Sony PCG-R505DFK, PCG-R505DSK User Guide
Welcome.......................................................9
Using Your VAIO Notebook......................11
Using the Keyboard...................................................12
Functions of the keyboard keys .........................................12
Indicators ...........................................................................14
Indicator lights...................................................................14
Combinations and functions with the Windows key .........15
Combinations and functions with the Fn key ....................17
Using the Touchpad ..................................................19
VAIO Action Setup...................................................21
Using the Center Jog Dial Control ............................22
Using the center Jog Dial control ......................................22
Launcher mode ..................................................................23
Using Guide Mode.............................................................24
Using the center Jog Dial control with Sony software ......24
Using the center Jog Dial control with other software ......25
Using a PC Card ........................................................26
Notes on using PC Cards ...................................................28
Using Memory Stick Media ......................................30
Types of Memory Stick media...........................................30
Inserting Memory Stick media ..........................................31
Viewing the contents of a Memory Stick media................31
Removing Memory Stick media........................................32
Write-protecting a Memory Stick media ...........................32
Formatting a Memory Stick media ....................................33
Notes on Memory Stick media ..........................................33
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Using Power Saving Modes......................................35
Normal mode..................................................................... 35
Standby mode.................................................................... 35
Hibernate mode................................................................. 35
Notes on power saving modes .......................................... 36
Connecting a Phone Line..........................................37
Connecting to a LAN................................................ 38
Setting up your Ethernet connection................................. 38
Connecting to a Wireless LAN.................................40
Turning On Wireless LAN................................................ 40
The Wireless LAN Access Point ...................................... 40
Communication with an Access Point (infrastructure) ..... 41
Communicating without an Access Point (peer-to-peer) .. 42
Turning Off Wireless LAN ............................................... 43
Notes on using Wireless LAN .......................................... 43
Connecting Peripheral Devices ...............45
Connecting the Docking Station ...............................46
Connecting the notebook to the docking station............... 49
Disconnecting the notebook from the docking station...... 51
Disconnecting the docking station when the notebook is on
52
Using the Floppy Disk Drive....................................55
Using an Optical Disc Drive.....................................57
Playing a DVD .................................................................. 59
Playing an audio CD ......................................................... 60
Notes on CD and DVD discs ............................................ 60
Connecting an i.LINK Optical Disc Drive ...............62
Connecting an i.LINK optical disc drive .......................... 62
Notes on using i.LINK optical disc drives ........................ 64
Connecting a Parallel Port Printer ............................65
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Connecting a USB Printer.........................................66
Connecting an External Display................................67
Connecting a USB Device.........................................71
Connecting an i.LINK Device...................................73
Notes on i.LINK devices ...................................................74
Connecting VAIO Computers...................................76
If your notebook is connected to the docking station ........77
Connecting External Speakers ..................................79
Connecting an External Microphone.........................80
Expanding Your Notebook Capabilities ...................81
Personal Digital Assistant..................................................81
Wireless LAN Access Point ..............................................81
Customizing Your VAIO Notebook ..........83
Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen ...........84
Sony Notebook Setup tabs.................................................85
Controlling Power Management ...............................86
Viewing the Power Management status icons ...................86
Power Management profiles ..............................................87
Power Management commands .........................................90
Conserving battery power..................................................90
Displaying Battery Information ................................91
Battery icon descriptions ...................................................91
Displaying detailed battery information ............................92
Selecting the Display Mode ......................................94
To select the display mode.................................................94
To change the window design of Sony software ...............94
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Adding Memory .........................................97
Precautions and Procedures ......................................98
Typical expansion memory configuration ........................ 99
Removing a Memory Module.................................100
Installing a Memory Module .................................. 101
Viewing Memory ....................................................104
About the Software on Your Notebook.105
Overview of the Software on Your Notebook ........106
Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs ....112
Using Your Recovery CDs .....................................113
Using the Application Recovery CD(s) .......................... 113
Using the Driver Recovery CD(s)................................... 114
Using the System Recovery CD(s) ................................. 114
Recovering Microsoft Word ........................................... 117
VAIO AV Applications.............................119
Overview of Preinstalled Software .........................119
DigitalPrint Software ..............................................123
Using PhotoCapture ........................................................ 123
Using PhotoCollection .................................................... 126
Using PhotoDecor........................................................... 128
Using PhotoAlbum.......................................................... 129
Using LabelMaker........................................................... 131
DVgate Software.....................................................133
Connecting a digital video camcorder ............................ 133
MovieShaker Software ...........................................135
Creating movies with MovieShaker software ................. 136
Using ImageStation online service with MovieShaker soft-
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ware..................................................................................140
PictureGear Software ..............................................143
