Multimedia - Windows Vista
Table Of Contents
- Multimedia features
- Multimedia software
- Audio
- Video
- Optical drive (select models only)
- Identifying the installed optical drive
- Using optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs)
- Selecting the right disc (CDs, DVDs, and BDs)
- Playing a CD, DVD or BD
- Configuring AutoPlay
- Changing DVD region settings
- Observing the copyright warning
- Copying a CD or DVD
- Creating or “burning” a CD or DVD
- Removing a CD, DVD, or BD
- Webcam (select models only)
- Troubleshooting
- The optical disc tray does not open for removal of a CD, DVD, or BD
- The computer does not detect the optical drive
- A disc does not play
- A disc does not play automatically
- A movie stops, skips, or plays erratically
- A movie is not visible on an external display
- The process of burning a disc does not begin, or it stops before completion
- A device driver must be reinstalled
- Using SoftPaq Download Manager
- Index

Using optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs)
An optical drive, such as a DVD-ROM drive, supports optical discs (CDs and DVDs). These discs store
information, such as music, photos, and movies. DVDs have a higher storage capacity than CDs.
Your optical drive can read standard CD and DVD discs. If your optical drive is a Blu-ray Disc (BD) drive,
it can also read BDs.
NOTE: Some of the optical drives listed may not be supported by your computer. The listed drives are
not necessarily all of the supported optical drives.
Some optical drives can also write to optical discs as described in the following table.
Optical drive type Write to CD-RW Write to DVD±RW/R Write to DVD±RW
DL
Write label to
LightScribe CD or
DVD ±RW/R
DVD-ROM Drive No No No No
DVD±RW SuperMulti DL
LightScribe Drive*
†
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Blu-ray ROM with LightScribe
DVD±RW SuperMulti DL Drive*
†
Yes Yes Yes Yes
*Double-layer discs can store more data than single-layer discs. However, double-layer discs burned with this drive may not
be compatible with many single-layer DVD drivers and players.
†
LightScribe discs must be purchased separately. LightScribe creates a grayscale image similar to black-and-white
photography.
CAUTION: To prevent possible audio and video degradation, loss of information, or loss of audio or
video playback functionality, do not initiate Sleep or Hibernation while reading a CD, DVD, or BD, or
writing to a CD or DVD.
Using optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs) 17










