RCA VR539 manual

USER’S GUIDE VR539 Important Information .............i T able of Contents .....................1 Hooking Up the VCR .................2 Setting Up the VCR ...................7 Using the Remote Control .......12 Playing a T ape .......................18 Recording a Program .............25 References.............................35 Index ...........[...]

i Introduction WARNING RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. This symbol indicates “dangerous voltage” inside the product that presents a risk of electric shock or personal injury. This symbol indic[...]

1 Introduction T able of Contents Important Infor mation Warnings ______________________________ i Cautions ______________________________ i Note to Cable TV Installer _______________ i Product Registration ____________________ i Hooking Up the VCR Choosing a Hookup ____________________ 2 Antenna or Cable System Without a Cable Box ________________[...]

2 Hooking Up the VCR Choosing a Hookup The hookups on pages 3 through 5 are divided into two hookup types: Basic (A) and Advanced (B). The basic hookup shows the backs of TVs that have only an antenna/cable connection. It is the easier of the two and additional accessories may not be needed. The advanced hookup shows the VCR hooked up to a monitor/[...]

3 Hooking Up the VCR Back of TV Back of VCR 300/75 Ohm Adapter OR From Antenna or Cable Cable/ Antenna VHF UHF OR RF Coaxial Cable (supplied) 75 to 75/300 Ohm Separator IN FROM ANTENNA OUT TO TV CH 34 INPUT AUDIO VIDEO OUTPUT AUDIO VIDEO Antenna or Cable System Without a Cable Box A. Basic hookup. Use this hookup for a simple connection which requi[...]

4 Hooking Up the VCR Cable System With Cable Box to Unscramble All Channels OUT IN Cable Box From Cable RF Coaxial Cable Back of TV Back of VCR Cable/ Antenna VHF UHF OR RF Coaxial Cable (supplied) 75 to 75/300 Ohm Separator IN FROM ANTENNA OUT TO TV CH 3 4 INPUT AUDIO VIDEO OUTPUT AUDIO VIDEO OUT IN Cable Box From Cable RF Coaxial Cable S-VIDEO AU[...]

5 Hooking Up the VCR Cable System With Cable Box to Unscramble Pay Channels (such as HBO, Showtime, Pay-Per-View, etc.) OUT IN Cable Box From Cable RF Coaxial Cable f Back of VCR Cable/ Antenna VHF UHF OR RF Coaxial Cable (supplied) 75 to 75/300 Ohm Separator IN FROM ANTENNA OUT TO TV CH 3 4 INPUT AUDIO VIDEO OUTPUT AUDIO VIDEO OUT IN Cable Box Bac[...]

6 Hooking Up the VCR Connecting T wo VCRs for Copying T apes IN FROM ANTENNA OUT TO TV Playback VCR Recording VCR RF Coaxial Cable (supplied) RF Coaxial Cable From Antenna, Cable or Cable Box Use the hookup to the TV as previously selected on pages 3, 4, or 5. Audio/Video Cables or IN FROM ANTENNA OUT TO TV CH 3 4 INPUT AUDIO VIDEO OUTPUT AUDIO VID[...]

7 Setting Up the VCR 1. Check accessories with VCR. Contact your dealer if any items are missing. 2. Inser t batteries in remote. 3. T urn on the TV . A. Turn on the TV. B . If you used one of the basic hookups, tune the TV to the channel selected with the CH3 CH4 switch on back of VCR. If you used one of the advanced hookups, tune the TV to the TV[...]

8 Setting Up the VCR 5. Use the on-screen menu system. Point and Select is the method you use to move through the menu system. There are two ways to accomplish this method. One is using the MENU•PROG and number buttons on the remote that correspond to the numbered menu items. The second way is using MENU•PROG or MENU and arrow buttons on the re[...]

Setting Up the VCR 6. Place channels in the VCR’ s memory . Channels 2 through 13 including line input ( L1/L2 ) are in the VCR’s memory when you first turn it on. Pressing CHANNEL up or down stops on these channels. To get additional channels available on your antenna or cable system, you must use the Auto- Search Channels feature of the VCR. [...]