Managing your pictures ...................................................143
Creating a photo album....................................................144
Smart Capture..........................................................147
Using Still Mode..............................................................148
Using Net Movie Mode ...................................................151
Using ImageStation with Smart Capture software ..........154
SonicStage Software ...............................................157
Electronic Music Distribution (EMD) Services...............157
Starting SonicStage..........................................................157
Recording from a CD.......................................................159
Transferring songs (Check-In/Check-Out) ......................160
Additional features...........................................................162
SonicStage Premium Software................................165
Overview of SonicStage Premium Software ...................165
To Use SonicStage Premium Software............................168
To Use Playback and Recording Features .......................173
To Use the Visualizer, Equalizer, and Sound Effects......179
To Use the FM Tuner.......................................................181
To Use the Timer Functions ............................................183
Additional Information ....................................................185
VisualFlow Software...............................................187
Using VisualFlow software .............................................187
Additional Software Information............189
VAIO Edit Components Software ...................................189
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Troubleshooting......................................191
Troubleshooting Your Notebook ............................ 192
My notebook does not start............................................. 192
My notebook starts but a BIOS error appears................. 192
My notebook starts, but the message “Operating system not
found” appears, and Windows does not start.................. 193
My notebook stops responding or does not shut down... 194
My notebook is unstable. ................................................ 195
The sound of my notebook’s fan is too loud................... 195
Why does the System Properties dialog box display a slower
CPU speed than advertised?............................................ 195
Troubleshooting the Docking Station ..................... 196
I cannot operate the optical drive in the docking station,
when the docking station is connected to the notebook.. 196
I cannot operate the optical drive in the docking station,
when the docking station is connected to the notebook and
the notebook is connected to another computer via an i.LINK
connection. ...................................................................... 196
An error message appears while disconnecting the docking
station, even after following the correct procedure for dis-
connecting the docking station........................................ 197
I cannot remove the disc. ................................................ 197
The disc tray does not eject even after I press the Eject but-
ton.................................................................................... 197
Troubleshooting the LCD Screen ........................... 198
My LCD screen is blank. ................................................ 198
My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen. 198
The image on my connected external display is not centered
or sized properly.............................................................. 198
I want to change the video resolution of my display. ..... 198
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Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad.............199
My mouse does not work. ................................................199
My touchpad does not work properly. .............................199
The pointer does not move when I use the Touchpad or
Mouse...............................................................................200
Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards, and Peripheral De-
vices.........................................................................201
My floppy disk drive cannot write to a floppy disk.........201
My optical drive is not playing my CD or DVD properly.....
201
My optical drive tray does not open. ...............................202
I cannot use Digital Video (DV) devices. The message “DV
equipment seems to be disconnected or turned off” appears.
202
My PC Card does not work..............................................202
Troubleshooting the Software .................................203
My software program stops responding or crashes. ........203
When I click an application icon, the message "You must insert the application CD into your optical drive" appears, and
the software does not start. ..............................................203
The application cannot find a file while a PC Card is insert-
ed......................................................................................203
What software do I use for CD-R/CD-RW software func-
tions? ................................................................................203
Troubleshooting i.LINK Devices............................204
I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-
ers when using an i.LINK cable.......................................204
Troubleshooting the Modem ...................................205
My modem does not work. ..............................................205
My modem connection is slow. .......................................205
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Troubleshooting Audio ........................................... 206
My speakers have no sound. ........................................... 206
My microphone does not work. ...................................... 207
Troubleshooting Wireless LAN functions.............. 208
I cannot use the Wireless LAN functionality.................. 208
I cannot set up a Wireless LAN. ..................................... 208
The computer cannot connect to a Wireless LAN Access
Point. ............................................................................... 208
I cannot access the Internet. ............................................ 209
The data transfer speed is slow. ...................................... 209
The communication speed is interrupted or slowed down
when MPEG2 data is transferred. ................................... 210
Data transfers are interrupted. ......................................... 210
The Peer-to-Peer connection is different from the one I se-
lected. .............................................................................. 210
The computer connects automatically to a Wireless LAN
Access Point.................................................................... 210
Troubleshooting the Printer .................................... 211
I cannot print. .................................................................. 211
Getting Help.............................................213
Support Options ......................................................214
Software Support Information ................................216
Sony Service Center................................................218
Index.........................................................219
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Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and
welcome to the VAIO User Guide.
This User Guide provides detailed information on all aspects of using
your new VAIO computer, from keyboard functions to preinstalled
software applications.
In the left navigation window, click the topics you want to learn more
about, and that information will be displayed in this main window.
