JVC HR-A54U manual

H R-A54U (Hi-Fi) H R-A34U (Monaural) VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER INSTRUCTIONS LPT0013-001A For Customer Use: Enter below the Model No. and Serial No. which are located on the rear of cabinet. Retain this information for future reference. Model No. Serial No. PROG. CHECK PROG. TV operation – Press and hold TV button, then press POWER, TV CH +/–, VOL[...]

2 EN Dear Customer , Thank you for pur chasing the JVC VHS video cassette recorder. Before use, please read the safety information and precautions contained in the following pages to ensure safe use of your new VCR. CAUTIONS W ARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS UNIT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. CAUTION: This video cassette recorder[...]

EN 3 IMPOR T ANT PRODUCT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Electrical ener gy can perform many useful functions. But improper use can result in potential electrical shock or fire hazards. This product has been engineered and manufactured to assure your personal safety . In order not to defeat the built-in safeguards, observe the following basic rules for its ins[...]

4 EN SERVICING 1. Servicing If your product is not operating correctly or exhibits a marked change in performance and you are unable to restore normal operation by following the detailed procedure in its operating instructions, do not attempt to service it yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. [...]

EN 5 CONTENTS E DITING 33 Edit T o Another VCR .................................... 33 Edit From A Camcorder Or Another VCR ...... 34 T ROUBLESHOOTING 35 Power ........................................................ 35 T ape Transport ............................................ 35 Playback .................................................... 35 R[...]

6 EN ANT. IN RF OUT CH3 CH4 OUT R L AUDIO VIDEO Basic Connections INST ALLING YOUR NEW VCR RF OUT ANT . IN (Antenna or Cable input) 75 ohm terminal Back of VCR Antenna or Cable Coaxial Cable Flat Feeder Matching T ransformer (not supplied) AC Power Cord Back of VCR AC Outlet RF Cable (supplied) Audio/V ideo Cable (not supplied) TV CH3 CH4[...]

EN 7 CHECK CONTENTS 1 Make sure the package contains all of the accessories listed in “SPECIFICA TIONS” ( Z pg. 41). SITUA TE VCR 2 Place the VCR on a stable, horizontal surface. CONNECT VCR TO TV 3 The connection method you use depends on the type of TV you have. RF Connection ● T o Connect T o A TV W ith NO A V Input T erminals . . . a– D[...]

8 EN INITIAL SETTINGS Language This VCR offers you the choice to view on-screen messages in English, Spanish or French (not including messages superimposed on the TV picture). Select the desired language using this procedure. The default setting is "ENGLISH". TURN ON THE VCR 1 Press POWER . ACCESS MAIN MENU SCREEN 2 Press MENU . ACCESS IN[...]

EN 9 Clock T urn on the TV and select the VCR channel 3 or 4 (or A V mode). TURN ON THE VCR 1 Press POWER . ACCESS MAIN MENU SCREEN 2 Press MENU . ACCESS INITIAL SET SCREEN 3 At the Main Menu screen, move the highlight bar (arrow) to “INITIAL SET” by pressing CH 5 ∞ or % fi , then press OK or . ACCESS CLOCK SET SCREEN 4 Move the highlight ba[...]

10 EN T uner Set Receivable Channels TURN ON THE VCR 1 Press POWER . ACCESS MAIN MENU SCREEN 2 Press MENU . ACCESS TUNER SET SCREEN 3 Move the highlight bar (arrow) to "TUNER SET" by pressing CH 5 ∞ or % fi , then press OK or . PERFORM AUTO CHANNEL SET 4 Move the highlight bar (arrow) to "AUTO CHANNEL SET" by pressing CH 5 ?[...]

EN 11 Add Or Delete A Channel ACCESS MAIN MENU SCREEN 1 Press MENU . ACCESS TUNER SET SCREEN 2 Move the highlight bar (arrow) to "TUNER SET" by pressing CH 5 ∞ or % fi , then press OK or . ACCESS MANUAL CHANNEL SET SCREEN 3 Move the highlight bar (arrow) to "MANUAL CHANNEL SET" by pressing CH 5 ∞ or % fi , then press OK or[...]

