Optimus 111, 61 User Manual

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MODEL 111/MODEL 61

Cat. No. 16-548/631

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

4-Head VHS HQ VCR

4-Head VHS HQ Hi-Fi VCR

GROUND CLAM PS

NEC - NATI ON AL ELE CTRI CAL C ODE

EXAMPLE OF ANT ENNA GROUNDI NG AS P ER

NATIONAL ELE CTRICAL CODE

WIRE

DISCHARGE UNIT (NEC SECTION 810-20)

GROUNDING CONDUCTORS (NEC SECTION 810-21)

ELECTRODE SYSTEM (NEC ART 250, PART H)

SERVICE EQUIPMENT

CLAMP

ANTENNA

LEAD IN

ANTENNA

POWER SERVICE GROUNDING

GROUND

ELECTRIC

FIGURE A

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Read instructions

— All the safety and operatin instructio ns shou ld b e read b efore t he ap pli ance is operated.

Retain Instructions

— The safet

and opera ting instruc-

tions should be retained for future reference.

Heed Warnings

3. the operatin

Follow Instructions

— All warnin

s on the ap plianc e an d in

instructions should be adhered to.

— All operatin

and use instructions

should be followed.

Cleaning

5. cleanin ers. Use a damp cloth for cl eanin

Attachments

6. mended b

— Unplu

the VCR from t he wall outle t before

it. Do no t use liq uid clea ners or ae rosol clea n-

— Do not use attachments not recom-

the VCR manufacturer as they may cause

hazards.

Water and Moisture

— Do not us e thi s V CR nea r w ater — for e xample, near a bat h tub, w ash bowl, kitchen sink, or laundr

tub, in a wet base ment, or near a swi mmin

pool.

Accessori es

— Do not plac e this VCR on an unstable

cart, stand , tripod, brac ket, or table. The VCR ma

serious injury to someone an d serious damage

causi n to the appliance. Use onl bracket, or t able recommend ed b sold with the VCR. An

with a cart, stand, tripod,

the manufacturer or

mounting of the appliance should follow th e manufacturer ’s instructi ons and should us e a mountin

accessory recommend ed by the manu facturer. An applianc e and cart c om bi nation should be move d with care.

Quick sto ps, excessiv e force, a nd uneven su rfaces ma cause an appl i ance and car t co mbination to overturn.

fall,

This VCR sho uld ne ve r be pl aced ne ar or ov er a radi ator or heat re

ister. This VCR should not be placed in a builtin install ation such as a boo kcase or rac k unless prop er ventilation is provided or the manufacturer’s instructions have bee n adhered to.

Power Sources

10.

— This VCR should be operated on l from the type of po wer source indicated o n the marki n labe l. I f you are not sur e of th e type of power supplied to

our home, consul t your appli ance deale r or loca l power

. For VCRs intended to operate from batter

compan power or other sources, re fer to the operating instructions.

Grounding and Polarization

11 .

with a polarized alternatin in

one b lade wi der t han th e ot her). Th is plug will fit into

the power ou tle t o nl

one way. This is a safety feature. If

— Thi s VCR is equipp ed

-curren t line plug (a plug hav-

ou are unable to insert the plug fully into the outle t, tr

reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact

our electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not

defeat the safet

Power-Cord Protection

12. be routed so the pinched b

purpose of the polarize d pl ug.

— Power-suppl

cords s hould

are not likely to be walked on or

items placed upon or against them , payin particula r atte ntion t o cords at plugs, conven ience re ce ptacles, and the point where the

Outdoor Antenna Grounding

13. or cable s

stem is con nected to the VCR , be sure the antenna or cable s some protection a char

es.

ainst v oltage surges and built -u p stati c

stem is grounded so as to provide

exit from the appliance.

— If an outside antenna

Section 81 0 of the Natio nal Ele ctrical Code, ANSI/N FPA No. 70-198 4, prov ides in format ion wi th re spec t to pr oper

rounding of the mast and sup porting structure, ground-

of the le ad- in wi re t o an an tenn a d isc harge unit, size

in of

rounding conduct ors, location o f antenna-disch arge unit, connection to ments for the

rounding electrodes, and require-

rounding electrode.

Ventilation

— Slots and o pen in

s in the cabi net and the back or bottom are prov i ded for ventilat i on and to ensure reliable ope ration of t he VCR and t o prot ect it from o ve rheatin

. These openings must not be b l ocked or cover ed. The openin VCR on a bed, sofa, ru

s should never be blocked by placing the

, or ot he r s i mi l ar sur face.