✍ Click here to find the latest updates and supplemental information about your
computer.
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Using Your VAIO Notebook
This section describes the following aspects of your new computer:
❑ Using the Keyboard
❑ Using the Touchpad
❑ VAIO Action Setup
❑ Using the Center Jog Dial Control
❑ Using a PC Card
❑ UsingMemoryStickMedia
❑ Using Power Saving Modes
❑ Connecting a Phone Line
❑ ConnectingtoaLAN
❑ ConnectingtoaWirelessLAN
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Print S
e
Using the Keyboard
Your keyboard is very similar to that of a typewriter, but the keyboard has
additional keys that perform specific computer-related tasks.
Keyboard
Function Keys
creen Key
Correction Keys
Backspac
Key
Shift
Key
Fn Key
Ctrl Key
Alt Key
Windows
®
Key
Numeric Keypad Area
Applications Key
Navigation Keys
Fn
Key
Functions of the keyboard keys
Key Description
Numeric keypad
area
Navigation keys The Left/Right/Up/Down arrows are devoted to move the
Correction keys The Insert, Backspace, and Delete keys enable you to make
Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the
numeric keypad area to type numbers or to perform
mathematical calculations such as addition and subtraction.
Note: You must press the Num Lock key to activate the
numeric keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock indicator
will be on.) Press the Num Lock key again to deactivate it.
cursor on the screen and also function as the Home, End,
Page Up, and Page Down keys, respectively.
corrections in your documents.
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Using Your VAIO Notebook
Key Description
Function keys The 12 function keys along the top of the keyboard are used
to perform designated tasks. For example, in many
applications, F1 is the Help key. The task associated with
each function key may vary from one application to the next.
Escape key The Esc (Escape) key is used to cancel commands.
Print Screen key The Print Screen key takes an electronic snapshot of the
screen and places it in the Windows® Clipboard. You can
then paste the screen shot into a document and print it.
Operator keys Several keys are always used with at least one other key:
Ctrl, Alt, and Shift. When held down with another key, the
Ctrl (Control) and Alt (Alternate) keys offer another way to
give commands. For example, in many applications, instead
of choosing the Save command from a menu, you can hold
down Ctrl and press S (referred to as Ctrl+S). The Shift key
operates the same way as on a typewriter; it is used to
produce capital letters or special symbols such as @ and $.
Windows key The key with the Windows® logo displays the Windows
Start menu; it is the equivalent of clicking the Start button on
the task bar. See “Combinations and functions with the
Windows key” for more information.
Fn key The Fn key is used in combination with other keys to issue
commands. See “Combinations and functions with the Fn
key” for more information.
Applications key The Applications key displays a shortcut menu of context-
sensitive choices. Pressing this key is the equivalent of
clicking the right mouse button.
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Indicators
Indicator Function
Power Light is green when the notebook is powered on, flashes amber
when the notebook is in Standby mode, and turns off when the
notebook is in Hibernate mode or is powered off.
Battery Indicates the status of the battery, which is attached at the rear
of the notebook.
Memory Stick Indicates the Memory Stick® slot is in use.
Docking Station Indicates the docking station is in use.
Indicator lights
Light On Off
Hard disk Data is being read from or
written to the hard drive. Do
not enter Standby mode or
turn off the notebook when
this indicator light is on.
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The hard drive is not being
accessed.
Light On Off
Using Your VAIO Notebook
Num Lock The number keys in the
numeric keypad are active.
Caps Lock Letters appear in uppercase as
you type. TheShift key lowers
thecaseoftypedletterswhen
Caps Lock is on.
Scroll Lock The screen scrolls differently.
(Exactly how it scrolls
depends on the specific
application. It has no effect in
many applications.)
The character keys in the
keypad area are active.
Letters appear in lower case as
you type (unless you hold down
the Shift key).
Information moves across the
display normally.
Combinations and functions with the Windows key
Combination Function
+ F1 Displays Windows® Help.
+ Tab Switches the selected button on the taskbar.
+ E Displays Windows Explorer.
+ F Displays the Search window to find a file or folder. This is the
equivalent of selecting Search from the Start menu.
+ Ctrl + F Displays the Search Results: Computers window where you can
locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selecting
Search and then Computers from the Start menu.
+ M Minimizes all displayed windows.
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Combination Function
Shift +
Returns all minimized windows to their previous size.
+M
+ R Displays the Run window. This is the equivalent of selecting
Run from the Start menu.
Fn + +
Insert
Displays the System Properties window. This is the equivalent
of selecting Control Panel and then System from the Start
menu.