12 EN 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 SIMPLE PLA YBACK AND RECORDING Simple Playback LOAD A CASSETTE 1 Make sure the window side is up, the rear label side is facing you and the arrow on the front of the cassette is pointing towards the VCR. Don’ t apply too much pressure when inserting. ● The VCR’ s power comes on automatically . ● The counter is [...]

EN 13 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 Simple Recording LOAD A CASSETTE 1 Make sure the record safety tab is intact. If not, cover the hole with adhesive tape before inserting the cassette. SELECT RECORDING CHANNEL 2 Press CH 5 ∞ . Or press the appropriate NUMBER keys, then press ENTER . (The channel changes after a few seconds whether you press ENTER or [...]

14 EN Index Search Index codes are placed on the tape at the start of each recording. You can find and automatically play back from the start of any recording using the Index Search function. ST AR T SEARCH 1 While the tape is stopped, press ™ or £ ( or ). ACCESS DIST ANT CODE 2 T o access a recording 2–9 index codes away , press ™ or £ ( o[...]

EN 15 Manual T racking Once playback begins, the VCR’ s automatic tracking function is engaged. If tracking noise appears in the picture, you can override this and make the adjustment manually . ENGAGE MANUAL TRACKING MODE 1 During playback, press the CH 5 and ∞ buttons on the VCR's front panel simultaneously to cancel the automatic tracki[...]

16 EN Video Stabilizer By activating the V ideo Stabilizer you can correct vertical vibrations in the picture when playing back unstable EP recordings that were made on another VCR. When this function is set to "ON", vertical vibration will be automatically corrected. *The default setting is "OFF". ACCESS MAIN MENU SCREEN 1 Pres[...]

EN 17 Repeat Playback 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 C.RESET POWER TIMER FF PAUSE REW PLAY STOP ST AR T REPEA T 1 Press and hold PLAY (until "PLA Y" blinks on the screen) during playback, then release. ● The entire tape is played back 50 times. STOP REPEA T 2 T o stop, press STOP at any time. NOTE: Pressing PLA Y , REW , FF or P AUSE also stop[...]

18 EN Superimpose This function, switchable between ON and OFF , determines whether or not operational indicators will appear on screen. 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 T o recall an indication 1 Press OSD . n All indications corresponding to the current status are displayed for 5 seconds. After that, the counter information and RECORD/P AUSE if in the Rec[...]

EN 19 Select The Soundtrack (HR-A54U Only) Y our VCR can record two soundtracks simultaneously (Normal and Hi-Fi) and play back the selected one, or both together . Or , when viewing a pre-recorded tape that contains two separate Hi-Fi audio programs, you can choose to listen to either one by selecting either "Hi-Fi L" or "Hi-Fi R&qu[...]

20 EN PLA YBACK AND RECORDING FEA TURES (cont.) Auto Picture Auto Picture compensates for variations in tape characteristics to ensure the best possible playback picture. It checks and compensates for the condition of the tape at the beginning of automatic tracking when playback is selected. The default setting is "ON". T urn on the TV an[...]

EN 21 Playback The VCR assesses the quality of the tape once you start playback. Perform steps 1 and 2 on page 12 ("Simple Playback") before continuing. ST AR T PLA YBACK 1 Press PLAY . ● The VCR adjusts the playback picture quality based on the quality of the tape in use. NOTES: ● When using rental tapes, or tapes recorded on other V[...]

22 EN 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 PLA YBACK AND RECORDING FEA TURES (cont.) Record One Pr ogram While W atching Another Recording Features ENGAGE TV MODE 1 During recording... ● Press TV/VCR . The VCR's TV/VCR indicator goes out. (If you are using the RF connection ( Z pg. 6) to view the output from your VCR, the TV broadcast being recorded disa[...]

EN 23 Stereo And SAP (Second Audio Pr ogram) (HR-A54U Only) Y our VCR’ s built-in MTS decoder enables reception of Multi- channel TV Sound broadcasts. The MTS indicator lights during reception of stereo or SAP broadcasts, and when a stereo program is accompanied by SAP audio. When the channel is changed... ● The "STEREO" indication ap[...]

24 EN VCR Plus+ Timer Pr ogramming (HR-A54U Only) TIMER RECORDING T imer recording allows you to program the VCR to automatically record a program that will be broadcast at some future time. The timer record function can be programmed using VCR Plus+ or Express T imer Programming up to 8 shows as far as a year in advance. ( Z pg. 24 or 28) The VCR [...]

