Important information regarding the durability of 8cm DVD discs used with Sony® DVD Handycam® Camcorders

Dear Valued Sony® DVD Handycam® Camcorder Customer:

Sony recommends the use of Sony-branded and/or third party 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs that display a "for VIDEO CAMERA" logo on the media package.

These Sony recommended media types offer added durability to help ensure successful recording of important moments - even in difficult outdoor conditions.

This article provides important information regarding 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs for use with Sony DVD Handycam Camcorders and is divided into the following sections:

1. Notes on handling discs
2. Scratch resistance
3. About compatible 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs for use with Sony DVD Handycam Camcorders

I. Notes on handling discs   Back to top

• Please do NOT touch the recording/playback side (the opposite of the printed side when using a single sided disc)
  
• Before shooting, be sure to remove dirt, dust, and fingerprints from the disc by using the cleaning cloth supplied with your camcorder.
• Please wipe the disc from the center out.
  

The following issues may occur when using 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs that have dirt, dust, or fingerprints on the recording/playback surface:

• Images cannot be recorded.
• The disc cannot be played back.
• Images are distorted or the disc stops during playback.
• Errors occur during recording/playback.
• Disc cannot be removed from the camcorder.

II. Scratch resistance   Back to top

Scratches can be easily made on the recording/playback side of DVD discs that do not have a protective coating on the surface. Ejecting a disc from or inserting a disc into the DVD Handycam Camcorder or DVD player/recorder can scratch the disc. Routine handling and wiping off dirt, dust, and fingerprints can also cause scratches. In addition, when the DVD Handycam is used outside, there may be an increased opportunity for scratching of the disc recording/playback surface.

Sony-branded and compatible third party 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs that display a "for VIDEO CAMERA" logo have a high-efficient protective coating on the disc surface to help minimize scratching. Recording and playback errors that are caused by scratches on the disc surface may also be reduced. (Please refer to the picture below)

Condition of the recording surface of 8cm DVD discs, after the discs were inserted into or ejected from a DVD player 100 times.

III. About compatible 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs   Back to top

Generally, 8cm DVD discs, that have been developed based on the DVD Format Standard as well as its recording format, have no problem recording and playing back* content on Sony DVD Handycam Camcorders. There are some discs on the market from other parties that do not have sufficient quality and performance. Use of these discs can cause the same types of problems that occur with discs contaminated with dirt, dust, and fingerprints.

* There is no guarantee for writing quality and playback compatibility for all types of disc products.

For reliability and durability of recording and playback, we recommend that you use Sony-branded or compatible third party 8cm DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs that display a "for VIDEO CAMERA" logo on the package.

8cm discs with this logo marking are recommended for Sony DVD Handycam Camcorder use. The "for Video Camera" logo is a trademark of Sony Corporation.