Table of Contents Getting Started Connections Software Setup PlaysForSure Basic Operations Advanced Features Help Index

Table of Contents

Package Contents
Rio Carbon Installation CD Carrying Case USB-AC Adapter Earphones Quick Start Poster Mini USB Cable

Copyright/Trademarks

2005 Digital Networks North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Networks North America, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors contained herein or for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained herein, even if Digital Networks North America has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This document is intended for informational and instructional purposes only. Digital Networks North America, Inc. reserves the right to make changes in the specifications and other information contained in this document without prior notification. Digital Networks North America, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update the information contained herein. Rio is a registered trademark of Digital Networks North America, Inc. Microsoft, Windows Media and the Windows Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Rio Carbon

AudibleReady is a registered trademark of Audible, Inc. All other product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated. P/N 75550298-001

1 - Getting Started

Welcome..1 Learning More..1 Tour of the Rio Carbon..2 Display Overview.4 Player Mode..4 Menu Mode...4 Time Code View...5 Date View...5 Track Format View...5 Play Screens...5

5 - Basic Operations

Learning the Basics..12 Copy Tracks...13
Copy Tracks using Rio Music Manager..13

Transfer Tracks..14

Transfer Tracks using Rio Music Manager..15 Transfer Tracks using Windows Explorer..16 MTP mode transfers..17 MSC mode transfers.18 Transfer Tracks using Online Music Stores..19

2 - Connections

Basic Connections..6 Earphones..6 USB-AC...6 Additional Accessories..7

3 - Software Setup

Software Installation..8 Rio Music Manager...9

4 - PlaysForSure

PlaysForSure Logo..10 Audio Download..11 Audio Subscription..11
Control the Player..20 Play Music..21 Play All...22 Album..22 Artist...22 Genre..23 Track...23 Year...23 New Music...24 Playlist...24 Spoken Word..24 Recordings..25 Folder..25 Delete Tracks..26

6 - Advanced Features

Learning to use the Advanced Features..27 Bookmarks..28 Settings..29 Playback...30 Equalizer..31 Custom...31 EQ Off..31 Preset..31 Power..32 Resume..33 Display...34 Time..35 Lock Setup..36 Lock Mode...37 Tags...38 Transfer Mode..39 Voice Record..40 Recordings..41 Stopwatch..42 About..43

7 - Help

Troubleshooting..44 Customer Service Information..44 Frequently Asked Questions.45 Glossary of Digital Audio Terms.54 Bass...54 Bitrate...54 Codec..54 DRM...54 Firmware..55 Gain...55 ID3 Tags..55 Mass Storage Class..55 Media Transfer Protocol.55 MP3...56 Playlist...56 PlaysForSure..56 Rip and Encode..56 Synchronize..56 Treble..56 VBR...57 WMA..57 ECC, FCC, and Industry Canada Compliance..58 Statement of Compliance..58 Federal Communications Commission.58 Industry Canada..58 Safety...59 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.59 CAUTION..59

Chapter 1 :: Welcome

Getting Started
Thank you for purchasing the Rio Carbon. Small and powerful, the Rio Carbon can store thousands of songs on its hard drive. The Rio Carbon includes a USB-AC adapter, earphones, an illuminated display, a long lasting built-in battery, and high speed USB 2.0 connectivity.

Learning More

Refer to the Quick Start poster for the basics on how to set up and start using the Rio Carbon. Visit the Rio website at www.rioaudio.com.
:: Tour of the Rio Carbon
Press to turn the Rio Carbon on. Press and hold to turn the Rio Carbon off.
In Player mode, rotate to adjust volume level. In Menu mode, press or rotate to control menu navigation.

MICROPHONE

Records sound when the Voice Recorder is in use.
In Player mode, press to enter Menu mode. In Menu mode, press to return to Player mode.

PLAY/PAUSE CENTER

In Menu mode, press to select options. In Player mode press to cycle Press to play or pause playback.
through Time Code View, Track Format View, and Date View.

FORWARD and REVERSE

Press to skip to the next or previous track. Select and hold to scan forward or reverse.

Press to stop playback.

invisible text

EMERGENCY RESET

Insert a small pin or paperclip to reboot the Rio Carbon.

EARPHONES

Connects to earphones, headphones, or auxiliary connections.
Connects to the USB cable.

