CUE (CD Audio Commands)

The CUE command prepares the CD audio device for playback. While not strictly required before playing, it can significantly reduce the latency or delay when the PLAY command is eventually issued.

Syntax

CUE ─── object ──┬──────────┬───┬──────────┬───┤
                 └─ OUTPUT ─┘   ├─ WAIT   ─┤
                                └─ NOTIFY ─┘

Keywords

object

Object associated with this media control interface command (Device type, name, filename, or alias).

OUTPUT

Prepares the device for playback. This is the default behavior for the CUE command on CD audio devices.

WAIT

Executes the command synchronously. The function waits until the device is cued before returning control to the application.

NOTIFY

Executes the command asynchronously. An MM_MCINOTIFY message is sent to the application window procedure when the cueing process is complete.

Purpose

The CUE command is used to "prime" the hardware. For CD-ROM drives, this may involve spinning up the motor or positioning the laser head closer to the start of the data, ensuring that the transition to an active play state is as fast as possible.

Note: The CUE command is functionally distinct from the SETCUEPOINT command; it deals with device readiness rather than marking specific timestamps in the media.

Example

cue cdaudio output wait

*(Prepares the CD device for immediate playback capability)*