Sony SLV-N51 manual

3-066-196- 12 (1 ) Video Cassette Recor der Oper ating In structions For cus tomer s in the USA If you have any questions about t his product , you may call: Sony Customer Inf ormation Services Cente r 1-800 -222-SONY (7669) or write to: Son y Customer In form ation Services Cen ter 6900-29 Danie ls Parkw ay , PM B 330, Fort Mye rs, FL 33912 For C [...]

2 W A RNING W ARNING T o pre vent fire or s hoc k hazard , do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous vo ltage” within the product’ s enclosure that may be of suff icient magnitude to constitute a risk of electr ic shock to pe rs on s. This symbol is intended[...]

3 Impor tant Saf eguards Important Safeguar ds For your protec tion, please read these safety instructions completely before operating the appliance, and k eep th is manua l fo r future r efer ence. Carefully observe all warnings, precautions and instructions on the appliance, or the one described in the operating instructions and adhere to them. U[...]

4 Impor tant Saf eguards Antennas Service • Nev er place the set in a confined space, such as a bookcase, or built-in cabinet, unless proper ve ntilati on is provid ed. • Do not place the set near or ov er a radiator or heat regis ter , or where it is exposed to direct sunlight. Outdoor ante nna gro unding If an outdoor antenna or cable sys tem[...]

5 T able of contents Getting Started T able of co ntents Gett ing S tart ed 6 Step 1 : Unpac king 7 Step 2 : Setting up the remote commander 9 Step 3 : Hookups 17 Step 4 : Selecting a language 18 Step 5 : Setting the cloc k 23 Step 6 : Presetting channels Basic Operations 27 Playing a tape 30 Reco rding T V progr ams 33 Reco rding TV program s usin[...]

6 Unpacking Getting Started Step 1 : Unpac king Check that you have recei ved the following items with the VCR: • Remote com man der • Size AA (R6) batteries • 75-ohm c oaxial ca ble with F-ty pe conn ectors[...]

Getting Started 7 Setting up the remot e commander Step 2 : S etting up th e remote co mmander Notes • W ith norma l use, the batteries shoul d last a bou t three to six months. • If you do not use the rem ote comman der for an extende d period of time , remove the batterie s to avoid possible dam age from ba ttery leak age. • Do not use a ne[...]

8 Setting up the remot e commander Contr olling other TVs with the remot e commander The re mote comma nd er is prepr o grammed to co ntrol n on-Sony TVs. If your TV is listed in th e follo wing table, set t he appropriate manuf acturer ’ s code numb er . Now you can use the ? / 1 , V O L +/ – , CH +/ – , and TV/VIDEO b u tton s to co n trol [...]

Getting Started 9 Hookups Step 3 : Hookups Selecting t he best hookup option There ar e many ways in which you r VCR can be hooked up. T o hook up your VCR so that it works best for you, f irst scan th rough the ta ble belo w . The n use the accompa nying diagrams an d procedur es on the following p age s to set up your VC R. If your TV has audio/ [...]

10 Hookups A udio/video (A/V) hookup If your TV has au dio /v ide o (A/V) in pu t j ack s, yo u will g et a be tte r p icture a n d so un d if yo u ho ok up your VC R using these connecti ons. For a true “ home th eater ” experien ce, you should connect t he audio out puts of yo ur VCR or TV to your stere o system. If yo ur TV doesn ’ t hav e[...]

Getting Started 11 Hookups Caution Conn ec ti on s betwee n th e VCR ’ s VHF/ UH F co nnector and t he antenna te rm inals of the T V receiver should be m ade only a s shown in the f ollowi ng inst ructions. Failure t o do so may result in oper ation that violates t he regulations of the Federal Communi cations Comm ission regarding the u se an d[...]

12 Hookups Hookup 1 (Plug and Play) Antenna hookup Make th e follo wing con nections i f you ’ re usi ng an antenn a ( if y ou don ’ t have cable TV). A Use this hookup if you ’ r e us ing: • VHF/UHF antenn a (you get chan nel s 2 – 13 and chan nels 14 and hi gher) • UHF-onl y antenna (y ou get channe ls 14 and hig her) • Separate VHF[...]

Getting Started 13 Hookups Hookup 1 : VCR setup Notes • If yo u con nect th e A C po w er cor d bef ore th e ante nna conne ction s are c omple ted, the c hanne ls may b e incorrec tly set. I f this ha ppens, go to “ Ste p 6 : Prese tting chan nels ” on page 23. • Do not pr ess any buttons on the V CR or remote comm and er during Aut o pre [...]

