Sony DVDRW DRIVE VGP DDRW4 User Manual

DVD RW Drive  
VGP-DDRW4  
Operating Instructions  
Printed on 70% or more recycled paper  
using VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)-  
free vegetable oil based ink.  
2006 Sony Corporation / Printed in Japan  
S400  
2-685-901-12 (1)  
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit  
different from that to which the receiver is  
connected.  
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV  
technician for help.  
WARNING  
To reduce the risk of fire or  
electric shock, do not expose this  
apparatus to rain or moisture.  
Dangerously high voltages are  
present inside the unit. Do not  
open the cabinet. Refer servicing  
to qualified personnel only.  
The shielded interface cable recommended in this  
manual must be used with this equipment in order to  
comply with the limits for a digital device pursuant to  
subpart B of Part 15 of FCC.  
You are cautioned that any changes or modifications  
not expressly approved in this manual could void  
your authority to operate this equipment.  
For questions regarding your product or for the Sony  
Customer Information Service Center nearest you,  
call 1-888-476-6972 in the United States or 1-800-  
961-7669 in Canada.  
CAUTION - CLASS 3B VISIBLE  
AND INVISIBLE LASER  
RADIATION WHEN OPEN.  
The number below is for FCC related matters only.  
Declaration of Conformity  
AVOID EXPOSURE TO THE  
BEAM.  
Trade Name:  
SONY  
Model No.:  
VGP-DDRW4  
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.  
Use this product only with the supplied AC adapter.  
Address:  
16530 Via Esprillo, San  
Diego, CA 92127 U.S.A.  
858-942-2230  
• To disconnect this product completely from mains  
voltage, unplug the AC adapter.  
• Make sure that the socket outlet is easily accessible.  
Telephone No.:  
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC  
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two  
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful  
interference, and (2) this device must accept any  
interference received, including interference that  
may cause undesired operation.  
For customers in the U.S.A.  
Owner’s Record  
The model number and the serial number are located  
on the bottom of the drive. Record the serial number  
in the space provided below. Refer to this number  
whenever you call your Sony dealer regarding this  
product.  
Caution  
The use of optical instruments with this product will  
increase eye hazard.  
Model No. VGP-DDRW4  
Serial No. ________________________________  
As the laser beam used in this product is harmful to  
eyes, do not attempt to disassemble the cabinet. Refer  
servicing to qualified personnel only.  
FCC Notice  
This equipment has been tested and found to comply  
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant  
to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are  
designed to provide reasonable protection against  
harmful interference in a residential installation. This  
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio  
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in  
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful  
interference to radio communications. However, there  
is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a  
particular installation. If this equipment does cause  
harmful interference to radio or television reception,  
which can be determined by turning the equipment  
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the  
interference using one or more of the following  
measures:  
For customers in Canada  
This Class B digital apparatus complies with  
Canadian ICES-003.  
Making copies of and using CD-ROMs,  
DVD-ROMs, DVD video discs, or music CDs  
may violate copyright laws or the terms of the  
End-user Licenses provided with such discs. Be  
sure to comply with copyright laws and the  
terms of the End User Software License when  
making or using original CDs and DVDs.  
If you have any questions regarding copyright  
laws or the terms of the End-user Software  
License, please consult the appropriate legal  
experts.  
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.  
Increase the separation between the equipment and  
receiver.  
2
VAIO,  
and Eco Info logo are  
trademarks of Sony Corporation.  
Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are  
registered trademarks or trademarks of  
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/  
or other countries.  
i.LINK is a designation referring to IEEE 1394-  
1995 and IEEE 1394a-2000. i.LINK and the  
i.LINK logo “  
Corporation.  
” are trademarks of Sony  
Manufactured under license from Dolby  
Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic", and the  
double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby  
Laboratories.  
Confidential unpublished works. Copyright  
1992 - 1997 Dolby Laboratories. All rights  
reserved.  
Sony personal computers equipped with this  
drive incorporate copyright protection  
thechnology that is protected by U.S. patents  
and other intellectual property rights. Use of  
this copyright protection technology must be  
authorized by Macrovision and is intended for  
home and other limited viewing uses only  
unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision.  
Reverse engineering or disassembly is  
prohibited.  
All other names of systems, products, and  
services are trademarks of their respective  
owners.  
In the manual, the ™ or ® marks are not  
specified.  
In this manual, Microsoft® Windows® XP  
Home Edition and Microsoft® Windows® XP  
Professional are referred to as Windows XP.  
In this manual, Windows Vista™ Home Basic,  
Windows Vista™ Home Premium, Windows  
Vista™ Business and Windows Vista™  
Ultimate are referred to as Windows Vista.  