:: Display Overview

Player Mode
Volume Level Artist Album Track Track Position Bar Repeat Playback Indicator Shuffle Playback Indicator Lock Indicator Power Indicator
Track Time Play Indicator
Track Number/Total Number of Tracks

Menu Mode

Menu Title Selected Option

Options

Time Code View

Play Screens

Press CENTER to cycle through Time Code, Date, Track Format, and EQ setting views.

Track Time

Date View

Track Format View

Codec Bitrate Track Size
Chapter 2 :: Basic Connections

Connections

This chapter describes how to connect the Rio Carbon to Earphones, USB cables, and alternate devices. Basic connections include:

Earphones

Connect the supplied earphones to the EARPHONES port on the top of the Rio Carbon.

USB-AC

The Rio Carbon requires a USB connection to transfer files and/or recharge its battery. If using a USB hub, connect to a powered USB hub. Unpowered USB hubs may not work. Use the USB cable to connect the Rio Carbon to the USB port on your computer, transfer music and files, and update the Rio Carbons firmware. The Rio Carbon cannot play music when it is connected to the USB port on your computer. Use the USB cable to connect the Rio Carbon to the USB port on the USB-AC adapter to quickly recharge the battery on the Rio Carbon. When connected to the USB port on the USB-AC adapter, the Rio Carbon can play music and recharge its battery at the same time.

Click the track.

Press SHIFT+Click or CTRL+Click.
Press CTRL+A. Press CTRL+N. Select Edit, Invert Selection.
to begin copying tracks to your computer.
Complete Rio Music Manager instructions can be found using the Rio Music Manager Help menu.

:: Transfer Tracks

There are many ways to transfer tracks onto the Rio Carbon. Choosing a method to transfer tracks is largely a matter of personal preference.
Transfer Tracks using Rio Music Manager Transfer Tracks using Windows Explorer Transfer Tracks using Online Music Stores
The first time you use Rio Music Manager, the Welcome Wizard will help Rio Music Manager find music on your computer. You can change the locations that Rio Music Manager searches for music manually by using the Tools/Options./Music Location/ menu in Rio Music Manager.
Transfer Tracks using Rio Music Manager
Transferring tracks from the PC to the Rio Carbon with Rio Music Manager involves selecting tracks, then transferring them onto the Rio Carbon. Launch Rio Music Manager. Click My Music in the left frame to access tracks. Rio Music Manager will scan your computers music locations for digital audio files. Files are automatically categorized by album title and displayed in the Track List. Use the Music Location menu in Rio Music Manager (Tools/Options/Music Location) to add music locations for Rio Music Manager to scan. Select tracks within a category of tracks. Categories include Albums, Artists, Genres, Songs, and Playlists. For example, if you wish to copy all tracks from a favorite artist onto the Rio Carbon, click the Artists tab and then use any of the techniques in Step 4 to select the desired tracks. 4 Use any of the following techniques to select files: Technique
File type Single track, album, or artist. Multiple tracks, albums, and/or artists. All tracks, albums, and artists. No tracks, albums, or artists. Every track except for the currently selected tracks.
Click the track, album, or artist.
After the tracks have been selected they can be copied to the Rio Carbon by clicking
Transfer Tracks using Windows Explorer
Folders and files can be transferred to the Rio Carbon using copy-and-paste and/or drag-and-drop techniques. These methods are excellent ways to transfer files to and from computers when using the Rio Carbon as a portable storage device. Any type of file can be transferred using these methods but to assure full functionality, Playlists and copy protected music using Digital Rights Management (DRM) should be transferred to the Rio Carbon using Rio Music Manager or the applicable online music store manager. Transferring tracks using Windows Explorer is slightly different depending on what Transfer Mode the Rio Carbon is set to use.

File type Single track, album, or artist. Multiple tracks, albums, and/or artists. All tracks, albums, and artists. No tracks, albums, or artists. Every track except for the currently selected tracks. 4. Click the Delete icon,.

Technique

Clicking the delete icon will remove the selected files from the Rio Carbon and cannot be undone. Tracks can also be deleted from the Rio Carbon using traditional drag-and-drop and copy-and-paste methods via My Computer (Windows Explorer).