14 Hookups Hookup 2 (Plug and Play) Y ou ha ve no cab le bo x, or a cable bo x with only a fe w scrambled c hannels Recommende d use Use thi s ho okup if you do not ha v e a cable box. Also use this hoo kup if y our cable system scrambl es only a fe w chan nel s . What y ou can do with this hoo kup • Record an y unscramble d channe l by sele ctin[...]

Getting Started 15 Hookups Hookup 2 : VCR setup Notes • If yo u con nect th e A C po w er cor d bef ore th e ante nna conne ction s are c omple ted, the c hanne ls may b e incorrec tly set. I f this ha ppens, go to “ Ste p 6 : Prese tting chan nels ” on page 23. • Do not pr ess any buttons on the V CR or remote comm and er during Aut o pre [...]

16 Hookups Hookup 3 Connecting a cable bo x with many scrambl ed c h annels Recommende d use Use this ho okup if yo ur cable syste m scrambles a ll or most chann els. What y ou can do with this hoo kup • Record any chann el by selecting the channel on th e cab le box What y ou ca n ’ t do • Record with th e cable box turned of f • Recor d o[...]

Getting Started 17 Selecting a language Step 4 : Selecti ng a lang uage Y ou can change the on-scr een display langua ge. Bef ore y ou start … • T u rn o n the VCR and the TV . • Set the CH switch on the rear of t he VCR to 3 of 4, whic hev er channe l is not u sed in your area. If bot h are us ed, set the switch to either c hannel. For detai[...]

18 Setting the cloc k Step 5 : Setting the c loc k Usi ng th e Auto Clo ck Se t featu re Some TV an d cab le channe ls transmit tim e signals with thei r broadcasts. Y our VCR can pick up this time signal to automa tical ly set the cl ock. The Auto Clock Set feat u re works only if a channel i n yo ur area is broadcast ing a time signal. If broadc [...]

Getting Started 19 Setting the clock 3 Press M / m to select A UTO, then press OK. 4 Press M / m to select the item you want . Then press < / , to make the se tting and press OK. • Fo r “ Clock set CH ” Lea ve the set tin g to A UTO to ha ve the VCR automatical ly search for a chan nel that carries a time si gnal. Press < / , t o select[...]

20 Setting the cloc k Notes • The cloc k canno t be set auto mati cal ly if you don ’ t recei ve a channe l that car rie s a time sign al in your area. If so, set the cl oc k manually (see page 21) . • If there a re on ly a few channels in your area that ca rry t ime signals, set ting the clock autom atically may take up to abou t 20 minut es[...]

Getting Started 21 Setting the clock Using Manual Clo c k Set Bef ore y ou start … • T u rn o n the VCR and the TV . • Set the CH switch on the rear of t he VCR to 3 of 4, whic hev er channe l is not u sed in your are a. If both are use d, set the switc h to either channel. For deta ils, see pa ge 50. If your TV is conn ect ed to the VCR usin[...]

22 Setting the cloc k 4 Press M / m to set the month. 5 Press , to fla sh the day an d pr ess M / m to set the da y . 6 Set th e year , hour , and minu tes in the same w ay as th e day . The day of the week is set automatically . 7 Press OK or MENU to start the clock. OK PLAY Select : End : CLOCK SET OK Bb Set : Vv DATE 90 12 0 0 0 0 1 SAT : 12 A M[...]

Getting Started 23 Presetting channels Step 6 : Presetti ng cha nnels This VCR is capable of recei ving VHF channel s 2 to 13, UHF ch annels 14 to 69 and unsc rambled CA TV channel s 1 to 12 5. First , we recommen d that you preset t he receiv able channels in your area using automa tic presettin g method s. Then, if there ar e an y unwanted channe[...]

24 Presetting channels 3 Press M / m to select “ Ant/Cable. ” 4 • T o pr ese t cable TV chan nel s: Press < / , to se lect CABLE. • T o pr ese t VHF and UHF channel s: Press < / , to select ANTENN A. 5 Press M / m to select “ Auto preset, ” th en press OK. All receiv able cha nne ls are preset in nu meri cal sequence. Whe n no mor[...]

Getting Started 25 Presetting channels Presetting/ disablin g channels manuall y Bef ore y ou start … • T u rn on the VCR and the TV . When using a cable bo x, turn it on. • Set the CH switch on the rear of t he VCR to 3 of 4, whic hev er channe l is not u sed in your are a. If both are use d, set the switc h to either channel. For deta ils, [...]

