Sony VGC-RA716GY User Manual

Welcome Thank you for purchasing a Sony VAIO® computer! Your new computer is a superb blend of high technology and easy-to-usefunctionality. The infor

15 Power button and power indicator Press the button to turn the computer on and off. The power indicator light is green when the computer is on, and

Media Center — My TV You can use Media Center to watch TV, using the remote control to play, pause, fast forward, or rewind your TV program.The conven

About My TV My TV enables you to watch, play, and record your favorite TV programs. Use the remote control to pause, play, rewind, fastforward, stop,

Setting up your computer for My TV Your VAIO® computer, TV monitor or display, and TV signal access, must be properly connected before you can watch o

Using the remote control to view TV programs You can open the My TV window by pressing My TV on the remote control or by selecting My TV from the Medi

Changing the View Window You can change the way TV programming is displayed on your TV or monitor, using the remote control. To view TV programs in an

Watching Live TV Open My TV with one of the following methods: Press the My TV button on the remote control, or press and select My TV. Click the M

Changing Channels You can change the channel by: Pressing the CHAN/PAGE + /- button on the remote control. Pressing the numeric (0-9) and ENTER butt

About the time shift feature When you watch a live TV program and pause the program, the time shift window appears. As you watch live TVprogramming, M

About the TV Program Guide Download a list of current television programs and channels from your television service provider. You can set Media Center

Viewing the TV program guide 1.Press the GUIDE button on your remote control, or from the Media Center Start window, select My TV, and thenselect Guid

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Setting TV program guide preferences 1.Press the My TV button on your remote control, or from the Media Center Start window, and then select My TV. Th

To search for a specific TV program You can search for a specific TV program by title, category, or keyword. 1.Open My TV with one of the following me

Recording TV Programs The My TV feature enables you to record individual TV programs or a recurring series of programs. You can also set upfuture reco

Recording and watching a TV program You can record the live TV program you are watching and save it for future viewing. Media Center records a TV prog

Scheduling a TV recording (single or series) Your computer must be on, in Stand by, or in Hibernate mode to enable a scheduled TV recording. If the Me

4.Press OK. The PROGRAM INFO window appears. Program Info 5.Select Record series. The GUIDE window reappears, with a Record series icon next to the

Setting recording preferences You can set up the recording preferences for programs that are broadcast at a later date or time. To set recording prefe

Recorded TV Your recorded TV programs are saved to your hard disk drive and displayed in the Recorded TV window. When you selectMy TV, your recently r

Media Center — My Music This Media Center feature enables you to enjoy and manage your digital music files. Use the Media Center remote control tobrow

About My Music My Music is compatible with SonicStage and Windows® Media Player software programs. Use SonicStage software torecord songs from CDs i

About the Back Panel The back panel of your computer contains the ports for supplied and optional accessories. The icons on the back panellocate and i

Using the remote control You can open the My Music window by pressing My Music on the remote control or by selecting My Music from the MediaCenter Sta

Using My Music My Music plays your audio CDs and enables you to browse and play all of your recorded music. Create your music playlistswith SonicStage

Viewing your albums 1.Open My Music with one of the following methods: Press the MY MUSIC button on the remote control, or press and select My Music

Organizing playlists for Media Center 1.Open the Windows Media Player software program by clicking (shortcut) on your desktop. The Windows Media Play

About SonicStage Software SonicStage software is a digital music management system in which you can play music on your computer, create customaudio

Starting SonicStage software Use SonicStage software to copy music from CDs or other sources, into a music playlist that can be played with My Music

Recording music (from a CD) You can record an entire album or single tracks from audio CDs, using SonicStage software. You can play this music using

Selecting Compatible CD Media It is important to use the compatible CD1 media with your DVD±RW drive, by selecting the correct type of blank recording

Compatible CD media for music recording CD-R — CD Recordable media can be written to once and cannot be erased. CD-R media is appropriate for bothmus

Incompatible CDs Do not use the following CD media for recording data or music: CD-ROM (compact disc read-only media) DVD-R for Authoring DVD-RAM 

Back panel The location of certain ports and jacks may vary from the illustration, based on the computer model purchased. Back panel 1 Mouse port C

Media Center — Create DVD Your DVD±RW drive, combined with Click to DVD software, makes it easy to burn your own DVDs. After recording yourfavorite TV

