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Sony SLV-SE 700
by Islander
I have just got this video as a replacement for a Toshiba that couldn’t be fixed (see Curry’s op for details), and I must say that I am quite impressed with it. It gives the appearance of being (and is) well built; it is solid and oozes quality. The model I have comes in the now standard (for a/v equipment) silver, ... and this is designated by an S after the product number (I believe they also come in black).
Setting up the video couldn’t be easier, it was just a case of getting it out of the box (obviously) plugging in the leads, turning on and pressing holding down set-up for 3 seconds (on the front of the video) and waiting while it tunes the channels and sets the clock (took about four minutes). The RF* output can also be changed so that you can find a clear channel with no interference (between 21-69).
The picture quality is very good for a video in this price range (around £160, although I got it for nothing, he, he), and the sound is also up to scratch (but then it is Nicam stereo), and is clean with no noticable hiss on playback. Playback of pre-recorded tapes is pretty sharp, as are tapes recorded on this video in Standard Play. Long Play on the other hand can be a little grainy, but it is more than watchable and is of an acceptable quality and is cetainly no worse than other's I have seen (and I only ever use LP for programs I watch and wipe – I always use SP if I want to keep it).
This video does feature a picture improvement system called REALITY GENERATOR (sounds like something out of Red Dwarf), that can be turned on or off and this is supposed to improve the playback quality of older tapes, by restoring the picture to its original quality, but to be honest I never noticed that much difference as the picture was good anyway. It also features a system called OPC (Optimum Picture Control) that adjusts the video heads to the tape on both record and playback to improve quality (and again c
an be turned on or off), and seems to work well.
All settings are carried out via an on-screen display that is logically laid out and easy to navigate around.
The other features on this video consist of:
SP/LP – Standard Play (3 hours from a E180 tape), Long Play (6 hours from a E180 tape)
NTSC playback – For those American Video’s
VideoPlus+ - For those who can’t set the timer
PDC (Program Delivery Control) – This is a system that detects a signal between programs that is sent by the TV company in question, and starts and stops a set timer (at the moment only BBC1/2 and CH4 use this), it is a very handy tool, because it means if a program starts late (and consequently overruns) the video will not start taping until it starts and will not turn off early). I have found that in practice this system only works well about 95% of the time, because if that signal is not sent, then the video will not start even if the timer has been set, and I have missed a few programs this way and in one case the signal was not sent until five minutes before the end of a show (and boy was I mad – I Love Red Dwarf).
Index Search (or VPS) - That finds the start of recordings via an electronic marker that is put on the tape when ever recording is started.
Flash Rewind - Rewinds a three hour tape in 60 seconds (and is very noisy). In fact, this falsh rewind is one of the downsides to this video, great if you want to rewind to the start, but trying to get it stop at a certain point is a nightmare, press stop and it takes a good ten minutes (of recorded tape) to slow down and stop, and when I say it is nosiy, think of a small jumbo jet taking off, and you will get the idea.
8 program/one month timer - This looks like it was written in Visual Basic, but don’t let that put you off as it is well laid out and couldn’t be easier to use (you don’t even need to refer
to the manual).
Tape Remaining Indicator – This is represented by a bar (as per most video’s) and also by an actual amount (in hours/minutes) via the button under the flap.
For connecting too other A/V equipment there are two SCART sockets on the back, one is in/out and the other is in only, as well as a couple of jack sockets for having the sound through a hi-fi.
One set of connections that is lacking are the ones to connect a camcorder to the video for editing your own masterpieces, I don't know if the SCART sockets or the audio in/out sockets (for hi-fi connection) can be used, but as I don't have a camcorder nor particulary want one this was not a consideration for me, but it may be for you, so Beware!
The remote is a matching grey colour and is a nice size that fits the hand well (actually it is a little longer and fatter than most), and is pretty comfortable. It is also Multi-Function and can be used to control a wide range of televisions (not just Sony’s own brand - the codes are in the manual), unusually it has a wide range of TV controls, rather than just the bog-standard volume, channel change etc. This remote also has fast text functions, and surprisingly can change the screen ratio on a widescreen television (and works a treat on my Philips). The buttons are well laid out, and for a change it looks like some thought has gone into it.
The on/off button, eject button and TV/Video selector are at the top, with the number buttons and channel/volume controls below this. There is a flap that hides the index search, TV function and playback speed buttons (slow & X2), this flap is also very solidly fitted and spring loaded and not the weak break off as soon as you look at it type. The rest of the buttons are laid out on the remote front in a logical pattern that is easy to learn for operation in a dark room (the pause, FF, FRW, and stop buttons are a different shape and laid out around
a large play button, with the record button being recessed, so it is not depressed by mistake). There is also a volume control that works on the TV even when the remote is in video mode (very useful!).
The supplied manual is excellent and probably the best I have seen. It is clear, well laid out and written in plain English and quite thick at 90 A5 size pages (and all of them are in English, and not multiple languages). It explains all the video’s features and how to utilise them clearly and concisely. There is also a separate set-up guide, explaining the initial unpacking and set-up of the video.
*The RF channel is where everything is stored on your TV when you tune it in, the four (or five, we only have fourL) terrestrial channels are stored between the range 21-33 here on the Island, but is different in other parts of the country, video’s normally come preset at 36 (but it varies), I have always found it to be advisable to keep at least two but preferably three clear RF channels between each item of A/V equipment, and between A/V equipment and the TV channels (which you can’t change).