3
Table of Contents  
Overview ................................................ 5  
Compatible personal computers ...... 6  
Compatible discs ............................. 7  
Supplied Accessories ............................ 10  
Locating the Controls and Connectors . 11  
Connecting the Drive............................ 12  
Disconnecting the drive from the  
personal computer ....................... 14  
Basic Operation .................................... 15  
Power management information ... 15  
Inserting a disc .............................. 15  
Removing a disc ............................ 17  
Precautions Before Use ........................ 19  
Precautions when writing data ...... 19  
Playing an Audio CD............................ 20  
Playing a DVD video............................ 20  
Notes about playing DVD video ... 20  
Notes about DVD video discs ....... 21  
Performing a System Recovery on a  
Personal Computer ............................ 22  
Precautions ........................................... 23  
Maintenance ......................................... 24  
Getting Help ......................................... 25  
Specifications ....................................... 26  
Troubleshooting.................................... 28  
4
Overview  
This product is a DVD RW drive with the i.LINK (IEEE1394) interface.  
The drive has the following features:  
• You can write data to a variety of discs such as DVD+R DL (Double  
Layer), DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL (Dual Layer), DVD-R, DVD-  
RW, CD-R, and CD-RW. For information on the data transfer rate during  
data write, see “Specifications” (page 26).  
• Reads DVD+R DL (Double Layer), DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL  
(Dual Layer), DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, and CD-  
ROM discs. DVD-ROM discs are read at a speed of 8× max. (10800 KB/s),  
and CD-ROM discs at a speed of 24× max. (3600 KB/s).  
• Can play back digital audio CD using the personal computer speakers, if  
the personal computer supports this function (see page 20).  
• Can be used to easily reinstall the operating system on the personal  
computer using a recovery disc, if the personal computer supports this  
function (see page 22).  
Note  
This drive is only for use in the country of purchase.  
z What is i.LINK?  
i.LINK is a digital serial interface supporting very high transfer rates. It facilitates the  
exchange of high-volume digital audio and video data between components equipped  
with an i.LINK connector and enables the control of other components. For details, refer  
to the manuals provided with your personal computer.  
5
Compatible personal computers  
Sony VAIO personal computer VGN-UX** only (“**” is the model  
number.)  
(As of January, 2007)  
For details on other than the above Sony VAIO personal computers, see the  
Sony VAIO personal computer catalog, or visit the following web site:  
Notes  
• This drive cannot be used with personal computers other than the above Sony VAIO  
personal computers.  
• This drive does not support Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition, Microsoft®  
Windows® 2000 Professional, Microsoft® Windows® 98 Second Edition, or earlier  
versions of the Windows® operating system.  
• This drive does not support DTLA copy protection. It cannot be used in conjunction  
with digital CS tuners, D-VHS recorders, or other equipment using the DTLA copy  
protection system.  
• This drive can be used for performing a system recovery on a personal computer using  
a recovery disc. See “Performing a System Recovery on a Personal Computer” on page  
22 for devices with which recovery is possible.  
6
Compatible discs  
• DVD+R DL (Double Layer)  
Discs for storing computer programs and data, and video data. While they  
use the same format as DVD+R discs, they differ in that there are 2  
recording layers on one single side of a DVD+R DL disc. DVD+R DL  
discs can store up to 8.5 GB of data, or roughly 13 times that of CD-R  
discs.  
• DVD+R  
Write-once discs for storing computer programs and data, video data, and  
audio data. Note that DVD+R and DVD-R are different types of discs.  
DVD+R discs can store up to 4.7 GB of data, roughly 7 times that of a  
CD-R.  
• DVD+RW  
Discs for storing computer programs and data, video data, and audio data.  
These discs can be erased and rewritten many times. Note that DVD+RW  
and DVD-RW are different types of discs. DVD+RW discs can store up to  
4.7 GB of data, roughly 7 times that of a CD-RW.  
• DVD-R DL (Dual Layer)  
Discs for storing computer programs and data, and video data. While they  
use the same format as DVD-R discs, they differ in that there are 2  
recording layers on one single side of a DVD-R DL disc. DVD-R DL discs  
can store up to 8.5 GB of data, or roughly 13 times that of CD-R discs.  
• DVD-R  
Write-once discs for storing computer programs and data, video data, and  
audio data. DVD-R discs can store up to 4.7 GB of data, roughly 7 times  
that of a CD-R.  
• DVD-RW  
Discs for storing computer programs and data, video data, and audio data.  
These discs can be erased and rewritten many times. DVD-RW discs can  
store up to 4.7 GB of data, roughly 7 times that of a CD-RW.  
• DVD-ROM  
Read-only discs with a high data capacity.  
Continued on next page  
7
• CD-R  
Write-once discs for storing computer programs and data. After having  
been written, data cannot be erased from these discs. Data may be added to  
them, however, depending on the writing method used and the amount of  
avaibable space on the disc.  
• CD-RW  
Rewritable discs for storing computer programs and data. The contents of  
these discs can be erased and rewritten many times.  
• CD-ROM  
Read-only discs onto which you cannot write your data. Many computer  
programs, games, and other content, are delivered on CD-ROM discs.  
