Sony RDR-HX720 User manual

2-679-365-11(1)
© 2006 Sony Corporation
RDR-HX720
DVD Recorder
Operating Instructions

2
WARNING
To reduce the risk of fire or electric
shock, do not expose this apparatus
to rain or moisture.
To avoid electrical shock, do not
open the cabinet. Refer servicing to
qualified personnel only.
The power cord (mains lead) must
be changed only at a qualified
service shop.
This appliance is classified as a
CLASS 1 LASER product. The
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT
MARKING is located on the laser
protective housing inside the
enclosure.
CAUTION
The use of optical instruments with
this product will increase eye
hazard. As the laser beam used in
this DVD recorder is harmful to
eyes, do not attempt to disassemble
the cabinet.
Refer servicing to qualified
personnel only.
This label is located on the laser
protective housing inside the
enclosure.
Precautions
• This unit operates on 220 –
240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. Check that
the unit’s operating voltage is
identical with your local power
supply.
• To prevent fire or shock hazard,
do not place objects filled with
liquids, such as vases, on the
apparatus.
• Install this system so that the
power cord (mains lead) can be
unplugged from the wall socket
immediately in the event of
trouble.
G-CODE is a registered trademark of
Gemstar Development
Corporation. The G-CODE system is
manufactured under license from
Gemstar Development
Corporation.
Disposal of Old Electrical
& Electronic Equipment
This symbol is applicable only in
the European Union and other
European countries with separate
collection systems.
Precautions
This equipment has been tested
and found to comply with the
limits set out in the EMC
Directive using a connection
cable shorter than 3 metres.
On safety
Should any solid object or liquid
fall into the cabinet, unplug the
recorder and have it checked by
qualified personnel before
operating it any further.
About the hard disk drive
The hard disk has a high storage
density, which enables long
recording durations and quick
access to the written data.
However, it can easily be
damaged by shock, vibration or
dust, and should be kept away
from magnets. To avoid losing
important data, observe the
following precautions.
• Do not apply a strong shock to
the recorder.
• Do not place the recorder in a
location subject to mechanical
vibrations or in an unstable
location.
• Do not place the recorder on
top of a hot surface, such as a
VCR or amplifier (receiver).
• Do not use the recorder in a
place subject to extreme
changes in temperature
(temperature gradient less than
10 °C/hour).
• Do not move the recorder with
its AC power cord (mains
lead) connected.
• Do not disconnect the AC
power cord (mains lead) while
the power is on.
• When disconnecting the AC
power cord (mains lead), turn
off the power and make sure
that the hard disk drive is not
operating (the clock is
displayed in the front panel
display for at least 30 seconds
and all recording or dubbing
has stopped).