Commer cial Ad vance is a trademark of Ar thur D. Little Enterprises, A Jerry Iggulden invention licensed by Arthur D. Little Enterprises.

Optimus is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation

RadioShack is a trademark used by Tandy Corporation.

y by

CAUTION

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Lightning

14. durin unused for l on outlet and d isconn ect the antenna or cabl e s will prevent dama power-line sur

Power Lines

15. be locate d i n t he vicinit electric li such power lines or circuits. When installin antenna s from touchin them mi

Overloading

16. sion cords as this can re sult in a risk of fire or elec tric shock.

Object and Liquid Entry

17. kind into this VCR through openings as they may touch dan result in a fire or electric shock. Never s pill liquid of an kind on the VCR.

Servicing

18. as openin

qualifie d service personnel.

Damage Requiring Service

19. the wall outlet and r efer servi cin sonnel under the follow i n

• When the power -suppl

• If liquid has been spilled or objects have fall en into the

• If the VCR has been exposed to rain or water.

• If the VCR does not ope rate no rmal l

• If the VCR has be en dropped or the cabinet has been

• When the VCR exhibits a distinct chan

Replacement Parts

20. required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts, specified b have the sa me c harac teri stic s as the ori thorized substitutions ma injur

— For added protecti on for this VCR receiv er

a lightning storm, or when it is left unattende d and

erous voltage points o r short out parts that could

erous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to

ed.

fra

VCR.

operatin are covered b adjustment of other controls ma and will often require extensive work b technici an to restore the VCR to its no rm al operation.

dama

mance — t hi s indicates a need for servi ce.

to persons or other hazar ds.

periods of time, unplug it from the wall

e to the VCR due to lightning and

es.

— An outside antenna s

of overhead power lines or o th er

ht or power circuits, or where it can fall into

stem, extreme care should be taken to keep

such power lines or circuits as contact with

ht be fatal.

— Do not overload wall outlets and exten-

— Neve r push ob jects o f an

— Do not attempt to service this VCR

or remov ing covers may expose you to dan-

— Unplu

conditions:

cord or plug is damaged or

instructions. Adjust only those c ontrol s that

the operating instructions, as improper

ed.

— When replacement parts are

result in fire, electric shock,

stem should not

an outside

this VCR from

to qualified servic e per-

following the

result in damage

a qualified

e in perfor-

the manufacturer, that

inal part. Una u-

stem. This

ourself

Safety Check

21. repairs to this VCR, ask the service technician to perform routine safet proper operatin

Heat

22.

— This V CR pr odu ct s houl d be s it uated awa heat sources such as radiators, heat re other products (includin

— Upon completion of an

checks to determine that the VCR is in

conditi on .

amplifiers) that produce heat.

service or

from

isters, stoves, or

Note to the cable TV system installer:

This reminder is to call the CATV system installer’s attention to Section 820-40 of the National Electrical Code, which provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as practical.

WARNING:

To prevent fire or shock hazard,

do not expose this VCR to rain or moisture.

RISK OF ELEC TRI C SHO CK.

CAUTION

DO NOT OPEN

: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK, DO N OT REMOVE COVER OR B ACK. NO USER-SERVICEABL E PARTS INSIDE. REFE R SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

This symbol is intended to alert you to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the VCR’s enclosure that might be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electr ic shoc k. Do not open the VC R’s case.

This symbol is intended to inform you that important operating and maintenance instruc-

tions are included in the literature accompanying this VCR.

g Sy

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FEATURES

Your Optimus Model 111 4-Head VHS HQ VCR/Model 61 4-Head VHS HQ Hi-Fi VCR offers some of the most advanced features available in home video cassette recorders.

Your VCR’s PLL (phase-locked loop) tuning ensures extremely a ccurate tuning of up to 68 VHF and UHF channels and up to 125 cable channels. The VCR’s full-function universal remote control and on-screen programming make the VCR easy to use. The front panel audio/video jacks make it easy to connect to a camcorder.

Your VCR offers all these features:

The Model 61 includes all of the M odel

Note:

111’s features, but adds Hi-Fi stereo that delivers CD-quality sound for audio/video o r audioonly recordings.

RECORDING/PLAYBACK

26-Micron Record/Play Head

the picture quality at the EP (Extended Play) playback speed.

— enhances

— automatically re-

Auto Repeat Pla

winds the tape for repeat playback when the tape reaches the end of the tape or t he recording.

Eas

-to-Use Immediate Recordin

you start a recording immediately and have the VCR automatically stop recording after a length of time you select.