Compatible discs with this drive are listed below.  
z: both plays and records  
a: plays only (recording unavailable)  
Disc type  
Enable/Disable  
DVD-ROM  
a
DVD-Video  
a
DVD+R DL (Double Layer)  
DVD-R DL (Dual Layer)  
DVD+R/RW  
DVD-R/RW  
z *1  
z *2  
z
z *3 *4  
a
CD-ROM  
Audio CD  
a
CD Extra  
a
CD-R/RW  
z
VIDEO CD  
a
*1 For writing to DVD+R Double Layer, only DVD+R discs corresponding to DVD+R  
Double Layer are compatible.  
*2 For writing to DVD-R Dual Layer, only DVD-R discs corresponding to DVD-R Dual  
Layer are compatible.  
*3 DVD-R discs are compatible for writing to DVD-R General Ver.2.0/2.1 discs.  
*4 DVD-RW discs are compatible for writing to DVD-RW Ver.1.1/1.2 discs.  
8
Notes  
• You may not be able to record or play on some CDs.  
• This drive does not support writing to 8-cm discs.  
• Use only circular discs in this drive. Do not use discs with any other shape (star, heart,  
etc.), as they may damage the drive.  
• DVD+R/+RW and DVD-R/-RW discs are compatible with DVD-Video format. DVD-  
RW discs are compatible with DVD-Video recording format.  
• You can write over data using the software preinstalled on the personal computer. For  
details, refer to “Help” provided with the software. Note that other DVD drives may not  
be able to read the newly written data.  
• For DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, CD-R/-RW, we recommend that you use Sony-  
manufactured discs.  
• For details on recommended discs, visit the web site mentioned in “Getting Help” (page  
25).  
• 6x speed DVD-RW discs can only be used with personal computers whose drives  
support 6x or more speed DVD-RW recording.  
• 8x speed DVD+RW discs can only be used with personal computers whose drives  
support 8x or more speed DVD-RW recording.  
• You cannot backup DVD-ROMs or DVD-Videos which are not available for copying.  
• This drive is designed to playback discs that conform to the Compact Disc Digital  
Audio standard specifications (CD Standard). Recently, some record companies sell  
CDs which do not correspond to the CD standard in order to protect music copyrights;  
we do not guarantee such discs can be played on this product.  
• A DualDisc is a two sided disc with audio (CD) material on one side and video (DVD)  
material on the other side. The CD audio side of a DualDisc may not be played on this  
drive if it does not conform to the Compact Disc Digital Audio standard specifications  
(CD Standard). We make no guarantee such discs can be played on this product.  
• The WinDVD software can play one time recordable programs on DVD-R/RW discs  
corresponding to CPRM*. For details, refer to “Help” provided with the software.  
(*Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) is copyright protection technology  
for one time recordable program.)  
• You cannot record one time recordable programs on DVD-R/RW discs corresponding  
to CPRM.  
(*Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) is copyright protection technology  
for one time recordable program.)  
• Some types of CD players may not play music CDs created on CD-R/-RW discs.  
• Some types of DVD players may not play DVD videos created on DVD+R DL (Double  
Layer)/-R DL, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW discs.  
9
Supplied Accessories  
After unpacking the unit, make sure that the accessories listed below are  
present. If anything is missing, contact the Sony dealer where you  
purchased this product or a Sony service representative in your area.  
• DVD RW drive (1)  
• Manual eject pin (1)  
(stored at bottom of drive)  
• i.LINK cable (1)  
• AC adapter (1)  
• AC power cord (1)  
• Operating Instructions (this document) (1)  
• Warranty Card (1)  
10  
Locating the Controls and Connectors  
Front  
1 POWER indicator (see page 12)  
2 Manual eject hole (see page 18)  
3 Eject button (see page 15, 17)  
4 BUSY indicator (see page 14, 15)  
Rear  
5 DC IN connector (see page 12)  
6 i.LINK connector (see page 12)  
Bottom  
7 Manual eject pin (see page  
18)  
11  
Connecting the Drive  
You can connect this drive to a personal computer using the supplied  
i.LINK cable.  
Notes  
• When you connect, disconnect, or turn on or off the i.LINK device, the personal  
computer activates bus reset. If bus reset is activated while the personal computer is  
reading the data, the data might be damaged or lost. Be sure to quit all software before  
connecting or disconnecting this drive.  
• Place this drive on a flat surface.  
i.LINK connector  
DC IN  
connector  
i.LINK cable  
i.LINK connector*  
AC adapter AC power cord  
To AC outlet  
* Connect the i.LINK cable to the i.LINK  
connector of the port replicator on the  
personal computer.  
1 Turn on the personal computer.  
2 Connect the AC power cord to the supplied AC adapter, plug  
the AC power cord into an AC outlet, and then plug the cable  
of the adapter into the DC IN connector on the drive.  
