GENERAL

1. I am a Mac user. My iZak says it is read only and will not allow me to add anything to it. Why?
   The reason why you can not write files at your iZak device using Mac is probably because at the moment the file system which is used by Mac is not NTFS. By default Unix/Linux do not support writing access at NTFS file systems. In order to be able to do this, you need format your iZak with your Mac OS X and make sure that an option "Install OSX 9 Driver" is deselected while you do this. If you format it with the Mac file system you will not be able to use it under Windows. If you use the DOS File system (also known as FAT32) you will be able to use it under both Mac OS X and Windows but you will not be able to write a file bigger than 3GB. This is a restriction of the FAT32 unfortunately. As soon as, you choose the file system you must also add the folders (Firmware, Movies, Music, Photos) before plugging it at the TV.
2. When I unpacked my iZak™ it was broken
   We are sorry if this has happened and kindly ask that you either return the iZak™ to the shop where you bought it and get a new one or contact our Hotline/Helpdesk on +30-210-6640600 or by e-mail at . Please be sure to do so within 7 days of the date of purchase.
3. How do I make my iZak™ region-free?
   Concerning the DVD/ISO playback you should not consider region lock as a problem. There is no region locking after DVD ripping.
4. How do I return my iZak™ to factory default settings?
   To return to factory default setting press consecutively: INFO, 0, 1, 2, ENTER/PLAY.
5. Do I need external power for my iZak™?
   Notice that you don't need external power adaptor when iZak™ is connected to a computer because iZak™ is powered by the USB bus power. If you experience bus power problems you can purchase the proprietary USB adaptor here. However, when operating as media player connected to a TV, you need the external power supply (provided in the iZak package) connected to the USB port.
6. Which is the recommended way to handle iZak™ when not operating?
   It is recommended, if iZak™ does not operate, to press the power off button and set it in stand by mode instead of unplugging the power supply. In stand by mode the power LED turns to orange.
7. Do I have to turn off the device each time I am not using it?
   You can turn off the device using the Power button on your remote, which will put iZak™ in stand by mode. However, if iZak™ remains idle for 30 minutes, it will automatically switch to stand by mode.
8. After copying files from my PC to iZak™ via USB connection I unplug the device and cannot view those files when iZak is connected to my TV set. Why?    (Click to view the "Safe Removal Proceedure")
   Each time you unplug your iZak from your computer you have to follow the Safe Removal Procedure. More specifically:Double click on the task bar icon to "Unplug or Eject hardware".
   

   The adjacent dialogue box will appear displaying the PnP external devices. In the current example you can see iZak™ as a USB Mass Storage Device. In order to remove it, click the device in the list and then click Stop. Click OK to the next dialogue box. The operating system will automatically unplug the device and inform you for this safe removal.

   If you are using iZak™ (e.g. you are working on a Word document or a picture located in its disk) the operating system will notify you that is unable to remove the device. In this case, close all the applications affecting or accessing iZak™ and try again.

FIRMWARE

9. How do I check which firmware is installed on my iZak™?
   You will have to navigate to the "Settings" menu and select "Firmware". Press ENTER on your remote control and on the right side of the screen the current firmware version will appear.
10. Can I install an older firmware on my iZak™ than the one I have installed?
    It is not recommended to install an older firmware than the one released latest. However, if you do so by accident, you will face the bugs/changes that are fixed in the final version.
11. What is the "Settings" folder used for and can I edit it?
    The text file "Settings.txt" is stored inside the "Firmware" subfolder "Settings". It is encoded as Unicode and has two (2) lines, which can be edited with any standard text file editor if required.

    The first line is the standard TV system and can either be "PAL" or "NTSC". This will be used if you have never setup iZak on your TV before. This will be obsolete after you have gone through the Settings menu of your iZak and saved a new setting.

    The second line is the text string shown when the screen saver is active. The standard text is "iZak" but you may change this to anything you like. The maximum are 16 English letters in total.