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Using Your VAIO Notebook
Combinations and functions with the Fn key
Combination/
Feature Functions
Fn+ (F3)
Speaker switch
Fn+ (F4)
Speaker volume
Fn+ (F5)
Brightness
control
Fn+ /
(F7)
Switch to the
external display
Fn+ (F12)
Hibernate
Fn + Esc
Standby
Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.
Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.
To increase volume, press Fn+F4, then or .
To decrease volume, press Fn+F4, then or .
Adjusts brightness of the LCD.
To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5, then or .
To decrease light intensity, press Fn+F5, then or .
Toggles through the LCD and external display.
Only LCD
LCD and external display
Only external display
Provides for the lowest level of power consumption. When
you execute this command, the state of the system and state
of the peripheral devices are written to the hard disk and the
system power is turned off. To return the system to the
original state, use the power switch to turn on power.
Puts the system into Standby mode, a power management
state. To return the system to the active state, press any key
or press the power button on your notebook.
Fn +F
Display control
Minimizes or maximizes the display window. If the default
display resolution is reduced, this function maximizes the
display resolution to fit the screen size. Maximizing the
display window allows you to view the display at a greater
resolution.
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✍ You can also carry out these functions using the center Jog Dial™ control. Some
functions are not available until Windows® launches.
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Using the Touchpad
Using the Touchpad
The keyboard contains a cursor-pointing device called a touchpad. You can point
to, select, drag, and scroll objects on the screen using the built-in touchpad.
Touchpad
Pointer
Touchpad Right Button
Left Button
Actions Descriptions
Point Slide one finger on the touchpad to place the pointer on an item
or object.
Click Press the left button once.
Double-click Press the left button twice.
Right-click Press the right button once. In many applications, this action
displays a shortcut menu of context-sensitive choices.
Drag Slide one finger while pressing the left button.
Scroll Move your finger along the right edge of the touchpad to scroll
vertically. Move your finger along the bottom edge to scroll
horizontally. (The scroll function is available only with
applications that support a touchpad scroll feature.)
The Mouse Properties dialog box lets you customize your mouse and touchpad
features, such as touch sensitivity, motion, and buttons.
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To open the Mouse Properties dialog box:
1 Click Start on the Windows taskbar, point to Settings, and then Control
Panel.
2 Select Mouse. The Mouse Properties dialog box opens.
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VAIO Action Setup
VAIO Action Setup
VAIO Action Setup manages the settings for your notebook’s center Jog Dial™
control and Timer. An overview of some of the functions controlled by VAIO
Action Setup is provided below. For more information on changing the settings
using VAIO Action Setup, right-click the Jog Dial Utility icon or in the
taskbar and click Help Topics.
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Using the Center Jog Dial Control
Your notebook is equipped with a center Jog Dial™ control located below the
touchpad and between the left and right buttons. The center Jog Dial control
enables you to open an application, folder, or document from a predefined list by
rotating and pressing the center Jog Dial control. In addition, when you press the
center Jog Dial control, you can turn on your notebook automatically and start
the selected application or document.
Center Jog Dial Control
Turn
Press
Center Jog Dial Control
The Jog Dial control window always appears in the display. It is either in the
launcher mode or in the guide mode.
Using the center Jog Dial control
This section explains how to use the center Jog Dial control. For information on
how to change the settings of the center Jog Dial control, right-click the Jog Dial
utility icon or in the task tray and click Help Topics.
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Using the Center Jog Dial Control
Launcher mode
The Jog Dial control window is in launcher mode until a software application is
launched or the Jog Dial control window becomes active. When you select an
item in the Jog Dial window and it is displayed between orange bars, you can
press the center Jog Dial control to view a submenu of that item.
Using Launcher mode
To use the center Jog Dial control, click the Jog Dial control window or the Jog
Dial utility icon in the task tray. Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl key and the
center Jog Dial control while the Jog Dial window is active to switch to launcher
mode.
Jog Dial Launcher
To select a desired item, proceed as follows:
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1 Rotate the center Jog Dial control to select the item you want, then press the
center Jog Dial control. The Jog Dial launcher window switches to guide
mode and shows the function of the center Jog Dial control.
Jog Dial Guide
2 Rotate or press the center Jog Dial control to use the desired function.
3 To select another item, repeat steps 1 through 3 above.
Using Guide Mode
The Jog Dial control window is in the guide mode when software is in use and
the software window is active. Depending on the software you are using, you can
select items from the displayed list using the center Jog Dial control. You can
switch between guide mode and launcher mode by pressing the Ctrl key and the
center Jog Dial control.
The Jog Dial control window displays the function of the center Jog Dial control.