Chapter 6

Advanced Features
:: Learning to use the Advanced Features
Advanced features of the Rio Carbon include:
Bookmarks Settings Voice Record Recordings Stopwatch About

:: Bookmarks

Bookmarks store specific player settings, including the current running order, the current track, the current time position of the track, and the Playback settings. Users can save these settings in a bookmark and restore them whenever they use the Rio Carbon. Bookmarks are great for: Placing digital bookmarks in digital audio books or other extended length tracks. Maintaining positions in long term running orders. Sharing your player with others without losing personal settings. 3 Press MENU. Select Bookmarks. Select a Bookmark option.
Bookmark options include: Select Select a bookmark. Press CENTER to restore the selected bookmark settings. Set Select a bookmark. Press CENTER to save the current settings to a bookmark. Delete Select a bookmark. Press CENTER to delete the selected bookmark. In Player mode, press and hold CENTER to quickly bookmark the current settings. The Rio Carbon automatically saves user settings when it is turned off. These settings are automatically restored when the Rio Carbon is turned on. Settings saved automatically are not saved as a bookmarks.

:: Settings

Rio Carbon settings include:
Playback Equalizer Power Resume Display Time Lock Setup Lock Mode Tags Transfer Mode

Playback

Various playback settings can be set to modify the way the Rio Carbon plays tracks. Tracks can be shuffled at random and/or repeated continuously. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Playback. Select Playback options. Press CENTER to apply settings.
Plackback options include: Shuffle Set selected tracks to play in standard or random order. Settings include Off (the default setting) and On. Repeat Set selected tracks to repeat playback of all tracks or the current track. Settings include Off (the default setting), All, and One.

Equalizer

The sound of tracks played on the Rio Carbon can be adjusted using various preset and fully customizable equalizer options. Equalizer settings include:

Custom

Custom mode allows the Rio Carbons settings to be adjusted according to personal preferences. Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Equalizer. Select Custom. Adjust 5-band equalizer. Press FORWARD or REVERSE to navigate between frequencies. Press PLAY/PAUSE or STOP to boost or cut the Gain of the frequency. Press CENTER to save settings and return to Player mode.

EQ Off

Select the EQ Off equalizer option to apply no equalizer adjustments to audio content on the Rio Carbon. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Equalizer. Select EQ Off. Press CENTER to set the EQ Off equalizer option and return to Player mode.

Preset

Select a Rock, Jazz, Classical, Pop, or Trance equalizer option to change the sound of tracks according to the selected preset settings. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Equalizer. Select Rock, Jazz, Classical, Pop, or Trance. Press CENTER to set the selected equalizer option and return to Player mode.
By adjusting the Power settings, the Rio Carbon can conserve energy and extend the amount of playback time during each battery charge. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Power. Select a Pwr Save setting. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode.
Power options include: Pwr Save Set the Rio Carbon to enter shutdown after being idle for a specific number of minutes. Settings include 1m, 5m (the default setting), 10m, 30m, and Never.

Resume

Use the options in the Resume menu to set the track that the Rio Carbon will play whenever it is powered on. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Resume. Select Resume options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode.
Resume options include: Track Set the Rio Carbon to begin playback of the last track played before shutdown or the first track in the running order when the Rio Carbon is powered on. Settings include Current (the default setting) and First. Timecode Set the Rio Carbon to begin playback of the last track played at the point the track was at during shutdown, or at the start of the track. Settings include Current (the default setting) and Start.

Display

Use the Display menu to adjust backlight and contrast settings. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Display. Adjust Backlight options and Contrast settings. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode.
Display settings include: Backlight Set the backlight on the Rio Carbon to shut itself off after a specific number of seconds. Settings include Off, 2s, 5s (the default setting), 10s, 20s, and On. On sets the backlight to remain lit constantly. To conserve battery life, the On setting should rarely be used.
Contrast Press FORWARD and REVERSE to control the contrast slider. Use the contrast slider to set how light or dark the images on the LCD will appear. Setting the contrast too high will result in washed out images. Setting the contrast too dark will result in images that are too dark to read.
Use the options in the Time menu to set the Rio Carbons internal clock. Time is set automatically every time tracks are transferred to the Rio Carbon using Rio Music Manager. 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Time. Select Set Time, Set Date, or Time Mode options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode.