EN 25 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 PROG. TIMER PROGRAM 1 (VCR PLUS+ 12345678) ST AR T STOP 8:00PM = 10:00PM DA TE CH 12/24/98 12 SP THU PRESS (8=DAIL Y , 9=WEEKLY STOP+/– = STOP TIME, SP/EP) PRESS (OK) TO END CHECK PROGRAM DA T A 5 The PlusCode number you entered and the matching T imer -Recording informa- tion is displayed on the Program screen. Chec[...]

26 EN 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 VCR Plus+ Setup (HR-A54U Only) T urn on the TV and select the VCR channel 3 or 4 (or A V mode). POWER TIMER RECORDING (cont.) MENU POWER IMPORT ANT If you have moved to a different area or if a broadcasting station's channel number has been changed, the wrong VCR or CABLE CH number will be displayed on the VCR Plu[...]

EN 27 ACCESS GUIDE CHANNEL SET SCREEN 4 Press CH 5 ∞ or % fi to move the highlight bar (arrow) to “GUIDE CHANNEL SET”, then press OK or . INPUT GUIDE CHANNEL NUMBER 5 Press CH 5 ∞ , % fi or the appropriate NUMBER keys to input the VCR Plus+ Guide Channel number as shown in the TV listing. Then press OK or . INPUT RECEIVING CHANNEL NUMBER [...]

28 EN TIMER RECORDING (cont.) Y ou can directly program the VCR’ s timer to record up to 8 shows, as far as a year in advance. Remember , the clock must be set before you can program the timer ( Z pg. 9). Express Timer Pr ogramming T urn on the TV and select the VCR channel 3 or 4 (or A V mode). 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 PROG. START+/– STOP+/– [...]

EN 29 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 NUMBER "9" NUMBER "8" TIMER SET T APE SPEED 7 Press SP/EP to set the tape speed. RETURN TO NORMAL SCREEN 8 Press PROG. or OK . "PROGRAM COMPLETED" appears on the screen for about 5 seconds, then normal screen appears. ENGAGE TIMER MODE 9 Press TIMER . The VCR turns off automatically and th[...]

30 EN 12 3 45 0 6 789 1 2 4 3 TIMER RECORDING (cont.) Check, Cancel And Revise Programs POWER TIMER CH CANCEL START+/– STOP+/– DATE+/– DISENGAGE TIMER 1 Press TIMER , then press POWER . ACCESS PROGRAM CHECK SCREEN 2 Press PROG. CHECK . ACCESS PROGRAM SCREEN 3 Press PROG. CHECK again to check more information. Each time you press PROG. CHECK ,[...]

EN 31 ACCESS MAIN MENU SCREEN 1 Press MENU . ACCESS FUNCTION SET SCREEN 2 Move the highlight bar (arrow) to "FUNCTION SET" by pressing CH 5 ∞ or % fi , then press OK or . SELECT AUTO TIMER SET MODE 3 Move the highlight bar (arrow) to "AUT O TIMER" by pressing CH 5 ∞ or % fi , then press OK or to set to "ON" or &q[...]

32 EN Instant Timer Recording (ITR) This easy method lets you record from 30 minutes to 6 hours (selectable in 30-min. increments) and shuts the VCR off after recording is finished. ST AR T RECORDING 1 Press REC on the front panel. ENGAGE ITR MODE 2 Press REC again. "ITR 0:30" appears on screen and "ITR" blinks for about 5 secon[...]

EN 33 Edit T o Another VCR Y ou can use your VCR as the player and another VCR as the recorder . EDITING MAKE CONNECTIONS 1 Connect an AV cable between your VCR's VIDEO OUT and AUDIO OUT connectors and another VCR’ s VIDEO IN and AUDIO IN connectors. For HR-A54U owners... ● When connecting to a monaural VCR, connect your VCR's AUDIO O[...]

34 EN EDITING (cont.) Edit Fr om A Camcorder Or Another VCR Y ou can use a camcorder or another VCR as the player and your VCR as the recorder . MAKE CONNECTIONS 1 Connect an A V cable between the camcorder ’ s or t he playback VCR's VIDEO OUT and AUDIO OUT connectors and your VCR’ s VIDEO IN and AUDIO IN connectors. For HR-A54U owners... [...]

