Sony Personal Computer manual

V AIO Digital Studio® Computer V GC-RA830G Ser ies V GC-RA930G Ser ies Quic k Star t[...]

2 Notice © 2005 Sony Electroni cs Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part with out written permission is prohi bited. All rights reserved. This manual and the so ftware described herein, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, translat ed, or reduced to any machine-readable form without prior wri tten approval. SONY ELECTRONICS INC. PROVIDES NO [...]

3 The International E NERGY S T AR® Office Equipment Program is an internat ional program that promotes energy saving through the use o f computers and other office equipment. The program backs the development and dissemination of products w ith functions that effectively reduce energy consumption. It is an open system in whic h business propr iet[...]

4 ❑ T o prevent fire or sh ock ha zard, do not expose your d esk top to rain or moisture. ❑ T o avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabin et. Refer servicing to q ualified personnel only . ❑ Never install modem or telephon e wiring during a lightning storm. ❑ Never install telephone jacks in we t locations unless the jack is speci fical[...]

5 ❑ Pour prévenir tout risque d’incendie ou d’électrocu tion, garder cet ap pareil à l’ abri de la pluie et de l’humidité. ❑ Pour prévenir tout risque d’électrocuti on, ne pas ouvrir le châss is de cet appareil et ne c onfier son entretien qu’à une personne qualifiée. ❑ Ne jamais effectuer l’in stallation de fil mo dem [...]

6 Regulatory Inf ormation If you have questions about this p ro duct, write to Sony Customer Inform ation Service Center at 12451 Gateway Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL 33913, USA, or vi sit Sony Customer Service on the Sony Online Support W eb site at http://www .sony .com /pcsupport. Model No.: PCV A-IMB7A (For model s equipped wi th TV and personal video [...]

7 ❑ Reorient or relocate t he receiving antenna. ❑ Increase the sepa ration between the equipment and the receiver . ❑ Connect the equipm ent into an outlet on a circuit diff erent from that to which the receiver is connected. ❑ Consult the dealer or an ex perienced radio/TV technician fo r help. Y ou are cautioned that any changes or modif[...]

8 IC RSS-210 (Canada ) Operation is subject to the fol lowing two conditions: (1) This devi ce may not cause ha rmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interfe rence received, including interference that may cause undesired ope ration of the device. L'utilisation de ce di spositif est autorisée seulement aux condi tions suivan[...]

9 Macr ovision li cense This product inco rporates copyright pr o tection technology that is protected by U.S. patents and other int ellectual property rights. Use of thi s copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision, and i s intended for home and other limit ed viewing uses only un less otherwis e authorized by Macrovision . [...]

10[...]

11 11 Contents Getting Started ..........................................13 Unpacking Your Computer . ....................... ............... 14 Locating Controls And Ports ...................19 About the Front Panel ......... ....................... ............... 20 About the Back Panel .......... ....................... ............... 24 About[...]

12 Setting Up Media Center ........................... 63 Getting Started with Media Center ............ ............... 64 Setting Up TV Connections .... ................... ............... 65 Connecting the Remote Sensor and Remote Sensor Control ....... ....................... ............... 71 Connecting Other Devices .. ......................[...]

Getting Star ted 13 Getting Star ted Congratulations on you r pur chase of the Sony V AIO® comput er! Y our new , high-performance, multimedia co mputer combines state-of-the-art computer functionality with the late st audio, video and information technology featur es.[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 14 Unpac king Y our Computer Y our computer may not be supplied with all of the accessories shown, depending on the computer configuration purchased. For details on the accessories supplied with your computer, see the online Specifications sheet. * Not supplied with all V AIO® co mputer models. See your comp ut er ’ [...]

Unpacking Y our Computer 15 Manuals ❑ V AIO® Computer Quick St art — Provides ba sic information on setting up and registering your computer . The Quick Start also provides resources for technical support, safety guidelines and ow ner information. ❑ About RAID Systems — Contains an overview of RAID-0 and RAID-1 levels, along with basic inf[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 16 Creating CDs or DVDs with Sony software ❑ Create pictur e & video with: DVDs with Click to DVD ™ software — Make picture or personal video DVDs. Use JPEG , BMP , of TIFF files for slide shows; import MPEG , A VI, or Microsoft® DVR-MS files for video, or capture footage from an i.LINK / IEEE 1394 camera or [...]

