Sony PCV-RX881 User Manual
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing your Sony VAIO® computer! Your new computer is a superb blend of high technology and
easy-to-use functionality. The information provided here is designed to help you to become familiar with the hardware and
software applications included with your system.
View the Latest Updates for your computer.
View the VAIO® Computer Specifications, which describes your computer's hardware configuration and preinstalled
software information.
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Getting Started
Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony VAIO® computer! Your new, high-performance, multimedia computer combines
state-of-the-art computer functionality with the latest audio, video and information technology features.
Unpacking your Computer
Planning An Ergonomic Work Space
Locating Controls And Ports
Setting Up Your Computer
Turning On Your Computer
Registering Your Computer
Setting Up Your Dial-up Connection
Turning Off Your Computer
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Unpacking your Computer
Your computer may not be supplied with the same accessories shown, depending on the system configuration you
purchased. For details on the accessories supplied with your computer, see the online Specifications sheet.
Computer and supplied accessories
* The supplied speakers may vary, depending on the VAIO computer model purchased. See the online specifications sheet
for details on supplied accessories.
Giga Pocket Personal Video Recorder accessories
(For models equipped with Giga Pocket features)
Manuals
VAIO Digital Studio Computer Quick Start — Provides basic information on setting up and registering your
computer. The Quick Start also provides software, support, safety and legal information.
VAIO Digital Studio Computer User Guide — Contains information on the hardware and preinstalled software
applications included with your system. To access the online manual:
1.
Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Help and Support.
2.
From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO User Guide.
Giga Pocket Personal Video Recorder — (For models equipped with Giga Pocket) This online guide contains
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information on setting up and using the Giga Pocket Personal Video Recorder equipment and software applications.
The Internet Electronic Program Guide (iEPG) service information describes new Sony technology that is used with
the Internet, to locate, record and set up timed recordings of your favorite TV programs.
To access this online information:
1.
Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Help and Support.
2.
From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO Multimedia.
3.
Click Giga Pocket Personal Video Recorder.
Creating DVDs — (For models equipped with a DVD-RW drive) This online guide provides information designed to
help you become familiar with your DVD-RW drive and the DVD recording software applications included with your
computer.
To access this online information:
1.
Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Help and Support.
2.
From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO Multimedia.
3.
Click Creating DVDs.
Specifications — This online specification sheet describes the hardware and software configuration of your VAIO
computer. To view this online information:
1.
Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click VAIO Help and Support.
2.
From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO User Guide.
3.
Click the Welcome link. The Welcome page displays in the right-side frame.
4.
Click the link in the text, "View the VAIO Computer Specifications, which lists your computer's hardware
configuration and preinstalled software information."
Microsoft® Windows® XP guide — Explains how to use the basic features of the latest Windows operating system.
Recovery CDs
System Recovery CD(s) — Restore the software applications that shipped with your computer if they become
corrupted or are erased. The supplied System Recovery CDs can only be used to restore the hard disk of this Sony
computer.
Application Recovery CD(s) — Reinstalls individual software applications or drivers if they become corrupted or are
erased.
Other
Packet containing special product offers.
Software Library containing the Microsoft software license agreement and Sony end-user license agreement.
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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
several ergonomic factors to consider when you arrange your work space:
Stable work surface — Use a stable work surface large enough to support the computer and other peripheral
equipment.
Ventilation — Leave at least eight inches of space on the left and back sides of your computer to enable proper
ventilation.
Placement of the keyboard, mouse, and other input devices — Place your keyboard, mouse, and other input
devices so that your arms and hands are in a relaxed, comfortable position. The keyboard should be directly in front
of you. Adjust the level of the keyboard so that your lower arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your wrists in a
relaxed position when you are using the keyboard—not angled up or down. Use the palmrest only briefly, for
resting. Position the mouse at the same level as the keyboard. Hold the mouse with a relaxed hand, and use your
whole arm to move it. Take breaks during sessions with your computer. Excessive use of the mouse or a joystick
may strain muscles or tendons.
Furniture and posture — Sit in a chair with good back support and armrests. Adjust the level of the chair so your
feet are flat on the floor. A footrest may make you more comfortable. Sit with relaxed, upright posture—avoid
slouching forward or leaning far backward.
Viewing angle of the display — Position the display 18 to 26 inches directly in front of you, with the top of the
screen at or a little below eye level. Use the display's tilting feature to find the best position. You can reduce eye
strain and muscle fatigue by placing the display in the proper position.
Lighting — Choose a location where windows and lights do not create glare and reflection on the display. Use
indirect lighting to avoid bright spots on the display. You can also purchase accessories for your display that help
reduce glare. Proper lighting adds to your comfort and work effectiveness.
