Sony SLV-X842ML, SLV-X842, SLV-X821MK2 User Manual

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.

Precautions

Safety

•The SLV-X842/X842ML/X821MKII operates on 110-240 V AC, 50/ 60Hz.

•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 outlet, even if the unit itself has been turned off.

•Unplug the unit from the mains outlet if you do not intend to use it for an extended period of time. To disconnect the cord, pull it out by the plug, never by the cord.

Installing

•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.

•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 VCR 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 one hour 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.

2-EN Introduction

Table of contents

4	Welcome!
4	Checking your model name

Getting Started

5Step 1: Unpacking

6Step 2: Setting up the remote commander

7Step 3: Connecting the VCR

8Step 4: Channel setup map and chart

11 Step 5: Tuning the TV to your VCR

13 Step 6: Setting up the VCR sequentially (EASY SET UP) 15 Setting the clock manually

17 Tuning the VCR to TV channels manually

24 Setting up G-CODE manually

26 Changing the program positions of the stations

Basic Operations

27 Playing a tape

30 Recording TV programs

35 Recording TV programs using G-CODE

37 Setting the timer manually

39 Checking/changing/cancelling timer settings

40 Additional instructions about timer recording

EN

Additional Operations

41Playing/searching at various speeds

42Adjusting the picture

43Searching using the index function

44Game play

45Looking at menu options

Editing

46 Editing with another VCR

48 Audio dubbing

Additional Information

50 Troubleshooting

52Specifications

53Index to parts and controls

56Index

Introduction 3-EN

Welcome!	Thank you for purchasing the Sony Video Cassette Recorder (VCR).
	Here are some of the features you'll enjoy with your VCR:
	• EASY SET UP that guides you through necessary VCR setups
	sequentially through the TV screen
	• Adaptive Picture Control (APC) that automatically optimizes
	recording and playback performance
	• Dual Mode Shuttle (DMS) ring for easy playback and search
	operations
	• G-CODE* system that lets you quickly and easily preset the VCR to
	record programs
	* G-CODE is a trademark applied for by Gemstar Development Corp. G-CODE
	system is manufactured under licence from Gemstar Development Corporation.

Note

•The G-CODE used in this VCR is for Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao, etc. and cannot be used in areas such as U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and U.K.

Checking your model name

Compatible color systems

•This VCR is designed to record and play back using the PAL (B/G, D/K, and I), MESECAM (B/G, D/K, and K1), or NTSC (M) color system. Recording of video sources based on other color systems cannot be guaranteed.

The instructions in this manual are for the following three models. Check your model number by looking at the rear panel of your VCR. SLV-X842ML is used for the illustrations purposes. Any difference in operation is clearly indicated in the text, for example, “SLV-X842ML only.”

Types of differences

	Feature	Model	X842/X842ML	X821MKII
	Recieving stereo and
	bilingual programs in		•	–
	NICAM system
	Recieving stereo and
	bilingual programs in		•	–
	ZWEITON system

4-EN Introduction

Step 1 Unpacking

Check that you have the following items:

• Remote commander

•R6 (size AA) batteries

•Aerial cable

• Audio/video cable

• Mains lead

(SLV-X842ML only)

Use this type of mains lead in Hong Kong.

•Plug adaptor (SLV-X842/ X821MKII only)

Started Getting

Getting Started	5-EN

Step 2 Setting up the remote commander

Insert two R6 (size AA) batteries by matching the + and – on the batteries to the diagram inside the battery compartment.

Using the remote commander

You can use this remote commander to operate this VCR and a Sony TV. Buttons on the remote commander marked with a dot (•) can be used to operate your TV.

Remote sensor

TV / VTR

To operate		Set	TV			/	VTR	to
the VCR		VTR			and point at the remote sensor on the VCR
a Sony TV				and point at the remote sensor on the TV
		TV

Notes

•The TV/VIDEO button selects the TV input either from the aerial in or line in. This button does not control the VCR input.

•With normal use, the batteries should last for approximately 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 with an old one.

•Do not use different types of batteries.

6-EN Getting Started

Step 3 Connecting the VCR

AERIAL IN

AC IN	AERIAL OUT
	Aerial cable

to mains AERIAL IN

: Signal flow

1 Disconnect the aerial input cable from your TV and connect it to AERIAL IN of the VCR.

AERIAL

OUT

	IN
2 Connect AERIAL OUT of the VCR and the aerial input	OUT
	AERIAL
of your TV using the supplied aerial cable.
	IN

3 Connect AC IN of the VCR and the mains supply using the mains lead.

You’ve completed the basic hookup to watch and record TV programs.

Additional connections

To a TV that has audio/video input jacks

This additional connection can improve picture and sound quality.

Connect to the TV as shown on the right.

LINE OUT LINE IN

Audio/video cable

To a stereo system

You can improve sound quality by connecting to a stereo system as shown on the right.

AUDIO OUT LINE IN

Audio/video cable

Started Getting

Getting Started	7-EN

Step 4 Channel setup map and chart

About color systems

Different countries use different color systems and TV systems. These systems handle such things as video playback and recording differently. Using your VCR in a country that is on a color system not supported by this VCR may cause problems such as playback without sound, a vertically rolling picture, etc.

Refer to the map above and the chart on the next page to determine which countries use which color and TV systems. This VCR is compatible with most of the existing color systems (NTSC, PAL, and MESECAM) and TV systems (B/G, D/K, I, and M) except for those used in France, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

If you have made TV-VCR connections using the aerial cable, complete the following steps for your TV:

•Set the NTSC PB switch to match your TV color sytem (see page 10).

•Set the TV system using the RF CH SET button on the VCR (see “Tuning the TV to your VCR” on page 11).

This unit displays the color system in the VCR display window.