VCR MAIN MENU 1 VCR Plus+ Programming 2 Timer Programming 3 Review Programs 4 Channel Setup 5 VCR Setup Options 1 VCR Plus+ Programming 10 Setting Up the VCR 8. Use TV•VCR button. Skip this step if you used one of the advanced hookups. When using one of the basic hookups, the TV•VCR button lets you switch between the picture coming from the VCR[...]

1 1 Setting Up the VCR Star tup 10. Set the time and date. This --:-- appears in the clock area of the VCR’s display panel. A . Press MENU•PROG on remote to display the VCR MAIN MENU on the TV screen. B . Press 6 to display SET VCR CLOCK . C . Enter the time and date with the number buttons on the remote. • Press 0 before single-digit numbers[...]

12 Using the Remote Control Buttons EDIT F.ADV SEARCH SLOW TRACKING MUTE PREV CH DISPLAY INPUT CLEAR SPEED REW PLAY FF STOP PAUSE REC + _ MENU PROG * P O W E R V C R 1 C A B L E T V V C R 2 • L D A U X 1 4 7 3 6 9 2 5 8 0 C H A N V O L C H A N V O L TV•VCR MOVE AUX (Auxiliary) Used with POWER button to turn on a compatible RCA audio component. [...]

13 Using the Remote Contr ol Arrow Buttons (MOVE ) Allow you to move through the menus, enter data and change settings of selected features. CHAN (Channel) Up or Down Selects next higher or lower channel in the TV’s channel memory when remote is set to control a TV. CLEAR Removes menus or status displays from the screen. DISPLAY Shows the status [...]

14 Using the Remote Contr ol Contr olling a VCR The VCR’s remote controls two compatible RCA, ProScan or GE VCRs with the VCR1 and VCR2•LD buttons. Most compatible VCRs automatically respond to VCR1 without being programmed. If you own two compatible VCRs, test them to see if VCR1 turns on both VCRs. If it does, then you may want to program thi[...]

15 Using the Remote Contr ol Contr olling a TV The VCR‘s remote is preprogrammed to control the basic functions of a compatible RCA, ProScan, or GE TV. The remote can also be set up to control other manufacturer‘s brands. To program the remote for another manufacturer’s TV, enter the code that corresponds to your brand. Program the remote for[...]

The CABLE button on the VCR’s remote is preprogrammed to control either a compatible RCA cable box or an RCA DSS satellite receiver. If the cable box is another manufacturer’s brand and it has its own remote, then you may be able to program the VCR’s remote to control the cable box. To program the remote for another manufacturer’s cable box[...]

17 Using the Remote Contr ol Contr olling an RCA Auxiliary Component The remote that came packed with your VCR can control only compatible RCA audio components, such as a radio, CD player, tape player or turntable. The remote must be programmed for the specific component the remote is to control. To program the remote, use the code that corresponds[...]

18 Playing a T ape Operating Instructions To play a tape 1 . Turn on the TV and tune it to channel 3, 4, or TV’s video input to see the picture from the VCR. 2 . Insert a tape in the VCR. VCR automatically turns on. The cassette-in indicator lights, and the VCR indicator lights if the Auto TV/VCR feature is set to ON . The tape automatically begi[...]

19 Playing a T ape Using the Playback Featur es Auto Play Feature This feature lets you tell the VCR whether you want it to automatically start playing a tape that is inserted with the safety tab removed. 1 . Press MENU•PROG on the remote to see the VCR MAIN MENU on the TV screen. 2 . Press 5 to select the SETUP OPTIONS menu. 3 . Press 3 to selec[...]

20 Playing a T ape DISPLA Y Button 1. Press DISPLAY to display the status of the VCR, channel number, time counter, date, time, and tape speed on the TV screen. The time and date must be set before they are displayed. If you do not press DISPLAY again, this display times out. 2. Press DISPLAY again to continually display the time counter on the TV [...]

21 Playing a T ape Time Counter The time counter shows the actual time it takes to record a program or play back a segment of a prerecorded tape. It helps locate the beginning or end of programs you taped. The time counter resets to 0:00:00 whenever the tape is ejected from the VCR. For example, if a 30-minute program was recorded at the beginning [...]

