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3-090-245-11 (1) GB
Video Cassette Player
Operating Instructions
PAL NTSC
SLV-GA59ME/SG
© 2004 Sony Corporation
Warning
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not
expose the unit to rain or moisture.
To avoid electrical shock, do not open the
cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified
personnel only.
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place
objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on
the apparatus.
The mains lead must only be changed at a
qualified service shop.
Precautions
Safety
• This unit operates on 110 – 240 V AC,
50/60 Hz. Check that the unit’s operating
voltage is identical with your local power
supply.
• If anything falls into the cabinet, unplug the
unit and have it checked by qualified personnel
before operating it any further.
• The unit is not disconnected from the mains as
long as it is connected to the mains, even if the
unit itself has been turned off.
• Unplug the unit from the mains if you do not
intend to use it for an extended period of time.
To disconnect the lead, pull it out by the plug,
never by the lead.
Installing
• Do not install this equipment in a confined
space such as a book or similar unit.
• Allow adequate air circulation to prevent
internal heat buildup.
• Do not place the unit on surfaces (rugs,
blankets, etc.) or near materials (curtains,
draperies) that may block the ventilation slots.
• Do not install the unit near heat sources such as
radiators or air ducts, or in a place subject to
direct sunlight, excessive dust, mechanical
vibration or shock.
Getting Started
Step : 1 Unpacking
Check that you have received the following
items with the unit:
• Remote commander
• R6 (Size AA) batteries
• Do not install the unit in an inclined position. It
is designed to be operated in a horizontal
position only.
• Keep the unit and cassettes away from
equipment with strong magnets, such as
microwave ovens or large loudspeakers.
• Do not place heavy objects on the unit.
• If the unit is brought directly from a cold to a
warm location, moisture may condense inside
the unit and cause damage to the video head
and tape. When you first install the unit, or
when you move it from a cold to a warm
location, wait for about four hours before
operating the unit.
Caution
Television programs, films, video tapes, and other
materials may be copyrighted.
Unauthorized recording of such material may be
contrary to the provisions of the copyright laws.
Also, use of this recorder with cable television
transmission may require authorization from the
cable television transmitter and/or program
owner.
Compatible colour/TV systems
Color system
Recording Playback
PAL
MESECAM
NTSC 4.43
NTSC 3.58
Recording of video sources based on other colour
systems cannot be guaranteed.
• To play back tapes recorded with the PAL and
MESECAM colour systems, you need a TV or
colour monitor compatible with these systems.
• Tapes recorded with the NTSC colour system
can be played back on this unit using a TV or a
colour monitor for the PAL colour system.
PAL
MESECAM
NTSC 4.43
NTSC 3.58
• 75-Ohm coaxial cable with F-type
connectors
Step 2 : Setting up the remote
commander
Inserting the batteries
Insert two R6 (size AA) batteries by
matching the + and – on the batteries to the
diagram inside the battery compartment.
Insert the negative (–) end first, then push in
and down until the positive (+) end clicks
into position.
Using the remote commander
To operate the unit, point at the remote
sensor on Remote sensor on the unit.
Remote sensor
Notes
• With normal use, the batteries should last about
three to six months.
• If you do not use the remote commander for an
extended period of time, remove the batteries
to avoid possible damage from battery leakage.
• Do not use a new battery together with an old
one.
• Do not use different types of batteries together.
Step 3 : Hookups
Connect the unit to your TV using the
audio/video cable as shown below to watch
video pictures on your TV.
This unit
TV
Audio/video cable (not supplied)
Connect the aerial to your unit and TV as
shown on the right to watch TV programmes
and video pictures on your TV.
In addition, if your TV has audio/video
(A/V) input jacks, we recommend you
connect the unit to your TV using an audio/
video cable (not supplied) to get a better
picture and sound.
Connecting the aerial
AERIAL IN
AERIAL OUT
Aerial cable
(supplied)
: Signal flow
to mains
Step 4 : Setting up the unit
Before using the unit for the first time, set
up the unit.
1 Connect the mains lead to the mains.
Turn on your TV and the unit.
Tune the TV to channel 32 (the initial
RF channel for this unit). Refer to your
TV manual for TV tuning instructions.
3 Press MENU, then press v/V/b/B to
highlight LANGUAGE SET and press
OK. Press b/B to highlight the desired
language, ENGLISH or ARABIC, then
press OK.
2 If the picture does not appear clearly on
the TV, press MENU, then press v/V/
b/B to highlight INSTALLATION and
press OK. Then press v/V to highlight
VCR OUTPUT CH and press B. Select
the RF channel by pressing the
b/B buttons. Then, tune the TV to the
new RF channel so that a clear picture
appears.