The green POWER indicator of the drive lights up.  
12  
3 Connect the supplied i.LINK cable to the i.LINK connector on  
the rear of the drive.  
i.LINK connector  
i.LINK cable  
4 Connect the other end of the supplied i.LINK cable to the  
i.LINK connector of the port replicator on the personal  
computer.  
The drive is detected and identified by the personal computer.  
i.LINK connector  
i.LINK cable  
z Hint  
When this drive is connected to your personal computer for the first time, it takes a  
moment for the personal computer to detect the drive.  
5 Click “Start”, and then click “My Computer” to verify that  
(E: or other drive name) has been added in the “My  
Computer” window*.  
* This operation is an example of Windows XP.  
13  
Disconnecting the drive from the personal computer  
No special procedures are needed to disconnect the drive. Simply make sure  
that no application programs are active and that the drive’s BUSY indicator  
is not on, and then disconnect the i.LINK cable.  
Note  
Before disconnecting the drive, close any running software.  
z Hint  
To use the drive again after disconnecting the i.LINK cable, perform the steps described in  
the section “Connecting the Drive” on page 12. The drive will be detected automatically  
by your Windows operating system.  
14  
Basic Operation  
Power management information  
When using the power management features of your personal computer,  
observe the following points:  
• Ensure that the power-saving modes will not be activated automatically  
while the BUSY indicator of the drive is flashing. For details, refer to the  
manuals provided with your personal computer.  
• Before activating the power-saving modes of the personal computer,  
verify that the BUSY indicator of the drive is not on, and close all  
running software applications.  
• While the personal computer is in a power-saving mode, do not connect  
or disconnect the i.LINK cable, or AC adapter.  
Inserting a disc  
Turn on the computer, and connect this drive before inserting a disc.  
1 Press the eject button.  
The tray pops out.  
Eject button  
Continued on next page  
15  
2 Pull the tray out fully until it stops. While supporting the tray  
from the other side with your hand, place the disc on the hub  
in the center of the tray.  
Make sure that the disc audibly clicks into place and is firmly seated.  
Notes  
• Do not touch the lens assembly in the tray or the metal section on the rear.  
• If you close the tray while the disc is not properly seated, the disc may be damaged  
and the tray may jam.  
Disc  
Hub  
3 Close the disc tray by gently pushing it in.  
While data is being read, the BUSY indicator flashes.  
BUSY indicator  
16  
Removing a disc  
1 Verify that the BUSY indicator is not flashing, and press the  
eject button.  
The tray pops out.  
BUSY indicator  
Eject button  
2 Pull the tray out fully until it stops. While supporting the tray  
with your hand, remove the disc.  
To release the disc, push on the hub in the center.  
Notes  
• Do not touch the lens assembly in the tray or the metal section on the rear.  
• When using writing software or DVD playback software, you may not be able to  
eject discs simply by pressing the eject button. For details, refer to Help or the  
Quick Reference manual provided with the writing software or DVD playback  
software.  
Hub  
Disc  
Continued on next page  
17  
If the disc does not eject  
1 Confirm that the BUSY indicator is not flashing.  
2 Detach the manual eject pin from the holder at the bottom of  
the drive, and insert the pin into the manual eject hole.  
The tray pops out, allowing you to remove the disc.  
Manual eject pin  
Manual eject hole  
18  
Precautions Before Use  
Precautions when writing data  
Please observe the following precautions when writing data to discs.  
We do not guarantee performance in cases of failure to follow these  
precautions.  
• Be sure to power the personal computer from its AC adapter. Do not run  
the personal computer on battery power. If the personal computer is  
powered by battery and you run out of battery power while writing data,  
the written data may be lost or damaged.  
• Avoid straining CPU power or the hard disc capacity of the personal  
computer. Before writing data, disable software applications such as  
screen savers, etc.  
• Avoid using any resident disc management utilities or utilities to speed  
up disc access as these can impair operation stability and cause data loss.  
• Do not switch users while writing data. This may result in data loss.  
• While writing data and while inserting or removing discs, protect the  
drive and the personal computer from shocks and vibrations.  
• While writing data do not connect or disconnect the USB cable to the  
personal computer or other USB device and do not turn on or off this  
drive or the USB device.  
• While writing data do not access the Internet, other personal computers,  
or a network, and do not send or receive E-mail.  
• When inserting discs, do not touch the recording surface. Dirt on the  
recording surface can impair data writing.  
• Make sure that your personal computer’s power management function is  
not enabled during data writing. Otherwise, the data may be lost. For  
details of your personal computer’s power management settings, refer to  
the manuals provided with your personal computer.  
• Installing or updating the driver software for the drive while writing data  
can result in operating problems.  
19  
Playing an Audio CD  
Audio CDs can be played through the speakers or headphone jack of the  
personal computer simply by connecting this drive.  
