MediaSync enables PCStage to play, and be synchronized with, any kind of media file supported by Windows - movies, music, even still images! Synchronization is performed by means of events, which send commands to PCStage at specified points in the file's playback. Media files can be loaded into the plugin manually, by means of the ... button in the top right corner, or by the Open and Play commands from PCStage (see below). The exact file types supported by your system depends on the audio and video codecs installed.

The media file's position is shown and set by a trackbar, which also displays the location of all events as ticks. The current playback position (in seconds) is shown to the right of this. Manual transport controls are also provided; if no file is open, the Play button will prompt you for a file.

Visual files (movies and still images) can be played in the plugin's window or on any monitor attached to your PC. Click Prefs... to select the display and select whether the picture's intended aspect ratio is preserved. The selected display is black when no visual file is open. If the primary monitor is used, left-clicking with the mouse will revert to windowed mode.

The audio level and mute toggle can be set interactively in the plugin's window, and the audio balance can be set by clicking Prefs...

Events are manipulated in the lower part of the window, and their position is specified in seconds, with a resolution of one-tenth (100ms). Events with a time position of 0 (zero) will be executed when the file begins playing. Events with a time position greater than the length of the media will be executed when it ends.

Events can only be created and edited while a media file is open. They are automatically saved to a file with the same name, but _PCSMediaSync is added to the extension. These events are automatically loaded whenever the associated media file is opened. Events cannot be created for files with zero duration time, such as still images. If the event file cannot be created in the media file's directory (as would be the case with a CD or DVD-ROM), it is placed in PCStage's installation directory.

If Key Capture is checked, pressing any key while a media file is playing or paused will create a new event with the file's current position without opening the event editor.

PCStage sends commands to MediaSync by means of cue Plugin events, which are created in the cue editor. The commands available are:

Open <filename> Opens the specified media file, but does not begin playing it. If this is done in advance, no delay occurs when Play is used to begin playback later.
Close Closes (unloads) the currently open media file.
Play [<filename>] If a filename is specified, the file is loaded and playback begins. If not, playback of the currently loaded file begins or resumes.
Pause Pauses playback. Use Play to resume.
Stop Stops playback, resetting the file's position to the start.
Loop [off] Enables looping, or disables it if off is specified. When enabled, the media file will restart when it ends. A checkbox to control this setting is also provided.
Jump <sec> Sets the position to the specified time (in seconds, resolution one-tenth).
Level <dB> Sets the audio level to the specified value. 0 is maximum, with larger negative decibel values progressively softer.
Mute [off] Mutes the player's audio, or unmutes it if off is specified.

Note that filenames which contain spaces must be enclosed within double quotes.