Color system indicator

8-EN Getting Started

Channel setup chart

Map		Color system	Area	Channels*			TV SYSTEM
pattern		and TV system		VL	VH	U	(Set by the RF CH SET
							button)
		PAL B/G	Western	2 – 4	5 – 12	21 – 69	G
			Europe	S01 – S05**
				S1 – S7**	S8 – S41**
			Turkey	2 – 4	5 – 12	21 – 69
			Kuwait
			U.A.E.
			Oman
			Jordan
			Australia	0 – 5, 5A	6 – 11	28 – 69
			Indonesia	1A, 2, 3	4 – 11	—
		PAL I	U.K.	—	—	21 – 68	I
			Hong Kong
			Ireland	A – C	D – J	—
			South Africa	—	4 – 13	21 – 68
		PAL D/K	China	1 – 5	6 – 12	13 – 56	K

Started Getting

		MESECAM B/G	Saudi Arabia	2 – 4	5 – 12	21 – 69	G
			Iran
			Iraq
			Libya
			Egypt
			Morocco
			Greece
			Syria
		MESECAM D/K	East Europe	1 – 5	6 – 12	21 – 60	K
			Russia
		MESECAM K1	Zaire	—	K4 – K9	—	K
			Senegal
			Niger
			New Caledonia
			Tahiti
			French Guiana
		NTSC 3.58	USA	2 – 6	7 – 13	14 – 78	M
				A5 – A1**	F – W**	W+29 – W+58**
				A – E**	W+1 – W+28**
			Japan	1 – 3	4 – 12	13 – 62
				M1 – M7**	M8 – M10**
					S1 – S41**

*VL = VHF low band, VH = VHF high band, U = UHF band

**CATV channels

Note

•The factory-preset RF output channel (which appears in the display window) is 32, and the adjustable RF output channel range is 28 to 55 (the corresponding channels are different depending on the area (see pages 20 to 23)). (See pages 11 and 12.)

Getting Started	9-EN

Step 4	Channel setup map and chart (continued)
	Setting the NTSC PB switch to match your TV system

NTSC PB switch

You have to set the NTSC PB switch on the rear of the VCR according to your TV system to display the on-screen menus when there is no video signal input, and play back a tape recorded in the NTSC 3.58 system properly.

Set the NTSC PB switch following the table below.

If your TV is compatible with	Set the NTSC PB switch to
PAL, SECAM, or MESECAM	ON PAL TV
NTSC 4.43	NTSC 4.43
NTSC 3.58	NTSC 3.58

Tip

• If you are not sure of your TV’s color system, refer to the map and chart on pages 8 and 9.

Notes

•If a video signal is input to the VCR (via the line input, tuner, or playback), the on-screen menus will appear on your TV regardless of the NTSC PB switch setting.

•If your TV is compatible with the SECAM system, the on-screen menus may be displayed in black and white.

10-EN Getting Started

Step 5 Tuning the TV to your VCR

If you have connected the VCR to your TV using the audio/video cable, skip this step.

ON/STANDBY

				RF CH SET PROGRAM +/–
1	ON/STANDBY			Press ON/STANDBY to turn on the VCR.

2 RF Press RF CH SET on the VCR.

CH SET	The factory-preset RF channel appears in the display window.
	The VCR signal is output through this channel to the TV.

RF

Started Getting

3

4

Turn on your TV and select a program position for video playback.

RF

CH SET

PROGRAM

Press RF CH SET.

The TV system indicator appears in the display window.

RF

If the displayed TV system doesn’t match your TV, select the correct TV system by pressing PROGRAM +/– according to the following table. If you don’t know your TV system, please refer to the “Channel setup map and chart” on pages 8 and 9.

If your TV color system is PAL

If your TV system is	Select TV system
I	I
D/K	K
B/G	G

If your TV color system is NTSC

Select TV system

M

Tune the TV to the same channel as that shown in the display window so that a gray screen appears on the TV screen.

Refer to your TV manual for tuning instructions.

If the gray screen does not appear clearly, see “To obtain a clear gray screen” on the next page.

(continued)

Getting Started 11-EN

Step 5		Tuning the TV to your VCR (continued)
5	RF	Press RF CH SET.
	CH SET	You have now tuned your TV to the VCR. Whenever you play a tape, set the TV to the
		program position selected in step 3 above.
		Note
		• If you set the wrong TV system, you may have no sound or sound may be distorted.

To check to see if the TV tuning is correct

Select the program position for video playback on the TV and press PROGRAM +/–. If the TV screen changes to a different program each time you press PROGRAM +/–, the TV tuning is correct.

To obtain a clear gray screen

If the gray screen does not appear clearly in step 4 above, go to step 5 to finish this procedure once. Then start again from step 2. After pressing RF CH SET in step 2, press PROGRAM +/– while the RF channel is displayed, so that another RF channel (between 28 and 55) appears (see page 20 for reference). Then tune the TV to the new RF channel until a clear gray screen appears.

12-EN Getting Started

Step 6 Setting up the VCR sequentially (EASY SET UP)

Before using the VCR for the first time, set up the VCR using the EASY SET UP function. With this function, you can set the language, TV channels, and clock guided by the sequence indicated on the TV screen.

u (on/standby)

C U R S O R > /. / ? / /

EXECUTE

EASY SET UP

Started Getting

1

2

3

4

Press u (on/standby) to turn on the VCR.

Turn on your TV, and select a program position for video playback.

EASY

Press EASY SET UP on the VCR.

EASY SET UP

1

–

2

–

3

–

4

–

5

SET UP

The language select menu appears on the TV screen.

LANGUAGE /

ENGL I SH

To cancel starting the EASY SET UP function, press EASY SET

SELECT

:

UP.

NEXT

:

EXECUTE

CANCEL :

EASY SET UP

Press CURSOR >/. to highlight the desired on-screen

EASY SET UP

1

–

2

–

3

–

4

–

5

CURSOR

display language, then press EXECUTE.

