DVD±RW Drive VGP-DDRW4 Operating Instructions Printed on 70% or more recycled paper using VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)free vegetable oil based ink. http://www.sony.
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. CAUTION - CLASS 3B VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN. AVOID EXPOSURE TO THE BEAM. • Use this product only with the supplied AC adapter. • To disconnect this product completely from mains voltage, unplug the AC adapter.
• 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 13941995 and IEEE 1394a-2000. i.LINK and the i.LINK logo “ ” are trademarks of Sony Corporation. • Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic", and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
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 ...........
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, DVDRW, 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 CDROM discs.
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: http://esupport.sony.com/ Notes • This drive cannot be used with personal computers other than the above Sony VAIO personal computers.
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.
• 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.
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. DVDRW 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes about DVD video discs Region code of playable DVD videos Region code indications such as 1 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.
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.
Precautions 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 Bus Reset 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.
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. • 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 properly fixed on the disc surface before using the disc.
Cleaning the disc • Fingerprints and other contamination on the disc surface can lead to reading errors. Always keep the disc clean. • To clean a disc, lightly wipe it from the center outwards. Getting Help This section provides information on how to get help and support from Sony, and on troubleshooting tips for your DVD±RW drive. About Sony’s support options Sony provides several support options for your DVD±RW drive.
Specifications Compatible discs DVD+R DL (Double Layer) DVD+R DVD+RW DVD-R DL (Dual Layer) DVD-R DVD-RW DVD-ROM DVD-Video CD-R CD-RW CD-ROM CD-DA (audio CD) CD Extra (CD+) CD TEXT Photo CD Disc diameter: 12 cm 8 cm (reading only) Drive performance 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 CD-R/CD-RW/CD-ROM: max. 24× speed Data write DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R*1: max. 8x speed DVD-RW*2: max.
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.
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 Tray does not open when the eject button on the unit is pressed. c Make sure that the AC adapter and i.
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.
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.
Symptom Cause/Remedy 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 See “Precautions when writing data” on page 19. 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.
Symptom Cannot write data. 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. 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.
Symptom Cause/Remedy Cannot play DVD-ROM or DVD video. 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. 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.