Unpacking Y our Computer 17 Hard Disk Drive Recovery Y our computer is equip ped with the V AIO Recovery Wizard utility program that recovers your computer ’ s operating sy stem and preinstalled software. For online information about hard disk drive recovery: 1 Click S tart in the W indows® ta skbar , then click Help and Support . 2 From the V A[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 18[...]

19 Locating Controls And P or ts This section is intended to familiarize you with the controls, ports and jacks on your computer and supplied accessories. Y our computer may not be equipped with all of these har d war e features or accessories. The location of the contr ols, ports, and jacks may vary fr om the illustrations shown in this section. T[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 20 About the Fr ont P anel The front panel of your V AIO® Computer enables access to drives, memory card readers, ports and jacks that enable you to connect compatible peripheral devices. Y our computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features or accessories. The location of the controls, ports, and jack[...]

About the F ron t P anel 21 1 Optical drive 1 See the online Specifications sheet for optical drive information. 2 Optical drive 2 See the online Specifications sheet for optical drive information. 3 Floppy disk drive Reads and writes data from and to a 3.5-inch floppy disk. 4 xD-Picture Card™ memory card r eader Reads and writes data from and to[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 22 10 Optical drive 2 eject button Ejects a disc from Optical drive 2. 1 1 Floppy disk eject button Ejects a floppy disk from th e floppy disk drive. 12 Memory S tick® memory card reader Reads and writes data from and to Memory Stick®, Memory Stick Pro™, and Memo ry Stick Duo™ m edia. 13 Secure Digital (SD)/MultiM[...]

About the F ron t P anel 23 T o open and close the op tical disc drive doors Y o ur comp uter is equipped with one or more optical disc drives that have a drive eject button located on the drive door . ❑ After pressing the eject button, wait for the drive to stop reading the CD. It may take a few moments for the drive tray to eject. ❑ Gently pu[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 24 About the Bac k P anel The back panel of your computer contains the ports for suppli ed and optional accessories. The icons on the back panel locate and identify the ports o n your computer . The location of certain ports and jacks may vary from the illustrati on, based on the computer model purchased. Back panel 1M [...]

About the Back P anel 25 3 Printer port Connection for a parallel device, such as a printer or scanner . 4 i.LINK 6-pin S400 port (IEEE 1394) Connection an d power for a compatible digital device, such as a Sony Digital Handycam® camcorder . 5 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) ports (4) Connections for compatible hi gh/full/low-speed USB devices. 6 M[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 26 13 Composite audio R In jack Connection for an au dio cable (optional). Composite audio L In jack Connection for an au dio cable (optional). Composite vid eo In jack Connection for a video cable (optional). S-video In jack Connection for an S-v ideo cable (optional) 14 VHF/UHF port Connection for a TV coaxial cable ([...]

About the Sub-w oofe r 27 About the Sub-w oofer Certain V AIO® comput ers are supplied with a sub-woofer unit to enhance your computer ’ s sound capabil ity . See your computer ’ s online specificat ions sheet for information about supplied accessories. Go to the Sony o nline support W eb site at http://www .so ny . com/pcsupport. The sub-woof[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 28 About the K eyboar d This section describes the special and standard fu nctions available for your keyboard. A wireless or a PS/2® * keyboard may be supplied with your V AIO® computer , based on the computer mode l purc hased. See your comput er ’ s specifications sheet for details on your computer ’ s supplied[...]

About the K eyboard 29 Identifying ke ys and functions Y our keyboard uses a standard key arrangement with additio nal keys that perform specific functions. W ireless keyboard KEY DESCRIPTION Function The 12 function keys along the top of the keyboard are used to perform certain ta sks. Th e task associated with each function key may vary between s[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 30 T o set up a wireless ke yboard Insert two AA batteries (supplied) in to the wireless keyboard as shown. Y ou can check your keyboard’ s battery power level by clicking (wireless keyboard icon), located in the W indo ws® taskbar notification area. A warning message may also appear on the screen when the keyb oard?[...]