AUTO TUNER PRESET

The AUTO TUNER PRESET menu appears on the TV

I

D / K

screen.

B / G

M

EXECUTE

SELECT

:

NEXT

:

EXECUTE

(continued)

Getting Started 13-EN

Step 6

Setting up the VCR sequentially (EASY SET UP) (continued)

5

6

7

8

9

Press CURSOR >/. to highlight the desired system,

EASY SET UP

1

–

2

–

3

–

4

–

5

CURSOR

then press EXECUTE.

AUTO TUNER PRESET

The VCR starts searching for all the receivable channels in your

CH

4 2 B / G

area and presets the located channels in numerical order.

EXECUTE

PLEASE WA I T

When all the channels are preset, the following screen appears.

Even if various TV systems coexist in your area, the AUTO TUNER PRESET function picks up most of the channels on the TV systems other than the one you selected. But you need to manually reset the proper TV system for the unmatched channels. See “Resetting the TV system” on page 19.

EASY	SET		UP	1 – 2 –3 –4 – 5
PROG		CH			GUI DE CH
1		3		–	– – –
2		9		–	– – –
3		1 2		–	– – –
4		2 7		–	–– –
5		5 6		–	– – –
SELECT				:
MOVE PROG 4				:	–
SET	GUI DE		CH	:

If necessary, you can add or disable the channels manually.

See “Tuning the VCR to TV channels manually” on page 17.

Using CURSOR >/./?//, set the G-CODE guide

channels, and change the program positions of the CURSOR stations.

If not necessary, skip this step.

The setting procedures are the same as those described in “Setting up G-CODE manually” on page 24 and “Changing the program positions of the stations” on page 26.

EXECUTE	Press EXECUTE.	EASY SET		UP		1 – 2 –3 –4 – 5
		CLOCK SET
	The CLOCK SET menu appears.					0 : 0 0
		1 . 1 . 1 9 9		6	MON
		SELECT	:
		SET	:
		END	: EXECUTE

Using CURSOR >/./?//, set the date and clock.

EASY SET

UP

1

–

2

–

3

–

4

–

5

CLOCK SET

The setting procedures are the same as described in “Setting

2 7 . 11 . 1 9 9

6 WED

1 5 :

3 0

CURSOR

the clock manually” on page 15.

SELECT

:

SET

:

END

:

EXECUTE

EXECUTE

Press EXECUTE to finish the EASY SET UP operation.

Notes

•Do not exit EASY SET UP while AUTO TUNER PRESET is presetting channels. If you do so, repeat the EASY SET UP operation from the beginning.

•The channel numbers appearing after AUTO TUNER PRESET may not be the same as your local channel numbers. This is because this VCR’s channel search system is based on the fixed TV system with the widest channel coverage.

In this case, you can apply your local channel numbers to the program positions. See “Changing the program positions of the stations” on page 26.

•If the received channel is on cable TV, “C” appears on the left of the channel in step 5 in most areas. However, this won’t be applied in some areas. See pages 20 to 23 for reference.

14-EN Getting Started

Setting the clock manually

MENU

CURSOR

> / . / ? / /

EXECUTE

Tip

∙To change the digits during setting, press CURSOR ? to return to the item to be changed, and select the digits using CURSOR >/..

Note

∙The menu disappears automatically if you don’t proceed for more than a few minutes.

You must set the time and date on the VCR to be able to use the timer recording features properly. You can set the VCR clock using the menu.

1Press MENU.

The main MENU appears on the TV screen.

Getting

MENU

T I MER SET / CHECK

SET UP MENU

TUNER PRESET

SET UP CH AND G–CODE

CLOCK

SET

GAME

:

Started

SELECT

SET

:

EXECUTE

2 Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to CLOCK SET, then

press EXECUTE.

The CLOCK SET menu appears.

CLOCK SET

1

. 1 . 1 9 9 6

MON

0 : 0 0

SELECT

:

SET

:

END

:

EXECUTE

3Press CURSOR >/. to set the day.

The day of the week is set automatically.

CLOCK SET

2 7	. 1 . 1 9 9 6			SAT			0 : 0 0
SELECT		:
SET		:
END		:	EXECUTE

4Press CURSOR / to highlight the month and set the month using CURSOR >/..

CLOCK SET

2 7	.	11	. 1 9 9 6 WED 0 : 0 0
SELECT				:
SET				:
END				:	EXECUTE

5Press CURSOR / to highlight the year and set the year using CURSOR >/..

CLOCK SET

2 7	. 11 .	1 9 9 6		WED 0 : 0 0
SELECT		:
SET		:
END		:	EXECUTE

(continued)

Getting Started 15-EN

Setting the clock manually

(continued)

6Press CURSOR / to highlight the hours and set the hours using CURSOR >/..

CLOCK SET

2 7	. 11 . 1 9 9 6 WED				1 5	: 0 0
SELECT		:
SET		:
END		:	EXECUTE

7Press CURSOR / to highlight the minutes and set the minutes using CURSOR >/..

CLOCK SET

2 7	. 11 . 1 9 9 6 WED 1 5 :					3 0
SELECT		:
SET		:
END		:	EXECUTE

8 Press EXECUTE to start the clock.

16-EN Getting Started

Tuning the VCR to TV channels manually

MENU

CURSOR

> / . / ? / /

EXECUTE

You may have preset the receivable channels in your area in the EASY SET UP procedure (page 14). But if:

•some channels could not be preset automatically, preset them manually. See “Presetting channels manually” on this page.

•there are unwanted channels among the preset ones, disable the channels. See “Disabling unwanted program positions” on page 19.

•you live in the area where various TV systems coexist, and have channels that don’t match the TV system you selected in AUTO TUNER PRESET in the EASY SET UP procedure, reset the TV system for those channels. See “Resetting the TV system” on page 19.

If the channels don’t match the TV system, the sound may be distorted or noisy, or the color TV program may become black and white, etc.