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Locating Controls And Ports
This section is intended to familiarize you with the controls, ports and jacks that may be available on your computer.Your
computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features and the location of the controls, ports, and jacks may
vary from the illustrations shown in this section. To view the specific connection capabilities for your system, see the online
specifications sheet.
i.LINK is a trademark of Sony used only to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 connection. The i.LINK
connection may vary, depending on the software applications, operating system, and compatible i.LINK devices. All products
with an i.LINK connection may not communicate with each other.
Please refer to the documentation that came with your compatible i.LINK device for information on operating conditions and
proper connection. Before connecting compatible i.LINK devices to your system, such as an optical or hard disk drive,
confirm their operating system compatibility and required operating conditions.
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About the front panel (PCV-RZ series model)
The front panel of your VAIO Computer enables access to the optical and floppy disk drives. On certain models, the front
panel also provides access to Giga Pocket Personal Video Recorder jacks and ports, a Memory Stick media slot and the
Universal Serial Bus (USB), and i.LINK® ports to connect compatible peripheral devices.
Front panel (PCV-RZ series model, equipped with Giga Pocket features)
1 Optical drive 1
See the online specifications sheet for optical drive information.
2 Optical drive 2
See the online specifications sheet for optical drive information.
3 Floppy disk drive
Reads and writes data from and to a 3.5-inch floppy disk.
4 Floppy disk drive access indicator
Light is green while reading and writing data from and to a floppy disk.
5 Power indicator
Light is blue while the power is on.
6 Power switch
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Turns the computer on and off.
7 Stand by indicator
Light is red when the computer is placed in Stand by mode.
8 Optical drive access indicator
Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the optical drives.
9 Hard disk drive access indicator
Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the hard disk.
10 (For models equipped with Giga Pocket features)
S-video In jack
Connection for an S-video cable (optional).
Video In jack
Connection for a video cable (supplied).
Audio L In jack/Audio R In jack
Connection for an audio cable (supplied).
11 Optical drive 1 eject button
Ejects a disc from Optical drive 1.
12 Optical drive 2 eject button
Ejects a disc from Optical drive 2.
13 Memory Stick media slot
Reads and writes data from and to a Memory Stick® media.
14 Floppy disk eject button
Ejects a floppy disk from the floppy disk drive.
15 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) ports (2)
High-speed connections for compatible USB devices.
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16 i.LINK (4-pin) port (IEEE 1394)
Connection for a compatible digital device.
For your convenience, your computer includes Giga Pocket, USB, and i.LINK ports and jacks on both the front and back
panels. (A 4-pin i.LINK port is located on the front panel and a 6-pin i.LINK port is located on the back.)
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About the front panel (PCV-RX series model)
The front panel of your VAIO Computer enables access to the optical and floppy disk drives. It also includes access to the
Memory Stick media slot, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and i.LINK® ports to connect compatible peripheral devices.
Front panel (PCV-RX series model)
1 Optical drive 1
See the online specifications sheet for optical drive information.
2 Optical drive 2
See the online specifications sheet for optical drive information.
3 Floppy disk drive
Reads and writes data from and to a 3.5-inch floppy disk.
4 Floppy disk drive access indicator
Light is green while reading and writing data from and to a floppy disk.
5 Optical drive access indicator
Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the optical drives.
6 Hard disk drive access indicator
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Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the hard disk.
7 Power switch and power indicator
Turns the computer on/off. The indicator light is blue while the power is on and amber when the computer is in Stand by
mode.
8 i.LINK 4-pin port (IEEE 1394)
Connection for a compatible digital device.
9 Optical drive 1 eject button
Ejects a disc from Optical drive 1.
10 Optical drive 2 eject button
Ejects a disc from Optical drive 2.
11 Memory Stick® media slot
Reads and writes data from and to a Memory Stick media.
12 Floppy disk eject button
Ejects a floppy disk.
13 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports (4)
High-speed connections for compatible USB devices.
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About the back panel (PCV-RZ series model)
The back panel of your computer contains the ports for supplied and optional accessories. The icons on the back panel
locate and identify the ports on your computer.
Back panel (PCV-RZ series model equipped with Giga Pocket features)
1 AC Input port
Connection for the supplied power cord.
2 Mouse port
Connection for a PS/2® mouse.
3 Keyboard port
Connection for a PS/2 keyboard.
4 Printer port
Connection for a parallel device, such as a printer or scanner.
5 Monitor port (The monitor port location may vary between models)
Connection for a standard display.