1-Month, 8-Event, Di

program the VCR to make up to eight unattended recordings (daily, weekly, or o ne-time) within a 1-month period.

Automatic Pla

matically plays, rewinds, and ejects a tape if the tape’s erase protection tab is removed.

Fast-Response S

cassette’s tape next to the playback/record head for immediate playback or recording.

Real-Time Counter with Memor

the actual length of time a tape plays or records, and allows you to mark and return to a location on the tape.

back

ital Timer

back/Rewind/Eject

— positions the video

stem

— lets you

— displays

— lets

— auto-

Four Double-Azimuth Video Heads

vide superior picture quality and special ef fects compared with standard single-azimuth fourhead VCRs.

AI (Artificial Intelli duction S

screen when playing back a worn or partially damaged tape.

Commercial Advance

tects and skips over most commercials when you play back a tape.

Auto Trackin

justs tracking when you start playback.

stem

ence) Video Noise Re-

— reduces noise on the

— automatically de-

— automatically ad-

stem

— pro-

TUNING

179-Channel, Digital-PLL, Cable-Compatible

— lets you tune to up to 68 VHF and

Tuner

UHF channels and up to 125 cable channels.

Tuner Mem or

ly stores all the active channels in your area into me mory.

Programmin

— automatical-

TAPE CONTROL

Fast-Forward/Rewin d with Visua l Search

Freeze-Frame/Frame Advance/Slow-Motion

Automatic Rewind

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OTHER FEATURES

Multich annel Television So un d ( MTS) (Model 61 only)

listening or recording. This VCR can also receive and record special audio programs (SAP) that accompany some MTS broadcasts.

Front and Rear Audio/Video Input Jack s

let you quickly connect an audio/video device such as a camcorder to the VCR without disconnecting other devices.

Trilingual On-Screen Programming

vides helpful instructions on the TV screen f or setting the clock, programming timers, and starting quick timer recordings. You can select English, French, or Spanish instructions.

Universal Remote Control

your VCR, plus TVs and cable boxes produced by other manufacturers.

Memory Sentinel

tuner programming information, and timer memory settings in case of a power loss. The clock continues to run for 3 minutes and tuner programming information and timer memory settings are kept for 24 hours.

— decodes stereo broadcasts for

—

— pro-

— lets you control

— protects clock settings,

VCR Lock

young children from operating it.

We recommend you record the VCR’s model and serial number here. This info rmation is on the VCR’s back panel.

Model: _______________________________ Serial Number: __________________ ______

— lets you se t the VC R to p reven t

Automatic/Manual Clock Setting

set the VCR to automatically update its clock using EDS (Extended Data Service) signals sent by some stations. You can also manually set the clock.

Note:

EDS is provided by some broadcasters and includes various types of information, including the current time. If no broa dcasters in your area transmit EDS signals, you must manually set the clock.

Automatic DST (Daylight Saving Time) Adjustm ent

cally adjust the displayed time for Daylight Saving Time.

— lets you set the VCR to automati-

— lets you

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CONTENTS

Before Yo u Begin ...... .................................................................. ................................................. 7

Accessories ......................................................................................................................... .... 7

Moisture Condensation ............................................................................................................ 7

Using This Manual ................................................................................................................... 7

Installation ......................................................................................................................... ........... 8

Common Connection s ........................................... ................................................................. . 8

Home Theater Connections (Model 61 Only) .................... ....... ....... ..... ....... ....... ....... ..... ....... 11

Camcorder Connec tions ....... ................................................................... .............................. 12

Connecting Power .............................................................................................................. .. . 12

VCR Setup ....... .................................................................. ............................................ ............. 13

Setting the 3 CH. 4 Switch ..................................................................................................... 13

Remote Control ...... ................................................................................. .............................. 13

Initial Set Up .......................................................................................................................... 14

Setting the Remote Control’s Codes ..................................................................................... 19

Operation .................................................................................................................................... 20

Watc h i ng TV ......................... ................................................................................. ................ 20

Viewi ng a Video Tape .................. ................................................................................. ....... .. 21

Special Functions ............................................................................ .......................................... 22

Special Displays .................................................................................................................... 22

Skipping Commercials ........................................................................................................... 22

Tape Motion Controls . ............................................................................................................ 24

Real-Time Counter ................................................................................................................ 25

Locking the VCR .................................................................................................................... 25

Repeat Play . . ......................................................................................................................... 25

Tracking ................................................................................................................................. 26

Recordin

Recording Speeds ........................................................ .......... ....... .. .......... ....... .. ....... ............ 27