3
• Do not move the recorder for
one minute after you have
unplugged the AC power cord
(mains lead).
• Do not attempt to replace or
upgrade the hard disk by
yourself, as this may result in
malfunction.
If the hard disk drive should
malfunction, you cannot recover
lost data. The hard disk drive is
only a temporary storage space.
About repairing the hard
disk drive
• The contents of the hard disk
drive may be checked in case
of repair or inspection during a
malfunction or modification.
However, the contents will not
be backed up or saved by
Sony.
• If the hard disk needs to be
formatted or replaced, it will
be done at the discretion of
Sony. All contents of the hard
disk drive will be erased,
including contents that violate
copyright laws.
On power sources
• The recorder is not
disconnected from the AC
power source (mains) as long
as it is connected to the wall
outlet, even if the recorder
itself has been turned off.
• If you are not going to use the
recorder for a long time, be
sure to disconnect the recorder
from the wall outlet. To
disconnect the AC power cord
(mains lead), grasp the plug
itself; never pull the cord.
On placement
• Place the recorder in a location
with adequate ventilation to
prevent heat build-up in the
recorder.
• Do not place the recorder on a
soft surface such as a rug that
might block the ventilation
holes.
• Do not place the recorder in a
confined space such as a
bookshelf or similar unit.
• Do not place the recorder in a
location near heat sources, or
in a place subject to direct
sunlight, excessive dust, or
mechanical shock.
• Do not place the recorder in an
inclined position. It is
designed to be operated in a
horizontal position only.
• Keep the recorder and discs
away from equipment with
strong magnets, such as
microwave ovens, or large
loudspeakers.
• Do not place heavy objects on
the recorder.
On recording
Make trial recordings before
making the actual recording.
On compensation for lost
recordings
Sony is not liable and will not
compensate for any lost
recordings or relevant losses,
including when recordings are
not made due to reasons
including recorder failure, or
when the contents of a recording
are lost or damaged as a result of
recorder failure or repair
undertaken to the recorder. Sony
will not restore, recover, or
replicate the recorded contents
under any circumstances.
Copyrights
• Television programmes, films,
video tapes, discs, and other
materials may be copyrighted.
Unauthorized recording of
such material may be contrary
to the provisions of the
copyright laws. Also, use of
this recorder with cable
television transmission may
require authorization from the
cable television transmitter
and/or programme owner.
• This product incorporates
copyright protection
technology that is protected by
U.S. patents and other
intellectual property rights.
Use of this copyright
protection technology must be
authorized by Macrovision,
and is intended for home and
other limited viewing uses
only unless otherwise
authorized by Macrovision.
Reverse engineering or
disassembly is prohibited.
Copy guard function
Since the recorder has a copy
guard function, programmes
received through an external
tuner (not supplied) may contain
copy protection signals (copy
guard function) and as such may
not be recordable, depending on
the type of signal.
If you have any questions or
problems concerning your
recorder, please consult your
nearest Sony dealer.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Caution: This recorder is
capable of holding a still
video image or on-screen
display image on your
television screen
indefinitely. If you leave the
still video image or on-
screen display image
displayed on your TV for an
extended period of time you
risk permanent damage to
your television screen.
Plasma display panels and
projection televisions are
especially susceptible to this.
,continued

4
About this manual
• In this manual, the internal
hard disk drive is written as
“HDD,” and “disc” is used as a
general reference for the HDD,
DVDs, or CDs unless
otherwise specified by the text
or illustrations.
• Icons, such as , listed
at the top of each explanation
indicate what kind of media
can be used with the function
being explained.
• Instructions in this manual
describe the controls on the
remote. You can also use the
controls on the recorder if they
have the same or similar
names as those on the remote.
• The on-screen display
illustrations used in this
manual may not match the
graphics displayed on your TV
screen.
• The explanations regarding
DVDs in this manual refer to
DVDs created on this recorder.
The explanations do not apply
to DVDs that are created on
other recorders and played
back on this recorder.
DVD

5
Table of Contents
WARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Quick Guide to Disc Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Recordable and playable discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Playable discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Hookups and Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Hooking Up the Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Step 1: Connecting the Aerial Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Step 2: Connecting the Video Cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Step 3: Connecting the Audio Cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Step 4: Connecting the AC Power Cord (Mains Lead) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Step 5: Preparing the Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Controlling TVs with the remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
If you have a Sony DVD player or more than one Sony DVD
recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Changing programme positions of the recorder using the remote . . . . . 19
Step 6: Easy Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting a VCR or Similar Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting to the LINE 1 IN jacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting to the LINE 2 IN jacks on the front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting to a Satellite or Digital Tuner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1. Inserting a Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2. Recording a Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Checking the disc status while recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3. Playing the Recorded Programme (Title List) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4. Displaying the Playing/Remaining Time and Play Information . . . . . . . . . 29
Checking the playing/remaining time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Checking the remaining disc space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5. Changing the Name of a Recorded Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6. Labelling and Protecting a Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Labelling a disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Protecting a disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
7. Playing the Disc on Other DVD Equipment (Finalise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Finalising the disc using Z(open/close) button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Finalising the disc using “Disc Information” display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Unfinalising a disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
8. Reformatting a disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Eight Basic Operations — Getting to Know Your DVD Recorder
,continued

