Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Windows® XP Media Center®

Watching TV and Time-Shifting with Your Mouse

and Keyboard

Managing your My TV experience with keyboard and mouse is nearly as fun as

using your remote control. The following shortcuts will also come in handy the next

time your remote control mysteriously disappears without a trace (that is, until it

miraculously turns up a few days later in the sofa cushions).

Using the Keyboard

As discussed in the preceding chapter, your keyboard may come equipped with a few

multimedia controls built-in, but other than adjusting the audio, they won’t do much

in the way of helping you operate your My TV video features. For that, you’ll need to

remember a few keystroke combinations that

invoke the same commands we discussed in the

remote-control sections earlier in this chapter.

Table 6.2 offers a list of the major keyboard short-

cuts for use with Media Center’s My TV mode.

Table 6.2 My TV Keyboard Shortcuts

To Press

Activate the My TV menu Ctrl+Shift+T

Play Ctrl+Shift+P

Stop Ctrl+Shift+S

Skip back Ctrl+B

Skip forward Ctrl+F

Mute F8

Volume down F9

Volume up F10

Using the Mouse

Controlling the basic TV-watching experience

with your mouse is quite straightforward. Just

move the mouse, and as discussed in the last

chapter (see “Controlling Media Center with Your

Mouse”), all the onscreen controls you need will

automatically appear. You’ll easily be able to

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ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER

tip

Here’s a little trick you can

perform with your key-

board—one that you can’t

do with your remote control.

Use Ctrl+Shift+C to toggle

closed captioning on and

off. The way to turn cap-

tions on with your remote is to

press Mute, but there’s no one-

click way to activate closed cap-

tions while keeping the sound

turned on—and you may want to

do that if, for example, a hearing-

impaired person is watching

alongside other viewers who can

hear. (Even if you’re not hearing

impaired, leaving captions turned

on and the sound off can be a

great way to watch TV unobtru-

sively, such as when you want to

at least look as though you’re

working. )