Using the center Jog Dial control with Sony software
If Sony software that supports the center Jog Dial control is active, you can use
the functions of the center Jog Dial control that are allocated to that software. For
more information on functions allocated to software, see the software
application’s online Help.
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Using the Center Jog Dial Control
Using the center Jog Dial control with other software
If the software you are using does not support the center Jog Dial control, you
can still use the center Jog Dial control to scroll the window or adjust the window
size.
Using a dialog box
When a window such as Screen Properties is active, the Dialog box is displayed
in the Jog Dial window. You can select an item in the window by rotating the
center Jog Dial control. Pressing the center Jog Dial control is the equivalent of
pressing Enter or Select.
Jog Dial Guide Dialog Box
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Using a PC Card
Your notebook includes one PC Card slot. A PC Card enables you to connect
portable external devices, such as another hard disk drive, to your notebook. It
also lets you connect to a network using a PC Network Interface Card (NIC).
The PC Card slot accommodates one Type I or II PC Card. This slot is
compatible with CardBus. You do not need to turn off your notebook before
inserting or removing a PC Card.
To insert a PC Card
1 Insert the PC Card into the PC Card slot. Make sure the front label of the PC
Card is facing up.
Inserting a PC Card
Insert with the
arrow facing toward
the slot
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PC Card
Using a PC Card
2 Push the the PC Card gently into the slot. The PC Card is automatically
detected by your system. The Unplug or Eject Hardware icon appears in
the taskbar.
Do not force a PC Card into the slot. It may damage the connector pins.
If you have difficulty inserting a card, check that you are inserting the card
with the correct orientation.
Do not carry your notebook while the head of the PC Card is out of the slot.
Pressure or shock may damage the connector pins.
To remove a PC Card
If your notebook is turned on, follow these instructions. If your notebook is
turned off, skip to step number 5.
1 Close all applications that use the PC Card; otherwise, data may be lost.
2 Double-click the green arrow icon in the taskbar.
3 Select an option in the Hardware devices box, and click Stop. The Stop a
Hardware device window opens.
4 Click OK to confirm your selection, and then Close.
5 Press the PC Card Release button. The Release button pops out.
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6 Press the PC Card Release button a second time (in some cases). Remove the
card.
Removing PC Card
PC Card Release button
Do not choose a USB disk or a Sony i.LINK® optical drive in the Stop a
Hardware device dialog box.
If you removed a Sony i.LINK optical drive by mistake, disconnect the docking
station and reconnect it. See “Disconnecting the notebook from the docking
station” for more information.
Notes on using PC Cards
❑ For some PC Cards, if you alternate between normal power operation and
the Standby or Hibernate modes while the card is inserted, you may find that
a device connected to your system is not recognized. Reboot your system to
correct the problem.
❑ Some PC Cards may require that you disable idle devices when using the PC
Card. You can use Sony Notebook Setup to disable devices. See “To display
the Sony Notebook Setup screen” for more information.
❑ Make sure you use the most recent software driver provided by the PC Card
manufacturer.
❑ If an exclamation mark (!) appears on the Device Manager tab in the System
Properties dialog box, remove the software driver and then reinstall it.
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Using a PC Card
❑ You may not be able to use some PC Cards or some functions of the PC Card
with this notebook. If you have difficulty inserting a PC Card, check that you
are orienting the card correctly. See the manual that came with your PC Card
for more information on its use.
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Using Memory Stick Media
Memory Stick® media is a compact, portable, and versatile recording medium
that has a data capacity exceeding that of a floppy disk. The medium is specially
designed for exchanging and sharing digital data with compatible products.
Because it is removable, you can use the media for external data storage.
Types of Memory Stick media
You can use these types of Memory Stick media with your notebook:
❑ MagicGate™ Memory Stick
Stick media), which is provided with copyright protection
❑ Memory Stick
†
protection as MagicGate media
Some music files encoded with secure copyright protection may be stored on
MG Memory Stick media but not on regular Memory Stick media. You can also
use MagicGate media-compatible devices to record and playback music when
they are connected to your notebook.
You can store mixed data on the Memory Stick media. For example, you can
copy an image on to MG Memory Stick media that already contains music.
*
media (hereafter called MG Memory
media, which does not have the same copyright
What is MagicGate media?
MagicGate media provides copyright protection that consists of authentication
and encryption technology. Authentication technology ensures that protected
content is only transferred between compliant devices and media. Protected
content is recorded and transferred in an encrypted format to prevent
unauthorized duplication or playback.
✍ MG Memory Stick media has the MG mark .
* MagicGate Memory Stick and are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
† Memory Stick and are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
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