About the K eyboard 31 About the V AIO keyboar d with Media Center features Certain V AIO® computers are suppl ied with a keyboard * that has a standard key arrangement with additional keys and con trols that support Microsoft® W indows® XP Media Center Edition featu res. * This PS/2® keyboard is equipped with a PS/2 co nnector that plugs into [...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 32 MAIL Starts the e-mail software program. HELP Starts the Media Center Help , if Media Center software is running. (If Media Center software is not running, the Help and Support Center is started.) REC Records TV programs. PREV Press once to return to the beginning of the DVD chapter , video track, or audio track. Pre[...]

About the Wireless Mouse 33 About the Wireless Mouse Y our V AIO® computer may be supplied with a wireless mouse * . Before attempting to use the wireless mo use w ith your computer , see the section, “Connecting the W ireless Mouse.” * See your computer ’ s specifications shee t for details about supplied accessories. W ireless mouse 1 Left[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 34 T o set up the wireless mouse Insert two AA batteries (supplied) in to the wireless mouse as shown. Y ou can check your mouse’ s battery power level by clicking (wireless mouse icon), located in the W i ndows® taskbar notification area. Do not mix old (used) and new batteri es when replacing batteries in the wirel[...]

About the Remote Control 35 About the Remote Contr ol The Media Center remote control is supplied with V AIO Digital Studio® computers that are equipped with the Mi croso ft® W indows® XP Media Center Edition operating system. Remote contr ol The remote control can start and stop video recording and playback, select channels, and set viewing pre[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 36 1 MY MUSIC button Press to view and listen to your music playlists. 2 MY TV button Press to view the My TV menu. 3S T O P b u t t o n Press to stop media playback or TV recording session. PA U S E b u t t o n Press to pause media playback. Pr ess again to resume playback. FWD button Press to fast-forward media at thr[...]

About the Remote Control 37 1 1 MY PICTURES button Press to view pictures or a slide show . 12 MY VIDEOS button Press to view videos from your video collection. 13 MORE b utton Press to view additional options th at are available for Media Center features. 14 Directional arro w buttons Press the Up, Down, Left, and Right arrow butto ns to move the [...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 38 Setting up the remote contr ol 1 T urn the remote control over . 2 Press in the tab and lift the battery cover up. 3 Insert two AA batteries (supplied) in to the remote control as shown. 4 Align the battery cover to the remote control. 5 Press down until the cover clicks into place. Inserting bat teries into the remo[...]

About the i.LINK P or t 39 About the i.LINK P or t Y our V AIO® computer is equipped with a 4-pin and a 6-p in i.LINK® port. A 4- pin i.LINK port cannot su pply power to a connected i.LIN K device. A 6-pin i.LINK port can supply power (10V to 12V ) to a connected i.LINK device, if the device is equipped with a 6-pin connector . Connecting an i.LI[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 40[...]

41 Setting Up Y our Computer Y our computer may not be equipped with all of the har d war e features described in the section. The location of the contr ols, ports, and jacks may vary fr om the illustrations shown. S ee the online Specifications sheet for your computer's specific har dwar e configuration.[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 42 Connecting a Displa y (Monitor) 1 Plug the display’ s cable into the appropriate monitor port. 2 If necessary , plug the display’ s cable into the rear of the display . T o connect a display ✍ Install your eq uipment so that you can easily reach the power outle t in the event of an emergency . T o connect a DVI[...]

Connecting a Wireless Ke yboard 43 Connecting a Wireless Ke yboard Y our V AIO® computer is supplied with a wirel ess keyboard. Before attempting to use the wireless keyboard, you must enable communi cation between the computer and the keyboard. T o connect your wireless keyboard, it must be within 1 1 inches of the computer * T o connect the wire[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 44 ❑ Press the CONNECT button located on the bottom of the infrared receiver first, and then press the Connect button on the bottom of the keyboard. ❑ V erify the infrared receiver is free of obstructions that may prevent proper operation. ❑ A void using radio-controlled toys or equipm ent, CB radios, and other wi[...]