Playing a DVD video  
Please refer to the manuals provided with your personal computer for how  
to play back DVD videos.  
Notes about playing DVD video  
• Compatibility with the wide range of DVDs in circulation cannot be  
guaranteed. Depending on the disc, there may be functional limitations,  
sound interruptions, or dropped frames. Some discs may not play at all.  
• During playback of DVD video discs, do not attempt to modify display  
settings such as the screen resolution or color quality. Doing so could  
destabilize the operation of the personal computer or make it impossible to  
modify settings. Always close the DVD playback software before modifying  
display settings.  
• Do not press the drive’s eject button during playback of DVD video  
discs.  
• Make sure that your personal computer’s power management function is  
not enabled during data writing.  
Be sure to quit DVD playback software if the power management  
function is activated. For details on the power management function,  
refer to the manuals provided with your personal computer.  
• During playback of some DVD video discs with high quality sound (20-  
bit or 24-bit sampling), noise during playback or other problems may  
occur. When playing such discs via the personal computer connected to  
an audio system, turn down the volume, and test for normal playback  
first to prevent the possibility of damage to the speakers.  
• When playing back a DVD video disc, use the software that is  
preinstalled on the personal computer.  
• Do not use a screen saver while playing a DVD video with DVD  
playback software.  
20  
Notes about DVD video discs  
Region code of playable DVD videos  
1
Region code indications such as  
are labeled on some DVD videos to  
indicate which type of drive or player can play the discs. If this regional  
code indication contains a number other than the one for your region or  
ALL  
,
you cannot play the disc in this drive. If you try to do so, a message appears  
indicating that playback is prohibited due to area limitations.  
Depending on the DVD video, there may be no region code indication  
printed on the label even though playing the DVD video is prohibited due  
to the area limits.  
Note on playback operations of DVD videos  
Some playback operations of DVD videos may be intentionally limited  
by software producers. Since this drive plays DVD videos according to  
the disc contents provided by the software producers, some playback  
features may not be available. Also refer to the instructions supplied  
with the DVD videos.  
Symbols on DVD video discs  
The following symbols are labeled on some DVD video discs or their  
packages. Each symbol provides information about the contents or features  
recorded on the disc.  
Depending on the DVD video, there may be no symbols or indications  
printed on the label discribing the disc’s contents or features.  
For more information about these marks, see the instructions on the DVD  
video discs.  
Mark  
3
Meaning  
The number of audio tracks  
The number of subtitle tracks  
2
The number of angles  
The available aspect ratios  
Region code  
3
16:9 LB  
1
21  
Performing a System Recovery on a  
Personal Computer  
With the recovery disc, you can reset your personal computer using the  
drive, if the personal computer supports this function.  
About personal computers that you can reset to default  
Personal computers that can be reset using this drive are Sony personal  
computers with the Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system  
preinstalled. However, if your personal computer has an integrated drive,  
use that drive to reset the personal computer. (As of January, 2007)  
For more details about resetting your personal computer, refer to the  
manuals provided with your personal computer.  
Notes  
• Power the personal computer from its AC adapter when performing a system recovery.  
Do not run the personal computer on battery power.  
• Disconnect all other peripherals from the personal computer and the drive before  
performing a recovery.  
22  
Bus Reset  
Precautions  
The personal computer constantly  
monitors the i.LINK connection status.  
When an i.LINK compatible component is  
connected to or disconnected from the  
personal computer or when power to an  
i.LINK compatible component is turned  
on or off, the personal computer performs  
a bus reset to accommodate the new  
condition. If a bus reset occurs while data  
are being transferred to this drive, the data  
may be corrupted or lost. Be sure to avoid  
this condition.  
Usage and storage  
locations  
Do not use or store this drive in locations  
subject to high humidity, high  
temperatures, strong vibrations, or direct  
sunlight.  
Operation  
To avoid malfunction, do not move the  
drive during operation.  
Lens  
• Operate the drive on a level surface.  
• Do not place any objects on top of the  
drive.  
Do not touch the lens in this drive.  
Furthermore, to avoid dust sticking to the  
lens, do not open the tray other than to  
remove or insert a disc.  
• Protect the drive from sudden  
temperature changes. Do not use the  
drive immediately after moving it from  
a cold to a warm location or after the  
ambient temperature has risen  
drastically. Otherwise, condensation  
inside the drive can occur. If the  
temperature changes drastically during  
operation, stop using the drive while  
keeping power to the drive turned on,  
and let it stand for about an hour. Then  
turn the power off.  
Notes on discs  
Note the following in order to protect data  
stored on discs.  
• Do not stick any labels on the disc nor  
scratch or otherwise damage the disc.  
Transportation  
• When using a disc with improperly  
attached label, the label edges may peel  
or the label may come off entirely inside  
the disc drive, leading to malfunction  
and damage of the drive. Before  
inserting a disc, make sure that the label  
is properly attached. In no event will  
Sony Corporation be liable for any  
damage or media loss caused by  
• When you transport the drive, use the  
original box and packing materials.  
