iPod Software 1.2.1 for iPod with color display: Accessing and changing settings

iPod Software 1.2.1 for iPod with color display includes many different settings options. This article will discuss these settings and how to change them. Please note that other versions of iPod Software may have different features and default settings.

You can change settings on an iPod with iPod Software 1.2.1 for iPod with color display in three different locations. You can access various settings in the Settings menu (in the main menu), in Photos > Slideshow Settings, and in Extras > Clock.

The Settings Menu

You can access the Settings menu from the main menu on your iPod (the menu that's labeled "iPod"). Here are the options you can access and change in the Settings menu.

• About
  The About option displays information about iPod, including:
  • Songs—The number of songs and audiobooks synchronized to iPod from iTunes.
  • Photos—The number of photos synchronized to iPod from iTunes.
  • Capacity—The size of the hard drive in bytes (find more information on how capacity is calculated).
  • Available—The amount of free space available on your iPod hard drive.
  • Version—The installed version of iPod Software.
  • S/N—Your iPod serial number.
  • Model—Your iPod model number.
  • Format—This option appears if iPod has been formatted for use with Windows-based computers.
• Main Menu
  This menu allows you to customize which menu options are displayed in the main menu.
• Shuffle
  Available settings: Off (default), Songs, Albums
  When you enable this feature, your iPod shuffles (randomly chooses) songs to play from an album, playlist, or iPod library, depending on your setting. For more information, see "iPod 1.1: About Shuffle."
• Repeat
  Available settings: Off (default), One, All
  This setting allows you to have iPod repeat a song or selected list. If you set Repeat to One, iPod repeats the selected song over and over. If you set it to All, your iPod repeats all the songs in the selected list (album, playlist, or library).
• Backlight Timer
  Available settings: Off, Always On, preset number of seconds (10 Seconds is the default)
  The Backlight Timer allows you to set how long the backlight illuminates so you can see your iPod display in dim lighting. If you set the Backlight Timer to Always On or one of the preset number of seconds, the backlight will turn on for the specified time any time you press a button or scroll the wheel. If Backlight Timer is set to Off, you can temporarily turn it on by pressing the Menu button for about 2 seconds; the backlight will then remain on for about 30 seconds.
  Note: You may have to charge your iPod battery more frequently if the backlight is constantly on.
• Audiobooks
  Available settings: Slower, Normal (default), Faster
  This setting allows you to select the playback speed when listening to audiobooks.
• EQ
  Available settings: Off (default), one of 21 equalizer presets
  iPod features the same equalizer presets available in iTunes to help make your audio sound even better. For more information, see "iPod: About the Equalizer."
• Compilations
  Available settings: On, Off (default)
  When you set Compilations to On, it adds a Compilations menu to the Music menu that displays all audio files that are identified as being part of a compilation.
• Sound Check
  Available settings: On, Off (default)
  This setting only works if you enabled the Sound Check feature in iTunes before synchronizing the audio files to iPod. When Sound Check is On, iPod adjusts all song volumes so that they all play at the same level.
• Clicker
  Available settings: Speaker (default), Headphones, Both, Off
  This setting controls the audible feedback when you scroll the wheel or press buttons. When you set Clicker to Speaker, you hear a clicking sound from only the internal speaker. If Clicker is set to Headphones, you hear the clicking sound only in the headphone output.
• Date & Time
  This setting allows you to set the time, date, and time zone. You can set iPod to display the time as a 12-hour (default) or 24-hour clock, and whether the time displays in the title of most menus after a short period of inactivity (this setting is Off by default).
• Contacts
  This setting allows you to set the sort order and the display order of your contact names on iPod. By default, iPod sorts and displays names in "First Last" order. For more information, see "iPod: How to Change Contact Display and Sort Settings."
• Language
  iPod can display its menu items in a variety of languages. This setting does not change the native language of playlists, artists, or songs (you can do this in iTunes). When you first use iPod or reset iPod, you will be asked to select a menu language.
• Legal
  iPod displays a screen with legal information, including trademarks and copyrights.
• Reset All Settings
  Available settings: Cancel (default), Reset
  This menu choice always displays in English, regardless of the selected language. If you select Reset, all settings in the Settings menu will return to their default settings.

Photos > Slideshow Settings

You can access the Slideshow Settings menu from the Photos menu (accessible from the main menu) to control how your images appear in a slideshow. Here are the options that you can set to your liking.

• Time Per Slide
  Available settings: Manual, preset number of seconds (3 Seconds is the default)
  The Time Per Slide menu lets you set how long a photo appears in the slideshow. When you set Time Per Slide to Manual, you'll need to press the Next/Fast Forward button or the Previous/Rewind button to change slides. When you set it to any of the timed options, each photo appears for that specified time—if you want to skip to the next slide before the time has elapsed, press the Next/Fast Forward button or the Previous/Rewind button.
• Music
  Available settings: Off (default), From iPhoto, Playlist, On-The-Go
  This setting allows you to choose music to play during the slideshow. At the end of a slideshow, the music continues to play until you press the Menu button to end the slideshow. Here's what each setting offers:
  • From iPhoto—This option plays music from settings in iPhoto, and is only available if you selected iPhoto (Mac only) as the location to synchronize photos from in the iPod preferences pane in iTunes.
  • Off—No music plays during the slideshow.
  • Playlist—The audio files in the selected playlist play during the slideshow.
  • On-The-Go—Audio files in the On-The-Go playlist play during the slideshow. If you haven't added any audio files to the On-The-Go playlist on your iPod, no music plays.
• Repeat
  Available settings: Off (default), On
  If you set Repeat to On, the slideshow will repeat. To end a slideshow, press the Menu button.
• Shuffle Photos
  Available settings: Off (default), On
  When you set Shuffle Photos to On, the slideshow will display all photos in random order. This option won't repeat any photo until the slideshow has displayed each photo in the selection. If Repeat is also set to On, the order will change randomly on every pass through the selection.
• Transitions
  Available settings: Off, Random (default), preset transitions
  This setting allows you to select the type of transition used to go from one picture to the next in a slideshow.
• TV Out
  Available settings: Ask (default), On, Off
  The TV Out menu lets you set whether iPod displays the slideshow to its video out port or on screen. Ask is the default setting; iPod displays a Start Slideshow screen that lets you select the output. When you set TV Out to On, external television support is turned on. This setting requires more power and can quickly consume the battery (you should use an iPod Power Adapter or Dock to charge iPod while showing a slideshow on a television). When this option is Off, the slideshow is only displayed on your iPod display.
• TV Signal
  Available settings: NTSC, PAL
  This setting allows you to select the TV signal (the default is set to the standard signal for your country). If you select the wrong TV Signal setting, the TV image may appear gray, distorted, or rolling.

Extras > Clock

You can access the Clock menu from the Extras menu (in the main menu) to change the time and date settings on your iPod and more. Here's what you can set in this menu.

• Alarm Clock
  The Alarm Clock menu allows you to turn the alarm clock on or off (the default). You can set what time to set the alarm, and the sound the iPod produces when the alarm goes off (Beep is the default).
• Sleep Timer
  Available settings: Off (default), preset time in minutes
  This menu allows you to set how long your iPod plays music before going to sleep. When you set Sleep Timer to one of the preset times, a countdown timer appears in the Now Playing screen. Once the time expires, iPod stops playing and goes to sleep.
• Date & Time
  This setting allows you to set the time, date, and time zone. You can set iPod to display the time as a 12-hour (default) or 24-hour clock, and whether the time displays in the title of most menus after a short period of inactivity (this setting is Off by default).