6
Timer Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Before Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Recording mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Recording stereo and bilingual programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Unrecordable pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Timer Recording (Standard/G-Code) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Setting the timer manually (Standard). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Recording TV programmes using the G-Code system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Using the Quick Timer function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Adjusting the recording picture quality and size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Creating chapters in a title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Checking/Changing/Cancelling Timer Settings (Timer List) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Recording From Connected Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Recording from connected equipment with a timer (Synchro Rec). . . . . 46
Recording from connected equipment without a timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Playing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Playback options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adjusting the picture quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Adjusting the delay between the picture and sound (AV SYNC) . . . . . . 53
Pausing a TV Broadcast (TV Pause) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Playing from the beginning of the programme you are recording
(Chasing Playback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Playing a previous recording while making another
(Simultaneous Rec and Play) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Searching for a Title/Chapter/Track, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Playing MP3 Audio Tracks, JPEG Image Files, or DivX®Video Files . . . . . 56
About MP3 audio tracks, JPEG image files, and DivX video files. . . . . . 57
MP3 audio tracks, JPEG image files, or DivX video files that the recorder
can play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
About playback order of albums, tracks, and files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Erasing and Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Before Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Erasing and Editing a Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Erasing multiple titles (Erase Titles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Erasing a section of a title (A-B Erase) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Dividing a title (Divide) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Creating chapters manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Creating and Editing a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Moving a Playlist title (Change Order) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Combining multiple Playlist titles (Combine). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Dividing a Playlist title (Divide) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

7
Dubbing (HDD yDVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Before Dubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
About “Dub Mode” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Dubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Dubbing a single title (Title Dubbing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Dubbing multiple titles (Dub Selected Titles). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
DV Dubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Before DV Dubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Preparing for DV dubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Recording an Entire DV Format Tape (One Touch Dubbing) . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Program Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Settings and Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Aerial Reception and Language Settings (Basic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Channel Setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Channel Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Auto Programme Title Labelling (TV Guide Page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
OSD (On-Screen Display) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Video Settings (Video) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Audio Settings (Audio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Recording Settings (Recording) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Disc Settings (DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Remote Control Settings/Factory Settings (Others) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Easy Setup (Resetting the Recorder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Self-diagnosis Function (When letters/numbers appear in the display) . . . . 99
Notes About This Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
About i.LINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Guide to Parts and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Language Code List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Area Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

8
Quick Guide to Disc Types
Recordable and playable discs
Type Disc Logo Icon used in
this manual
Formatting
(new discs)
Compatibility withother DVD
players (finalising)
Hard disk drive
(internal)
Formatting
unnecessary
Dub HDD contents to a DVD
to play on other DVD players
DVD+RW
Automatically
formatted in
+VR mode
(DVD+RW
VIDEO)
Playable on DVD+RW
compatible players
(automatically finalised)
DVD-
RW
VR
mode
Format in VR
mode (page 24)
Playable only on VR mode
compatible players
(finalisation unnecessary)
Video
mode
Format in
Video mode
(page 24)
Playable on most DVD
players (finalisation
necessary) (page 34)
DVD+R Automatically
formatted in
+VR mode
(DVD+R
VIDEO)
Playable on most DVD
players (finalisation
necessary) (page 34)
DVD+R DL
DVD-R
VR
mode
Format in VR
mode
(page 24)*1
Formatting is
performed
using the “Disc
Information”
display.
Playable only on DVD-R in
VR mode compatible players
(finalisation necessary)
(page 34)
Video
mode
Automatically
formatted in
Video mode
Playable on most DVD
players (finalisation
necessary) (page 34)
HDD
+RW
-
RWVR
-
RW Video
+R
-
RVR
-
R Video

9
Usable disc versions (as of March 2006)
• 8x-speed or slower DVD+RWs
• 6x-speed or slower DVD-RWs (Ver.1.1,
Ver.1.2 with CPRM*2)
• 16x-speed or slower DVD+Rs
• 16x-speed or slower DVD-Rs (Ver.2.0,
Ver.2.1 with CPRM*2)
• 8x-speed or slower DVD+R DL (Double
Layer) discs
“DVD+RW,” “DVD-RW,” “DVD+R,” “DVD+R
DL,” and “DVD-R” are trademarks.
*1 When an unformatted DVD-R is inserted into
this recorder, it is automatically formatted in
Video mode. To format a new DVD-R in VR
mode, format using the “Disc Information”
display (page 24).
*2 CPRM (Content Protection for Recordable
Media) is a coding technology that protects
copyrights for images.
Discs that cannot be recorded on
• 8 cm discs
• DVD-R DL (Dual Layer) discs
• DVD-RAMs
,continued