Connecting the Wirel ess Mouse 45 Connecting the Wireless Mouse Y our V AIO® computer is supplied with a wirel ess mouse. Before attempting to use the wireless mouse, you must enab le communication betw een the computer and the mouse. T o connect your wireless mouse, it must be wit hin 1 1 inches of the computer . 1 Press the CONNECT button, locat[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 46 ❑ Do not place metal fu rnitur e near your computer or wireless mouse, as this may create interference, causing your mouse to stop w orking properly . A wireless mouse requires an appropriate surface textur e in order to provide precision pointing and tracking . ❑ Use surfaces such as plain paper , card stock, or[...]

Connecting a Ke yboard and Mo use 47 Connecting a Ke yboard and Mouse Y our V AIO® compu ter may be supplied with a PS/2® keyboard and mouse. For details on the accessories supplied with your computer , see the onlin e Specifications sheet. 1 Plug the keyboard cable into the keyboard port on the back of the computer . 2 Plug the mouse cable into [...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 48 Connecting the Speakers Certain V AIO® computer m odels are supplied with 2-channel speakers, for details about supplied accessories, a sub-wo ofer unit, or a 5.1 speaker systems * go to the Sony online support W eb site at http://www .sony .com /pcsupport, to view your computer ’ s specifications sheet. T o conne[...]

Connecting the Speakers 49 2 Insert the yellow plug of the speaker pow er cable into the DC In jack on the back of the right speaker . 3 Insert the black plug of the speaker powe r cable into the DC Out jack located on the back panel of your computer . 4 Insert the mini stereo plug of the cable that is att ached to the right speaker, into the Front[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 50 2 Insert the mini stereo plug from the sub-woofer uni t’ s cable into the Headphones jack, located on the ba ck panel of your computer . 3 Plug the sub-woofer unit’ s power cord into a grounded AC wall outlet or power strip. ✍ Y ou can also plug the sub-woofer’ s mini st ereo plug into the headphones jack loc[...]

Connecting 5.1 (6-Channel) Speaker Systems 51 Connecting 5.1 (6-Cha nnel) Speaker Systems Certain V AIO® computers are supplied with a 5. 1 channel speaker system, or you may wish to use your 5.1 (6-channel) speaker system. Speaker configuratio n can vary , depending on th e speaker components used. T o set up the speakers with your computer: ❑ [...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 52 Configuring Software f o r Y our Speaker System When using 5.1 channel (digital or analog) speaker systems, certain software programs require setting changes to enable proper audio perform ance. T o configure RealT ek® Sound Effect Mana ger software For 6 channel-analog speakers 1 Click St a r t in the W indo ws® t[...]

Configurin g Software f or Y our Speaker System 53 T o configure Media Center software Y our computer ’ s factory default settings for audi o can be changed using the Media Center Settings feature. Y ou can sw itch between 2-channel, 6-channel, or S/PDIF output modes. 1 Use the Media Center remote control, your keyboard, or mouse, to start the Me[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 54 T o configure WinD VD software 1 Click St a r t in the W indo ws® taskbar , and point to All Programs . 2 Point to InterV ideo WindDVD 5 , and the click on InterV ideo WinDVD 5 for V AIO . The InterV ideo WinDVD for V AIO window opens. 3 Right-click in the Win DV D window . A shortcut menu ap pears. 4 Click Setup...[...]

Connecting the Infrared Receiver 55 Connecting the Infrared Receiver The infrared receiver enables your V AIO ® comp uter to communicate with the wireless keyboard and mouse * . T o connect the infrared receiver 1 Plug the infrared recei ver unit in to a USB port locat ed on either the front or back panel of your computer . 2 Press the CONNECT but[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 56 Connecting the T elephone and Modem Y our computer is equipped with a single modem line jack to connect your installed modem with your telepho ne wall jack. T o use your wall jack for both telephone and modem lines, purchase an additional RJ-11 telephone cable and a “1-to-2” jack adapter device (splitter). T o co[...]