Copying Recorded TV Programs to DVDs You can copy your recorded TV programs onto recordable DVD media. Turn your favorite TV program recordings intofu

Copying a recorded TV program to DVD media 1.Point the remote control at the remote sensor, and press the Start button. The Media Center Start menu a

Selecting Appropriate DVD Media It is important that you use the appropriate DVD media with your computer's DVD±RW drive. Use care when selecting

About recordable DVD media DVD-R for General — DVD Recordable media for general use, also known as DVD-R(G), can be written to once andcannot be eras

Incompatible DVD media For copying your recorded TV programs, do not use the following types of DVD media: DVD-R for Authoring DVD-RAM DVD-ROM

Additional Information about DVD media and DVD burning Exit all other open software programs and disable screen savers. Cancel any scheduled timer r

Media Center — Settings You can customize the Media Center settings for TV viewing, picture slide shows, and audio playback. You can makeselections to

About Configuring Media Center Microsoft® Windows® supports Computer administrator and Limited user accounts. Certain settings apply to Media Centeran

Changing General Settings Changes to the general settings affect all user accounts. The computer administrator is the only account that has thesystem

Connection for a microphone (optional). Headphones jack Connection for the supplied speakers or headphones (optional). Line In jack Connection for an

Notifications — to set telephone notifications. Your computer does not currently support the notifications feature. Autoplay — to enable enhance

Changing TV Recording Settings You can change your TV recording priorities and options. 1.Point the remote control at the remote sensor, and press the

Archive your recorded TV programs to recordable DVD media, using Click to DVD software. For more information,see Copying Recorded TV Programs to DV

Changing TV Program Guide Settings Media Center uses an active Internet connection to set up and update your local Television Program Guide. You can s

Setting Parental Controls For TV Viewing This setting is administrator controlled and affects all user accounts. To set parental controls 1.Point the

Movie/DVD ratings — Turn on the movie and DVD blocking feature, and allow only certain movies to bedisplayed. Change 4-digit code — Change your pare

Changing the Language For DVD Movies 1.Point the remote control at the remote sensor, and press the Start button. The Media Center Start menu appears

Selecting Closed Captioning You can select closed captioning to display the TV program's spoken audio in text format on the screen. To select clo

VAIO Media Software VAIO Media software expands digital entertainment possibilities by delivering your music, video, and still image filesanywhere i

VAIO Media Software Overview VAIO Media software makes it possible to share music, video, and photos with other VAIO® computers on your wired orwire

Composite audio L In jack Connection for an audio cable (optional). Composite video In jack Connection for a video cable (optional). S-video In jack C

VAIO Media Software System Requirements You can open VAIO Media software on the server computer(s), register client computers to the server(s), and

Setting Up a Client Computer From the server, copy and distribute the VAIO Media installer file to the client computers. To copy and distribute the

6.Sony recommends selecting the option, Automatically register devices when connected to thenetwork. Click Next. Registration requests from network cl

Preparing your Multimedia Content You can use preinstalled Sony® software programs to prepare your multimedia content for sharing across the network u

Starting VAIO Media Console VAIO Media Console software manages all of the Media Servers, enabling you to register and grant access to the clientcompu

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Using VAIO Media VAIO Media uses your network servers to view images and video or listen to music. 1.Click Start in the Windows® taskbar, and then poi

Accessing VAIO Media Help For more information about using the VAIO Media software program, follow these steps: 1.Click Start in the Windows® taskbar,

Using an Analog Device for Video Playback You can stream video content from an analog device, such as a VCR, using the VAIO Media TV server software,

Channel Input Location 0 S-Video 1 The S-video In jack on the back panel of the computer. 1 Composite Video 1 The Composite video In jack on the

About the Sub-woofer Certain VAIO® computers are supplied with a sub-woofer unit to enhance your system's sound capability. See yourcomputer&apos

Configuring Your VAIO Computer This section provides basic information about managing your computer's hard disk drive performance, using i.LINK d

About i.LINK Compatibility Your VAIO® computer may be equipped with a 4-pin and/or a 6-pin i.LINK® port, depending on the system configurationpurchase

About the Memory Stick Media Slot Your VAIO® computer is equipped with a Memory Stick® slot that supports certain types of Memory Stick® media. About