12. I have downloaded the latest firmware but how do I install it on the iZak™?
    Please read the Firmware update guide, which will guide you through the upgrade process.
13. I tried to update my iZak™ with the latest firmware and I got the following error: "Update failed. Power off device", as shown in the picture below. Why?
    There are two reasons that will create the above error:

    • Firmware files copied were corrupted because you did not follow the safe removal procedure.
    • The firmware you are trying to install is older than the one currently loaded in your iZak™

VIDEO

14. Will my iZak™ support the next version of DivX or XviD?
    When a new DivX, XviD codec is released, iZak™ will be able to play it as long as it complies with the ISO mpeg 4 standard.
15. My picture is in black and white or does not display anything
    In case of any settings errors (e.g. the simple Composite AV cable is connected and you setup NTSC Component, so no display on the TV), press repeatedly the "VIDEO OUTPUT" key of the remote control up to the moment you see the correct display. You can then choose the right Video via "setting" and save it via the HOME button.
16. Can iZak support external subtitles in DivX files?
    Yes. Unicode text files are supported with extensions .sub (MicroDVD format) and .srt. Please make sure, for the subtitle to be displayed correctly, to use the same filename for both the video file and the text file, and store both in the same folder of your iZak. If for example the filename of the movie is "Movie.avi" then you will need to name the text file "Movie.sub" or "Movie.srt". Such files can be found over the Internet. For details on how to create your own subtitles please visit http://www.doom9.org.
17. The non-English characters usually are not displayed properly. Why does this happen?
    In that case, the subtitles must use Unicode format. To convert the subtitles to Unicode format, open the subtitles file using a text editor eg. Windows Notepad and save the file choosing ‘save as’ and select Unicode as ‘encoding’.
18. How can I get the best video quality from my iZak™?
    From best to worst in regards of video quality and connection the sequence goes as follows:

    1. Component YPbPr
    2. Scart RGB
    3. S-Video
    4. Composite

    S-Video and Composite cable is included in iZak™’s packaging. You can purchase Componet YPbPr and Scart RGB cable here.

19. Does iZak™ support HD (720p, 1080i) video file playback ?
    iZak does not support HD video. HDTV progressive setting (as it appears in Settings menu) depends on the media. In other words, if the movie is in standard 720x480 resolution and you set iZak to HDTV 1080i for example, then the device will upscale from 720x480 to 1080i. The same, more or less applies to 720p. In general any HDTV setting in iZak refers to upscaling.

AUDIO

20. I connected my iZak™ to a digital amplifier and I do not get any sound.
    You will need to navigate to "Settings" menu and select "Audio Settings". After that you will have to switch the option from analogue to digital.
21. I connected my iZak™ to the TV set using the AV cable and I do not get any sound.
    You will need to navigate to "Settings" menu and select "Audio Settings". After that you will have to switch the option from digital to analogue.
22. Can I use ID3 tags on the iZak™?
    Yes, iZak™ supports ID3 tags. You will need to press INFO during playback.
23. Can iZak™ support WMA files?
    Yes, iZak™ fully supports WMA playback using the latest firmware.
24. Can iZak™ support OGG audio files?
    Yes, iZak™ fully supports OGG playback using the latest firmware.
    For more information regarding OGG visit: http://www.vorbis.com/

PICTURES

25. My iZak™ is very slow to show my pictures
    This is because of the size of the file. If the pictures are very large then it might take a few seconds before the player will show the picture. You can reduce the resolution of the picture to 640x480 using freeware image editors.
26. Can I playback picture files after editing using image processing software ?
    iZak can playback these picture files as long as they are using the RGB color space and not CMYK. If a picture file is created using the CMYK color space it will not be displayed.

PC/MAC CONNECTION

27. I am experiencing low transfer rates or I am losing connection with iZak™
    Always use the included USB2 cable to connect your iZak™ to your computer. Use of other cables may affect efficient operation. Also, connect the iZak™ directly to one USB2 port of your computer, not via hubs. If you experience bus power problems you can purchase the proprietary USB adaptor here.

TECHNICAL TERMS

DivX:

DivX is a ground-breaking video codec developed from the new MPEG-4 compression standard. A video codec is basically an add-on to your system that allows you to compress/decompress videos into the specified format. The DivX codec will allow you to play movies using any DivX-enabled player, including Windows Media Player. With the revolutionary compression technology incorporated into DivX, DivX movies not only offer better compression and higher quality videos than regular MPEG movies, they also require less time to encode. DivX codec can compress/encode near DVD-quality movies onto a 700MB CD. Combined with MP3 audio, DivX videos offer both high quality video and sound.