Playing a T ape Time Search The VCR searches forward or reverse for the amount of time you select from the location where you are on the tape. 1. Insert the prerecorded tape and press STOP . 2. Press SEARCH on the remote twice to display the TIME SEARCH menu on the TV screen. 3. Press number buttons to enter the amount of time in hours and minutes [...]

23 Playing a T ape Blank Search The VCR searches for blank portions of the tape that are more than six seconds in length. 1. Insert the tape and press STOP . 2. Press SEARCH on the remote four times to display the BLANK SEARCH menu on the TV screen. 3. Press F.FWD on the VCR or FF on the remote to begin searching for six seconds of blank tape. A me[...]

24 Playing a T ape A uto Repeat You can play a portion of a program or an entire program over and over again. The portion or program cannot exceed a maximum length of 9 hours and 59 minutes. 1 . Insert a pre-recorded tape and press STOP. 2 . Go to the beginning of the segment you wish to repeat and press STOP. 3 . Press DISPLAY twice to bring up th[...]

25 Recording a Program T ypes of Recor dings Your VCR provides different types of recording. These types are explained in the following sections: Basic Recording – Operating Instructions Express (XPR) Recording Recording While You're Away VCR Plus+ Recording Timer Recording Using Two VCRs for Copying Tapes Basic Recording – Operating Instr[...]

26 Recording a Program Recor ding Features Recording Speeds Pressing the SPEED button on the VCR or remote selects a recording speed (SP, LP, or SLP). The speed you select appears on the TV screen. SP (Standard Play) gives the best quality recording. That is why most prerecorded, rental tapes are recorded in SP. Fewer programs can be recorded on th[...]

27 Recording a Program Expr ess Recording (XPR) CLEAR DISPLAY CHANNEL PROGRAM XPR MENU VIDEO IN AUDIO IN TV•VCR SPEED REW PLAY STOP F.FWD REC•XPR PAUSE TRACKING POWER EJECT SLP VCR SPEED Express recording lets you record up to four hours without using the timer program feature. The VCR will turn off automatically at the end of the recording. Op[...]

28 Recording a Program Recor ding While Y ou’re A way 1. Press MENU•PROG to display the VCR MAIN MENU on the TV screen . 2. Press 4 to select CHANNEL SETUP menu. 3. Press 4 to select Sat./Cable Box Setup menu. 4. If cable box or satellite receiver is not used for all channels: Press 2. You are finished with Sat./Cable Box Setup . If cable box o[...]

29 Recording a Program Recor ding While Y ou’re A way (VCR Plus+* Recor ding) *VCR Plus+ and PlusCode are trademarks of Gemstar Development Corporation. VCR Plus+ Setup for Antenna System, Cable System Requiring No Cable Box, or Cable Box That VCR Can Control A VCR Plus+ channel number is assigned for each broadcast or cable channel. These number[...]

30 VCR MAIN MENU 1 VCR Plus+ Programming 1 VCR Plus+ Programming Recording a Program Recor ding While Y ou’re A way (VCR Plus+ Recor ding) The VCR Plus+ and timer program features let you program the VCR to record up to eight different programs within a one year period. Before using VCR Plus+ to record a program, make sure that: • The clock is [...]

31 Recording a Program Recor ding While Y ou’re A way (Timer Recor ding) You can set a timer program with the TV on or the TV off. The timer program feature lets you program the VCR to record up to eight different programs within a one year period. Before setting the timer, make sure that: • The clock is set correctly. • A tape with safety ta[...]

32 Recording a Program Recor ding While Y ou’re A way (Timer Recording) Setting a Timer Recording With TV Off (Clock On VCR ) 1. Use the PROGRAM XPR and the up or down buttons behind right front panel control door to enter the information. 2. Press PROGRAM XPR to bring up the display. The channel number flashes. 3. Press the up or down arrow to s[...]

33 Recording a Program Recor ding While Y ou’re A way (Timer Recor ding) Timer Recording From the VCR’s Line Input The line input refers to the signal coming from the AUDIO and VIDEO IN jacks of the VCR. Recording from the line input is convenient if you have a satellite receiver or similar component attached to these jacks. To timer record fro[...]