Started Getting

Notes

•The menu disappears automatically if you don’t proceed for more than a few minutes.

•Even if you choose CATV in step 3, normal channels may be tuned in, and vice versa depending on the area. See pages 20 to 23 for reference.

•The channel numbers besides CHANNEL SET may not be the same as those in your area. This is because this VCR’s channel search system is based on the fixed TV system that has the widest channel coverage. If necessary, apply your local channel numbers to the program positions. See “Changing the program positions of the stations” on page 26.

Presetting channels manually

1	Press MENU.
	The main MENU appears on the TV screen.
		MENU
PROG+/–
		T I MER SET / CHECK
		SET UP MENU
		TUNER PRESET
		SET UP CH AND G–CODE
		CLOCK SET
		GAME	:
		SELECT
		SET	:	EXECUTE

2Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to TUNER PRESET, then press EXECUTE.

The TUNER PRESET menu appears.

	TUNER PRESET							PROG10
	SYSTEM
				I	D / K			B / G		M
	NORMAL / CATV
						NORM			CATV
	CHANNEL			SET		2	1
	AF T					ON			OFF
	F I NE TUN I NG
	SET	:

3Press CURSOR >/./?// to move the cursor (I) to NORMAL/ CATV, then highlight NORM.

To preset CATV channels, highlight CATV.

		TUNER PRESET						PROG10
		SYSTEM
				I	D / K			B / G		M
		NORMAL / CATV				NORM			CATV
		CHANNEL		SET		2	1
		AF T				ON			OFF
		F I NE TUN I NG
		SET	:

4 Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to CHANNEL SET.

TUNER PRESET

PROG10

SYSTEM

I

D / K

B / G

M

NORMAL / CATV

NORM

CATV

CHANNEL

SET

2

1

AF T

ON

OFF

F I NE TUN I NG

SET

:

(continued)

Getting Started 17-EN

Tuning the VCR to TV channels manually (continued)

5 Press PROG +/– to select the program position.

Selected program position

	TUNER PRESET							PROG14
	SYSTEM
				I	D / K			B / G		M
	NORMAL / CATV
						NORM			CATV
	CHANNEL			SET		2	1
	AF T					ON			OFF
	F I NE TUN I NG
	SET	:

6Press CURSOR / to start tuning.

The VCR starts searching for a channel and displays the first one it finds on the TV screen. Press CURSOR ?// repeatedly until the channel you want is displayed.

	TUNER PRESET						PROG14
	SYSTEM
			I	D / K			B / G		M
	NORMAL / CATV
					NORM			CATV
	CHANNEL		SET		3	5
	AF T				ON			OFF
	F I NE TUN I NG
	SET	:

The channels are scanned in the order shown in the table beginning on page 20 to 23.

If you know the number of the channel you want, press the program number buttons. For example, for channel 5, first press “0” and then press “5.”

7If the TV sound is distorted or noisy, or the color TV program

becomes black and white, etc., press CURSOR >/./?// to move the cursor (I) to SYSTEM, then highlight I, D/K, B/G, or M

whichever is applicable in your area.

Refer to the “Channel setup map and chart” on pages 8 and 9, and “Resetting the TV system” on page 19.

TUNER PRESET

PROG14

SYSTEM

I

D / K

B / G

M

NORMAL / CATV

NORM

CATV

CHANNEL

SET

3

6

AF T

ON

OFF

F I NE TUN I NG

SET

:

8To allocate another channel to another program position, repeat steps 5 and 6.

9Press EXECUTE to store all the allocated channels.

18-EN Getting Started

Disabling unwanted program positions

After tuning the TV channels, you can disable unused program positions. The disabled positions will be skipped later when you press the PROG +/– buttons.

	1	Press MENU, then select TUNER PRESET and press EXECUTE.
	2	Select CHANNEL SET.	Getting
	3	Press PROG +/– until the program position you want to disable
		appears beside “PROG” on the TV screen.
	4	Press program number button “0” twice to display the number “0”	Started
	6	Press EXECUTE.
		beside CHANNEL SET.
	5	Repeat steps 3 and 4 for other positions you want to disable.

Resetting the TV system (only for areas where various TV systems coexist)

If the sound is distorted or noisy, or the color TV program becomes black and white, etc., that channel may not be matched to the proper TV system. In this case, try the following steps.

1Press MENU, then select TUNER PRESET and press EXECUTE.

2Press PROG +/– to select the program position that has the channel with above described conditions.

3Select SYSTEM and select the TV system on which you can obtain the best sound and picture.

4Repeat steps 2 and 3 for other positions you want to preset the TV system to.

5Press EXECUTE.

If the picture is not clear

Normally, the Auto Fine Tuning (AFT) function automatically tunes in channels clearly. If, however, the picture is not clear, you may also use the manual tuning function.

1Press PROG +/– to select the program position for which you cannot obtain a clear picture.

2Press MENU, then select TUNER PRESET and press EXECUTE.

3Select FINE TUNING. The fine tuning meter appears.

Selected program position

TUNER PRESET

PROG15

SYSTEM

I

D / K

B / G

M

NORMAL / CATV

NORM

CATV

CHANNEL

SET

8

AF T

ON

OFF

F I NE TUN I NG

SET

:

4Press CURSOR ?// to get a clearer picture, then press EXECUTE. Note that the AFT (Auto Fine Tuning) setting switches to OFF.

Getting Started 19-EN

Tuning the VCR to TV channels manually (continued)

Note

•There may be a case that the same area channel may appear repeatedly as the other channel number in the CHANNEL SET field.

The shadow in the table shows the adjustable RF output channel range. (See page 12 for reference.)

The factory-preset RF output channel (See page 11 for reference.)

