Before operating the unit, please read this
manual thoroughly, and retain it for future
reference.
Owner’s Record
The model and serial numbers are located
on the bottom. Record the serial number
in the space provided below. Refer to these
numbers whenever you call upon your Sony
dealer regarding this product.
Model No. HDRSerial No.
Model No. ACSerial No.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of fire or electric
shock,
1) do not expose the unit to rain or
moisture.
2) do not place objects filled with
liquids, such as vases, on the
apparatus.
Do not expose the batteries to
excessive heat such as sunshine, fire or
the like.
This symbol is intended
to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated
“dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure
that may be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute
a risk of electric shock to
persons.
This symbol is intended
to alert the user to the
presence of important
operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in
the literature accompanying
the appliance.
GB
2
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
DANGER - TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE
OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
CAREFULLY FOLLOW THESE
INSTRUCTIONS.
Read these instructions.
Keep these instructions.
Heed all warnings.
Follow all instructions.
Do not use this apparatus near water.
Clean only with dry cloth.
Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.
Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two
blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your
outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the
apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury
from tip-over.
Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate
normally, or has been dropped.
If the shape of the plug does not fit the power outlet, use an attachment plug adaptor of the proper
configuration for the power outlet.
GB
3
Representative plug of power supply cord of countries/regions around the
world.
A Type
(American
Type)
B Type
(British Type)
BF Type
(British Type)
B3 Type
(British Type)
C Type
(CEE Type)
SE Type
(CEE Type)
The representative supply voltage and plug type are described in this chart.
Depend on an area, Different type of plug and supply voltage are used.
Attention: Power cord meeting demands from each country shall be used.
If the battery pack is mishandled, the
battery pack can burst, cause a fire or even
chemical burns. Observe the following
cautions.
Do not disassemble.
Do not crush and do not expose the battery
pack to any shock or force such as hammering,
dropping or stepping on it.
Do not short circuit and do not allow metal
objects to come into contact with the battery
terminals.
Do not expose to high temperature above 60°C
(140°F) such as in direct sunlight or in a car
parked in the sun.
Do not incinerate or dispose of in fire.
Do not handle damaged or leaking lithium ion
batteries.
Be sure to charge the battery pack using a
genuine Sony battery charger or a device that
can charge the battery pack.
Keep the battery pack out of the reach of small
children.
Keep the battery pack dry.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type
recommended by Sony.
Dispose of used battery packs promptly as
described in the instructions.
Replace the battery with the specified type
only. Otherwise, fire or injury may result.
AC Adaptor
Do not use the AC Adaptor placed in a
narrow space, such as between a wall and
furniture.
Use the nearby wall outlet (wall socket)
when using the AC Adaptor. Disconnect
the AC Adaptor from the wall outlet (wall
socket) immediately if any malfunction
occurs while using your camcorder.
GB
6
Even if your camcorder is turned off, AC
power source (mains) is still supplied to
it while connected to the wall outlet (wall
socket) via the AC Adaptor.
Note on the power cord (mains lead)
The power cord (mains lead) is designed
specifically for use with this camcorder
only, and should not be used with other
electrical equipment.
For customers in the U.S.A. and CANADA
RECYCLING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
Lithium-Ion batteries are
recyclable.
You can help preserve our
environment by returning
your used rechargeable
batteries to the collection and
recycling location nearest you.
For more information
regarding recycling of
rechargeable batteries, call
toll free
1-800-822- 8837, or visit
http://www.rbrc.org/
Caution: Do not handle damaged or
leaking Lithium-Ion batteries.
Battery pack
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.
This Class B digital apparatus complies
with Canadian ICES-003.
For Customers in the U.S.A.
UL is an internationally recognized safety
organization.
The UL Mark on the product means it has
been UL Listed.
If you have any questions about this
product, you may call:
Sony Customer Information Center
1-800-222-SONY (7669)
The number below is for the FCC related
matters only.
Regulatory Information
Declaration of Conformity
Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: HDR-CX220
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego,
CA 92127 U.S.A.
Telephone No.: 858-942-2230
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.
Declaration of Conformity
Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: HDR-CX230
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego,
CA 92127 U.S.A.
Telephone No.: 858-942-2230
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.
Declaration of Conformity
Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: HDR-PJ230
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego,
CA 92127 U.S.A.
