Sony A845 User manual

ModelName: Falcon_E
PartNumber: 4-164-613-11
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Click! You can directly jump
Operation Guide
NWZ-A844 / A845 / A846 / A847
©2009 Sony Corporation 4-164-613-12(1)
 Troubleshooting

Transferring Videos/Photos/Podcasts
 Transferring Music

ModelName: Falcon_E
PartNumber: 4-164-613-11
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Table of
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Note
Depending on the country/region in which you have purchased the player, some models
may not be available.
Browsing the Operation Guide
To use the buttons in the Operation Guide
Click the buttons located in the upper right of the pages of this manual to jump
to “Table of Contents,” “About the Home Menu” or “Index.”
Hint
You can jump to the indicated page by clicking a page number in the table of contents or
in the index.
You can jump to the indicated page by clicking a page reference indication (e.g., p. 6)
on each page.
To search for a reference page by keyword, enter the keyword into the find text field on
the Adobe Reader window.
Operation procedures may differ, depending on your Adobe Reader version.
To change the page layout
The buttons on the Adobe Reader window enable you to select how pages are
displayed.
Continuous
Pages are displayed as a continuous
roll of pages, fitting the page width
inside the window. When you scroll,
the previous or next pages scroll up
or down continuously.
Single Page
Pages are displayed one at a time,
fitting the page into the window.
When you scroll, the display changes
to the previous or next page.
Jumps to the table of contents
Find what you are looking for from a list of topics in the manual.
Jumps to the Home menu list
Find what you are looking for from a list of the option items in the player’s menu.
Jumps to the index
Find what you are looking for from a list of key words mentioned in the manual.
Text field to find text

ModelName: Canary_E
PartNumber: x-xxx-xxx-11(1)
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Table of
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Home
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Index
Table of Contents
Basic Operations and Screens
Parts and Controls...................................6
Turning the Player On and Off ...............9
About the Home Menu..........................10
How to Use the Home Menu .................13
How to Use the Option Menu................16
About the Software................................18
Bundled Software...........................................18
Compatible Software .....................................18
Prepairing the Player
Charging the Battery.............................19
Selecting the Display Language ............21
Setting the Date and Time.....................22
Transferring Music
Selecting the Way to Transfer Music.....23

Transferring Music Using Windows Media
Player 11.........................................................25
Importing music from CDs ..........................25
Transferring Music ........................................27
Transferring Music Using Content
Transfer ...............................................29
Transferring Music Using Windows
Explorer...............................................31
Transferring Videos/Photos/Podcasts
Selecting the Way to Transfer Videos/
Photos/Podcasts ..................................33
Transferring Videos/Photos/Podcasts
Using Content Transfer.......................34
Transferring Videos/Photos/Podcasts
Using Windows Explorer ....................36
Playing Music
Playing Music [Music] .............................39
Music playback screen...................................40
Music list screen.............................................41
Searching for Songs...............................42
Browsing cover arts to select an album
(Album Scroll) ..................................................43
Enjoying Music Playback on a Television
.............................................................45
Outputting the music playback screen and
audio to a television
[TV Output(Music)] ..........................................45
Switching the television signal format
[NTSC/PAL settings] .........................................46
Deleting Songs.......................................47
Using the Music Option Menu..............48
Displaying the detailed information screen
[Detailed Information] .......................................49
Changing the Music Settings.................50
Setting the play mode [Play Mode]..................50
Setting the playback range [Playback Range]...51
Setting the sound quality [Equalizer]..............51
Customizing the surround sound
[VPT(Surround)] ..............................................53
Listening with DSEE (Sound Enhance)
[DSEE(Sound Enhance)] ....................................54
Listening with Clear Stereo [Clear Stereo] ......54
Adjusting the volume level
[Dynamic Normalizer].......................................55
Selecting the album display format
[Album Display Format].....................................55
Using the Language Learning Function
Using the Language Learning Function
.............................................................56
Activating the language learning function
.......................................................................56
Rewinding slightly [Quick Replay]...................57
Playing back a specified section repeatedly
(A-B Repeat).....................................................57
Adjusting the playback speed (DPC).............58
Continued 