26 Presetting channels 3 • T o pr ese t a channel: 1 Press the nu mber bu ttons to ente r the channel number, then press ENT E R. 2 Press , , the n press OK or MENU. • T o disabl e a channe l : 1 Press CH +/ – to selec t the channe l n umb er . 2 Press < , the n press OK or MENU. OK PLAY 123 456 789 0 MENU OK PLAY • CH MENU : End CHANNEL[...]

27 Play ing a tape Basic Oper ations Basic O perations Playing a tape 1 T urn on your TV and set it to the vide o channel. 2 Insert a tape. The VCR turns on and st art s playing automatica lly if you in sert a tape wi th its safety tab remo ved. 123 456 789 0 Z EJECT DISPLA Y CLEAR H PLA Y COMMERCIAL SKIP X PA U S E M FF x ST OP m REW REPLA Y ? / 1[...]

28 Play ing a tape Additio nal task s T o play a r ecently watched sc ene Y ou can immediate ly rewind a nd playback the scen e you want to watc h again. During playb ack, press REPLA Y . The VCR rewinds the tape abou t ten seconds on the counter for eac h press of the button, and restarts p layback. T o skip playb ack Y ou can ski p a portio n of [...]

29 Play ing a tape Basic Oper ations T o use the time c ounter Press CLEAR at th e point on the tape that you w ant to fin d later . The counter in the display wind ow r esets to “ 00:00. ” T o search for the coun ter 0:00:0 0 point automatically , see “ T o se arch for the counter 0:00:00 point ” on page 45. T o display the cou nter on the[...]

30 Recording TV programs Recor ding TV pr ograms 1 T urn on yo ur TV a nd set i t to the video channel . T o reco rd from a cable box, turn it on. 2 Insert a tap e with its safety tab in pla ce. 123 456 789 0 CH +/ – z REC SP/E P x ST OP COUNTER/ REMAIN DISPLA Y TV/VIDEO[...]

31 Recording TV programs Basic Oper ations T o stop recor ding Press x STOP. T o check th e remaining t ape leng th Pre s s DISPL A Y . W ith th e disp lay on , pres s COUNT ER/RE MAIN to chec k the remaining time. Each time you press COUNTER/REMAIN, the time coun ter and the remaining t ape le ngth a ppear a lternately . The white bar in dicate s [...]

32 Recording TV programs T o watch anothe r TV program while reco rding T o save a r ecordi ng T o prev ent accid ental erasure, break of f the safety tab as illu strated. T o record on the tape aga in, cover the tab hole with a dhesi ve t ape. Tips • T o sele ct a cha nne l, you can use the nu mber butto ns on th e remot e comma nder. Ente r the[...]

33 Recording TV programs using the ti mer Basic Oper ations Reco rding TV programs usin g the time r Y ou can preset up to eight progra ms at a time. Bef ore y ou start … • Check th at the VCR cloc k is set to th e correct time. • T u rn on yo ur TV and se t it to th e video channel. When using a cable b ox, turn it on. • Insert a ta pe wit[...]

34 Recording TV programs using the timer T o stop recor ding T o stop the VCR while rec ording, press x STOP. Dail y/weekly recor ding In step 3 above, press m to select the recording pattern. E ach time you press m , the indicat i on changes a s shown be l o w . Press M to change th e indicatio n in re verse orde r . MO-F R t SUN ’ S t MON ’ S[...]

35 Recording TV programs using the ti mer Basic Oper ations T o use the A uto T ape Speed func tion In st ep 3 ab ove , p res s m to sel ect A UTO. When you are recordin g a program in the SP mode and the re maining tape beco mes shorte r than the re cording ti me, the t ape speed is au tomatically c hanged to the EP mode . Note tha t some noise wi[...]

36 Locking the VCR (Child Lock) Locking the VCR (Child Lock) To l o c k t h e V C R When the VCR is turned on, hold down ? / 1 POWER on th e VCR until “ LOC ” appears i n the disp lay window . The VCR turns off and the TIMER i ndicator rema ins lit if ther e is a timer settin g. The VCR wil l not work except for timer recordi ngs. T o unlock th[...]

37 Pla ying/searching at various speeds Additiona l Operations Additio nal Ope ratio ns Pla ying/sear ching at v arious speed s T o resume normal pla yback Press H PLA Y. Pla ybac k opt ions Operatio n V iew the pi ct ure during fast- forward or rewi nd During fast-forw ard , ho ld down M FF . During rewind, hold down m REW . Play at high s peed ?[...]