20-EN Getting Started

Channel numbers in the CHANNEL SET field and the corresponding channels

TV system			B/G
Country	Western	Australia	New	Morocco	Indonesia
	Europe		Zealand
Channel
number in		Corresponding channels
the CHANNEL
SET field
1		AS0	1		1A
2	E2
3	E3	1	2		2A
4	E4	2	3		3A
5	E5	6	4		4A
6	E6	7	5	M6	5A
7	E7	8	6	M7	6A
8	E8	9	7	M8	7A
9	E9	9A	8	M9	8A
10	E10	10	9	M10	9A
11	E11	11	10		10A
12	E12		11		11A
13
14
15		3
16		4
17
18
19
20

21E21

22E22

23E23

24E24

25E25

26E26

27E27

	28		E28	28
	29		E29	29
	30		E30	30
	31		E31	31, 32
		32	E32	33
	33		E33	34
	34		E34	35
	35		E35	36
	36		E36	37
	37		E37	38
	38		E38	39, 40
	39		E39	41
	40		E40	42
	41		E41	43
	42		E42	44
	43		E43	45
	44		E44	46
	45		E45	47, 48
	46		E46	49
	47		E47	50
	48		E48	51
	49		E49	52
	50		E50	53
	51		E51	54
	52		E52	55, 56
	53		E53	57
	54		E54	58
	55		E55	59
	56		E56	60
	57		E57	61

TV system			B/G
Country	Western	Australia	New	Morocco	Indonesia
	Europe		Zealand
Channel
number in		Corresponding channels
the CHANNEL
SET field
58	E58	62
59	E59	63, 64
60	E60	65
61	E61	66
62	E62	67
63	E63	68
64	E64	69
65	E65
66	E66
67	E67
68	E68
69	E69
C1	S1	5
C2	S2
C3	S3
C4	S4
C5	S5
C6	S6	5A
C7	S7
C8	S8
C9	S9			M4
C10	S10			M5
C11	S11
C12	S12
C13	S13
C14	S14
C15	S15
C16	S16
C17	S17
C18	S18
C19	S19
C20	S20
C21	S21
C22	S22
C23	S23
C24	S24
C25	S25
C26	S26
C27	S27
C28	S28
C29	S29
C30	S30
C31	S31
C32	S32
C33	S33
C34	S34
C35	S35
C36	S36
C37	S37
C38	S38
C39	S39
C40	S40
C41	S41
C42	S01
C43	S02
C44	S03
C45	S04
C46	S05

Started Getting

Getting Started 21-EN

Tuning the VCR to TV channels manually

(continued)

The shadow in the table shows the adjustable RF output channel range. (See page 12 for reference.)

The factory-preset RF output channel (See page 11 for reference.)

	TV system		D/K			I		M
	Country		East	China	UK/Hong	Ireland	South	U.S.A.	Japan
			Europe		Kong		Africa
	Channel
	number in					Corresponding channels
	the
	CHANNEL
	SET field
	1					A
	2		R1	1
	3			2		B		2, C2
	4			3		C		3
	5		R6	7		D	4	7	J-5
	6		R7	8		E	5	8	J-6
	7							9	J-7
	8
	9							12	J-10
	10							13	J-11
	11							J	J-12
	12		R12			J	10	K	S1
	13		R2
	14		R3	4				5
	15		R4	5
	16		R5
	17		R8	9		F	6	10	J-8
	18		R9	10		G	7	11	J-9
	19		R10	11		H	8
	20		R11	12		I	9
	21		R21	13	B21		21	14, W+29, W+30	J13
	22		R22	14	B22		22	15, 16, W+31	J14, J15
	23		R23	15	B23		23	17, W+32	J16
	24		R24	16	B24		24	18, W+33, W+34	J17
	25		R25	17	B25		25	19, 20, W+35	J18, J19
	26		R26	18	B26		26	21, W+36	J20
	27		R27	19	B27		27	22, W+37, W+38	J21
	28		R28	20	B28		28	23, 24, W+39	J22, J23
	29		R29	21	B29		29	25, W+40	J24
	30		R30	22	B30		30	26, W+41, W+42	J25
	31		R31	23	B31		31	27, 28, W+43	J26, J27
		32	R32	24	B32		32	29, W+44	J28
	33		R33		B33		33	30, W+45, W+46	J29
	34		R34		B34		34	31, 32, W+47	J30, J31
	35		R35		B35		35	33, W+48	J32
	36		R36		B36		36	34, W+49, W+50	J33
	37		R37		B37		37	35, 36, W+51	J34, J35
	38		R38	25	B38		38	37, W+52	J36
	39		R39	26	B39		39	38, W+53, W+54	J37
	40		R40	27	B40		40	39, 40, W+55	J38, J39
	41		R41	28	B41		41	41, W+56	J40
	42		R42	29	B42		42	42, W+57, W+58	J41
	43		R43	30	B43		43	43, 44	J42, J43
	44		R44	31	B44		44	45	J44
	45		R45	32	B45		45	46	J45
	46		R46	33	B46		46	47, 48	J46, J47
	47		R47	34	B47		47	49	J48
	48		R48	35	B48		48	50	J49
	49		R49	36	B49		49	51, 52	J50, J51
	50		R50	37	B50		50	53	J52
	51		R51	38	B51		51	54	J53
	52		R52	39	B52		52	55, 56	J54, J55
	53		R53	40	B53		53	57	J56
	54		R54	41	B54		54	58	J57
	55		R55	42	B55		55	59, 60	J58, J59
	56		R56	43	B56		56	61	J60
	57		R57	44	B57		57	62	J61