• Before moving the drive, make sure you  
remove the disc from the drive.  
Continued on next page  
23  
improper labels. Carefully follow the  
instructions of any label printing  
software and label products. Use of such  
products occurs entirely at the risk of  
the user.  
Maintenance  
Cleaning the cabinet  
• If the edge of the label on the disc is off  
the disc surface or the label is not sticky  
enough to stay on the disc surface, the  
label may stick to the interior of the disc  
drive and cause a malfunction of your  
drive. Make sure that the label is  
Wipe the outside of the drive with a soft,  
dry cloth. To remove stubborn stains,  
moisten the cloth with a mild, neutral  
detergent. Do not use solvents, cleaning  
alcohol, benzine, or other substances that  
may damage the finish.  
properly fixed on the disc surface before  
using the disc.  
Sony assumes no libility for any  
malfunction of your drive or damage to  
the media caused by improper labeling.  
Please thoroughly read instruction notes  
of your label software and label sheets.  
Cleaning the lens  
If you accidentally touch the lens with  
dirty fingers or if dust on the lens prevents  
the drive from operating properly, clean  
the lens.  
• Do not touch the data side of the disc  
(opposite the label), and hold the disc as  
shown below.  
• Do not store discs in locations subject to  
high humidity, high temperatures, direct  
sunlight, or high levels of dust.  
• Take care not to spill any liquid on your  
discs.  
• Return discs to their cases when not in  
use in order to prevent data damage.  
• Use an oil-based felt pen when writing  
on a disc.  
• Do not use a disc with tape, seals, or  
paste on it, as the disc may damage the  
drive.  
Lens  
24  
Cleaning the disc  
Getting Help  
• Fingerprints and other contamination on  
the disc surface can lead to reading  
errors. Always keep the disc clean.  
This section provides information on how  
to get help and support from Sony, and on  
troubleshooting tips for your DVD RW  
drive.  
• To clean a disc, lightly wipe it from the  
center outwards.  
About Sony’s support  
options  
Sony provides several support options for  
your DVD RW drive. When you have  
questions about your DVD RW drive or  
the software, refer to the following:  
This guide explains how to use your  
DVD RW drive.  
• To remove stubborn stains, lightly  
moisten the cloth before wiping the  
disc, and use a dry cloth afterwards.  
Sony Online Support provides  
instant access to infomation on  
commonly encountered problems. Type  
a description of the problem and the  
Knowlege Database searches for the  
corresponding solutions online.  
• Do not use benzine, record cleaning  
liquid, antistatic fluids, or other  
substances that may damage the surface  
of the disc.  
• Never use cleaners on an unused disc.  
Use specific CD cleaners to take off  
dust.  
You can visit Sony Online Support at:  
The Sony Customer Information  
Service Center offers information  
about your personal computer and other  
Sony products that work with your  
personal computer. To contact Sony  
Customer Information Service Center,  
call 1-888-4SONYPC (1-888-476-  
6972).  
• You may not be able to write data to a  
disc if there are scratches or dust on the  
unrecorded area. Be careful not to  
damage the discs.  
25  
*1 Supports writing data to DVD-R discs  
compliant with DVD-R for General  
version 2.0/2.1.  
Specifications  
*2 Supports writing data to DVD-RW discs  
compliant with DVD-RW version 1.1/  
1.2.  
Compatible discs  
*3 Writing data to DVD+R DL (Double  
Layer) discs is available only on discs  
supporting DVD+R DL (Double Layer)  
recording.  
DVD+R DL (Double Layer)  
DVD+R  
DVD+RW  
*4 Writing data to DVD-R DL (Dual Layer)  
discs is available only on discs supporting  
DVD-R DL (Dual Layer) recording.  
DVD-R DL (Dual Layer)  
DVD-R  
DVD-RW  
DVD-ROM  
DVD-Video  
Connectors  
CD-R  
i.LINK (IEEE 1394) S400 (4-pin) connector (1)  
S400 = 400 Mbps  
CD-RW  
CD-ROM  
DC IN (1)  
CD-DA (audio CD)  
CD Extra (CD+)  
CD TEXT  
Operating environment  
Photo CD  
Disc diameter: 12 cm  
8 cm (reading only)  
Operating temperature  
41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C)  
(temperature gradient less than 18°F (10°C)/hour)  
Drive performance  
Operating humidity  
20% to 80% (no condensation),  
provided that humidity is less than 65% at 95°F  
(35°C)  
Data transfer rate  
Data read  
DVD+R/DVD+RW/DVD-R/DVD-ROM:  
max. 8× speed  
DVD+R DL (Double Layer)/  
DVD-R DL (Dual Layer)/DVD-RW:  
max. 6× speed  
(hygrometer reading of less than 84°F (29°C))  
Storage temperature  
–4°F to 140°F (–20°C to 60°C)  
(temperature gradient less than 18°F (10°C)/hour)  
CD-R/CD-RW/CD-ROM: max. 24× speed  
Data write  
DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R*1: max. 8x  
speed  
Storage humidity  
10% to 90% (no condensation),  
provided that humidity is less than 20% at 140°F  
(60°C)  
DVD-RW*2: max. 6x speed  
DVD+R DL (Double Layer)*3,  
DVD-R DL (Dual Layer)*4: max. 4x speed  
CD-R: max. 24x speed  
(hygrometer reading of less than 95°F (35°C))  