Yes. You can play MP3 and WMA audio content. They can be mixed together.
Because WMAs use a lower bitrate than equivalent MP3s they are generally half as large as MP3 files and you can store more music in less space on CDs, hard drives, or the Rio Carbon. The amount of music that can be stored on the Rio Carbon depends on the bitrate of the files stored. The About menu lists the total amount of space, the amount of free space, and the number of tracks on the Rio Carbon. Bitrate 64 kbps 96 kbps 128 kbps 164 kbps 192 kbps Approximate amount of space required per minute of audio content 0.5 MB 0.75 MB 1 MB 1.25 MB 1.75 MB
What kind of batteries can I use with the Rio Carbon? Can I replace the battery in my Rio Carbon?
The Rio Carbon uses a non-removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Table of Contents Can I charge the Rio Carbons battery using the USB cable? Where is the battery indicator on my Rio Carbon?
Yes. Both USB-USB (Rio player to computer) and USB-AC (Rio player to power socket) connections will power and charge the Rio Carbon.
The battery indicator on the Rio Carbon is located in the top-right corner of the display. The segments in the battery icon show the remaining battery power. The illumination of all segments indicates a fully charged battery. Non-illuminated segments indicate a run down battery. The battery indicator blinks when less than 20% of the charge on the battery remains. Probably not. Your battery life depends on many factors including volume, type of music and bit rate, backlight, equalizer settings, and headphones. MP3s use less power than WMAs. PlaysForSure Audio Subscription tracks use more power than regular WMAs. Higher bit rates use more power than lower bit rates. The higher the volume is set, the more power the Rio Carbon uses. Higher contrast and longer backlight usage use additional power. Yes. It is normal for the drive to stop spinning during playback. Stopping the drive is part of the players battery life management system. When the drive is stopped, the Rio Carbon conserves power and plays tracks from a memory buffer. Yes. Because there are many standards for VBR files, it cannot be guaranteed that every encoding software package will properly function with the Rio Carbon. VBR files that do not comply to standards may lack track time, fast forward, and/ or rewind capabilities. Use the software provided by your online music store to check the license information for your tracks. Using Windows Media Player, right-click the select track, click Properties, then click the License tab.

I'm not getting the full 20hrs of battery life. Is that a problem?
The drive stops spinning during playback. Is this normal? Will the Rio Carbon play Variable Bitrate (VBR) files?
How do I check license information for a PlaysFor Sure Download or Subscription track?
Table of Contents Why wont the Rio Carbon play PlaysForSure Audio Download, PlaysForSure Audio Subscription, or other DRM (digital rights management) encoded files?
DRM files may not work properly if the Rio Carbons internal clock is no longer accurate. This can happen if the rechargeable batteries lose all charge for any period of time. Make sure the batteries are fully charged, then follow these steps: 3 Connect the Rio Carbon to the computer using the USB cable. Transfer any track to the player using Rio Music Manager. Log into the secure service where the DRM encoded files came from. The Rio Carbons clock should now be in sync with your computers clock. DRM files should now play correctly.
Why cant I transfer PlaysForSure subscription service tracks to my Rio Carbon? I see errors in Transfer details for some of the tracks I try to transfer to the Rio Carbon. I see a license error listed in the transfer details for a track I tried to transfer to the Rio Carbon.
When in MSC mode, PlaysForSure subscription service tracks cannot be transferred to the Rio Carbon. Change the Transfer Mode settings to put the Rio Carbon in MTP mode.
This may be a one-time error with the track, or possibly a permanent problem. 1 Try transferring the track to the Rio Carbon again. 2 Try re-encoding the track again from your CD using Rio Music Manager. 3 Try downloading that track again from your online music service provider. This could be a temporary error, the track may be corrupted, Rio Music Manager may have failed to acquire the license for the track, or you might not have rights to transfer the track to the Rio Carbon. 3 Log into your online music service, and try transferring the track to the Rio Carbon again. Try using the application from your music service to transfer those tracks. If the track says it cannot be transferred, try downloading another copy from your online music service.
Table of Contents I notice a delay in playback when I use FORWARD or REVERSE to skip from one PlaysForSure Audio Subscription track to another. What is wrong?
Nothing is wrong. Every time the Rio Carbon plays a PlaysForSure Audio Subscription track, it needs to verify that the track's subscription has not expired. A slight delay before playback begins is not uncommon while the Rio Carbon is acquiring the license. Skipping forward or reverse through multiple PlaysForSure Audio Subscription tracks may cause longer playback delays.