ModelName: Canary_E
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Watching Videos
Playing a Video [Videos]..........................59
Video playback screen...................................60
Video list screen.............................................61
Searching for Videos .............................62
Browsing scenes (Scene Scroll) .........................62
Enjoying Videos on a Television ...........64
Outputting videos to a television
[TV Output(Video)] ..........................................64
Selecting the television aspect ratio
[TV Output Size]...............................................65
Switching the television signal format
[NTSC/PAL settings] .........................................65
Deleting Videos .....................................66
Deleting currently playing video .................66
Deleting videos by selecting from a list ......66
Using the Video Option Menu ..............67
Changing the Video Settings.................68
Setting the zoom function [Zoom Settings] ....68
Playing only video sound
[On-Hold Display].............................................71
Arranging the video list
[Order of Video List]..........................................71
Enjoying Podcast
Playing Podcast [Podcasts].......................72
What is a podcast? .........................................72
Playing podcast ..............................................72
Podcast playback screen................................73
Episode list screen..........................................75
Podcast list screen..........................................76
Deleting Podcasts ..................................77
Deleting the currently playing episode .......77
Deleting an episode in the episode list........77
Deleting a podcast .........................................77
Deleting all podcasts......................................78
Using the Podcast Option Menu ...........79
Viewing Photos
Viewing Photos [Photos] .........................81
Photo display screen......................................82
Photo list screen .............................................83
Deleting Photos .....................................84
Using the Photo Option Menu ..............85
Changing the Photo Settings.................86
Setting the photo list display format
[Photo List Format] ...........................................86
Listening to FM Radio
Listening to FM Radio [FM Radio] ..........87
FM Radio screen ............................................88
Presetting broadcast stations automatically
[Auto Preset].....................................................89
Presetting broadcast stations manually
[Save to Preset]..................................................90
Deleting preset broadcast stations...............90
Using the FM Radio Option Menu........91
Changing the FM Radio Settings ..........92
Setting the reception [Scan Sensitivity] ............92
Setting monaural/stereo [Mono/Auto]............92
Using the Noise Canceling Function
About Noise Canceling..........................93
Playing Back with the Noise Canceling
Function [Noise Canceling] ......................95
Listening to External Audio Sources
[External Input Mode]................................96
Reducing Ambient Noise without
Playing Back Music [Quiet Mode] ..........98
Changing the Noise Canceling
Settings ................................................99
Selecting NC Environment
[Select NC Environment]....................................99
Adjusting the Noise Canceling effect
[Set Noise Cancel Level] .................................. 100
Common Settings
Changing the Common Settings.........101
Displaying the player information
[Unit Information].......................................... 101
Limiting the volume
[AVLS (Volume Limit)] ................................... 102
Turning off the beep sound
[Beep Settings] ............................................... 102
Setting the time for blanking the screen
[Screen Off Timer] ......................................... 103
Adjusting the brightness of the screen
[Brightness] ................................................... 104
Setting up wallpaper [Wallpaper Settings] ..... 105
Setting the current time [Set Date-Time]...... 106
Setting the date format
[Date Display Format]..................................... 107
Setting the time format
[Time Display Format] .................................... 107
Limiting the charge amount
[Battery Care] ................................................ 108
Returning to the factory settings
[Reset All Settings] ......................................... 108
Continued 

ModelName: Canary_E
PartNumber: x-xxx-xxx-11(1)
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Formatting memory [Format]...................... 109
Using USB connection mode
[USB Connection Mode] ................................. 109
Selecting the display language
[Language Settings] ........................................ 110
Useful Facts
About Battery Life...............................111
What are Format and Bit Rate?...........112
What is audio format? ................................ 112
What is video format? ................................ 113
What is photo format?................................ 113
Storing Data.........................................114
Upgrading the Player’s Firmware .......115
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting ..................................116
Messages ..............................................129
Additional Information
Precautions..........................................131
License and Trademark Notice ...........142
Specifications.......................................160
Index ....................................................167