XviD:

XviD is similar to DivX in that it is also based on the new MPEG-4 compression standard. XviD is a type of new open-source video codec that is currently being developed around the world. Like DivX, installing Xvid codec will allow you to play XviD movies on Windows Media Player or any XviD-enabled player.

MPEG:

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) is the developer of MPEG-1 (Video CDs), MPEG-2 (DVD and SuperVCDs), and MPEG-4 (ASF, DivX, WMV) video compression standards. The MPEG group is also responsible for the development MP3 and AAC audio compression standards.

VOB:

VOB stands for Video OBjects, which is the format in which DVD movies are stored. Within each of these VOB files is stored a number of video/audio/sub-picture streams.

SUBPICTURE:

Sub-picture streams refer to the subtitles on DVDs and other VOB files. These subtitles are not text files, but rather, video streams that overlay on top of the main picture stream. These sub-picture streams can be turned on or off.

AVI:

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a file format that can contain video/audio compressed standards using different combinations of codecs (e.g. DivX + WMA or Indeo + PCM). As long as the codec is available for encoding/decoding, AVI can contain the many different combinations of video and audio.

AC3:

AC3 (Audio Coding 3) is synonymous with Dolby Digital, which is an advanced audio compression technology that allows encoding of six separate channels at the bit rate of 448kbit/s.

DTS:

DTS digital sound provides the technology for virtually all soundtracks. Though the technology used by DTS differs from those used in Hollywood motion pictures, their outstanding techniques allow users to enjoy sound closely matching the original.

WMA:

WMA (Windows Media Audio) is a format developed by Microsoft for audio streaming and compression.

Ogg Vorbis:

Ogg Vorbis is a new audio compression format similar to other digital audio formats like MP3, VQF, and AAC; however, it is completely free and un-patented.

ID3 Tag:

ID3 is the tag embedded in MP3s that tells your MP3 file what song, artists, and album it comes from. These tags can be edited.

480p:

480 progressive is a form of standard-definition digital television (SDTV) similar to VGA computer displays, but not considered high-definition television (HDTV). A DVD’s resolution is 480p, but this resolution can only be seen if the DVD player outputs a progressive-scan signal, along with that the DTV has progressive-scan or component-video inputs.

480i:

480 interlaced is a form of standard-definition digital television (SDTV) that approximates the quality of analog television. Although a DVD’s resolution is 480p, it is often viewed at 480i on an NTSC analog television.

720p:

720 progressive is one of two used formats designated as high-definition digital television (HDTV) in the ATSC DTV standard. This technology uses progressive scanning and comprises of 720 vertical pixels and 1280 horizontal pixels.

1080i:

1080 interlaced is one of two used formats designated as high-definition digital television (HDTV) in the ATSC DTV standard. This technology uses interlaced scanning and comprises of 1080 vertical pixels and 1920 horizontal pixels.

NTSC:

NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) is the developer of a set of standard protocols for TV broadcast transmission and reception in the United States. The two other standards are PAL and SECAM, which are used in other parts of the world. An NTSC image has 525 horizontal lines per frame, and these lines are interlaced scanned from left to right and top to bottom. NTSC signals are not directly compatible with computer systems.

PAL:

PAL (Phase Alternation Line) is the analog TV display standard used mainly in Europe. The PAL image has 625 horizontal lines per frame, rather than the 525 lines used by NTSC. The color definitions between the standards differ slightly.

16:9, 4:3 LetterBox
4:3 PanScan Description:

The aspect ratio of traditional TV pictures is 4:3 (horizontal:vertical) while movies are generally a wider aspect ratio, up to 2.35:1. A compromise format, 16:9, is now in use for wide screen TVs and, in Europe in particular, for an increasing number of television programmes.

DVD-Video discs can contain video suitable for either 4:3 or wide screen TVs. A total of three screen formats are available:

• Wide screen, which is only suitable for a wide screen TV display, where a 16:9 image is displayed full screen.
• Letterbox, where the full wide screen image is displayed but leaving black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.
• Pan & Scan where a wide screen movie is displayed as a 4:3 image which is narrower than the original (The left and right edges of picture may be cut outside range of the screen).

16:9 Wide Screen	4:3 LetterBox	4:3 PanScan