Tape Se lection ....................................................................................................................... 27

Erase Protection .................................................................................................................... 27

Selecting the Signal to Record .............................................................................................. 28

Receiving/Recording Stereo/SAP Broadcasts (Model 61 Only) ............................................ 28

Immediate Recording ............................................................................................................ 29

Automatic Timer Recording ................................................................................................... 30

Dubbing ................................................................................................................................. 33

Audio-Only Recording (Model 61 Only) ................................................................................. 33

Additional Information ............................................................................................................... 34

Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................................... 34

Care and Maintenance .......................................................................................................... 35

Specifications ........................................................................................................................ 37

................................................................................................................................... 27

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BEFORE YOU BEGIN

ACCESSORIES

Be sure to remove these items before you store the packing material.

• Remote Control

• 75-ohm Coaxial Cable

Depending upon your audio/video system setup, you might need add itional cables or a dapters. Read “Installation” on Page 8 to determine your specific needs.

MOISTURE CONDENSATION

Condensation inside the VCR can cause tape jams or video head damage. When you move the VCR from a cold area to a warmer one, let it sit for about 2 ho urs before y ou plug it in and begin operation. This allows any moisture inside the VCR to completely evaporate.

USING THIS MANUAL

This manual has these major sections:

Recordin

for recording.

Additiona l Informatio n

shooting section, care and maintenance procedures, and the VCR’s specifications.

We recommend that you rea d through at leas t “Installation” on Page 8 and “VCR Setup” on Page 13 thoroughly, to be sure you correctly install and set up your VCR.

When reading through this manual, keep the following in mind:

• Some buttons on the remote control also appear on the VCR. You can use these buttons to operate the same functions. Other procedures use only the VCR’s buttons, or only the remote control’s.

• Some buttons are labeled differently on the VCR and on the remote control. Since y ou use the remote control most often to change settings and f unctions , this ma nual only refers to the remote control’s labels. But, unless otherwise noted, you can use either the remote control’s or the VCR’s buttons at any time.

— describes the different methods

— includes a trouble-

Installation

VCR to your audio/video system.

Setup

and using the remote control, setting the onscreen programming language, setting the channels your VCR can tune, and setting the clock.

Basic Operation

using the TV’s or VCR’s tuner, select channels using the VCR’s tuner, and load and play a video tape.

Special Functions

on the VCR’s display and the TV screen and how to fast-forward and rewind a tape; use the VCR’s special playback, display, and search features; set the tracking manually; improve playback of worn or damage d v ideo tapes ; use skip search; and use VCR lock.

— shows you how to connect the

— includes procedures for preparing

— explains how to watch TV

— describes what appears

• All buttons, switches, and jacks on the VCR and all buttons on the remote control are shown in this manual.

• Information that appears on the TV screen is shown in this typeface:

• Information that appears on the VCR’s display is shown in this typeface: VCR

• The VCR displays menu s and options on the TV you connect it to, and other information (such as tape motion indicators, the real-time counter, etc.) on its display.

If a menu disappears before you finish entering information, simply locate the step where you first pressed repeat that step and all steps that follow.

BOLD UPPERCASE

PLAY

on the remote control, then

letters in

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INSTALLATION

COMMON CONNECTIONS

Refer to the illustrations on Pages 9 and 10 for these connections.

Some connection s shown in this section

Note:

might require additional supplies, available from your local RadioShack store.

Connect the VCR to your TV for pla

back. You can connect:

• Your VCR’s TV’s antenna jack, using a 75-ohm coaxial cable

Caution:

OUT TO TV

an antenna connected. Doing so can interfere with other receivers.

• Your VCR’s TV’s separate VHF/UHF antenna jacks, using a 75-ohm coaxial cable and a VHF/UHF splitter/combiner

• Your VCR’s jacks to your TV’s audio/video jacks, using a audio/video cable

For the best quality recordings,

Note:

use high-quality A/V cables to make these connections.

Connect a signal source to the VCR for recordin (choos e one):

• An outside antenna, using a 7 5-ohm coaxial cable, to the VCR’s

ANT

jack

• An outside antenna, using 300-ohm lead-in wire and a 300-to-75 ohm transformer, to the VCR’s

ANT

jack

• Your CATV (cable) company, using the 75-ohm coaxial cable directly from the cable company, to the VCR’s

OUT TO TV

Never connect the VCR’s

jack to a terminal th a t has

OUT TO TV

AUDIO 1/VIDEO 1 OUT

. You can connect

IN FROM ANT

jack to your

IN FR OM

IN FROM

jack

Caution:

direct connections to cable wires (connections that do not go through a cable box). Check the laws in your area before you make connections.

