---
title: Quick Start
description: Open media, control playback, navigate UI
---

import Callout from "blume/components/content/Callout.astro";
import Step from "blume/components/content/Step.astro";
import Steps from "blume/components/content/Steps.astro";
import Card from "blume/components/content/Card.astro";
import CardGroup from "blume/components/content/CardGroup.astro";

This guide gets you playing video in under a minute.

## Play Your First File

1. **Launch CineWindows**

    Double-click the CineWindows icon. The Start Page appears with a welcome screen and recent files list.

2. **Open a media file**

    Do one of the following:
    - Press **Ctrl + O** to open the file dialog
    - Drag a video or audio file from File Explorer onto the CineWindows window
    - Double-click a supported media file in Explorer if you set file associations during installation

3. **Control playback**

    Use the **Space** key to toggle play and pause, or click the play/pause button on the Control Bar. The seek bar at the bottom shows your progress — click anywhere on it to jump to that position.

4. **Adjust the volume**

    Scroll the mouse wheel over the video area to adjust volume, or drag the volume slider next to the Control Bar. A small overlay shows the current level.

5. **Enter fullscreen**

    Press **F11** or double-click the video area to enter fullscreen mode. The Control Bar and Header Bar auto-hide after a moment of inactivity. Move the mouse to reveal them again. Press **Esc** or **F11** to exit fullscreen.

> **Tip**
>
> You can also launch CineWindows from the command line: `CineWindows.exe "C:\path\to\video.mp4"`. Pass multiple paths to queue them in a playlist: `CineWindows.exe video1.mp4 video2.mkv`.

## Basic Shortcuts

| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| **Space** | Play / Pause |
| **Ctrl + O** | Open file |
| **Ctrl + I** | Open file via path input |
| **F11** | Toggle fullscreen |
| **Left / Right** | Seek backward / forward 5 seconds |
| **Up / Down** | Volume up / down |
| **Ctrl + Left / Right** | Seek backward / forward 30 seconds |
| **Shift + Left / Right** | Seek backward / forward 1 minute |
| **M** | Mute / unmute |
| **F** | Toggle fit-to-window (video zoom modes) |
| **N** | Next file in playlist |
| **P** | Previous file in playlist |
| **Ctrl + S** | Toggle A-B loop |
| **Ctrl + Z** | Reset A-B loop |
| **S** | Take screenshot |
| **Ctrl + Q** | Quit |
| **Esc** | Exit fullscreen / close dialog |
| **Tab** | Cycle focus between UI sections |
| **Ctrl + H** | Toggle Media Hub sidebar |

## Next Steps

**[User Interface Guide](/guides/user-interface)**

**[Playback Controls](/guides/playback)**

**[Subtitles](/guides/subtitles)**

**[Playlists](/guides/playlists)**