10
“DVD VIDEO” and “CD” are trademarks.
DivX, DivX Certified, and associated logos are
trademarks of DivX, Inc. and are used under
license.
DivX®is a video file compression technology,
developed by DivX, Inc.
Discs that cannot be played
• PHOTO CDs
• CD-ROMs/CD-Rs/CD-RWs that are
recorded in a format different from the
formats mentioned in the table above.
• Data part of CD-Extras
• DVD-ROMs/DVD+RWs/DVD-RWs/
DVD+Rs/DVD-Rs that do not contain
DVD Video, DivX video or JPEG image
files.
• DVD Audio discs
• Cartridge-only type DVD-RAMs and/or
DVD-RAMs that do not contain DVD
Video.
• HD layer on Super Audio CDs
• DVD VIDEOs with a different region code
(page 11).
• DVDs that were recorded on a different
recorder and not correctly finalised.
Playable discs
Type Disc Logo Icon used in
this manual Characteristics
DVD VIDEO
Discs such as movies that can be
purchased or rented
This recorder also recognizes DVD-
RAMs and DVD-R Dual Layer (Video
mode) discs as DVD Video compatible
discs. If the DVD-RAM has a
removable cartridge, remove the
cartridge before playback.
VIDEO CD VIDEO CDs or CD-Rs/CD-RWs in
VIDEO CD/Super VIDEO CD format
CD Music CDs or CD-Rs/CD-RWs in
music CD format
DATA DVD —
DVD+RWs/DVD+Rs/DVD-RWs/
DVD-Rs/DVD-ROMs containing
either JPEG image files or DivX video
files
DATA CD —
CD-ROMs/CD-Rs/CD-RWs
containing either MP3 audio tracks or
JPEG image files or DivX video files
8 cm DVD+RW/
DVD-RW/DVD-R ——
8 cm DVD+RW, DVD-RW, and
DVD-R recorded with a DVD video
camera
(Still images recorded with a DVD
video camera cannot be played.)
DVD
VCD
CD
DATA DVD
DATA CD

11
Maximum recordable number of titles
* The maximum length for one title is eight hours.
Note on playback operations of DVD
VIDEOs/VIDEO CDs
Some playback operations of DVD VIDEOs/
VIDEO CDs may be intentionally set by
software producers. Since this recorder plays
DVD VIDEOs/VIDEO CDs according to the
disc contents the software producers
designed, some playback features may not be
available. See the instructions supplied with
the DVD VIDEOs/VIDEO CDs.
Region code (DVD VIDEO only)
Your recorder has a region code printed on
the rear of the unit and will only play DVD
VIDEOs (playback only) labelled with
identical region codes. This system is used to
protect copyrights.
DVD VIDEOs labelled will also play
on this recorder.
If you try to play any other DVD VIDEO, the
message “Playback prohibited by region
code.” will appear on the TV screen.
Depending on the DVD VIDEO, no region
code indication may be labelled even though
playing the DVD VIDEO is prohibited by
area restrictions.
Music discs encoded with copyright
protection technologies
This product is designed to play back discs
that conform to the Compact Disc (CD)
standard.
Recently, various music discs encoded with
copyright protection technologies are being
marketed by some record companies. Please
be aware that among those discs, there are
some that do not conform to the CD standard
and may not be playable by this product.
Note on DualDiscs
A DualDisc is a two sided disc product which
mates DVD recorded material on one side
with digital audio material on the other side.
However, since the audio material side does
not conform to the Compact Disc (CD)
standard, playback on this product is not
guaranteed.
bNotes
• Some DVD+RWs/DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs/DVD-
Rs, DVD-RAMs, or CD-RWs/CD-Rs cannot be
played on this recorder due to the recording
quality or physical condition of the disc, or the
characteristics of the recording device and
authoring software. The disc will not play if it has
not been correctly finalised. For more
information, see the operating instructions for the
recording device.
• You cannot mix VR mode and Video mode on the
same DVD-RW. To change the disc’s format,
reformat the disc (page 36). Note that the disc’s
contents will be erased after reformatting.
• You cannot shorten the time required for
recording even with high-speed discs.
• It is recommended that you use discs with “For
Video” printed on their packaging.
• You cannot add new recordings to DVD+Rs,
DVD-Rs, or DVD-RWs (Video mode) that
contain recordings made on other DVD
equipment.
• In some cases, you may not be able to add new
recordings to DVD+RWs that contain recordings
made on other DVD equipment. If you do add a
new recording, note that this recorder will rewrite
the DVD menu.
• You cannot edit recordings on DVD+RWs,
DVD-RWs (Video mode), DVD+Rs, or DVD-Rs
that are made on other DVD equipment.
• If the disc contains PC data unrecognizable by
this recorder, the data may be erased.
• You may not be able to record on some
recordable discs, depending on the disc.
Disc Number of titles*
HDD 300
DVD-RW/DVD-R 99
DVD+RW/DVD+R 49
DVD+R DL 49
ALL
Region code

