  6. To view all photos in the current view, click Play Slide Show.
  7. To stop playback, press the Esc key or click the square Stop button in the media playback control cluster (see Figure 4.20).