38 Play ing/searching at various speeds Tip • Adjust the pi ct ure using the TRA CKING +/ – buttons if: – Streak s appe a r while playin g in slow motio n. – The pict ure shakes during pau s e. Notes • The so und is mut ed during these operations. • T apes rec ord ed in the LP mod e on other VCR s ca n be pl ayed back on this VCR but th[...]

39 Setting the recording duration time Additiona l Operations Set tin g the rec o rding du rat ion tim e T o extend the du ration Press z REC repeatedly to set a ne w duration tim e. T o cancel the duration Press z REC repeatedly until the TIMER indicator disa ppea rs and the VCR returns to normal rec ording mode. T o sto p while recordin g Press x[...]

40 Checking/changing/canceling timer settings Checking/cha ng in g/ c an c el in g timer settings Bef ore y ou start … • T u rn on your TV and set it to the video channel . 1 Press ? / 1 to turn on th e VCR. 2 Press MENU, the n pres s M / m to se lect “ T im er set/che ck ” and press OK. • If you wan t to change a settin g, go on to t he [...]

41 Checking/changing/canceling timer settings Additiona l Operations When the time r settings o verlap The program th at starts first ha s priority and the second program starts recording only after the f irst program has f inished. If the programs sta rt at the sam e time, the program li sted f irst in the me nu has priority . 3 Press M / m t o se[...]

42 Recording stereo and bilingual progr am s Recording s tereo and bili ngual pr ogram s Recordi ng stereo pr ograms When you receive a program broadc ast in stereo, press A UDIO MONITOR to display STEREO on the TV screen. Y ou can also select LEFT , RIGHT , or MONO. If there is noise in the stereo prog ram, select M ONO. The sound will be recorded[...]

43 Recording stereo and bilingual programs Additiona l Operations How sound i s recor ded on a vi deo tape The VCR records soun d onto two separ ate trac ks. Hi-fi audio is recorde d onto th e main tra ck along with t he picture. Monau ral sound i s recorded onto the no rmal audio track al ong the edge of the tape. Notes • T o play a tap e in ste[...]

44 Searching using various functions Sear chin g using v arious fu nction s T o search usin g the in dex fun c tion (Scan and P lay) The VCR marks the tap e with an index signal at th e po int where each recordi ng begins. Use the s e si gnals as referen ces t o find a spe ci f ic recordi n g. Y ou can easil y f ind a spec ific point using various [...]

45 Searching using various functions Additiona l Operations T o searc h for the counter 0 :00:00 point T o mark a point on the tape th at you w ant to f ind later , reset the t ape counter to “ 0:00: 00. ” The VCR auto matically fa st-forwards or rewin ds to the 0 :00:00 poin t on the tap e coun ter . T o searc h for a blank portion of the tape[...]

46 Adjusting the picture (t rac king) Adjusting the p icture (tra c king) Although th e VCR automa tically adjusts th e tracking when pl aying a tape , distor tion may occur if the recording is in poor co ndition. In th is case, manu ally adjust the tra cking. Press TRA CKING +/ – on th e VCR to displ ay th e trackin g mete r . The di storti on s[...]

47 Changing menu options Additiona l Operations Changi ng me nu o ption s Menu choic e s Initial settin gs are ind icated in bo ld print. 1 Press MENU, th en select “ A dvanc ed options ” and pre s s OK . 2 Press M / m t o select the optio n to cha nge. 3 Press < / , to change the setting, th en press OK. 4 Press MENU to return to the origin[...]

48 Editing with another VCR Editin g with a nother V CR How to con n e c t to re c ord on thi s VC R Notes • Make sure you conn ect the plugs t o jack s of the same color . • If the other V CR is a monaura l type and connec t ed to this VCR ’ s LI N E- 2 IN jack s, conne ct the audi o pl ug t o the A U DIO L (white) ja ck . The sound is reco [...]

49 Editing with another VCR Additiona l Operations Operation (when recor ding on this VCR) T o stop editing Press the x STOP b uttons on bo th VCRs. Tip • T o cut out unwante d sc e nes wh il e editin g, press X P A USE on this VCR when an unwanted scene begi ns. Whe n it ends, pre ss X P A USE again to resum e recording. Before y ou start editin[...]

50 General setup inf or mation Additional Inf ormation General setup inf ormation Setting t he RF unit When co nnecting th e VCR to the TV u sing only the antenna ca ble, you must set the CH switch on the rear of the VCR so that the TV can receive the correct signal from the VCR. 1 Set the CH swit ch on the r ear of t he VCR to 3 or 4, whiche v er [...]