6 i.LINK 6-pin port (IEEE 1394)
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Connection and power for a compatible digital device such as a Sony Digital Handycam® camcorder.
7 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) ports (4)
High-speed connections for compatible USB devices.
8 Microphone jack
Connection for a microphone (optional).
Headphones jack
Connection for the supplied speakers or optional headphones.
Line In jack
Connection for an audio device.
9 Monitor port (The monitor port location may vary between models)
Connection for a standard display.
10 Monitor (DVI) port (DVI port is not available on all models)
Connection for a DVI monitor.
11 Telephone jack
Connection for a telephone cable (optional) to the computer.
12 Speaker DC Out jack
Connection for the speaker power cable.
13 S/P DIF optical out port
Connection for a digital audio or optical device.
14 Ethernet port
Connection for a 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet.
(The port marked with (Network) is for LAN connections only.)
15 (For models equipped with Giga Pocket features)
Audio Out jack
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Connection for an audio cable (supplied).
Video/S-video Out jack
Connection for a video cable adapter (supplied) or an S-video cable (optional).
Audio In jack
Connection for an audio cable (supplied).
Video/S-video In jack
Connection for a video cable adapter (supplied) or an S-video cable (optional).
16 (For models equipped with Giga Pocket)
VHF/UHF port
Connection for a coaxial cable (supplied).
17 Modem line jack
Connection for the modem (supplied) cable to the wall jack.
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About the back panel (PCV-RX series model)
The back panel of your computer contains the ports for supplied and optional accessories. The icons on the back panel
locate and identify the ports and jacks on your computer.
Back panel (PCV-RX series model)
1 Mouse port
Connection for a PS/2® mouse.
2 Keyboard port
Connection for a PS/2 Keyboard.
3 Printer port
Connection for a parallel device, such as a printer or scanner.
4 Monitor port (The monitor port location may vary between models)
Connection for a standard display.
5 i.LINK 6-pin port (IEEE 1394)
Connection for a compatible digital device.
6 S/P DIF optical out port
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Connection for a digital audio or optical device.
7 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) ports (4)
Connection for compatible USB devices.
8 Microphone jack
Connection for a microphone (optional).
Headphones jack
Connection for the supplied speakers or optional headphones.
Line In jack
Connection for an audio device.
9 Monitor port (The monitor port location may vary between models)
Connection for a standard display.
10 Telephone jack
Connection for a telephone cable (optional) to the computer.
11 AC Input port
Connection for the supplied power cord.
12 Speaker DC Out jack (For use with PCVA-SP3A speakers1)
Connection for the speaker power cable.
13 Ethernet port
Connection for a 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet.
(The port marked with (Network) is for LAN connections only.)
14 Monitor (DVI) port (DVI port is not available on all models)
Connection for a DVI monitor.
15 Modem line jack
Connection for the supplied modem cable to the wall jack.
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1
T he s peaker model supplied with your c omputer may vary, depending on the s ystem purc has ed. See the online specific ation sheet for information on
supplied acc ess ories.
Page 17
About the remote control
Giga Pocket Personal Video Recorder features are controlled with the remote control1. The remote control can start and
stop video recording and playback, select channels, and set viewing preferences. This section describes the basic functions
of your remote control.
Remote control
1 MUTE button
Press to turn off the sound. Press again to restore the sound.
2 Channel number buttons
Press to select specific channels. (Press the ENT button to activate channel selection.)
JUMP button
Press to return to the previous channel. Press again to return to the current channel.
ENT button
Press to activate channel selection. See Channel number buttons.
3 AUDIO button
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Press to view available sound mode options on the monitor/display.
4 TV/VIDEO button
Press to change the on-screen image from the TV/Recording deck to external video equipment, such as your VCR.
5 DVD angle button
Not available for Giga Pocket functions. See the DVD player software instructions for more information.
DVD Subtitle button
Not available for Giga Pocket functions. See the DVD player software instructions for more information.
SIZE button
Press to view Giga Video Recorder in full-screen size. Press again to return the view to its original size.
DISPLAY button
Press to display the TV/Recording deck and playback deck screens. Press again to hide these views.
6 REW and FF buttons
Press to rewind or fast-forward video content, during Video Capsules playback.
PREV and NEXT buttons
Not available for Giga Pocket functions.
7 DVD TITLE button
Not available for Giga Pocket functions. See the DVD player software instructions for more information.
8 CANCEL button
Press to close any error message dialog box. The window returns to its original size when displayed in full-screen mode.
9 STANDBY button
Press to place the system into Stand by mode.
10 GIGA POCKET button
Press to launch Giga Pocket Video Recorder. Press again to exit Giga Pocket Video Recorder.