22-EN Getting Started

TV system	D/K			I			M
Country	East	China	UK/Hong	Ireland	South	U.S.A.		Japan
	Europe		Kong		Africa
Channel
number in				Corresponding channels
the
CHANNEL
SET field
58	R58	45	B58		58	63, 64		J62
59	R59	46	B59		59	65
60	R60	47	B60		60	66
61		48	B61		61	67, 68
62		49	B62		62	69
63		50	B63		63	70
64		51	B64		64	71, 72
65		52	B65		65	73
66		53	B66		66	74
67		54	B67		67	75, 76
68		55	B68		68	77
69		56	B69			78
C1						A-3		J-3
C2						A-2, A-1		M1, M2
C3						A		M3
C4						B		M4
C5						C		M5
C6						D		M6
C7						E		M7
C8						F, G		M8, M9
C9						H		M10
C10		6				I		J-4
C11					11	L		S2
C12					(12)	M, N		S3
C13					13	O		S4
C14						P		S5, S6
C15						Q		S7
C16						R		S8
C17						S		S9
C18						T, U		S10, S11
C19						V		S12
C20						W		S13
C21						W+1, W+2		S14, S15
C22						W+3		S16
C23						W+4		S17
C24						W+5, W+6		S18, S19
C25						W+7		S20
C26						W+8		S21
C27						W+9, W+10		S22, S23
C28						W+11		S24
C29						W+12		S25
C30						W+13, W+14		S26, S27
C31						W+15		S28
C32						W+16		S29
C33						W+17, W+18		S30, S31
C34						W+19		S32
C35						W+20		S33
C36						W+21, W+22		S34, S35
C37						W+23		S36
C38						W+24		S37
C39						W+25, W+26		S38, S39
C40						W+27		S40
C41						W+28		S41
C42						4, 4A
C43
C44						6
C45						A-5		J-1
C46						A-4		J-2

Started Getting

Getting Started 23-EN

Setting up G-CODE manually

MENU

CURSOR

> / . / ? / /

EXECUTE

PROG+/–

Notes

•The menu disappears automatically if you don’t proceed for more than a few minutes.

•The G-CODE used in this VCR is for Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao, etc. and cannot be used in areas such as U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and U.K.

•If the preset channel is on cable TV, “C” appears on the left of the channel in step 2 in most areas. However, this won’t be applied in some areas. See pages 20 to 23 for reference.

G-CODE is a feature in Sony VCRs that simplifies the task of programming the VCR to make timer recordings. Use the on-screen display to coordinate the program position of each channel with the guide channel (the number that’s assigned to each TV station in advance). To get the guide channel numbers, look in the program guide for your area that features G-CODE numbers.

Setting the guide channels

1Press MENU.

The main MENU appears on the TV screen.

MENU

T I MER SET / CHECK

SET UP MENU

TUNER PRESET

SET UP CH AND G–CODE

CLOCK	SET
GAME	:
SELECT
SET	:	EXECUTE

2Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to SET UP CH AND G-CODE, then press EXECUTE.

The SET UP CH AND G-CODE menu appears.

The preset channels are displayed on the screen. “---” in the GUIDE CH column means that the guide channel has not been preset.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH			GUI DE CH
1	3		–	– – –
2	9		–	– – –
3	1 2		–	– – –
4	2 7		–	– – –
5	5 6		–	– – –
SELECT			:
MOVE PROG 1			:	–
SET GUI DE		CH	:

3Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to the row on which you want to set the guide channel.

To display program positions 6 to 50, press CURSOR >/. repeatedly.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH			GUI DE CH
1	3		–	– – –
2	9		–	– – –
3	1 2		–	– – –
4	2 7		–	– – –
5	5 6		–	– – –
SELECT			:
MOVE PROG 4			:	–
SET GUI DE		CH	:

4 Press CURSOR / to highlight the TV channel and guide channel.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH			GUI DE CH
1	3		–	– – –
2	9		–	– – –
3	1 2		–	– – –
4	2 7		–	– – –
5	5 6		–	– – –
SELECT			:
MOVE PROG 4			:
SET GUI DE		CH

5 Press CURSOR / to highlight the guide channel only.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH		GUI DE CH
1	3	–	– – –
2	9	–	– – –
3	1 2	–	– – –
4	2 7	–	– – –
5	5 6	–	– – –
SELECT		:
SET		:

24-EN Getting Started

Notes

•If you inadvertently entered a guide channel number, press CURSOR >/. repeatedly to reset the ”GUIDE CH” column to ”---”. ”---” appears between 1 and 255.

•The VCR does not allow entering the guide channel number, if the same number has been set.

•If you leave the GUIDE CH column blank (---), the VCR will record the signal through LINE IN when recording with G-CODE.

Note

•When you record a satellite broadcast using G-CODE, you need to select the desired channel on the satellite tuner manually.

6Press CURSOR >/. to select the guide channel number assigned in the program guide.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH	–	GUI DE CH
1	3		– – –
2	9	–	– – –
3	1 2	–	– – –
4	2 7	–	2 5
5	5 6	–	– – –
SELECT		:		Getting
SET		:
7 Press CURSOR / to confirm the setting.
The cursor (I) appears in the leftmost column.				Started
1	3	–	– – –
SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH		GUI DE CH
2	9	–	– – –
3	1 2	–	– – –
4	2 7	–	2 5
5	5 6	–	– – –
SELECT		:
MOVE PROG 3		:	–
SET GUI DE CH		:

8To set the guide channel of another station, repeat steps 3 to 7.

If you want to change the program positions of the stations, proceed to step 2 of “Changing the program positions of the stations” on page 26.

9When you’ve finished, press EXECUTE to exit.

Setting up G-CODE for satellite broadcasts

When your satellite tuner is connected via the AERIAL IN connector, first you have to set the program position for each satellite channel using the TUNER PRESET menu. Then set the guide channel number for each satellite channel using the SET UP CH AND G-CODE menu.

1Turn on the satellite tuner.

2Press MENU, then select TUNER PRESET and press EXECUTE.

3Press PROG +/– to select a program position you want to use for watching a satellite channel.

4Select CHANNEL SET, then press CURSOR / to tune the VCR to the satellite tuner.

The channel number displayed beside CHANNEL SET is used for receiving all satellite broadcasts from the satellite tuner.