3.If the media does not insert easily, remove it from the slot and verify that it is not upside-down or backwards.Carefully reinsert the Memory Stick

Additional information about Memory Stick media If your computer does not recognize your Memory Stick® media, you may have removed the media from the

About the Secure Digital (SD) Card Slot Your VAIO® computer is equipped with a Secure Digital (SD) media card slot that supports both SD and MultiMedi

2.Carefully pull the extended portion of the media card, removing it from the SD media card slot. Do not remove the SD or MMC media while the medi

About the xD Picture Card Slot Your VAIO® computer is equipped with an xD Picture Card slot that supports xD Picture Card media. Inserting an xD Pic

2.Carefully pull the extended portion of the xD Picture Card media, removing it from the xD Picture Card mediaslot. Do not remove the xD Picture C

About the CompactFlash/Microdrive Media Slot Your VAIO® computer is equipped with a CompactFlash®/Microdrive media slot that supports both CompactFl

Sub-woofer unit The sub-woofer is compatible with the speakers supplied with your VAIO computer. See the section, Connecting theSpeakers and Sub-woofe

2.Carefully remove the media card from the slot. Do not remove the media card while the media access indicator light is on. The media or data mayb

Upgrading and Maintaining your VAIO Computer In the future you may want to increase the functionality of your VAIO computer. This section describes ho

Overview The upgrading procedures described in this section assume that you are familiar with the general terminology associatedwith personal computer

About Opening the Computer Removing the top cover 1.Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer. 2.Unplug your c

4.Lift the side panel away from the unit and set aside. Page 174

About Closing the Computer Replacing the side panel 1.Align the tabs on the bottom of the side panel to the tracks on the edge of the chassis frame. 2

About Add-on Card Installation Your computer may have one or more open expansion slots, depending on the model configuration. An expansion slotenables

Installing an add-on card 1.Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer. 2.Unplug your computer and any peripher

6.Attach any internal cables that the card requires. See the instructions supplied with the add-on card. 7.Replace the side panel. See About Closing t

Installing Memory The amount of preinstalled memory may vary, depending on the system configuration you purchased. Your computer mayship with all avai

About the Keyboard This section describes the special and standard functions available for your keyboard. Page 18

Removing a memory module 1.Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer. 2.Unplug your computer and all periphera

Installing a memory module 1.Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer. 2.Unplug your computer and any periphe

About the Lithium Battery The lithium battery starts to weaken after several years and the system settings, such as the date and time stored inCMOS RA

Resetting the computer's date and time To reset your computer's date and time: 1.Double-click the time readout displayed in the Windows® Tas

About Hard Disk Drive Installation Your computer comes with an available internal bay to hold a second standard 3½-inch hard disk drive. Some models,

Replacing the original hard disk drive If you replace the original, factory-installed hard disk drive, you may need to correct your drive mapping, cre

Installing an additional hard disk drive 1.Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer. 2.Unplug your computer a

Your new hard disk drive is supplied with the necessary screws. Do not overtighten these screws when securingthe drive to the drive holder. 9.Alig

Identifying the additional hard disk space When you initialize the new hard disk, it must be configured as an extended partition in Windows NT file sy

Troubleshooting This section describes how to troubleshoot common problems. You can also find helpful information on how to use yourcomputer's ha

VAIO keyboard with Media Center features The VAIO® keyboard supplied with your computer has a standard key arrangement with additional keys and contro

About VAIO Computer Functions My computer does not start. Verify that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is turned on. Check tha

About VAIO Computer Functions My computer does not start. Verify that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is turned on. Check tha

What can I do if my computer or software stop responding? You can try to locate and close the software program that has stopped responding. 1.Press th

Why does the Windows operating system stop responding during shutdown? The Windows operating system may not shut down properly for many reasons, inclu

Why is my system running slowly? The system responsiveness varies depending with the number of software programs that are open and running.Close any

How do I change the video resolution of my display? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, and then select Control Panel. 2.Select Appearance and Theme

Why doesn't my computer resume normal operation from Stand by mode? If your keyboard has a Stand by key , press it briefly to resume normal ope

About System Security This section provides information about keeping your computer operating smoothly and protecting against potential threatsto your

About System Security This section provides information about keeping your computer operating smoothly and protecting against potential threatsto your

What is the best way to set up firewall protection for my computer? Using firewall protection is an important way to protect your computer from securi