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PartNumber: 4-164-613-11
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Parts and Controls
BACK/HOME button
Press to go up one list screen level, or
to return to the previous menu.
Press and hold the BACK/HOME
button to display the Home menu
(p.10).
5-way button*1
Starts playback and enables
navigation of the player’s on-screen
menus (p.13, 16).
Headphone jack
Insert the headphone plug until it
clicks into place. If the headphones
are connected improperly, the sound
from the headphones will be
impaired.
About the Noise Canceling function
The Noise Canceling function is
available only when using the
supplied headphones.
The supplied headphones can only
be used for these models, and cannot
be used for other equipment.
WM-PORT jack
Connect the supplied USB cable, or
optional peripheral devices. You can
also connect the player to a television
using the optional video/audio
output cable (p.45, 64).
Display
See p. 40, 60, 73, 82, 88.
VOL +*1/– button
Adjusts the volume.
OPTION/PWR OFF button
Press to display the option menu (
p. 16, 48, 67, 79, 85, 91).
If you press and hold the OPTION/
PWR OFF button, the screen turns
off and the player enters standby
mode(p.9).
Continued 
Basic Operations and Screens

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HOLD switch
You can protect the player against
accidental operation during
transportation by setting the HOLD
switch. By sliding the HOLD switch
in the direction of the arrow ,
all operation buttons are disabled. If
you slide the HOLD switch in the
opposite position, the HOLD
function is released.
Strap hole
This is used to attach a strap (sold
separately).
RESET button
Press the RESET button with a small
pin, etc., to reset the player (
p. 116).
*1 There are tactile dots. Use them to help with
button operations.
Continued 

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Installing the earbuds
If the earbuds do not fit your ears correctly, the noise canceling effect will not
be optimal. To optimize noise canceling and to enjoy better sound quality,
change the earbuds to another size, or adjust the earbud position to fit your
ears comfortably and snugly.
The M size earbuds are attached to the headphones before shipment. If you feel
the M size earbuds do not suit your ears, replace them with the supplied S or L
size earbuds. Confirm the size of the earbuds by checking the color inside.
When you change the earbuds, turn to install them firmly on the headphones
to prevent the earbud from detaching and remaining in your ear.
Earbud sizes (inside color)
LS M
To detach an earbud
While holding the headphone, twist and pull the earbud off.
Hint
If the earbud slips and cannot be detached, wrap it in a dry soft cloth.
To attach an earbud
Twist and push the inside parts of the earbud into the headphone until the
projecting part of the headphone is fully covered.
Colored parts
Small Large
(Orange) (Green) (Light blue)

ModelName: Falcon_E
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Turning the Player On and Off
To turn on the player
Press any button to turn the player on.
Hint
If appears on the top of the screen, slide the HOLD switch in the opposite
direction of the arrow to cancel the HOLD function.
To turn off the player
Press and hold the OPTION/PWR OFF button. [POWER OFF]appears, then
the player enters standby mode, and the screen turns off.
Hint
Set the date and time on the player before using it (p. 22, 106).
During pause, if there is no operation for about 10 minutes, the player automatically
enters standby mode, and the screen turns off. In standby mode, press any button to turn
on the screen again.
While the player is in standby mode, if there is no operation for about a day, the player
completely turns off automatically.
Note
You cannot operate the player when it is connected to a computer. Disconnect the USB
cable before operating the player.
After connecting to a computer with the USB cable, the resume information of the last
played song, video, photo, etc., is cleared. Reselect the desired content from the list
screen.
The player consumes battery power very slightly even when it is in standby mode.
Therefore, the player might turn completely off unexpectedly depending on the power
remaining in the battery.
OPTION/PWR OFF button
HOLD switch

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About the Home Menu
The following table shows the items of the Home menu. For details on the item
list of each menu, see p.11.
For details about each menu item, refer to the specified reference page.
[Go to video
playback screen]
Display the video playback screen.
[FM Radio] Listen to FM radio broadcasting (p. 87).
[Noise Canceling] Reduce unwanted ambient noise by active noise control
technology (p. 93). Select this icon to enable or disable
the Noise Canceling function.
[Photos] View photos transferred to the player (p. 81).
[Music] Listen to songs transferred to the player (p. 39).
[Videos] Watch videos transferred to the player (p. 59).
[Settings] Set up the player and its applications (p. 101).
[Podcasts] Play back podcast episodes transferred to the player (
p. 72).
[Go to song
playback screen]
Display the music playback screen.
Continued 
[FM Radio]
[Go to video playback screen]
[Photos]
[Music]
[Settings]
Information area
[Videos]
[Go to song playback screen]
[Podcasts]
[Noise Canceling]