Selected program position

	TUNER PRESET							PROG 6
	SYSTEM
				I	D / K			B / G		M
	NORMAL / CATV
						NORM			CATV
	CHANNEL			SET		3	0
	AF T					ON			OFF
	F I NE TUN I NG
	SET	:

5Press PROG +/– to select another program position for another satellite channel, and press the program number buttons to enter the same channel number as the one displayed in step 4.

Repeat this step for all satellite channels.

6Set the guide channel number for each program position

assigned to the satellite channel, following the procedures in “Setting the guide channels” on pages 24 and this page.

Getting Started 25-EN

Changing the program positions of the stations

After setting the channels and G-CODE guide channels, you can change the program positions which are automatically assigned, as you like.

1Press MENU.

The main MENU appears on the TV screen.

MENU

CURSOR

> / . / ? / /

EXECUTE

MENU

T I MER SET / CHECK

SET UP MENU

TUNER PRESET

SET UP CH AND G–CODE

CLOCK	SET
GAME	:
SELECT
SET	:	EXECUTE

2Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to SET UP CH AND G-CODE, then press EXECUTE.

The SET UP CH AND G-CODE menu appears.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH			GUI DE CH
1	3		–	1
2	9		–	2
3	1 2		–	3 8
4	2 7		–	1 6
5	5 6		–	– – –
SELECT			:
MOVE PROG 1			:	–
SET GUI DE		CH	:

3Press CURSOR >/. to move the cursor (I) to the row on which you want to change the program position, then press CURSOR /.

The TV channel and guide channel are highlighted.

To display other pages for program positions 6 to 50, press CURSOR >/. repeatedly.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH		GUI DE CH
1	3	–	1
2	9	–	2
3	1 2	–	3 8
4	2 7	–	1 6
5	5 6	–	– – –
SELECT		:
MOVE PROG 3		:
SET

4Press CURSOR >/. until the channel and guide channel row moves to the desired program position, then press CURSOR ?.

The two rows exchange the positions.

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH		GUI DE CH
1	3	–	1
2	9	–	2
3	1 2	–	3 8
4	2 7	–	1 6
5	5 6	–	– – –
SELECT		:
MOVE PROG 3		TO PROG 1
SET		:

SET UP CH AND G–CODE
PROG	CH		–	GUI DE CH
1	1 2			3 8
2	9		–	2
3	3		–	1
4	2 7		–	1 6
5	5 6		–	– – –
SELECT			:
MOVE PROG 1			:	–
SET GUI DE		CH	:

5To change the program position of another station, repeat steps 3 and 4.

6When you’ve finished, press EXECUTE to exit.

26-EN Getting Started

Basic Operations

Playing a tape

6 EJECT

P PAUSE

· P L A Y

DUAL MODE

SHUTTLE (DMS)

p STOP

Tip

∙For further information on searching and playback functions, see “Playing/ searching at various speeds” on page 41.

Note

∙Tapes recorded in LP mode can be played back on this VCR, while playback picture quality in modes other than normal forward speed is not guaranteed.

This section shows you how to play back a video tape.

1 Turn on your TV and tune in to the VCR:

∙If the TV is connected to the VCR using the audio/video cable, set the TV to video input.

∙If the TV is connected to the VCR using only the aerial cable, set the TV to the program position for the VCR.

2 Open the drop down panel and insert a tape.

The VCR turns on automatically. The tape starts playing automatically if its safety tab has been removed. (See page 34.)

3 Press · PLAY to start playing.

When the tape reaches the end, the VCR automatically rewinds it to the beginning. (The power remains on.)

Additional tasks

To	Press
Stop play	p STOP
Pause play	P PAUSE
Resume play after pause	P PAUSE or · PLAY
Search forward	Turn the DUAL MODE SHUTTLE (DMS)
	ring to # during playback
Search backward	Turn the DMS ring to 3 during playback
Fast-forward the tape	Turn the DMS ring to ) FF during stop
Rewind the tape	Turn the DMS ring to 0 REW during stop
Eject the tape	6 EJECT

Basic Operations 27-EN

Playing a tape (continued)

Note

∙Depending on your TV, the following may occur while playing an NTSC-recorded tape:

–the picture becomes black and white

–the picture shakes.

–no picture appears on the TV screen

–black streaks appear horizontally on the TV screen

–the color density increases or decreases

–the display does not appear properly during search forward or search backward.

Notes

∙The remaining tape length will not appear while playing an NTSC-recorded tape.

∙The display won’t appear during still mode or slowmotion playback.

∙When you insert a short tape such as E-30 or a nonstandard commercially available tape, the remaining tape length may not be correct.

Notes

∙When a tape is reinserted, the counter returns to “0H00M00S.”

∙The counter will not work on tape portions with no recording.

∙If a tape has portions recorded in both PAL and NTSC systems, the time counter reading will not be correct. This discrepancy is due to the difference between the counting cycles of the two video systems.

To set the color system

If streaks appear during playback, set the COLOR SYSTEM switch on the VCR to conform to the system that the tape was recorded in. (The normal setting is AUTO.) You can check the present color system in the display window. Refer to the page 8.

When your tape was recorded in	Set COLOR SYSTEM to
PAL	PAL/MESECAM
NTSC	NTSC
MESECAM	PAL/MESECAM

Displaying the remaining tape length and time counter

Press DISPLAY to turn the display on or off.

S			E	Remaining tape length
0 : 00 : 22				The white bar represents the
				approximate length of tape

remaining.

Time counter

Using the time counter

At the point on a tape that you want to find later, press COUNTER RESET to reset the counter to “0H00M00S.” When you rewind or advance the tape to this point, refer to the counter.

28-EN Basic Operations

Notes

∙When you play a tape recorded in monaural, the sound is heard in monaural regardless of the AUDIO MONITOR setting.

∙To play a tape in stereo, you must use the AUDIO OUT connection.