Connecting th e T eleph one and Modem 57 T o connect the telephone and modem Y our computer has a protective stic ker covering the Ethernet port located on the rear panel. Connect 10BASE-T , 100B ASE-TX, or 1000BASE-T cables to the Ethernet port, depending on your computer’ s Ethernet port specification. Using incorrect cables or a telephone c ab[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 58 Connecting the P ower Cor ds 1 Plug the power cord in to the back of the computer . 2 Plug both the display and computer power cords into a grounded AC wall outlet or a power st rip. T o connect the power cords[...]

T ur ning On Y our Computer 59 T urning On Y our Computer When you start your computer for the fi rst time, your computer may detect new equipment and disp lay a dialog box that prompts you to restart your com puter . Respond to this prompt immediately . 1 Press the power button on the comp uter to turn on the power . 2 Press the power button on th[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 60 Registering Y our Computer Register your computer and take adva ntage of Sony’ s commitment to qu ality customer support * . About the benefits of registering with Sony ❑ Sony Customer Support — Co mmunicate with a Support Representat ive to troubleshoot problem s you may be having with your computer . ❑ Limi[...]

T ur ning Off Y o ur Computer 61 About the po wer button If your computer stops respond ing, pr ess and hold the Power button fo r more than six seconds to force your system to shut d own. Y ou may need to repeat this procedure if your computer does not shut down on the first attem pt. ✍ If you plan to stop using your computer fo r a short period[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 62[...]

63 Setting Up Media Center Y our V AIO Digital Studio® computer has the Micr osoft® W indows® XP Media Center Edition operating system to enhance yo ur computing experience. Media Center pr ovides you with a wide range of TV , DVD, and video viewin g, as well as music r ecordin g and playback. This section describes how to set up your TV , set-t[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 64 Getting Started with Media Cent er There are several tasks to complete befo re you are ready to use Media Center features. After setting up your hardw are connections, review this checklist before you begin using the Media Center software program, to enable full use of all the features. ❑ Set up your V AIO® Media [...]

Setting Up TV Conne ctions 65 Setting Up TV Connections The best method of connecting your comput er , TV monitor or display , and TV programming access, is determined by th e type of cable service connection available in your home. Y our com puter ’ s hardware configurat ion may vary from the illustrations shown in this section. See th e online [...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 66 Option 2 1 Connect one end of a TV coaxial cable (o ptional) to your cable service access. Connect the other end to the single-connection side of a splitter adapter . 2 Connect the TV coaxial cable (supplied) to the doubl e-connection side of the splitter adapter . Connect the other en d to the VHF/UHF port on the ba[...]

Setting Up TV Conne ctions 67 Connecting to a standar d antenna (air) system Y ou can connect yo ur computer to an indoo r/outdoor antenna system, using Option 1 or 2 from the previous sect ion, “Connecting to standard cable access (CA TV).” The antenn a system in your home may require a VHF/UHF RF combiner/transformer (o ptional) to connect yo[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 68 Option 2 1 Connect both ends of the antenna’ s twin lead cable to the screw-type grips on the combiner/transformer . 2 Connect the TV coaxial cable (supplie d) from the combiner/transformer to the VHF/UHF port on the back panel of your compu ter . Connecting a Cable or Satellite Set-top Bo x Y ou can connect your c[...]

Setting Up TV Conne ctions 69 4 Connect a fourth TV coaxial cable (o ptional) to the double-connection end of the splitter adapte r . Connect th e other end to the VHF/UHF po rt on the rear of your TV monito r or display . Option 2 1 Connect one end of the TV coaxial cable (supplied) to your cable service access. Connect the other end to the In jac[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 70 3 Connect one end of a st ereo A/V d ubbing cable with tripl e RCA plugs (optional) to the V i deo Out and Audio-OUT (L/R) jacks on the back panel of your set-top box, match ing the plug and jack co lors. 4 Connect the other ends of the stereo A /V dubbing cable into t he Audio-R (IN), Audio-L (IN), and Composite vid[...]

