Type the value 0 and then close the Registry. Open the Registry Editor. 2.

Part VII ✦ Adding to Your Home Network Managing Multimedia in Windows 98 Windows enables you to view streaming content — including audio, video, and other data used in multimedia applications. Windows also provides some controls to help you manage your multimedia devices, including audio, video, MIDI, CD music, and others. In Windows 98, all multimedia controls are located in one dialog box — the Multimedia Properties dialog box. To open the Multimedia Properties dialog box, open the Control Panel and double-click the Multimedia icon. Figure 25-1 illustrates the Multimedia Properties dialog box. Figure 25-1: Windows offers some control for your multimedia devices. Using the Audio tab The Audio tab of the Multimedia Properties dialog box enables you to set options for audio playback and recording features. You should check with your hardware documentation to make sure of any special requirements before adjusting any options. You can choose your preferred devices, if you have more than one playback or recording device attached to your computer. You also can fine-tune device performance. Playback Use Playback to set your preferred audio device. The drop-down list of devices describes any that are attached to your computer — a game device, your sound card, or voice recognition devices, for example. Your sound card should be listed as the preferred device as a default. You can set other options for any selected device by clicking the Advanced Properties button in the applicable section of the Audio tab. Figure 25-2 shows the Advanced Audio Properties dialog box. In the Speakers tab, you indicate how your speakers are set up. You might have stereo speakers attached to your monitor or speakers sitting on stands beside your monitor. By choosing the speaker setup, you tell Windows how best to adjust the sound. Chapter 25 ✦ Understanding Multimedia Figure 25-2: Identify your speaker setup. The Performance tab offers options for you to set for hardware acceleration and rate conversion quality. You adjust these settings to manage how Windows plays sounds on your computer. Hardware acceleration describes how fast you want to mix the sound coming from your multi- media applications. Sound mixing describes how various sounds work together to create the whole. If you play a music piece that has several different instruments on it, for example, the mix describes which instrument is the loudest, which sounds brighter, and so on. In most cases, you should use full hardware acceleration. If, however, you notice that the sound is garbled or distorted, you can turn down the hardware acceleration. Figure 25-3 shows the Performance tab in the Advanced Audio Properties dialog box. To turn down the sound, click the hardware acceleration slider and drag it to the left. Figure 25-3: Adjust audio playback.