Getting Started Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony VAIO® computer! Your new, high-performance, multimedia computer combinesstate-of-the-art

Press twice to return to the previous DVD chapter, video track, or audio track. STOP Stops media recording or playback. PLAY/PAUSE Pauses the movie,

How do I keep my preinstalled antivirus software updated? You can keep the preinstalled Norton Internet Security software program current with the l

About Media Center The Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition operating system is not installed on all VAIO Digital Studio® computers.See your on

About Media Center The Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition operating system is not installed on all VAIO Digital Studio® computers.See your on

Why aren't the song information edits I made using SonicStage software shown in My Music? If you record a song in OpenMG ATRAC format and make ed

Why do my song information edits revert to the original content when I use My Music? When you record songs with SonicStage software, and then use Wind

Why do my optimized music files take so long to appear in My Music? When you use SonicStage software to optimize music files to ATRAC3 or ATRAC3+ form

Why do I get the error message, "The input media is invalid" when I try to play an MP3 file in My Music? If you have added cover art to the

Why won't My Music show the albums (playlists) I recorded with SonicStage software? Playlists (albums) recorded with SonicStage software may no

Why did my Click to DVD software recording session capture television instead of video? If Media Center starts a scheduled TV recording while you are

Why can't I view or record a movie when my computer is connected to an external device, such as a VCR orDVD player, or when I am using an analog

About the Remote Control The Media Center remote control is supplied with VAIO Digital Studio® computers that are equipped with Microsoft® Windows® XP

Why can't I fast forward or rewind a video? The rewind and fast forward features are not supported by all video formats. Try using the Skip or Re

How do I use the Media Center software or remote control to adjust my monitor when viewing TVprograms? Media Center software and remote control do not

My computer freezes and restarts while I'm watching a DVD or live TV. What do I do? Verify that the monitor refresh rate is set to 60 Hz, using t

About Using the Optical Disc Drive(s) Your computer may not be equipped with all of the hardware features listed in this section. To view the specific

About Using the Optical Disc Drive(s) Your computer may not be equipped with all of the hardware features listed in this section. To view the specific

Why can't I play a DVD or CD media? After inserting your CD or DVD, wait a few seconds for the system to detect it before trying to access it. 

Why isn't my DVD playing properly? If a region code warning appears when you are using a DVD player software program, it may be that the regionc

About the Mouse and Keyboard Why doesn't my mouse work properly? Confirm that the mouse is plugged securely into the mouse port. If you are usin

About the Mouse and Keyboard Why doesn't my mouse work properly? Confirm that the mouse is plugged securely into the mouse port. If you are usin

How do I set up my mouse for left-hand use? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Control Panel. 2.Click Printers and Other Hardware, then

Remote control The remote control can start and stop video recording and playback, select channels, and set viewing preferences. Thissection describes

Why doesn't my keyboard work properly? Check that the keyboard1 is securely plugged into the keyboard port. Save and close all open software pr

About the Modem Why is my modem connection slow? Many factors can influence modem connection speed, such as: Telephone line noise. Incompatibility w

About the Modem Why is my modem connection slow? Many factors can influence modem connection speed, such as: Telephone line noise. Incompatibility w

Why doesn't my modem work properly? Your modem may be experiencing equipment or software conflicts. If your modem is not functioning properly, ch

How do I change my modem to rotary or touch-tone dialing? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Control Panel. 2.Click Printers and Other H

How do I set up a dial-up connection? After you have connected your computer's modem cable, follow these steps to set up your dial-up connection

About the Speakers Why is there no sound in any software program? Check that the speakers are plugged into the Headphones jack. If your speakers hav

About the Speakers Why is there no sound in any software program? Check that the speakers are plugged into the Headphones jack. If your speakers hav

About Using a Microphone Why doesn't my microphone work properly? Check that the microphone is plugged into the Microphone jack. Page 228

About Using a Microphone Why doesn't my microphone work properly? Check that the microphone is plugged into the Microphone jack. Page 229

Press to move media backward at two speeds. FF button Press to fast-forward media at three speeds. REPLAY button Press to move media backward, for exa

Why is my microphone so sensitive to background noise? If you find there is too much background noise when you record sound, you should adjust the mic

About Using Peripheral Equipment How do I install a printer? Connect your USB or IEEE 1394 printer to the appropriate port on your computer's fr

About Using Peripheral Equipment How do I install a printer? Connect your USB or IEEE 1394 printer to the appropriate port on your computer's fr

The connected printer does not function properly when the computer resumes from a power saving mode. Clear the printer memory by turning the printer

Notes On Use The information in this section provides basic procedures for handling your system and common peripheral devices, andusing storage media.