12
Hookups and Settings
Hooking Up the Recorder
Follow steps 1 through 6 to hook up and adjust the settings of the recorder. Do not connect the
AC power cord (mains lead) until you reach “Step 4: Connecting the AC Power Cord (Mains
Lead)” on page 16.
bNotes
• See “Specifications” (page 100) for a list of supplied accessories.
• Plug in cords securely to prevent unwanted noise.
• Refer to the instructions supplied with the components to be connected.
• You cannot connect this recorder to a TV that does not have a video input jack.
• Be sure to disconnect the AC power cord (mains lead) of each component before connecting.
Step 1: Connecting the Aerial Cable
Connect the aerial cable by following the steps below.
1Disconnect the aerial cable from your TV, and connect it to AERIAL IN on the rear
panel of the recorder.
2Connect AERIAL OUT of the recorder to the aerial input of your TV using the supplied
aerial cable.
DVD recorder
TV
to AERIAL OUT
to AERIAL IN
Aerial cable (supplied)
: Signal flow

13
Hookups and Settings
Step 2: Connecting the Video Cords
Select one of the following patterns, Athrough C, according to the input jack on your TV
monitor, projector, or AV amplifier (receiver). This will enable you to view pictures.
AVideo input jack
You will enjoy standard quality images.
BS VIDEO input jack
You will enjoy high quality images.
CComponent video input jacks (Y, PB/CB,
PR/CR)
You will enjoy accurate colour reproduction
and high quality images.
If your TV accepts progressive 525p/625p
format signals, use this connection. Then set
“Progressive Output” of “Video Output” to
“On” in the “Video” setup to send
progressive video signals. For details, see
“Progressive Output” on page 84.
VIDEO
AUDIO
INPUT
L
R
INPUT
SVIDEO
PR/CR
PB/CB
Y
COMPONENT
VIDEO IN
C
B
AAudio/video
cord (supplied)
Component video cord
(not supplied)
(yellow)
TV, projector, or AV
amplifier (receiver)
TV, projector, or AV
amplifier (receiver)
(green)
S-video cord
(not supplied)
TV, projector, or AV
amplifier (receiver)
(red)
(green)
(blue)
(red)
: Signal flow
to COMPONENT VIDEO OUT
to LINE OUT (VIDEO)
to LINE OUT (S VIDEO)
DVD recorder
(blue)
,continued

14
When playing “wide screen” images
Some recorded images may not fit your TV
screen. To change the picture size, see
page 84.
If you are connecting to a VCR
Connect your VCR to the LINE IN jack on
the recorder (page 21).
bNote
Do not connect more than one type of video cord
between the recorder and your TV at the same time.