• A cable converter box t o t he VCR’s

FROM ANT

There are many Cable TV sys-

Note:

tems in use. If you subscribe to Cable TV service and cannot record Cable TV programs, contact your local Cable TV service provider. Most Cable TV service providers offer connection help.

Connection Notes:

Because of the complexity of the variations possible when using additional video acce ssories, such as video signal switches, splitters, and combiners, such configurations are not shown in this manual.

You can also connect an optional video source, such as a camcorder, another VCR, or a DSS s

our VCR using A/V cables. Simpl

connect it as shown.

• You can connect three video sources directly to your VCR. To do so, you connect one source to the on the back of the VCR using A/V cables, one to the ohm coaxial cable, and another source to

AV2 VIDEO/AUDIO IN

the of the VCR (see “Camcorder Connections” on Page 12).

• You can connect additional 75-ohm coax sources to your system using a high-isolation A/B switch to switch between the sources.

• You can connect one 75 -ohm coax source to more than one device using a video splitter.

Some state laws restrict

jack

AUDIO 1/VIDEO 1 IN

IN FROM ANT

jack using a 75-

jacks on the front

stem to

jacks

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Model 61 Connections

Outside Antenna

Cable

(CATV)

Company

(Optional Camcorder/2nd VCR/DSS System)

Audio

Video

Cable Box

VCR

OUTI N

Stereo Audio/Video Cable

AUDIO 1

VIDEO 1

75-Ohm Coax Cable

OUT

OUT TO TV

75-Ohm Coax Cable

or or or

IN FROM

ANT.

VHF/UHF

3 CH. 4

300-Ohm Lead-In Wire

300-to-75 Ohm Transformer

Stereo Audio/Video Cable

Antenna InAudio InVideo In

75-Ohm Coax Cable

Optional TV

Antenna In

Connection

VHF/UHF Splitter/Combiner

UHF

VHF

Antenna In

16-548.fm Page 10 Tuesday, July 20, 1999 4:54 PM

Model 111 Connections

16-548.fm Page 11 Tuesday, July 20, 1999 4:54 PM

HOME THEATER CONNECTIONS (MODEL 61 ONLY)

Refer to this illustration to connect your VCR to a home theater system.

Outside Antenna

A/V RECEIVER

Speakers

Front

Right

Left

–

Rear

Right

Left

–

Cable

(CATV)

Company

Center

–

TV/Monitor

AUDIO 1

VIDEO 1

Cable Box

OUT

OUTI N

Video Cable

75-Ohm Coax Cable

Stereo Audio/Video Cable

75-Ohm Coax Cable

or or or

AUDIO 1

OUT

VIDEO 1

75-Ohm Coax Cable

Select the signal source you have

IN FROM

ANT.

VHF/UHF

OUT TO TV

3 CH. 4

300-Ohm Lead-In Wire

300-to-75 Ohm Transformer

VCR

Speakers

Antenna InAudio InVideo In

16-548.fm Page 12 Tuesday, July 20, 1999 4:54 PM

CAMCORDER CONNECTIONS

Your VCR has jacks on its front panel that let you easily connect a camcorder or other video source.

Notes:

• The Model 61 (shown) needs a stereo audio/video cable for this connection.

• The Model 111 (not shown) needs an audio/video cable for this connection.

RECORD/TIME

PLAY

REWIND

AV 2

VIDEO IN L – AUDIO IN – R

POWER

MEMORY SENTINEL

CHANNEL

1. Insert the plugs at one end of the cable into the

AV 2 AUDIO

and

VIDEO IN

FAST-F

STOP EJECT

TV/VCR

jacks on the VCR’s

front panel.

2. Insert the plugs at the other end of the cable into the AUDIO/VIDEO OUT jacks on your camcorder or other vid eo source. Be sure to connect Video to Video and A udio to Audio (use the plug’s color codes as a guide).

CONNECTING POWER

To power the VCR, plug its power cord into a standard AC outlet. --:-- appears on the display.

Note:

When you plug in the VCR for the first time, or after a powe r failure of longer than 24 hours, the VCR prompts you t o select a language , then autom atically sets c hannels and the time. When you unplug the VCR and reconnect it within 24 hours, or after a power failure of less than 24 hours, the VCR starts to search for a channel that has an Extended Data Service (EDS) signal (see “T urning On Auto Clock Set” on Page 16).

+ 28 hidden pages