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[Go to video playback screen]... 60
[FM Radio] ............................... 87
[Noise Canceling]
[Noise Canceling: On/Off] .......95
[NC Modes] .........................96, 98
[Photos] ................................. 81
[Music] .................................... 39
[Videos].................................. 59
[Settings]
[Music Settings]
[Play Mode] ........................... 50
[Playback Range]................... 51
[Equalizer].............................. 51
[VPT(Surround)] .................. 53
[DSEE(Sound Enhance)] ..... 54
[Clear Stereo]......................... 54
[Dynamic Normalizer]......... 55
[Album Display Format]...... 55
[Language Learning Mode] .... 56
[DPC (Speed Control)] ........ 58
[TV Output(Music)]............. 45
[NTSC/PAL settings]............ 46
[Video Settings]
[Zoom Settings]..................... 68
[On-Hold Display]................ 71
[Order of Video List]............ 71
[TV Output(Video)]............. 64
[NTSC/PAL settings]............ 65
[TV Output Size]................... 65
[Photo Settings]
[Photo List Format] ..............86
[FM Radio Settings]
[Scan Sensitivity]................... 92
[Mono/Auto] ......................... 92
[NC Settings]
[Set Noise Cancel Level]..... 100
[Select NC Environment]..... 99
[Common Settings]
[Unit Information]..............101
[AVLS (Volume Limit)]...... 102
[Beep Settings].....................102
[Screen Off Timer].............. 103
[Brightness]..........................104
[Wallpaper Settings] ...........105
[Clock Settings]...........106, 107
[Battery Care] ......................108
[Reset/Format] ............108, 109
[USB Connection Mode] ...109
[Language Settings] ...........21, 110
[Podcasts] ................................ 72
[Go to song playback screen].... 40
Continued 

ModelName: Falcon_E
PartNumber: 4-164-613-11
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About the information area
The icons shown in the table below appear in the information area. The icons
vary according to the playback status, setting or screen.
For details about the icons, see each reference page.
Icons Description
, , , ,
, , etc
Playback status (p. 40, 60, 82)
Hold indication (p. 7)
Noise Canceling indication (p. 95)
TV output indication (p. 45)
Remaining battery power (p. 19)

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How to Use the Home Menu
The Home menu is the starting point of each application, such as searching for
songs, changing settings, etc.
You can display the Home menu by pressing and holding the BACK/HOME
button of the player.
From the Home menu, you can select the desired item on the screen by using
the 5-way button.
///button: Selects an item.
button: Confirms an item.
Continued 
BACK/HOME button
5-way button

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In this manual, operating instructions from the Home menu are described as
below.
Example: From the Home menu, select [Music] [Album] desired
album desired song.
The actual operations for the example above are shown below.
Press and hold the BACK/HOME button.
The Home menu appears.
BACK/HOME button
Press the ///button to select
[Music], and then press the button
to confirm.
The [Music] screen appears.
Press the ///button to select
[Album], and then press the button
to confirm.
The album list appears.
Continued 

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Press the ///button to select an
album, and then press the button to
confirm.
The song list for the selected album appears.
Press the ///button to select a
song, and then press the button to
confirm.
The music playback screen appears and
playback begins.
To return to the Home menu during operation
Press and hold the BACK/HOME button.
To return to the previous screen during operation
Press the BACK/HOME button.

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How to Use the Option Menu
The option menu items vary depending on the function, allowing you to
change the settings of each application.
You can display the option menu by pressing the OPTION/PWR OFF button.
Press the OPTION/PWR OFF button once more to dismiss the option menu.
From the option menu, you can select the desired item on the screen by using
the 5-way button.
/buttons: Select a menu from among the
option menu, (Search) menu, and [To
Playback Screen] menu.*1
/buttons: Select a menu item.
button: Confirms an item.
*1 The (search) menu or the [To Playback Screen]
icon is not displayed depending on the screen.
For example, the operations for setting [Play Mode] option to [Shuffle] are
shown below.
From the music playback screen, press
the OPTION/PWR OFF button.
The option menu appears.
OPTION/PWR OFF button
Continued 
5-way button
OPTION/PWR OFF
button

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Press the ///button to select
[Play Mode], and then press the 
button to confirm.
Press the ///button to select
[Shuffle], and then press the button
to confirm.
The play mode changes to [Shuffle].
The items in the option menu differ, depending on the screen on which you
press the OPTION/PWR OFF button.
For details, see the following pages.
“Using the Music Option Menu” (p.48)
“Using the Video Option Menu” (p. 67)
“Using the Podcast Option Menu” (p. 79)
“Using the Photo Option Menu” (p. 85)
“Using the FM Radio Option Menu” (p. 91)