Telephone No.: 858-942-2230
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.
GB
7
Declaration of Conformity
Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: HDR-CX290
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego,
CA 92127 U.S.A.
Telephone No.: 858-942-2230
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.
CAUTION
You are cautioned that any changes or
modifications not expressly approved in
this manual could void your authority to
operate this equipment.
Note
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 by one or more of the following
measures:
GB
8
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.
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.
The supplied interface cable must be used
with the equipment in order to comply with
the limits for a digital device pursuant to
Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC Rules.
FOR CUSTOMERS IN EUROPE
Notice for the customers in the
countries applying EU Directives
This product has been manufactured by
or on behalf of Sony Corporation, 1-7-1
Konan Minato-ku Tokyo, 108-0075 Japan.
Inquiries related to product compliance
based on European Union legislation
shall be addressed to the authorized
representative, Sony Deutschland GmbH,
Hedelfinger Strasse 61, 70327 Stuttgart,
Germany. For any service or guarantee
matters, please refer to the addresses
provided in the separate service or
guarantee documents.
This product has been tested and found
compliant with the limits set out in the
EMC regulation for using connection cables
shorter than 3 meters (9.8 feet).
Attention
The electromagnetic fields at the specific
frequencies may influence the picture and
sound of this unit.
Notice
If static electricity or electromagnetism
causes data transfer to discontinue midway
(fail), restart the application or disconnect
and connect the communication cable
(USB, etc.) again.
Disposal of Old Electrical
& Electronic Equipment
(Applicable in the European
Union and other European
countries with separate
collection systems)
This symbol on the product or on its
packaging indicates that this product
shall not be treated as household waste.
Instead it shall be handed over to the
applicable collection point for the recycling
of electrical and electronic equipment.
By ensuring this product is disposed of
correctly, you will help prevent potential
negative consequences for the environment
and human health, which could otherwise
be caused by inappropriate waste handling
of this product. The recycling of materials
will help to conserve natural resources. For
more detailed information about recycling
of this product, please contact your local
Civic Office, your household waste disposal
service or the shop where you purchased
the product.
will help to conserve natural resources.
In case of products that for safety,
performance or data integrity reasons
require a permanent connection with an
incorporated battery, this battery should be
replaced by qualified service staff only.
To ensure that the battery will be treated
properly, hand over the product at end-oflife to the applicable collection point for
the recycling of electrical and electronic
equipment.
For all other batteries, please view the
section on how to remove the battery from
the product safely. Hand the battery over
to the applicable collection point for the
recycling of waste batteries.
For more detailed information about
recycling of this product or battery, please
contact your local Civic Office, your
household waste disposal service or the
shop where you purchased the product.
Notice for customers in the United
Kingdom
Disposal of waste batteries
(applicable in the European
Union and other European
countries with separate
collection systems)
This symbol on the battery or on the
packaging indicates that the battery
provided with this product shall not be
treated as household waste.
On certain batteries this symbol might
be used in combination with a chemical
symbol. The chemical symbols for mercury
(Hg) or lead (Pb) are added if the battery
contains more than 0.0005% mercury or
0.004% lead.
By ensuring these batteries are disposed of
correctly, you will help prevent potentially
negative consequences for the environment
and human health which could otherwise
be caused by inappropriate waste handling
of the battery. The recycling of the materials
A moulded plug complying with BS 1363 is
fitted to this equipment for your safety and
convenience.
Should the fuse in the plug supplied need to
be replaced, a fuse of the same rating as the
supplied one and approved by ASTA or BSI
to BS 1362, (i.e., marked with an
mark) must be used.
If the plug supplied with this equipment has
a detachable fuse cover, be sure to attach
the fuse cover after you change the fuse.
Never use the plug without the fuse cover.
If you should lose the fuse cover, please
contact your nearest Sony service station.
or
GB
9
For information on your camcorder model,
see the following page:
Functions and equipment p.12
Supplied items p.13
About language setting
The on-screen displays in each local language
are used for illustrating the operating
procedures. Change the screen language before
using the camcorder if necessary.
Select
[Setup] [ General
Settings] [Language Setting] a desired
language.
On recording
Before starting to record, test the recording
function to make sure the image and sound are
recorded without any problems.
Compensation for the contents of recordings
cannot be provided, even if recording or
playback is not possible due to a malfunction of
the camcorder, recording media, etc.