34 Recording a Program Using T wo VCRs for Copying and Editing T apes Operating Instructions (Refer to hookup on page 6.) Use one VCR as the playback VCR and the other as the recording VCR. If you have two compatible VCR’s, use the AutoEdit™ feature described below. 1. Turn on the TV and VCRs. 2. Tune TV to the VCR viewing channel, either 3, 4,[...]

35 References Location of Contr ols CLEAR DISPLAY CHANNEL PROGRAM XPR MENU VIDEO IN AUDIO IN TV•VCR SPEED REW PLAY STOP F. FWD REC•XPR PAUSE TRACKING POWER EJECT VCR SLP Arrow Buttons Moves through the menu system when VCR MAIN MENU is on the TV screen. Used for a timer recording with the TV off. AUDIO IN Jack (L2) Receives audio signals from a[...]

36 References Time Counter or Time Channel Number or L1 or L2 Status Cassette-In Tape Speed VCR AM SLP VCR Cassette-in Indicator ( ) Lights when a tape is in the VCR. Channel Number or L1 or L2 The channel number or line input ( L1 or L2 ) is displayed. Status Indicators Show what the VCR is doing. EJECT Ejecting Tape FFWD Fast forward HELLO Turned[...]

37 References Location of Contr ols Back Panel CH3 CH4 Switch Selects the channel to which you will tune the TV to see the VCR picture if you connect the VCR using one of the basic hookups. IN FROM ANTENNA Connector Receives a signal from an antenna or cable system when attached. OUT TO TV Connector Passes signal to TV using the cable supplied. VID[...]

38 continued on next page References T r ouble Checks Sometimes problems can be easily solved by checking a few basic things. Check below before you call for help or take your VCR to an Authorized RCA VCR Servicenter. N o power VCR does not respond to remote Remote no longer controls an RCA TV Remote no longer controls a compatible TV, cable box, s[...]

Rewind does not operate VCR plus+ or timer recording not made or wrong program recorded Clock shows incorrect time or date VCR makes noise when stopped Will not Auto-Search active channels correctly Cannot add or remove channels Tape plays back in slow motion Cannot select channels over 69 Cassette with safety tab removed does not start to play aut[...]

40 References Limited W arranty What your warranty covers: • Any defect in material or workmanship. For how long after your purchase: • Ninety days for labor charges. • One year for parts. The warranty period for rental units begins with the first rental. What we will do: • Pay any Authorized RCA VCR Servicenter the labor charges to repair [...]

41 References Format: VHS Record/Playback Video: 4-Head System: Audio: 2 Head record/playback system Video Signal System: EIA standard: NTSC color Antenna: 75-ohm external VHF/UHF combined antenna terminal Tuner: USA: 181 channels capability* (125 cable channels) Canada: 178 channels capability* (122 cable channels) Type: AutoProgramming frequency [...]

42 References Index A Accessories, Included ........................................7 Add or Remove Channels from Memory .......9 ADD/REMOVE CHANNEL Menu .....................9 Antenna Connections .....................................2,3 Arrow Buttons .....................................8,12,13,35 Audio Components, Controlling With Remote ........[...]

43 References F.FWD (Fast Forward) Button ......................................19,21-23,34,36 FF (Fast Forward)Button .......12,19,21,22,23,34 Frame Advance ...........................................12,20 Front Panel ........................................................35 G Go-To Search Feature ......................................22 Guide, I[...]

44 References Index Stopping Express Recording .....................................27 Timer Recording ........................................32 VCR Plus+ Recording................................30 T Table of Contents ...............................................1 Tape, Playing ....................................................18 Time and Dat[...]

45 Notes[...]

Thomson Consumer Electronics 600 N Sherman Dr , PO Box 1976 Indianapolis, IN 46206 © 1994 Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. Trademark(s) ® Registered Marca(s) Registrada(s) Printed in Singapore Part Number 94-VR539-1 For your nearest Home Entertainment Dealer or Authorized Servicenter call toll-free in the U.S.A. 1-800-336-1900 Canadian Consumer[...]