15
Hookups and Settings
Step 3: Connecting the Audio Cords
Select one of the following patterns, Aor B, according to the input jack on your TV monitor,
projector, or AV amplifier (receiver). This will enable you to listen to sound.
* The yellow plug is used for video signals (page 13).
ADigital audio input jack
If your AV amplifier (receiver) has a Dolby*1
Digital, DTS*2, or MPEG audio decoder and
a digital input jack, use this connection. You
can enjoy Dolby Digital (5.1ch), DTS
(5.1ch), and MPEG audio (5.1ch) surround
effects.
BAudio L/R (left/right) input jacks
This connection will use your TV’s or stereo
amplifier’s (receiver’s) two speakers for
sound.
zHint
For correct speaker location, see the operating
instructions supplied with the connected
components.
VIDEO
AUDIO
INPUT
L
R
COAXIAL
DIGITAL OUT
PCM/DTS/MPEG/
DOLBY DIGITAL
AERIAL
LINE 1 IN
LINE OUT
COMPONENT VIDEO OUT
AC IN
Y
PB/
CB
PR/
CR
VIDEOR-AUDIO-L
VIDEOR-AUDIO-L
S VIDEO
S VIDEO
OPTICAL
IN
OUT
A
B
AV amplifier (receiver)
with a decoder
(white)
TV, projector, or AV
amplifier (receiver)
Audio/video cord
(supplied)
: Signal flow
to LINE OUT (R-AUDIO-L)
Rear (L)
DVD recorder
(red)
(yellow)*
(yellow)
(white)
(red)
[Speakers]
Front (L)
[Speakers]
Rear (R)
Front (R)
Subwoofer
Centre
Optical digital cord (not supplied)
to optical digital input
to DIGITAL OUT (COAXIAL or OPTICAL)
Coaxial digital cord (not supplied) or
to coaxial digital input
,continued

16
bNotes
• Do not connect your TV’s audio output jacks to
the LINE IN (R-AUDIO-L) jacks at the same
time. This will cause unwanted noise to come
from your TV’s speakers.
• With connection B, do not connect the LINE IN
(R-AUDIO-L) and LINE OUT (R-AUDIO-L)
jacks to your TV’s audio output jacks at the same
time. This will cause unwanted noise to come
from your TV’s speakers.
• With connection A, after you have completed the
connection, make the appropriate settings under
“Easy Setup - Audio Connection” (page 20).
Otherwise, no sound or a loud noise will come
from your speakers.
*1 Manufactured under license from Dolby
Laboratories.
“Dolby” and the double-D symbol are
trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
*2 “DTS” and “DTS Digital Out” are trademarks of
Digital Theater Systems, Inc.
Step 4: Connecting the
AC Power Cord (Mains
Lead)
Connect the supplied AC power cord (mains
lead) to the AC IN terminal of the recorder.
Then plug the recorder and TV power cords
(mains leads) into the mains. After you
connect the AC power cord (mains lead),
you must wait for a short while before
operating the recorder. You can operate
the recorder once the front panel display
lights up and the recorder enters standby
mode.
If you connect additional equipment to this
recorder (page 21), be sure to connect the AC
power cord (mains lead) after all connections
are complete.
~AC IN
to mains
to AC IN
1
2

17
Hookups and Settings
Step 5: Preparing the
Remote
You can control the recorder using the
supplied remote. Insert two R6 (size AA)
batteries by matching the 3and #ends on
the batteries to the markings inside the
battery compartment. When using the
remote, point it at the remote sensor on the
recorder.
bNotes
• If the supplied remote interferes your other Sony
DVD recorder or player, change the command
mode number for this recorder (page 18).
• Use the batteries correctly to avoid possible
leakage and corrosion. Should leakage occur, do
not touch the liquid with bare hands. Observe the
following:
– Do not use a new battery with an old battery, or
batteries of different manufacturers.
– Do not attempt to recharge the batteries.
– If you do not intend to use the remote for an
extended period of time, remove the batteries.
– If battery leakage occurs, wipe out any liquid
inside the battery compartment, and insert new
batteries.
• Do not expose the remote sensor (marked on
the front panel) to strong light, such as direct
sunlight or a lighting apparatus. The recorder may
not respond to the remote.
You can adjust the remote’s signal to control
your TV.
bNotes
• Depending on the connected unit, you may not be
able to control your TV with some or all of the
buttons below.
• If you enter a new code number, the code number
previously entered will be erased.
• When you replace the batteries of the remote, the
code number may be reset to the default setting.
Set the appropriate code number again.
1Hold down the TV [/1button located
at the bottom of the remote.
Do not press the [/1button at the top of
the remote.
Controlling TVs with the
remote
TV 2+/–
Number
buttons
TV t
TV PROG
+/–
TV [/1
,continued