TV color systems differ depending on the
country/region. To view your recordings on
a TV, you need a TV that supports the signal
format for your camcorder. For details on the
signal format, refer to “How to use this manual”
(p. 12).
Television programs, films, video tapes,
and other materials may be copyrighted.
Unauthorized recording of such materials may
be contrary to the copyright laws.
removing the battery pack or AC Adaptor
(models with an AC Adaptor) from the
camcorder, or applying mechanical shock
or vibration to the camcorder when the
POWER/CHG (charge) lamp (p. 19) is lit or
flashing green or the access lamp (p. 22) is lit
or flashing
When the camcorder is connected to other
devices through a USB connection and the
power of the camcorder is turned on, do not
close the LCD panel. The image data that has
been recorded may be lost.
Use the camcorder in accordance with local
regulations.
LCD Panel
The LCD screen is manufactured using
extremely high-precision technology, so over
99.99% of the pixels are operational for effective
use. However, there may be some tiny black
points and/or bright points (white, red, blue,
or green in color) that appear constantly on the
LCD screen. These points are normal results of
the manufacturing process and do not affect the
recording in any way.
Black points
White, red, blue or green points
Notes on use
Do not do any of the following. If any of those
are done, the recording media may be damaged,
recorded images may be impossible to play back
or may be lost, or other malfunctions could
occur.
ejecting the memory card when the access
lamp (p. 22) is lit or flashing
GB
10
About this manual, illustrations and
on-screen displays
The example images used in this manual for
illustration purposes are captured using a
digital still camera, and therefore may appear
different from images and screen indicators that
actually appear on your camcorder. And, the
illustrations of your camcorder and its screen
indication are exaggerated or simplified for
understandability.
Design and specifications of your camcorder
and accessories are subject to change without
notice.
In this manual, the internal memory (models
with internal memory) of the camcorder and
the memory card are called “recording media.”
In this manual, the DVD disc recorded with
high definition image quality (HD) is called
AVCHD recording disc.
Illustrations and screen images in this manual
are based on HDR-PJ230E unless otherwise
specified.
Learning more about the
camcorder (“Handycam” User
Guide)
“Handycam” User Guide is an on-line
manual. Refer to it for in-depth instructions
on the many functions of the camcorder.
Access the Sony support page.
1
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/
Support/
Select your country or region.
2
Search for the model name
3
of your camcorder within the
support page.
Check the model name on the bottom of
your camcorder.
Selecting items on the LCD
screen
and then press the center of the
selector to complete the selection.
Supplied Items
The numbers in ( ) indicate the supplied
quantity.
Camcorder (1)
HDMI cable (1)
USB connection support cable (1)
The USB connection support cable is
designed for use with this camcorder only.
Use this cable when the Built-in USB Cable of
the camcorder is too short for connection.
Only for HDR-CX280/CX280E/CX290/
CX290E/PJ220/PJ220E/PJ230/PJ230E
AC Adaptor (1)
Power cord (Mains lead) (1)
Notes
The “PlayMemories Home” software and
“PlayMemories Home Help Guide” can be
downloaded from the Sony website (p. 32).
Move the multi-selector towards
/// to select the desired item,
GB
11
How to use this manual
In this manual, the differences in the specifications for each model are described
together.
If you find the description “Models with ...” like below, confirm in this chapter whether the
description applies to your camcorder.
odels with a projector)
(M
(Models with the NTSC color system)
To confirm the model name of your camcorder
See the bottom of your camcorder.
Differences in functions
Model name (HDR-xxx)
Model name
HDR-CX220/
PJ220
HDR-CX220E/
PJ220E
HDR-CX230/
PJ230
HDR-CX230E/
PJ230E
HDR-CX280
HDR-CX280E
HDR-CX290
HDR-CX290E
GB
12
Recording media
Internal
memory +
Memory card
Memory card
Signal format
NTSCInput/OutputElectronic
PALOutput onlyElectronic
NTSCInput/OutputElectronic
PALOutput onlyElectronic
NTSCInput/OutputOptical
PALOutput onlyOptical
NTSCInput/OutputOptical
PALOutput onlyOptical
USB
connection
SteadyShot
Differences in equipment
Illustration used in this manual are based on HDR-PJ230E.