About the Power Source Before opening your computer, turn the system off and let it cool down for 10 minutes. This protects you against internalcompon

About Handling the Computer System Your computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference to radio or TV reception. If this occurs

Confirm that the supplied AA batteries are properly installed in the wireless device. Use the CONNECT buttons on the wireless device and your comput

About Handling the Computer System Your computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference to radio or TV reception. If this occurs

Confirm that the supplied AA batteries are properly installed in the wireless device. Use the CONNECT buttons on the wireless device and your comput

Press OK to select the desired action or window option. If watching full-screen TV press OK to return to the previouschannel. Press OK again to switch

About Handling the Computer System Your computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference to radio or TV reception. If this occurs

Confirm that the supplied AA batteries are properly installed in the wireless device. Use the CONNECT buttons on the wireless device and your comput

About Handling the Computer System Your computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference to radio or TV reception. If this occurs

Confirm that the supplied AA batteries are properly installed in the wireless device. Use the CONNECT buttons on the wireless device and your comput

About Disposing of the Lithium Battery Dispose of the lithium battery properly. In some areas, the disposal of lithium batteries in household or busin

About Handling a Monitor (Display) DVD playback and certain video-related software may not function correctly when your monitor is set to a highrefre

About Handling a Monitor (Display) DVD playback and certain video-related software may not function correctly when your monitor is set to a highrefre

About Recording and Data Storage Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhe

About Recording and Data Storage Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhe

About Recording and Data Storage Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhe

Setting up the remote control Insert two AA batteries (supplied) into the remote control as shown. Inserting batteries into the remote control

About Recording and Data Storage Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhe

About Recording and Data Storage Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhe

About Recording and Data Storage Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhe

Support Options Sony provides several options to help solve common problems or to locate support for your VAIO® computer. This sectiondescribes all av

Immediate Help and Support You can locate helpful information immediately by consulting your hard copy guides and supplements, or by accessing theonli

Software Help and Support Support information for the preinstalled software on your system is located in this section. Sony software support is free o

Web site http://support.sonic.com DVgate Plus Sony Electronics Inc. Connect a compatible digital video camera to your computer's i.LINK® port

documents, manage lists and schedules, create reports and budgets and organize information from many sources. Worksincludes Word Processor, Works Data

Web site http://www.sony.com/pcsupport telephone 888-4-SONY-PC (888-476-6972) hours 7 days a week, 24 hours a day SonicStage Mastering Studio Son

Sony Electronics Inc. Download music from the web, create your own albums, or have CDs sent straight to your house with VAIO Music Services.The ultima

Setting Up Your Computer Your computer may not be equipped with all of the hardware features described in the section. The location of the controls,po

Resources for Additional Help and Support If the information provided with your VAIO® computer does not offer an immediate solution, or you would like

Resources for Additional Help and Support If the information provided with your VAIO® computer does not offer an immediate solution, or you would like

Resources for Additional Help and Support If the information provided with your VAIO® computer does not offer an immediate solution, or you would like

Connecting a Display (Monitor) 1.Plug the display's cable into the monitor port. 2.If necessary, plug the display's cable into the rear of t

Connecting the Speakers and Sub-woofer Unit Certain VAIO® computer models are supplied with a sub-woofer unit. For information about supplied accessor

2.Insert the RCA plug of the sub-woofer unit's cable into the Headphones jack, located on the back panel of yourcomputer. 3.Plug the sub-woofer u

Unpacking your Computer Your computer may not be supplied with all of the accessories shown, depending on the computer configuration purchased.For det

Connecting the Keyboard and Mouse 1.Plug the keyboard cable into the keyboard port on the back of the computer. 2.Plug the mouse cable into the mouse

Connecting the Telephone and Modem Cables Your computer is equipped with a single modem line jack to connect the supplied modem cable to your telephon

Connecting the Power Cords 1.Plug the power cord into the back of the computer. 2.Plug both the display and computer power cords into a grounded AC wa