To set the colour system
If the playback picture has no colour, or
streaks appear during playback, set
COLOUR SYSTEM in the USER SET
menu to conform to the system that the tape
was recored in (see “Changing menu
options”). (Normally set the option to
AUTO.)
To view the tape status on the screen
Press DISPLAY. The following information
appears on the TV screen.
Time counter
Remaining time
To turn the display off, press DISPLAY
again.
Notes
• The sound is muted during playback at various
speeds and pause.
• You can eject a tape even when the power is
off. When you press Z EJECT, the unit turns
on automatically. After ejecting the tape, the
unit turns off again.
• The counter resets to “0:00:00” whenever a
tape is inserted.
• The counter stops counting when it comes to a
portion with no recording.
• If a tape has portions recorded in both PAL and
NTSC systems, the time counter reading will
not be correct. This is due to the difference
between the counting cycles of the two color
systems.
• If antenna hookup is used, the following will
occur while playing a PAL or MESECAMrecorded tape:
– the picture is black and white.
– the sound is distorted (noisy sound).
• Streaks or snow cannot be eliminated
completely in the various playback operations.
• On screen symbols may shake while playing or
searching at various speeds.
Operations
Playing/searching at various speeds
A EJECT
H PLAY
m REW
z REC
X PAUSE
1 Turn on your TV and set it to the video
channel.
M FF
x STOP
DISPLAY
X PAUSE
H PLAY
M FF
x STOP
m REW
3 Press H PLAY.
When the tape reaches the end, it will
rewind automatically.
Playback options
To Do this
Stop play
Pause play
Resume play after
pause
Fast-forward the
tape
Rewind the tape
View the picture
during fastforward or rewind
Play at high speed
Eject the tape
Resume normal
playback
Press x STOP.
Press X PAUSE.
Press X PAUSE or H
PLAY.
Press M FF during stop.
Press m REW during
stop.
During fast-forward, hold
M FF down.
During rewind, hold m
REW down.
• During playback,
briefly press M FF or
m REW.
• During playback, hold
down M FF or m
REW . When you
release the button,
normal playback
resumes.
Press A EJECT on the
unit.
Press H PLAY.
2 Insert a tape.
The unit turns on, and starts playing
automatically if you insert a tape with
its safety tab removed.
Using Playback Dial on the VCR
With Playback Dial, you can operate the
following playback options.
Playback Dial
To Do this
Resume play after
pause
Fast-forward the
tape
Rewind the tape
View the picture
during fastforward or rewind
Play at high speed
Press H PLAY.
Quickly turn and release
Playback Dial to the right
(M FF) during stop.
Quickly turn and release
Playback Dial to the left
(m REW) during stop.
During fast-forward, turn
and hold Playback Dial to
the right (M FF).
During rewind, turn and
hold Playback Dial to the
left (m REW).
• During playback,
quickly turn and
release Playback Dial
to the right (M FF) or
left (m REW). The
tape continues to play
at high speed.
• During playback, turn
and hold Playback Dial
to the right (M FF) or
left (m REW).
When you release
Playback Dial, normal
playback resumes.
Tip
• Adjust the picture using the TRACKING +/–
buttons on the VCR if:
- Streaks appear while playing in slow motion.
- Bands appear at the top or bottom while
pausing.
- The picture shakes while pausing.
To set tracking to the centre position, press
both buttons (+/–) at the same time.
Notes
• The sound is muted during these operations.
• In the LP mode, noise may appear or there may
be no colour.
• If the playback mode mark does not appear on
the TV screen, press DISPLAY.
• The picture may show noise when playing at
high speed in reverse.
• Do not turn Playback Dial forcibly. It may
damage Playback Dial.
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Adjusting the picture
Adjusting the tracking
Although the unit automatically adjusts the
tracking when playing a tape, distortion may
occur if the recording is in poor condition.
In this case, manually adjust the tracking.
During playback, press TRACKING +/– to
display the tracking meter. The distortion
should disappear as you press one of the two
buttons. To resume automatic tracking
adjustments, eject the tape and re-insert it.
Tracking meter
Adjusting the picture
sharpness (Auto Sharpness
Control)
You can automatically adjust the sharpness
of the picture.
1 During playback, press MENU, then
press v/V/b/B to highlight USER
SET and press OK.
2 Press v/V to highlight ASC, then press
B.
3 Press v/V to set ASC to ON or OFF.
• ON: Picture sharpness is
automatically adjusted.