Connecting the Remo te Sensor and Remote Sen sor Control 71 Connecting the Remote Sensor and Remot e Sensor Contr ol The remote sensor communicates with the Media Center remote control, enabling you to change channels and to perform other functions. If you are using a cable or satellite set-top box, you can attach the remote sensor control which en[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 72 T o connect the remote sensor contr ol 1 Plug the remote sensor control’ s cable into either jack (1 or 2) located on the back of the remote sensor . 2 Remove the adhesive tape cover , located on the bot tom of the remote sensor control. 3 Press the remote sensor control onto the set-top box near the infrared port,[...]

Connecting the Remo te Sensor and Remote Sen sor Control 73 Attaching the remote sensor control cable to a cable or satellite set-top box ✍ The remote sensor unit must be visible in a line- of-sight with your r emote control in order to function properly . Rem ot e s en so r Infrared port Cable or satellite set-top box Remot e sensor control (Do [...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 74 Connecting Other Devices This section illustrates how to conn ect other devices to your V AIO Digital Studio® computer . Y o ur computer has both audio and video connection capability . Y ou can locate the appropriat e connections on the back panel or behind the lower bott om panel on the fr ont of the computer . Y [...]

Connecting Other Devices 75 Connecting a de vice with a stereo A/V dubbing cable 1 Connect a stereo A/V dubbing cable with triple RCA plugs at each end (optional) directly into the composi te video port, composite audio L and R jacks, located on either the front or back panel of your computer . 2 Connect the other ends of the stereo A/V dubbing cab[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 76 Star ting Media Center Software Y ou can instantly open Media Center featur es using the My V ideos, My Pictures, My TV , or My Music buttons on yo ur Media Center remote control or keyboard. Y ou can also view recorded TV contents , by using the Recorded TV button on the remote control. T o use the remote control 1 [...]

77 T roub leshooting This section describes how to r esolve common problems. My computer does not start. ❑ V erify that the computer is plugged into a power sour ce and that it is turned on. Check that the power indicator is lit on th e front panel of the computer . ❑ Confirm that a disk is not in the floppy disk drive * (unless you are using a[...]

V AIO Digital Studio Compute r Quic k Star t 78 If your computer does not respond or the software program does not close: 1 Save and close any open files, if possible. 2 Press the Alt+F4 keys. The Shut Down W indows window appears. 3 Click the drop-down list box and sel ect Restart . 4 Click OK . The computer turns off and restarts. If the Shut Dow[...]

79 Suppor t Options Sony pr ovides several options to help solve common problems or to locate support for your V AIO® computer . This section describes all available r esour ces and offers suggestions on how to access this information for maximum r esults. Immediate Help and Suppor t Y ou can locate helpful informati on immediately by consulting y[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 80 This support resource offers a variety of available topics, enabling you to quickly view specifi c information using context-sensitive search features. T o access the online guide: 1 Click S tart in the W i ndows® taskbar , then click Help and Support . 2 From the V AIO Help And Support Center me nu, click V AIO Use[...]

Resources for Additional Help and Suppor t 81 Resources f o r Additional Help and Support If the information provided with your V AIO® computer does not offer an immediate solution, or you would li ke to get direct support, try these additional help and support resou rces. Sony onl ine suppor t W eb site Online help and support are avai lable 24 h[...]

V AIO Computer Quic k Star t 82 Sony Customer In formation Services Center If other support options do not reso lve your issue, you can contact a Sony Support representative directly . Before making a call to the Sony Custom er Informati on Services Center , have this basic information readily available. 1 V AIO® computer type. 2 Model number . 3 [...]

[...]

V AIO Homepage http://www .vaio .net © 2005 Sony Electronics Inc. Printed in USA 2-585-347-01 F or customer support info r mation, go to: http://www .sony .com/pcsuppor t *258534701*[...]