The Rio Carbon displays a License Failure message whenever it tries to play a PlaysForSure Audio Subscription track. How can I fix this?
Your subscription to play the tracks may have expired. You must connect the Rio Carbon to your computer via USB and log into the applicable online music subscription store at least once each billing period so the Rio Carbon knows that the Audio Subscription has not expired. If you are sure that your subscription to play the tracks has not expired, it is possible that the master license that the Rio player checks when acquiring licenses has become corrupt. We recommend you troubleshoot the problem in the following way: 1 Try transferring a new subscription track to the Rio Carbon. 2 Follow instructions on formatting the Carbon and then transfer the track again. 3 If the problem persists, please contact the applicable online music subscription service. You can use your computer to play tracks and open non-audio files located on the Rio Carbon only when it is in MSC mode. Change the Transfer Mode settings to put the Rio Carbon in MSC mode. When in MTP mode, files located on the Rio Carbon must be transferred to your computer before they can be opened.
Why cant I use my computer to play tracks or open non-audio files located on my Rio Carbon?
Table of Contents When using Windows Explorer (i.e. My Computer) to navigate the files and folders on my Rio Carbon, many folder options are missing. Why?
The Rio Carbon communicates with your computer differently in MTP mode than it does in MSC mode. When in MTP mode, the Rio Carbon cannot display hidden files in folders, cannot allow transfers to the root Rio Carbon directory, and cannot allow the creation of new folders. (Folders can be transferred to the Rio Carbon using drag-and-drop and copy-and-paste methods.) To use traditional folder options, change the Transfer Mode settings to put the Rio Carbon in MSC mode. If in MTP mode, all non-audio files are placed into a folder called Data. The Media and Data folders are created automatically by the player when in MTP mode. If in MSC mode, files remain in the folder structure they were originally transferred to.

I cant find some pictures and work files I copied to my Rio Carbon. Where are they?
What should I do if my Rio Carbon is not detected by my computer?
Verify that the USB cable is securely inserted into the USB port on both the Rio Carbon and your computer. Connect the USB cable to a USB port on the back of your computer rather than to a USB port on the front of your computer. If using a USB hub, connect to a powered USB hub. Unpowered USB hubs may not work. Remove USB extension cables from the connection path. Disconnect other USB devices. Both Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) (or greater) and Windows Media Player 10 (WMP10) must be installed for your computer to detect a Rio Carbon set in MTP mode. If you do not want to install SP1 (or greater) and WMP10 on your computer you should disconnect the Rio Carbon and change the Transfer Mode setting to MSC mode.
My Rio Carbon is in MTP mode but it is not being detected by Windows Explorer (My Computer) on my Windows XP system. What should I do?
Table of Contents What should I do if my Rio Carbon is not detected as a removable drive?
If in MTP mode, the Rio Carbon is detected as a portable device rather than a portable drive. The Rio Carbon cannot be detected as a portable drive unless it is in MSC mode. If in MSC mode, it is possible that a network drive is preventing the Rio Carbon from being mapped properly. This is a known Microsoft problem and has been documented in their knowledge base as KB297694. To resolve this issue and detect the Rio Carbon as a removable drive: Click Start on the Taskbar. Right-click My Computer on the Windows Desktop or in the Start Menu. Click Manage. Locate Computer Management (Local) and click Disk Management. Right-click the new drive. Click Change Drive Letter and Path(s). Click Change. Use the drop-down box to select a drive letter for the new drive that is not assigned to a mapped network drive. 9 Click OK. 10 Click OK.
What should I do if my Rio Carbon is not detected by Rio Music Manager?
The Rio Carbon was designed to work with the version of Rio Music Manager that was included on the Installation CD. Previous versions of Rio Music Manager may not be able to detect the Rio Carbon. You can transfer tracks using Windows Media Player or Windows Explorer. If the problem persists, please contact Customer Care for assistance.
Table of Contents What should I do if my Rio Carbon will not power on (or off)?
Follow these steps to power the Rio Carbon on if it will not power on normally: Confirm that the Rio Carbons battery have enough charge to power the player on. Connect the Rio Carbon to your computer or to USB-AC and charge the player for five minutes. Unplug the Rio Carbon from the USB connection. Reset the Rio Carbon by inserting a small pin or paperclip into the EMERGENCY RESET hole. Press POWER.