51 General setup information Additiona l Informa tion Attaching the e xternal ant enna connector Attaching a UHF/VHF band mix er When usin g a 300-o hm t w in lead cable f or a VHF/UHF anten na, use the EA C-3 2 antenna connect o r (not supplied) t o co nnect the antenna to the VCR. 1 Loosen th e screws on the ant en na connector. 2 W ind the t win[...]

52 T roub leshooting T r oub leshoo ting If you have any questi on s or probl ems not covered bel ow , ple ase consul t y our nearest S ony dealer . Symptom Remedy Pow e r The ? / 1 swi tch do es no t fun c tion . • Connect th e A C power co r d sec ur el y . • Make sure th e V CR is not locked. T o un lock, hold down ? / 1 PO WER on the VCR un[...]

53 T roubleshooting Additiona l Informa tion Timer recordi ng The tim er does no t opera te . • Check th at the clock is set. • Make sure a tape ha s been inserted. • Check that th e safe ty tab has no t been remov ed. • Make sure the tape is not at its end. • Make sure a progr am has been set for ti me r re co rding. • Make sure your t[...]

54 Specifications Specification s System Format VHS NTSC standard V ideo recording system Rotary head helical s canning FM system V ideo heads Double azimuth f our heads V ideo signal NTSC color, EIA standards T ape speed SP: 33. 35 mm/s (1 inches/s) EP: 11.12 mm/s ( inches/s) LP: 16.67 mm/s ( in ches/ s), playback only Maximum r ecording/playbac k[...]

55 Index t o par ts and controls Additiona l Informa tion Inde x to par ts an d con tr ols Refer to th e pages indic ated in parenthe ses ( ) for de tails. Front panel A ? / 1 PO WER switch (34) B Z EJECT bu tton (28) C Remote sensor (7) D T ape compartme nt E m REW (rewind ) b ut ton (28) (37) F H PLA Y b utton (28) G M FF (f ast-forward) b utton [...]

56 Inde x to par ts and c ontrols Displa y window A T ape indica tor (3 1) B TIMER in dicator (34) C Hi-Fi indicator (42 ) D Ti m e co unter/cloc k/line/cha nnel indicator (29) (31) (49) E VCR ind i cator (32) ( 50) Rear panel A A C p o wer cord (9) (13) (15) B LINE OUT A UDIO R/L/VIDEO jacks (10) C LINE IN 1 A UDIO R/L/VIDEO jacks (48) D RF IN (FR[...]

57 Index t o par ts and controls Additiona l Informa tion Remote commander A • TV / VIDE O switch (7) B Z EJECT b utton (28) C TV/VIDEO button (8) (32) D DISPLA Y b utton (31) E SP ( Standar d Play) /EP (E xtende d Play) but ton (31) F INPUT SELECT b utton (32) (4 9) G z REC ( re cord) butt on ( 31) (39 ) H y SLO W button (37) I MENU button (1 7)[...]

58 Inde x to par ts and c ontrols K ? / 1 (po wer) switch (8) (34) L COUNTER/REMAIN b utton (31) M A UDI O MON IT OR b utton ( 42) N CLEAR bu tton (29) (41) O Number b uttons (32) P ENTER butt on (32) Q CH (c hannel ) +/ – b uttons (8) (3 1) R V OL (volume) +/ – bu ttons (8) S SEARCH bu tton (44) T REPL A Y button (28) U × 2 button (37) V COMM[...]

59 Index Inde x A Adju stin g pict ure 46 tracki ng 46 Advanced option 47 Antenna hoo kup 12 Audio t rack 43 Audio/v ideo (A/V) hoo kup 10 Auto Clock Se t 18 Auto T ape Spe ed 35 C Cable h ookup 9 Child Lock 36 Clea ni ng the vide o he ads 52 Clo ck sett ing 18 Commer cia l Skip 28 Conn ecting Cabl e TV 16 extern al an tenna con nector 51 UHF/VHF b[...]

Sony Corporation Printed in China A C68-01066A Quic k reference to using the VCR Hookup 1 To p l a y a t a p e 1 Set the TV to ch annel 3 or 4 (or to video inp ut, if you made A/V co nnections). 2 Insert a tape and press H PLA Y. If t here ’ s no picture o n your T V , press the VCR ’ s T V/V ID EO butt o n unti l the VCR indic ator appear s in[...]