DVD button
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Press to launch the DVD player software. Press again to exit the DVD player software.
11 CHANNEL button
Press to switch channels automatically (no number input required).
12 VOLUME button
Press to raise or lower the volume.
13 REC Mode button
Press to select the recording mode.
REC and REC STOP buttons
Press the REC button to record TV programs being viewed on the TV/Recording deck. Press REC STOP to stop recording.
DECK SEL button
Press to select the TV/Recording deck or playback deck.
14 PLAY STOP, PLAY and PAUSE buttons
Press to stop playback, play, and pause playback of Video Capsules on the playback deck.
15 VIDEO CAPSULE SEL/DVD MENU button
Press to display the "Select Video Capsules" window. Press again to minimize the window.
16 Direction and ENTER buttons
Press a direction arrow to select a cabinet or Video Capsule in the "Select Video Capsule" window. Press ENTER or the right
direction arrow to select a cabinet or Video Capsule.
17 DVD RETURN button
Not available for Giga Pocket functions. See the DVD player software instructions for more information.
For more details about the function buttons on your remote control, see the Giga Pocket Help.
1
T he remote c ontrol is s upplied with models that are equipped with Giga P ocket features . For more information, s ee the Giga P ocket H elp.
Page 20
Setting Up Your Computer
Your computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features, therefore some instructions may not apply to your
specific computer. The location of the controls, ports, and jacks may vary from the illustrations shown in this section. See
the online specifications sheet for your system's configuration.
Page 21
Connecting a display (monitor)
1.
Plug the display cable into the Monitor port.
2.
If necessary, plug the display cable into the rear of the display.
To connect a display (PCV-RZ series model shown)
To connect a DVI display (PCV-RZ series model shown)
Install your equipment so that you can easily reach the power outlet in the event of an emergency.
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Connecting the speakers
1.
Plug the cable attached to the back of the left speaker into the L Out jack on the back of the right speaker.
2.
Plug the cable attached to the back of the right speaker into the Headphones jack, located on the back panel of
your computer.
3.
Plug the jack end (yellow) of the speaker power cable into the DC In jack (yellow) on the back of the right
speaker.
4.
Plug the jack end (black) of the speaker power cable into the DC Out jack located on the back panel of your
computer.
To connect the PCVA-SP4 speakers (PCV-RZ series model shown)
To connect the PCVA-SP3A speakers (PCV-RX series model shown)
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Connecting the PCVA-SP3 speakers with an AC adapter
1.
Plug the cable attached to the back of the left speaker into the L Out jack on the back of the right speaker.
2.
Plug the cable attached to the back of the right speaker into the Headphones jack.
3.
Plug the jack end of the AC adapter cord into the DC In jack on the back of the right speaker and plug the other
end into a grounded AC wall outlet or power strip.
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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 port.
To connect the keyboard and mouse (PCV-RZ series model shown)
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Connecting the telephone and modem cables
1.
Unplug your telephone from the wall jack.
2.
Plug the modem cable (supplied) into the Modem line jack on the computer, and then plug the other end of the
cable into the wall jack.
To connect the telephone and modem cable (PCV-RZ series m odel shown)
Your computer has a protective sticker covering the Ethernet port located on the rear panel.
Connect only 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX cables to the Ethernet port. Using other cables or a telephone cable
may result in an electric current overload and can cause a malfunction, excessive heat or fire in the port. For help
on connecting to a network, see your network administrator.
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Connecting the power cords
1.
Plug the power cord into the back of the computer.
2.
Plug both the display and power cords into a grounded AC wall outlet or a power strip.
To connect the power cords (PCV-RZ series model shown)
To connect the power cords (PCV-RX series model shown)
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Page 28
Turning On Your Computer
When you start your system for the first time, your computer may detect new equipment and display a dialog box that
prompts you to restart your computer. Respond to this prompt immediately.
1.
Press the power switch on the computer to turn on the power.
2.
Press the power switch on the display to turn on the power.
3.
Press the power switch on the right speaker to turn on the power.
To turn on your computer (PCV-RZ series model shown)
To turn on your computer (PCV-RX series model shown)
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Registering Your Computer
Take advantage of Sony's commitment to quality customer support and receive these benefits by registering your
computer:
Sony Customer Support — Communicate with a Support Representative to troubleshoot problems you may be
having with your computer.
Limited warranty — Protect your investment. See the Warranty Card for more details.
You are prompted to register your computer the first time you turn on the unit. Follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the registration process. If you are not able to register your computer during the first session, you are provided
with additional registration opportunities later.
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