If the Rio Carbon still does not power on, try the following: What should I do if my Rio Carbon is stuck in to Recorder mode every time I turn it on? Reset the Rio Carbon by inserting a small pin or paperclip into the EMERGENCY RESET hole while it's plugged into USB-AC. Press POWER.
You should download and install the latest firmware onto the Rio Carbon. If the Rio Carbon is using the latest firmware, please reinstall it onto the Rio Carbon.
Table of Contents What should I do if the display permanently locks up, does not display, or displays UPGRADER?
If you cannot read the display, the Rio Carbons firmware may be corrupted. Corrupted firmware may be caused by a failed firmware update. If the players firmware becomes corrupted for any reason, follow these steps to start the player in Recovery Mode and proceed with the firmware update. Reset the player by inserting a small pin or paperclip into the EMERGENCY RESET hole. Press POWER. The player should power on as normal. If the player continues to lock up or does not display properly: 3 Reset the player by inserting a small pin or paperclip into the EMERGENCY RESET hole. Press and hold MENU + POWER until UPGRADER is displayed on the screen. Connect the Rio Carbon player to the computer using the USB cable. Proceed with the Firmware upgrade.
Why does my Rio Carbon experience errors after I unplug the USB cable?
Removing the Rio Carbon from a USB connection before Idle is displayed on the screen may result in a corrupting the player's file system. e.g. All tracks, although different, are assigned the same name; the player will not power off; etc. If for any reason you suspect that your Rio player's file system has been corrupted, reformatting the player will restore the file system to its original state. Double-click My Computer on the Windows Desktop or in the Start Menu. Locate the icon that is associated with the Rio Carbon. Right-click the Rio Carbon icon. Click Format. Reformatting your Rio player will result in the deletion of all tracks, settings, and hidden PlaysForSure Subscription Audio license files on the Rio Carbon. Reformatting your Rio player will immediately cancel any transfers currently in progress. 5 If you are sure you want to reformat your player, click Start.
Why would I ever want to reformat my Rio Carbon?
Table of Contents Can I update the firmware on the Rio Carbon? Yes. If available, firmware for the Rio Carbon can be downloaded online.

Note: Quit all applications before running the firmware update. While running the firmware update, do not close the program, turn off the Rio Carbon, or unplug the USB cable. Downloading the update Click on the following link: Firmware Upgrade. Click on the link to the Rio Carbon. Locate UPDATES and click Firmware. Select and download the latest software.
Installing the update 1 Connect the player to your computer with the USB cable. 2 Wait for Idle to be displayed on the player screen. 3 Double-click the file that you downloaded from the Rio website. The update should take approximately 30 seconds to load.
:: Glossary of Digital Audio Terms
Bass is the particular low-range area of the sound spectrum where low musical notes and sounds are located. Increasing the bass value will make the low vocals and drums more prominent in your music. You can select the amount of bass in your music by selecting various Equalizer options.

Bitrate

Bitrate denotes the number of bits per second used by a digital music file. The size and quality of a compressed digital audio file is determined by the bitrate used when encoding the file. Generally, the higher the bitrate used, the higher the sound quality, and the larger the file size. For example, a bitrate of 96kbps (96,000 bits per second) is generally thought of as CD quality for WMA audio files, and takes up about 0.75 megabytes (MB) per minute of music. At a 64kbps bitrate, the sound quality of WMA is similar to that of an FM radio signal, but approximately two minutes of music will fit in 1MB of space.
Depending on the context and kind of technology involved, a codec can be defined as a compressed digital audio file format (like MP3, WMA, etc.), a coding/decoding chip used to translate between digital and analog transmissions (used in modems), or a compression/decompression algorithm. Codecs compress audio data into a file, often for efficient transmission over a network, and then decode it for playback. While all the codecs perform similar compression of digital audio, there are differences in the technology. The Rio Carbon supports the following digital audio codecs: Audible MP3 WMA
Digital rights management (DRM) is a type of encryption that is intended to protect copyrighted tracks and is added to many commercially purchased music files during the encoding process. DRM encryption frequently restricts the number of times a file can be downloaded, transferred to portable devices, or burned to CD. Copy protected music using DRM should be transferred to the Rio Carbon using Rio Music Manager.

Firmware

Firmware is the read-only software that is installed on the player. Like software it can be updated, but unlike software it can never be deleted from the player.
Gain is a measurement of the amplitude of frequency ranges. Gain adjustments boost or reduce frequencies to provide a more desirable audio output.

