Preferences: Devices

Use these preferences to customize your experience using portable players and devices with Rhapsody.

Devices Preferences (Main Dialog)

Installed Devices:

If you have more than one portable device attached to your computer, select the device you want to change from the drop-down list. (The available devices that are attached to your computer and available to accept transfers are also displayed in the Sources area.)

Options:

Click to select how you wish to transfer music to your portable device. A separate "Device Options" dialog will open. (See Device Options, below.)

Add a New Device:

Many portable devices will work with Rhapsody by simply attaching them to your computer. Some models, however, require additional small bits of software called "plug-ins" to function properly.

Add a New Device is for these situations. Click to open the "Add a New Device" browser window. Select the device you wish to add to Rhapsody and click Install player to download the necessary plug-in.

Advanced Transfer Options:

Downloads from Rhapsody can automatically be converted to a format that is compatible with your portable device. Choose a caching option:

Cache...when I download Rhapsody tracks:

Select to convert files and add them to the cache as they are downloaded from Rhapsody. File transfer will be faster.

Cache...when I transfer tracks to my device:

(Default): Select to convert files and add them to the cache when they are first transferred. File transfer will take longer the first time. Subsequent transfers will be quicker.

Advanced Settings:

Click to open the Advanced Settings dialog (below).

From the Advanced Settings dialog, choose the transfer format you wish to use to cache files, or to delete your cached files.

Transfer Formats:

Cache files ... Windows Media or "PlaysForSure" device: Select to cache files for this type device.

Choose the quality level of Windows Media file to cache from the drop-down list.

If you are unsure of the type of file to choose, select Allow Rhapsody to choose the best quality at the top of the list.

Delete Cached Files:

Delete Files Now: Deletes only the ready-to-transfer files. My Library is not affected. Deleting cached files makes more room on your hard drive, but may slow down transfers in the future.

Device Options:

Click in the main "Devices Preferences" dialog to open the "Device Options" dialog. There can be up to three tabs in this dialog, depending on your device and what kind of media it handles: Music, Photos, and Videos. (If your device can store photos but not videos, for example, you will see the Music and Photos tabs, but not Videos.)

Click a tab to edit transfer options for that kind of media.

Device Options: Music tab

Select to edit your music transfer options.

Playlist Transfer Options:

Select which playlists you would like to have updated on your device automatically.

Tip: Use the "Select All" or "Select None" links to manage large numbers of playlists.

Transcode Format:

Choose the format and quality that files will automatically be converted to before they are transferred to your device.

Format:

Select the format (file type) you wish files to be converted to before transfer.

Quality:

Select the quality you wish files to be converted to before transfer. (Default: 128 Kbps Stereo)

The "Transcode Format" controls have no effect on Rhapsody subscription tracks. Rhapsody tracks that have been downloaded but not purchased can be transferred only to Rhapsody-compatible portable devices.

Non-DRM tracks, such as MP3s you purchase from Rhapsody or tracks you've imported from CD, will usually be transferred to a device in their current format. Transcoding to a different format and quality will only happen if the track is in a format or bitrate that the device does not support.

Device Options: Photos tab

Click the Photos tab to edit your photo transfer options. Not all devices support photo transfer.

Optimize Photos:

Choose whether to optimize photos you transfer to your device for viewing on your device.

Optimize photos...:

Select to optimize photos for viewing on your device. (Recommended)

Reduce device photo file size: Select your desired photo size from the dropdown list: Auto (Recommended), Large, Medium, or Small.

Convert photos to format: Select a file type from the dropdown list to convert photos on your device to that format. Not available on all devices that support photos.

Do not optimize...:

Select to copy the original photo to your device without optimization.

Device Options: Videos tab

Click the Videos tab to edit your device's video transfer options. Not all devices support video transfer.

Optimize Videos:

Choose whether to optimize the quality of videos transferred to your device automatically, or select the quality level yourself.

Optimize...

automatically:

Select to allow your device to automatically optimize video quality. (Recommended)

Select quality level:

Select to choose the quality level of videos transferred to your device yourself. Use the slider to select Low, Medium, High, or Maximum quality.

Preferences: Devices

Device Options:

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