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About the Software
Bundled Software
Content Transfer
Content Transfer can transfer music, videos or photos from a computer to the
player by a simple drag-and-drop operation. You can use Windows Explorer or
iTunes, etc., to drag-and-drop data to Content Transfer. Content Transfer can
also convert a video file of a format not supported by the player into a playable
format. For details on operation, refer to the Help of the software.
Transferable files: Music (MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV), Photo (JPEG), Video
(MPEG-4 Simple Profile, AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile, WMV*1)
*1 Some WMV files cannot be played back after being transferred by Content Transfer. If you
retransfer them using Windows Media Player 11, they may become playable.
Hint
ATRAC files managed by SonicStage can be transferred to the player after conversion to
MP3 file format.
WALKMAN Guide
The Operation Guide (this PDF file) and the useful list of links are available to
you.
Compatible Software
Windows Media Player 11
Windows Media Player can import audio data from CDs and transfer data to
the player.
Transferable files: Music (MP3, WMA), Video (WMV), Photo (JPEG)
For details on operation, refer to the Help of the software or visit the following
website.
http://support.microsoft.com/

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Prepairing the Player
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Charging the Battery
The player’s battery is recharged while the player is connected to a running
computer.
When you connect the player to your computer, use the supplied USB cable.
When the remaining battery indication in the upper right corner of the display
shows: , charging is completed (charging time is approx. 3 hours).
When you use the player for the first time, or if you have not used the player
for a long time, recharge it fully (to in the remaining battery indication of
the display).
About the [Battery Care] mode
In the [Battery Care] mode, the player stops recharging a short time before the
battery is fully charged. When you do not need the extended use over many
hours, you can set [Battery Care] to [On] to increase the available number of
cycles of charge and discharge which affects the battery lifespan, i.e., extend the
battery lifespan.
For how to set the [Battery Care] mode, see “Limiting the charge amount
[Battery Care]” (p.108).
About the battery indicator
The battery indicator in the information area shows remaining battery charge.
As the battery power gets lower, the bars of the icon disappear. If [LOW
BATTERY. Please Charge.] appears, you cannot use the player. In this case,
charge the battery by connecting to your computer. See p.164 on battery
duration.
Hint
While charging, after a lapse of time of the [Screen Off Timer] setting (p. 103), the
screen turns off. To see the charging status or other indications, press any button to turn
on the screen.
Continued 
Prepairing the Player

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Note
If you charge the player when it has not been used for a long period, your computer may
not recognize the player or nothing may appear on the display. Charge the player for
about 5 minutes, and it starts operating properly.
Charge the battery in an ambient temperature of between 5 ºC to 35 ºC (41 ºF to 95 ºF).
If you try to charge the battery in an ambient temperature outside this range, the
icon may appear, and charging cannot be performed.
The number of times the battery can be recharged before it is used up is approximately
500 times. This number may vary, depending on the conditions under which you use the
player.
The battery indicator on the display is only an estimate. For example, one section of
black in the indicator will not always indicate exactly one-fourth of the battery’s charge.
[Do not disconnect.] appears in the display while the computer accesses the player. Do
not disconnect the supplied USB cable while [Do not disconnect.] appears. Otherwise,
data being transferred or data in the player may be damaged.
The control buttons on the player become inoperative while it is connected to a
computer.
If you do not intend to use the player for over half a year, charge the battery at least once
during this time to maintain battery performance.
Some USB devices connected to the computer may interfere with proper operation of
the player.
We do not guarantee battery recharging using a personally assembled/modified
computer.
If the computer enters a power saving mode, such as the Sleep or Hibernation mode,
while the player is connected via the USB cable, the player’s battery will not be charged.
Instead, the player continues to draw power from the battery, discharging it.
Do not leave the player connected for extended periods to a laptop computer that is not
connected to AC power, since the player may discharge the computer’s battery.
While the player is connected to a computer, do not turn on, restart, wake up from sleep
mode, or shut down the computer. These operations may cause the player to
malfunction. Disconnect the player from the computer before performing these
operations.
Heat may build up in the player while charging. This is not malfunction.
After connecting to a computer with the USB cable, the resume information of the last
played song, video, photo, etc., is cleared. Reselect the desired content from the list
screen.