Turning On Your Computer When you start your system for the first time, your computer may detect new equipment and display a dialog box thatprompts yo

Registering Your Computer Take advantage of Sony's commitment to quality customer support and receive these benefits by registering yourcomputer:

Turning Off Your Computer Follow these steps when you are ready to turn off your computer for an extended period of time. To avoid loss of data, d

About Media Center Welcome to a new and exciting experience in home entertainment, with your VAIO Digital Studio® computer and theMicrosoft® Windows®

Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition The Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition operating system combines the multimedia features of a personal

Your VAIO Digital Studio Computer and Media Center Your VAIO Digital Studio® computer compliments this exceptional operating system with preinstalled

Setting Up Media Center Your VAIO Digital Studio® computer may be equipped with the Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition1 operatingsystem, to e

2.Click Welcome to VAIO life. Hard Disk Drive Recovery Your computer is equipped with the VAIO Recovery Wizard utility program that recovers your comp

Setting Up TV Connections The best method of connecting your computer, TV monitor or display, and TV programming access, is determined by thetype of c

Connecting to standard cable access (CATV) Option 1 1.Connect one end of the TV coaxial cable (supplied) to your cable service access. 2.Connect the o

Connecting to a standard antenna (air) system You can connect your computer to an indoor/outdoor antenna system, using Option 1 or 2 from the previous

Connecting a cable or satellite set-top box You can connect your computer to cable or satellite service that requires a set-top box. Option 1 1.Connec

You can connect your computer to a set-top box using an S-video cable (optional) instead of a stereo A/V dubbingcable (optional). See Setting Up A

Connecting the Remote Sensor and Remote Sensor Control The remote sensor communicates with the Media Center remote control, enabling you to change cha

To connect the remote sensor 1.Connect the remote sensor unit to a USB port located on either the front or back panel of your computer. 2.Place the re

To connect the remote sensor control 1.Plug the remote sensor control's cable into either jack (1 or 2) located on the back of the remote sensor.

Setting Up Additional Equipment This section illustrates how to connect additional equipment with your VAIO Digital Studio® computer. Page 48

Connecting with an audio cable Your computer has both audio and video connection capability. You can locate the appropriate connections on the backpan

Planning an Ergonomic Work Space Before you set up your new computer, find the best location for your new computer and plan your work space. There are

Connecting with an S-video cable Your VCR or camcorder may have either standard video or S-video connection capability. Option 1 1.Connect an S-video

Connecting a TV monitor (display) 1.Connect the video connector end of the video cable adapter1 (supplied) to the TV Out (S-video/video) jack on theba

Media Center — Getting Started Use the Media Center setup wizard for a quick and easy activation of all the features of Media Center1. Getting Starte

Getting Started with Media Center There are several tasks to complete before you are ready to use Media Center features. Read this checklist before yo

Using Media Center You can start Media Center and switch between the different functions by pressing a button on the remote control1, usingyour comput

Starting Media Center using the remote control 1.Point the remote control at the remote sensor and press . The remote control must be used within

Starting Media Center using your keyboard and mouse 1.Click Start from the Windows taskbar and select Media Center from the Start menu. The Media Cent

About the Media Center Start menu You can use Start menu to explore Media Center, switch screens, locate controls, and start functions. Media Center

Plays a DVD movie. Online Spotlight Displays links to online media and information services. My Videos Plays and sorts home videos. My Pictures Displa

Logs off from this computer or enables you to switch users. Page 59

Locating Controls And Ports This section is intended to familiarize you with the controls, ports and jacks on your computer and supplied accessories.Y

Exploring Media Center Selected items, such as folders, files, or menu options, are outlined with a green border. Use the arrow buttons on the remote

Moves ahead in selected media. 7 Mute Turns the sound off. 8 Volume Up and Down Increases (+) and decreases (-) sound. Page 61

Starting the Media Center Setup Wizard The setup wizard requires you to provide certain information about your equipment and home environment. To make

Using the setup wizard The first time you start the Media Center, a setup wizard appears. Follow the steps in Media Center setup wizard toproperly act

The Internet connection provides information about your music CDs and other media. If you skip this step, you cancomplete them later in the Settin

The message No data available is displayed in the Television Program Guide when: The Guide has not been set up. You have not agreed to the Televisio