CD-RW: max. 16x speed  
(DVD: 1× speed = 1350 KB/s, CD: 1× speed =  
150 KB/s)  
Multi-session supported, 12/8 cm tray type  
26  
AC adapter*  
Power requirements  
100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz  
Output voltage and current  
10 V, 2 A (max.)  
* Not included in some product configurations  
Other specifications  
Power consumption  
Read/write: approx. 8 W  
Dimensions  
Approx. 5.7 × 0.9 × 6.1 inches  
(Approx. 144 × 21 × 154 mm) (w × h × d)  
Mass  
Approx. 13.6 oz. (385 g) (main unit only)  
Design and specifications are subject to change  
without notice.  
27  
Troubleshooting  
If a problem occurs during operation of the unit, refer to the information  
provided in this section and in your Sony personal computer  
documentation. If the problem persists, consult your nearest Sony dealer.  
For contact information, see “Getting Help” on page 25. Also refer to the  
manuals provided with your personal computer.  
Symptom  
Cause/Remedy  
c Make sure that the AC adapter and i.LINK cable are  
connected correctly, and that the personal computer is  
turned on.  
Tray does not open  
when the eject button  
on the unit is pressed.  
c In some cases, the tray does not open when the eject  
button is pressed. For information on how to remove the  
disc, see “Removing a disc” on page 17 and “Help” of  
your writing software or DVD playback software installed  
on your personal computer.  
Tray does not open  
when the eject button  
in a software  
c The software may be inhibiting disc access. For  
information on how to remove the disc, see “Removing a  
disc” on page 17 and “Help” of your writing software or  
DVD playback software installed on your personal  
computer.  
application is clicked.  
Tray is not locked.  
c Push tray in fully.  
Tray locks and then  
opens again.  
c Make sure that the disc is inserted with the label side  
facing up.  
c The disc or lens may be dirty. Clean as described on page  
25.  
c The disc may be damaged. To confirm that the drive is not  
malfunctioning, insert another disc.  
c There may be condensation in the drive or on the disc.  
Remove the disc and allow the unit to stand for  
approximately one hour.  
28  
Symptom  
Cause/Remedy  
Drive is not connected  
correctly to the  
personal computer.  
c The drive may not be connected correctly to the personal  
computer via i.LINK cable. See “Connecting the Drive” on  
page 12.  
c To reset the i.LINK interface, shut down your Windows  
operating system, turn the personal computer off, disconnect  
the power cord, and then reconnect and turn the power back  
on.  
c Disconnect the i.LINK cable and the AC power adapter,  
and then reconnect them. If there is still no communication  
with the drive, restart the personal computer.  
c Depending on network settings, communication with the  
drive may stop after the personal computer returns from  
sleep mode. If this happens, configure your personal  
computer so that it does not enter sleep mode. (For details,  
refer to the manuals provided with your personal  
computer.)  
c The volume control of the personal computer may be set to  
“Mute”. (For details, refer to the manuals provided with  
your personal computer.)  
No sound from an  
audio CD.  
c The volume control of the personal computer may be set  
too low. (For details, refer to the manuals provided with  
your personal computer.)  
c The disc may be scratched or dirty. Clean the disc or use  
another disc (see page 25).  
Sound skips during  
audio CD playback.  
c Another application may be running. Shut down the other  
application.  
c The power management function of the personal computer  
may be active. Check the CPU speed setting. (For details,  
refer to the manuals provided with your personal  
computer.)  
Continued on next page  
29  
Symptom  
Cause/Remedy  
Disc is inserted but  
sound skips or data  
cannot be read.  
c Make sure that the disc is inserted with the label side facing  
up.  
c The type of disc may not be compatible with this drive.  
c
The disc or lens may be dirty. Clean as described on page 25.  
c The disc may be damaged. To confirm that the drive is not  
malfunctioning, insert another disc.  
c The disc tray may be dirty.  
c There may be condensation in the drive or the disc.  
Remove the disc and allow the unit to stand for  
approximately one hour.  
c The power management function of the personal computer  
may be active.  
Data transfer rate is  
low.  
Check the CPU speed setting. (For details, refer to the  
manuals provided with your personal computer.)  
c When the drive is operating, the personal computer may  
not go into power saving mode.  