EN 35 TROUBLESHOOTING Before requesting service for a problem, use this chart and see if you can repair the trouble yourself. Small problems are often easily corrected, and this can save you the trouble of sending your VCR off for repair . POSSIBLE CAUSE ● The power cord is disconnected. ● The TIMER mode is engaged with Auto Timer set to "[...]

36 EN TROUBLESHOOTING (cont.) CORRECTIVE ACTION Set the clock and/or timer correctly . Press TIMER and check to make sure that the TIMER indicator on the front panel lights. Re-perform the set-up procedures. T imer programming can’t be performed when timer recording is in progress. W ait until it finishes. Load a cassette with the record safety t[...]

EN 37 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PLA YBACK Q. What happens if the end of the tape is reached during playback or search? A. The tape is automatically rewound to the beginning. Q. Can the VCR indefinitely remain in the still mode? A. No. It stops automatically after 5 minutes to protect the heads. Q. During search, slow , still and frame-by-frame playback[...]

38 EN INDEX List Of T er ms This guide serves as a quick way to locate frequently used terms and on-screen display names. A Add Channel ............................................................... 1 1 Audio Monitor ............................................................ 19 Auto Channel Setting ...............................................[...]

EN 39 FRONT VIEW CH MENU POWER VIDEO (MONO) L–AUDIO–R STOP/EJECT PAUSE REC REW FF PLAY POWER OK TV/VCR TIMER REC MTB 1 $ # ! @ 8 7 2 3 4 5 6 9 0 1 Power On/Off Button ( Z pg. 8) 2 Cassette Loading Slot 3 Rewind [REW] Button ( Z pg. 12) 4 PLA Y Button ( Z pg. 12) 5 Fast-Forward [FF] Button ( Z pg. 12) 6 VIDEO /AUDIO Input Connectors ( Z pg. 34) [...]

40 EN REMOTE CONTROL 1 PROG. Button ( Z pg. 24, 28) 2 TV Button (See below) 3 DISPLA Y Button (No Function) 4 TV/VCR Button ( Z pg. 22) 5 Recording Speed [SP/EP] Button ( Z pg. 13) 6 ENTER Button ( Z pg. 13) On-Screen Display [OSD] Button ( Z pg. 18) 7 CANCEL Button ( Z pg. 30) Counter [C.] RESET Button ( Z pg. 17) 8 ST AR T +/– Button ( Z pg. 28[...]

EN 41 GENERAL Power requirement : AC 120 V ` , 60 Hz Power consumption Power on : 22 W (HR-A54U) : 20 W (HR-A34U) Power off : 2 W T emperature Operating : 5°C to 40°C (41°F to 104°F) Storage : –20°C to 60°C (–4°F to140°F) Operating position : Horizontal only Dimensions (W x H x D) : 360 x 94 x 273 mm (1 4 -3/ 16 " x 3 -3/4 " x[...]

42 EN HOW TO LOCA TE YOUR JVC SERVICE CENTER TOLL FREE: 1-800-252-5722 JVC SER VICE & ENGINEERING COMP ANY OF AMERICA DIVISION OF US JVC CORP . F ACTORY SERVICE CENTER LOCA TIONS If you ship the product... ACCESSORIES 107 Little Falls Road 1500 Lakes Parkway 705 Enterprise Street Fairfield, NJ 07004-2105 Lawrenceville, GA 30243-5857 Aurora, IL [...]

EN 43 LIMITED WARRANTY CONSUMER VIDEO 1-90 JVC COMP ANY OF AMERICA warrants this product and all parts thereof, except as set forth below ONL Y TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER A T RET AIL to be FREE FROM DEFECTIVE MA TERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP from the date of original retail purchase for the period as shown below . ("The Warranty Period") THIS LI[...]

HR-A54U/34U COPYRIGHT © 1998 VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN, LTD. U/U(C) Printed in Malaysia 0298 IYV * UN * PJ JV C COMP ANY OF AMERIC A DIVISION OF US JVC CORP . 4 1 Slater Drive, Elmwood Park, N. J. 07407 JV C CANADA INC. 21 Finchdene Square, Scarborough Ontario M1X 1A7[...]