Media Center — Play DVD Media Center enables you to play your DVDs from your computer and control the playback from your favorite chair1. About Playi

About Playing a DVD You can play DVDs and control the playback by using the remote control to fast forward, rewind, stop, or pause playback. If yo

To play a DVD 1.Open Media Center by pressing the Start button on the remote control or by clicking Media Center from theStart menu. 2.Insert the DVD

To stop DVD playback 1.Press the Stop button on the remote control, to stop playing the movie. The Stopped menu appears. Stopped Menu 2.Press the ar

About the Front Panel The front panel of your VAIO® Computer enables access to drives, media slots, ports and jacks that enable you to connectcompatib

Changing the View Window You can change the way the DVD is displayed on your TV or monitor, using the remote control. Click on the remote control wh

Using the Remote Control for DVD Playback You can use shortcut commands to control DVD playback. See the following list of commands for quick referenc

Using the Keyboard for DVD Playback You can use your Media Center keyboard to control DVD playback functions. The arrow keys on your keyboard function

Media Center — My Videos Play digital videos using your Media Center remote control or computer keyboard. You can store your videos in folders foryour

About My Videos My Videos enables you to play your home movies and digital videos using the Media Center remote control or the keyboard.You can organi

Using the remote control You can open the My Videos window by pressing My Videos on the remote control or by selecting My Videos from the MediaCenter

Storing video files Media Center stores your videos in these locations: The My Videos folder The Shared Video folder The contents of these folders a

Playing Videos After placing your videos in the My Videos or Shared Video folders, you can play them from the My Videos window. Page 77

To play videos 1.Point the remote control at the remote sensor, and press the MY VIDEOS button. The Shared Video or My Videos window appears. 2.Select

About DVgate Plus Software The DVgate Plus software program enables you to import video from an external device or from recorded TV contentscreated

Front panel Your computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features or accessories. The location of the controls, ports,and jacks may va

Accessing DVgate Plus software Help The information provided in this section is intended to highlight a few features of the DVgate Plus software progr

Capturing digital video from a connected digital video device 1.Click Start on the Windows® taskbar, and point to All Programs. 2.Point to DVgate Plus

Transcoding/editing video content 1.After starting the DVgate Plus software program, click Cancel to close the Mode Select Guide. 2.Confirm that the

Editing recorded TV programs You can edit your recorded TV programs with DVgate Plus software. The software's editing features enable you to ch

To change the recording format If the recording format is set to PAL, the Add Video Recorded with Media Center feature is not available. To change rec

Selecting a Format for Saving Video Files When you select a format from the File Output Settings window, each setting is preset to a recommended value

Media Center — My Pictures Your VAIO® Media Center computer enables you to showcase your favorite digital pictures in an animated slide show withmusic

About My Pictures My Pictures displays your digital image files individually or as a slide show. You can use digital image files from manysources, suc

Using the remote control You can open the My Pictures window by pressing My Pictures on the remote control or by selecting My Pictures from theMedia C

About supported images My Pictures can only display image files that are in a supported format. Image formats that are not supported do notappear in a

6 Optical drive access indicator Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the optical drives. 7 Hard disk drive access indicator Li

Organizing your pictures Media Center displays your pictures from these folders: Picture files stored in the My Pictures folder are displayed in the

4.You can add, delete, rename, and organize your pictures into individual folders within the Shared Picturesfolder. The individual folders can be view

Viewing Pictures with Media Center After organizing your pictures in the My Pictures or Shared Pictures folders, you can use Media Center to display t

About slide shows If you have not selected specific pictures for your slide show, Media Center plays the first folder listed in My Pictures. If youhav

Changing picture and slide show settings Each user account can set their own picture and slide show settings. These settings control how long a pictur

About PictureGear Studio Software PictureGear Studio software has easy-to-use features that enable you to quickly import image files from a digital

Starting PictureGear Studio software 1.Click Start on the Windows® taskbar and point to All Programs. 2.Point to PictureGear Studio and click PictureG

Importing images Capture pictures with a digital camera or camcorder and import them to your computer by using an i.LINK cable, USB cable,or storage d

3.Select an import category and type in a name for the new category. Click Start Importing. The Capture Pictures from Video window appears. Capture

Accessing PictureGear Studio software Help For detailed information about using PictureGear Studio software, see the software Help. 1.Click Start on