To ensure a stable operation of the drive, set up the  
personal computer so that power saving modes will not be  
enabled. (For details, refer to the manuals provided with  
your personal computer.)  
Personal computer to  
which this drive is  
connected does not go  
into power saving  
mode.  
c As a rule, it takes more time to read a CD-RW than it does  
a CD-R or CD-ROM. There are also major differences  
between disc formats, which may also affect reading time.  
It takes a long time to  
read the CD-RW.  
c You may not be able to read a CD-R or CD-RW disc not  
prepared on this drive, or you may need to further process  
the disc on the personal computer that created the disc. For  
details, refer to the manuals provided with the device used  
to write data to the CD-R or CD-RW disc.  
A CD-R or CD-RW  
disc created on  
another personal  
computer cannot be  
read.  
c The read speed of CD-RW discs is slower than DVD+R,  
DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and CD-R discs.  
Therefore, you may not be able to play back some high-  
quality MPEG2 data. In this case, copy the data to the hard  
disk, or write the data to DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, or  
DVD-RW, and then play back the data.  
MPEG2 data written  
to a CD-RW disc  
cannot be played back  
correctly.  
c Music CDs created using CD-RW can only be played back  
on a CD player supporting CD-RW playback.  
A music CD created  
using CD-RW cannot  
be played back on a  
CD player.  
30  
Symptom  
Cause/Remedy  
c See “Precautions when writing data” on page 19.  
DVD+R DL (Double  
Layer), DVD+R,  
DVD+RW, DVD-R  
DL (Dual Layer),  
DVD-R, DVD-RW,  
CD-R, or CD-RW  
data reading or data  
writing failure.  
c A bus reset may have occurred during the writing process.  
For information, see “Bus Reset” on page 23.  
c If writing fails due to a shortage of virtual memory on your  
personal computer, increase the amount of virtual memory,  
and then rewrite the data.  
To increase the amount of virtual memory, do the  
following*:  
1 On the “Start” menu, click “Control Panel”, click  
“Performance and Maintenance”, and then click  
“System”.  
2 Click the “Advanced” tab, and then click “Settings” in  
“Performance”.  
3 Click the “Advanced” tab, and then click “Change” in  
“Virtual Memory”.  
4 Increase the value of “Custom size”.  
c Frames of video may be dropped if your hard disk is not  
optimized. If this happens, optimize your hard disk.  
To optimize your hard disk, do the following*:  
1 Click the “Start” button, and then click “My Computer”.  
2 Right-click the icon for the drive you want to optimize,  
and then click “Properties”.  
3 Click the “Tools” tab, and click “Defragment now”.  
4 In the "Disk Defragmenter" window, click "Defragment".  
* This operation is an example of Windows XP.  
Continued on next page  
31  
Symptom  
Cause/Remedy  
c If this drive has not been recognized correctly by the  
personal computer, normal read/write operation is not  
possible. See the section “Drive is not connected  
correctly to the personal computer” on page 29.  
Cannot write data.  
c If the drive was brought from a cold to a warm location,  
condensation may have formed inside the drive. Allow  
the unit to stand for a while.  
c The DVD+R DL (Double Layer), DVD+R, DVD+RW,  
DVD-R DL (Dual Layer), DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-R, or  
CD-RW disc may already be full. If a disc is full, you  
cannot add data.  
c You cannot write data to DVD+RW, DVD-RW, or CD-R  
discs for which data writing ended in failure. Delete the  
data and then rewrite the disc.  
Follow the procedure below to delete data from  
DVD+RW, DVD-RW, or CD-RW discs. (Use the  
RecordNow! software.)  
For details on how to delete data, refer to “Help” of the  
software installed on your personal computer.  
c Once you write data to a DVD+R DL (Double Layer),  
DVD+R, DVD-R DL (Dual Layer), DVD-R, or CD-R  
disc, you cannot rewrite data on the disc. Also, you  
cannot delete data written on the disc.  
c Make sure that the disc has been inserted correctly with  
the side to be recorded facing down.  
32  
Symptom  
Cause/Remedy  
c The region code of the DVD does not match the region  
code of the drive. This drive is set to region code 1 (USA,  
Canada) at the factory. It can play only discs with the  
region codes “1” or “ALL”. For details, see “Notes about  
DVD video discs” on page 21.  
Cannot play  
DVD-ROM or  
DVD video.  
c If the DVD-ROM is dirty, carefully wipe it with a soft  
cloth. For information on disc maintenance, see “Cleaning  
the disc” on page 25.  
c Condensation may be found on this drive or a disc in the  
drive. Remove the disc from the drive and leave it for about  
one hour.  
c Make sure that the inserted disc is the recovery CD that  
came with the personal computer.  
Cannot perform  
personal computer  
recovery.  
c The power management function of the personal computer  
may be active.  
Check the CPU speed setting. (For details, refer to the  
manuals provided with your personal computer.)  
Frames are dropped  
during DVD playback.  
33  

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