18
2With the TV [/1button pressed down,
enter the TV’s manufacturer code
using the number buttons.
For instance, to enter “09,” press “0” then
“9.” After you enter the last number,
release the TV [/1button.
Code numbers of controllable TVs
If more than one code number is listed,
try entering them one at a time until you
find the one that works with your TV.
The remote performs the following:
If the supplied remote interferes with your
other Sony DVD recorder or player, set the
command mode number for this recorder and
the supplied remote to one that differs from
the other Sony DVD recorder or player after
you have completed “Step 6: Easy Setup.”
The default command mode setting for this
recorder and the supplied remote is DVD3.
1Check that “Easy Setup” (page 20)
has been finished. If “Easy Setup” has
not been finished, first perform “Easy
Setup.”
2Press SYSTEM MENU.
The System Menu appears.
3Select “SETUP,” and press ENTER.
Manufacturer Code number
Sony 01 (default)
Hitachi 24
JVC 33
Panasonic 17, 49
Philips 06, 08
Samsung 71
Sanyo 25
Thomson 43
Toshiba 38
Buttons Operations
TV [/1Turns your TV on or
off
TV 2(volume)
+/–
Adjusts the volume
of your TV
TV PROG +/– Selects the
programme position
on your TV
TV tSwitches your TV’s
input source
If you have a Sony DVD player
or more than one Sony DVD
recorder
SYSTEM
MENU
M/m,
ENTER
Number
buttons

19
Hookups and Settings
4Select “Others,” and press ENTER.
5Select “Command Mode,” and press
ENTER.
6Select a Command Mode (DVD1,
DVD2, or DVD3), and press ENTER.
7Set the Command Mode for the remote
so it matches the Command Mode for
the recorder you set above.
Follow the steps below to set the
Command Mode on the remote.
1Hold down ENTER.
2While holding down ENTER, enter
the Command Mode code number
using the number buttons.
3Hold down both the number and
ENTER buttons at the same time for
more than three seconds.
To check the Command Mode for the
recorder
Press xon the recorder when the recorder is
turned off. The Command Mode for the
recorder appears in the front panel display.
You can change programme positions of the
recorder using the number buttons.
Example: for channel 50
Press “5,” “0,” then press ENTER.
Command Mode Code number
DVD1 number button 1
DVD2 number button 2
DVD3 number button 3
If the Command Mode for the recorder has
not been changed, set the Command Mode
for the remote to the default setting of
DVD3. If the Command Mode for the
remote is changed to DVD1 or DVD2, you
will be unable to operate this recorder.
Changing programme positions
of the recorder using the
remote
Number
buttons
ENTER

20
Step 6: Easy Setup
Make the basic adjustments by following the
on-screen instructions in “Easy Setup.”
1Turn on the recorder and your TV.
Then switch the input selector on your
TV so that the signal from the recorder
appears on your TV screen.
The initial settings message appears.
• If this message does not appear, select
“Easy Setup” from “SETUP” in the
System Menu (“Settings and
Adjustments” on page 79).
2Press ENTER.
Follow the on-screen instructions to
make the following settings.
Easy Setup - OSD
Select a language for the on-screen
displays.
Easy Setup - Tuner System
Select “ELSE - English,” regardless of
your area or language.
The programme position order will be
set.
To set the programme positions
manually, see page 79.
Easy Setup - Clock
Set the clock manually using </M/m/
,, and press ENTER.
Easy Setup - TV Type (page 84)
If you have a wide-screen TV, select
“16:9.” If you have a standard TV, select
either “4:3 Letter Box” (shrink to fit) or
“4:3 Pan Scan” (stretch to fit). This will
determine how “wide-screen” images are
displayed on your TV.
Easy Setup - Audio Connection
If you connected an AV amplifier
(receiver) using either a digital optical or
coaxial cord, select “Yes : DIGITAL
OUT” and set the digital output signal
(page 86).
3Press ENTER when “Finish” appears.
“Easy Setup” is finished.
To return to the previous step
Press ORETURN.
zHints
• If your AV amplifier (receiver) has an MPEG
audio decoder, set “MPEG” to “MPEG”
(page 86).
• If you want to run “Easy Setup” again, select
“Easy Setup” from “SETUP” in the System Menu
(page 92).
[/1
</M/m/,,
ENTER
O RETURN
TV [/1