∙If AUDIO MIX in the SET UP MENU is set to ON, the AUDIO MONITOR button doesn’t work.

Playing stereo and bilingual programs

Press AUDIO MONITOR to select the desired sound. Each press of the button changes the display on the VCR and TV screen.

To listen to a			Press AUDIO MONITOR until
Stereo tape	Bilingual		The TV screen	The display window
	tape		shows	indicator shows
Stereo	Main and sub		“STEREO”	“STEREO”
	sounds
Left channel	Main sound		“LCH”	“MAIN/L”
Right channel	Sub sound		“RCH”	“SUB/R”
Standard	Standard		No indication	No indication
sound	sound
(monaural)

To check audio channel and sound level

You can check the audio channel and sound level visually with the indicators in the display window.

Left channel indicator L

dB		15 10	6	3	0	3	6

Right channel indicator R

MENU

AUDIO MONITOR

C U R S O R > / . / ? / /

EXECUTE

Sound level indicator

How sound is recorded on a video tape

This VCR records sound onto two different tracks. High-fidelity sound (usually stereo) is recorded onto the main track along with the picture. Monaural sound is recorded onto the normal audio track along the edge of the tape.

Monaural sound

Normal audio track

Main track

Hi-fi sound and video signals

To listen to hi-fi and normal audio at the same time

1 Press MENU and select SET UP MENU.

ex. SLV-X842/X842ML

SET UP MENU

LANG /

ENGL I SH

BUZZER				ON	OFF
D I MMER				ON	OFF
AUD I O MI X				ON	OFF
GU I DE LAMP				ON	OFF
H I F I	AUD I O			STD	NICAM
SET	:

2Set AUDIO MIX to ON using CURSOR

> / . / ? / / .

The AUDIO MONITOR button becomes inoperative, and the sound you hear is mixed.

3Press EXECUTE to store the setting. After playing the tape, reset AUDIO MIX to OFF.

ex. SLV-X842/X842ML

	SET UP MENU
	LANG /
				ENGL I SH
	BUZZER
						ON		OFF
	D I MMER					ON		OFF
	AUD I O MI X					ON		OFF
	GU I DE LAMP					ON		OFF
	H I F I	AUD I O				STD		NICAM
	SET	:

Basic Operations 29-EN

Recording TV programs

TAPE

SPEED

PROG +/–

r

REC

Tips

∙To select program positions, you can also use the program number buttons on the remote commander. For two-digit numbers, press the ?

(ten’s digit) button followed by the program number buttons.

•To cut out an unwanted scene while recording, press P PAUSE, turn the DUAL MODE SHUTTLE ring on the VCR to rewind the tape to the beginning of the unwanted scene, then press P PAUSE to resume recording.

•Information about the tape and VCR status will appear on the TV screen, but it won’t be recorded on the tape. (continued)

This section shows you how to record TV programs in the most basic way: manual recording. With manual recording, you start the VCR recording when the program begins, then stop it when the program ends. The VCR also provides the following ways of recording:

∙Manually start recording, then stop it automatically—“Recording using the quick timer” (page 32)

∙Automatically start and stop recording—“Setting the timer manually” (page 37)

∙Automatically start and stop recording by simply entering the “G-CODE” number—“Recording TV programs using G-CODE” (page 35)

1 Turn on your TV and tune in to the VCR:

∙If the TV is connected to the VCR using the audio/video cable, set the TV to video input.

∙If the TV is connected to the VCR using only the aerial cable, set the TV to the program position for the VCR.

2 Open the drop down panel and insert a tape with its safety tab in place.

3 Select the desired program position by pressing

PROG +/–.

STEREO												SP
												H	M	S
L
dB	15 10						6	3		0	3	6

R

4 Select the tape speed by pressing TAPE SPEED.

•For PAL/MESECAM, select either SP or LP.

•For NTSC, select either SP or EP.

See “To select tape speeds” on the next page.

STEREO												LP
												H	M	S
L
dB	15 10						6	3		0	3	6

R

5 Start recording by pressing r REC.

When the tape reaches the end, the VCR automatically rewinds it to the beginning.

To stop recording

Press p STOP.

30-EN Basic Operations

Tips (continued)

∙If you don’t want to watch TV while recording, you can turn off the TV.

∙To record a video source from LINE 1 or LINE 2, press INPUT SELECT to display “L1” or “L2.”

Notes

∙If you insert a tape with its safety tab removed, the VCR starts playing it automatically. To record on this tape, cover the tab hole with adhesive tape.

∙If you’ve inserted a tape with its safety tab removed, the VCR ejects it when you press r REC.

∙The VCR automatically selects either the NTSC, PAL, or MESECAM color system when recording TV broadcasts.

To select tape speeds

PAL color system

When recording, select either SP (Standard Play) or LP (Long Play). LP provides twice as much recording time as SP. However, SP provides better picture quality. You can mix SP and LP on the same tape. When playing back, the VCR automatically detects the tape speed. See the table below for the maximum recording/playback time in each speed.

Maximum recording/playback time

	Tape type
		SP	LP
	E-300	5 hrs.	10 hrs.
	E-240	4 hrs.	8 hrs.
	E-180	3 hrs.	6 hrs.
	E-120	2 hrs.	4 hrs.
	E-60	1 hr.	2 hrs.

NTSC color system

When recording, select either SP (Standard Play) or EP (Extended Play). EP provides three times as much recording time as long as SP. However, SP provides better picture quality. You can mix SP and EP on the same tape. When playing back, the VCR automatically detects the tape speed. See the table below for the maximum recording/playback time for each speed.

Maximum recording/playback time

	Tape type
		SP	EP
	T-160	2 hrs. 40 min.	8 hrs.
	T-120	2 hrs.	6 hrs.
	T-60	1 hr.	3 hrs.
	T-30	30 min.	1 hr. 30 min.

Basic Operations 31-EN