• OFF: Adjust the picture sharpness
manually.
To soften the picture, press b.
To sharpen the picture, press B.
4 Press MENU to return to the original
screen.
Editing (when recording on
this unit)
You can make a copy of a tape using this
unit for recording or playback. The unit
cannot record TV programs directly since it
does not have a TV tuner.
z REC
X PAUSE
Before you start editing
• Turn on your TV and set it to the video
channel.
1 Press REC SPEED to select the tape
speed (SP or LP for the PAL color
system, and SP or EP for the NTSC
color system).
LP provides a recording time twice as
long as SP. EP provides a recording time
three times as long as SP.
However, SP produces better picture
quality.
2 Insert a source tape with its safety tab
removed into the other (playback) VCR.
Search for the point to start playback
and set it to playback pause.
3 Insert a tape with its safety tab in place
into this (recording) unit. Search for the
point to start recording and press
X PAUSE.
4 Press z REC on this unit to set it to
recording pause.
5 To start editing, press the X PAUSE
buttons on both units at the same time.
To stop editing
Press the x STOP buttons on both units.
To check the remaining tape length
Press DISPLAY. The white bar indicates the
approximate length of the tape recording.
Remaining tape length
To turn the display off, press DISPLAY
again.
To save a recording
To prevent accidental erasure, break off the
safety tab as illustrated. To record on a tape
again, cover the tab hole with adhesive tape.
Safety tab
Tips
• To edit more precisely, press the X PAUSE
buttons on the units to release pause.
• To cut out unwanted scenes while editing,
press X PAUSE on this unit when an unwanted
scene begins. When that scene ends, press
X PAUSE again to resume recording.
Changing menu options
1 Press MENU, then press v/V/b/B to
highlight USER SET and press OK.
Menu choices
Initial settings are indicated in bold print.
USER SET
Menu option
OSD
TAPE
SELECT
2 Press v/V to select the option.
3 Press B to change the setting, then press
OK.
COLOUR
SYSTEM
ASC
Set this option to
• ON to display the menu on
the TV screen.
• OFF to disappear the menu
from the TV screen.
• E180 to use an E-180 or
shorter type tape.
• E240 to use an E-240 type
tape.
• E260 to use an E-260 type
tape.
• E300 to use an E-300 type
tape.
• AUTO to select the colour
system automatically.
• PAL to use the tape
recorded in the PAL colour
system.
• MESECAM to use the tape
recorded in the MESECAM
colour system.
• B/W to use the tape
recorded in black and white.
When using the tape recorded
NTSC colour signals:
• NT3.58 to use the tape
recorded in the NTSC 3.58
colour system.
• NT4.43 to use the tape
recorded in the NTSC 4.43
colour system.
• NTPB to play back an
NTSC-recorded tape on
P AL TV.
• ON to automatically adjust
the sharpness of the picture.
• OFF to manually adjust the
sharpness of the picture.
Symptom
A tape cannot be inserted.
The remote commander does
not function.
The tracking meter does not
appear on the TV screen.
Others
The unit needs to be
cleaned.
Remedy
• Check that a tape is not already in the tape compartment.
• Make sure you are pointing the remote commander at the
remote sensor on the unit.
• Replace all the batteries in the remote commander with
new ones if they are weak.
• The recording condition of the tape is very poor and
tracking cannot be adjusted.
• Clean the cabinet, panel, and controls with a dry soft
cloth, or a soft cloth slightly moistened with a mild
detergent solution. Do not use any type of solvent, such
as alcohol or benzine.
Auto head cleaner
The unit incorporates an auto head cleaner which cleans the video heads when a tape is loaded
or unloaded. When the heads are not sufficiently clean, even after a tape has been loaded/
unloaded several times, use a video head cleaning cassette.
Symptoms caused by contaminated video heads
•Normal picture
•Rough picture •Unclear picture
initial
contamination
• No picture (or black
& white screen
appears)
terminal
Connections necessary to
record on this unit
This unit (Recorder)
LINE IN
Other VCR (Player)
LINE OUT
Audio/video cable (not supplied)
: Signal flow
Tip
• Use Sony’s commercially available connecting
cable. If the other VCR has the AUDIO L and
R jacks, use a Sony connecting cable (3-phono
to 2-phono).
Notes
• Make sure you connect the plugs to jacks of
the same color.
• If you connect this unit to both the LINE IN
and LINE OUT jacks of the other VCR, select
the input correctly to prevent a humming noise.
• Make sure you set the CONNECT LINE-1
switch to OTHERS.