MP3 is short for Moving Pictures Experts Group Audio Layer 3. MP3 is the most well known compressed digital audio file format. This format allows for near CD quality sound, but at a fraction of the size of normal audio files. MP3 conversion of an audio track from CD-ROM can reduce the file size by approximately a 12:1 ratio with virtually no perceptible loss in quality. MP3 compression removes the redundant and irrelevant parts of a sound signal that the human ear doesn't hear. This digital sound encoding and compression process was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits and Thomson Multimedia.
A playlist is a custom grouping of tracks that has been saved for later use. Rather than playing every track on the player, playlists can be used to play specific tracks in specific orders. Rio Carbon supports.asx,.m3u, and.pls formatted playlists. Tracks that are referenced by a playlist must be present on the Rio Carbon. Playlists that are transferred to a Rio player by an application other than Rio Music Manager may not function properly on Rio players.
The PlaysForSure logo assures that digital audio devices and online music stores have been tested and verified by Microsoft to work properly together. When you see the PlaysForSure logo at your favorite online music store youll know that services you purchase from the store will play for sure on your Rio player.

Rip and Encode

Rip and encode refers to the process of extracting audio from a music CD (ripping) and encoding it into a compressed digital audio format like MP3 or WMA.

Synchronize

Rio Music Manager can automatically (or manually) delete old content, transfer new audio content, and keep the content on the Rio Carbon fresh and dynamic. Rio Music Manager must be open for synchronization to occur.

Treble

Treble notes occupy the higher portion of the sound spectrum. Increasing the treble value will raise the levels of the high sounds in your music files. You can select the amount of treble in your music by selecting various Equalizer options.
Variable Bitrate (VBR) encoding converts tracks at a variable rate, using higher bitrate encoding for complex portions and lower bitrate encoding for pauses in songs.
Windows Media Audio (WMA) is a compressed audio format created by Microsoft as an alternative to MP3. The WMA codec offers greater file compression than the MP3 codec, enabling storage of more digital audio tracks in the same amount of space when compared to MP3s at the same level of quality.
:: ECC, FCC, and Industry Canada Compliance

CAUTION

RISK OF EXPLOSION, DAMAGE OR BATTERY LEAKAGE IS POSSIBLE IF BATTERY IS REPLACED INCORRECTLY OR BY AN INCORRECT TYPE. NEVER ATTEMPT TO CHARGE A NON-RECHARGEABLE ALKALINE BATTERY. DISPOSE OF USED BATTERIES ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS OR LOCAL LAWS. Use of headphones while operating a vehicle is not recommended and is unlawful in some states and areas. Be careful and attentive while driving. Stop operation of the player if you find it disruptive or distracting while operating any type of equipment. Listening to music at full power over extended periods of time can be damaging to the hearing of the user.
About 43 Accessories 7 Advanced Features Album 22 Artist 22 Audible 24 Auto Mode 39

Display 34 DRM 54

MPMSC 55 MSC Mode 39 MTP 55 MTP Mode 39

Subscription Services 11

Earphones 6 EMERGENCY RESET Equalizer 31
Federal Communications Commission 58 Firmware 55 Frequently Asked Questions 45
Backlight 34 Basic Operations 12 Bass 54 Battery Indicator 46 Bitrate 54 Bookmarks 28 Buttons and Controls 20
Charging the Battery Codec 54 MPWMA 57 Contrast 34 Controls 20 Copy Tracks 13 Customer Service 44
Genre 23 Getting Started 1 Glossary 54
Play All 22 Play/Pause 2, 20 Playback 30 Playlist 24, 25 Playlists 56 PlaysForSure 10 Power Button 2, 3 Power Settings 32
Tags 38 Technical Support 44 Time 35 Time Code View 5 Track 23 Track Format View 5 Transfer Mode 39 Transfer Tracks using Rio Music Manager 15 Treble 56 Troubleshooting 44
UPGRADER Mode 52 Upgrading Firmware USB-AC 6
Recordings 25 Reformat 52 Resume 33 Rio Music Manager 9 Ripping and Encoding 56

Variable Bitrate (VBR)

Voice Record 40

ID3 Tag

Date View 5 Delete Tracks

45, 57 23

Lock Mode 37 Lock Setup 36
Settings 29 Spoken Word 24 Stopwatch 42
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