Setting the recording duration time
After you have started recording in the
normal way, you can have the unit stop
recording automatically after a specified
duration.
1 While recording, press z REC.
Recording duration time appears on the
TV screen.
To extend the duration
Press z REC repeatedly to set a new
duration time.
To view the duration time
Press DISPLAY. The following information
appears on the TV screen.
2 Press z REC repeatedly to set the
duration time.
In SP mode
Each press advances the time in
increments of 30 minutes.
1:00
0:30
Normal recording
4:00
4:30
In LP (EP) mode
Each press advances the time as shown
below.
1:00
0:30
Normal
recording
4:00
5:00
9:00
The tape counter decreases minute by
minute to 0:00, then the unit stops
recording and turns off automatically.
To cancel the duration
Press z REC repeatedly and the unit returns
to the normal recording mode.
To stop recording
To stop the unit while recording, press x
STOP.
Additional information
TroubleshootingEditing with another unit
If you have any questions or problems not covered below, please consult your nearest Sony
service facility.
Symptom
The ?/1 ON/STANDBY switch
does not function.
The power is turned on but the unit
Power
does not operate.
The playback picture does not
appear on the TV screen.
The picture is not clear.
The picture has no colour.
Playback
The picture rolls vertically
during picture search.
The picture has no sound.
The recorded picture has no
colour or unusual colour.
The tape starts playing as soon as it
is inserted.
The tape is ejected when you
press z REC.
Recording
Nothing happens when you
press z REC.
Remedy
• Connect the mains lead to the mains securely.
• Moisture condensation has occurred. Turn the power
off, unplug the mains lead and leave the unit to dry or
over three hours.
• Make sure the TV is set to the video channel. If you are
using a monitor, set it to video input.
• Adjust the tracking with the TRACKING +/– buttons.
• The video heads are dirty (see “Symptoms caused by
contaminated video heads”). Clean the video heads
using a Sony video head cleaning cassette. If a Sony
cleaning cassette is not available in your area, have the
heads cleaned at your nearest Sony service facility (a
standard service charge will be required). Do not use a
commercially available liquid type cleaning cassette, as
it may damage the video heads.
• The video heads may have to be replaced. Consult your
local Sony service facility for more information.
• The COLOUR SYSTEM option in the USER SET
menu is set to the wrong position. Set the option to
conform to the system that the tape was recorded in.
• Adjust the vertical hold control on the TV or monitor.
• The tape is defective.
• If you made A/V connections, check the audio cable
connection.
• If you made connections using the aerial cable only,
make sure the TV system is set correctly for your area.
• Set COLOUR SYSTEM in the USER SET menu
according to your local colour system.
• The safety tab has been removed. To record on this tape,
cover the tab hole.
• Check that the safety tab has not been removed.
• Make sure the tape is not at its end.
TV system
Specifications
System
Color system
PAL, MESECAM, NTSC 3.58, NTSC 4.43
G, K, I
Tape speed
SP: PAL 23.39 mm/s
NTSC 33.35 mm/s
LP: PAL 11.70 mm/s
NTSC 16.67 mm/s (playback only)
EP: NTSC 11.12 mm/s
Maximum playback time
10 hrs. in LP mode (with E300 tape)
Fast-forward and rewind time
Approx. 1 min. (with E180 tape)
Tuner section
RF output signal
UHF channels 21 to 69 (G/K/I)
Aerial out
75-ohm asymmetrical aerial socket
Inputs and outputs
LINE IN
VIDEO IN, phono jack (1)
Input signal: 1 Vp-p, 75 ohms,
unbalanced, sync negative
AUDIO IN, phono jack (1)
Input level: 327 mVrms
Input impedance: more than 47 kilohms
LINE OUT
VIDEO OUT, phono jack (1)
Output signal: 1 Vp-p, 75 ohms,
unbalanced, sync negative
AUDIO OUT, phono jack (1)
Standard output: 327 mVrms
Load impedance: 47 kilohms
Output impedance: less than 10 kilohms
General
Power requirements
110 – 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption
10 W
Operating temperature
5 °C to 40 °C
Storage temperature
–20 °C to 60 °C
Dimensions including projecting parts and controls
Approx. 360 × 95 × 245 mm (w/h/d)
Mass
Approx. 2.8 kg
Supplied accessories
Remote commander (1)
R6 (Size AA) batteries (2)
75-ohm coaxial cable with F-type connectors (1)
Design and specifications are subject to change without
notice.
Sony Corporation Printed in Indonesia
AC68-02101X