A/V = Audio/Visual
Highly recommended if you are in the market for a new video, but whether it is worth paying the extra for the undoubtedly superior build quality and possibly slightly better picture quality is a question you would need to ask yourself, as there are other video’s available for a lot less with a very similar feature list and playback quality. Also bare in mind the lack of connections for camcorders,because if that is a prime consideration then look elswhere.
I have given it four stars for value if you get it for the street price of around £160, at is full price of £200 I would have to reduce this to three for value for money.
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Sony SLV-SE 700
by msthomas
Having previously only ever had mono VCRs, I recently purchased an SLVSE700S as an upgrade. The build quality of this kit is typically Sony, solid, well laid out, and easy to get to grips with (I can't even remember looking in the manual after the initial setup) The rear has 2 Scart sockets - one input only, the ... other in/out, as well as 2 phono sockets for audio out - pipe it straight through the HiFi!
The product boasts a 'Reality Regenerator' which is supposed to improve picture quality on failing tapes - though I can't say I can particularly see an improvement.
Another neat feature is the Tape Indexing system Smart Search - which keeps a track of what is recorded on the tape, with dates, times and channels - so it's easy to jump to a program you recorded a while ago. The only drawback with this is it only stores one tapes information - so is only really suited to a tape that is always used to tape stuff on when you are going out etc.
On the whole a well built, reliable VCR - not the cheapest for a NICAM, but hey, it is a good one!
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Sony SLV D900
by DJ Kay C
It’s Friday night. After a long hard day at work you sink down into your sofa to watch TV. All of a sudden, you remember what’s coming up in 5 minutes: the film you desperately wanted to record for two years. And you forgot to prepare a tape. So, you spend the next 5 minutes frantically fast-forwarding through all your tapes ... in the vain attempt to find at least 2 hours of blank space.
Sound familiar? Not any more…
The Sony SLV-900 is a video recorder that works, and works well. I’ll come to the more “usual” aspects later, for now I’ll concentrate on its unique “SmartFile” capabilities. SmartFile is a system invented by Sony to catalogue your videocassettes. The way it works is thus: in the box (and in the shops, hopefully) you’ll find special labels with a SmartFile chip embedded in them. These go on the spine of your cassettes, replacing the normal paper ones that come with the cassettes. Here’s where it gets interesting: whenever you record something using the SLV-900, onto a tape with a SmartFile label, the programme’s name gets pulled from Teletext and is automatically added to the tape’s chip. That way, when a cassette is inserted, you’ll always know what programmes are on a tape, how long they last, and how much space is left, giving you the option to jump straight to any programme by simply selecting its name (that includes selecting “Blank Space”). But that’s not all. On the outside of the recorder, there’s a little “badge” with the SmartFile logo on it: just hold a SmartFile label near it and all the contents of the tape pop up on your screen!
Needless to say, this system is extremely useful for anyone who records a lot and doesn’t have the time to write the entire contents of the tape down. The only slight problems I see with this system are:
- The SmartFile labels are quite hard to find in the shops
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Theoretically, the system accounts for any programmes not recorded with the SLV-900, but I’m not too convinced.
- You can’t add SmartFile data to programmes recorded with other video recorders (i.e., when you buy the video recorder, you can’t convert all of your old videos to SmartFile)
Now for the exterior of the recorder. It looks quite classy, with a front panel that flips open to reveal the cassette loader and record setting buttons (like SP/LP, channel). To the right are the control buttons (Play, Stop, Record, etc.) and a Fast Forward/Rewind jog-wheel (to select rewind speed or to view the tape one frame at a time). To the left of the panel is the Standby button and SmartFile sensor (see above). When the panel is up, only the display can be see, which usually tells the time (but you can switch that off to save energy).
The recorder doesn’t have lots and lots of options, but that’s better really, because it makes it less complicated. Nearly all of the settings can be set via the on-screen menu (these tend to be Record programming, Tape length, sound options, etc.). The SLV-900 also offers ShowView and One-Touch recording options (the first sets the video recorder according to the numerical codes you find in TV listings, the second lets you instantly start recording by setting a time limit – i.e. 10 minutes, 20, etc.).
Installation is also easy. If you have a “SmartLink” compatible TV set, the video recorder gets all of your channels from it, so there’s not a lot of fiddling to do. Even if your TV doesn’t support this automatic set-up, you can programme all the channels via the on-screen menu.
And now, the burning question: how’s the quality? In a word, superb. My old recorder used to make the colours “bleed” (this means that colours were shown in blobs, not very precisely), with streaks, but the first time I saw Mission Impossible with the SLV-9
00 I was impressed! The colours were nearly perfectly sharp, with no streaks. Of course, it depends on your videotape, but even with older tapes, the SLV-900 does try to make them look better thanks to its “Tri-Logic Digital” picture enhancing. You might be wondering why I specified “Mission Impossible” as the first tape I saw – the only reason is because I have a Dolby Surround hi-fi, and so I wanted to test the new recorder’s sound quality, too. Surprise, surprise, no hiss, no problems with bass, and a quality that will literally blow you away (well, try listening to the Mission Impossible theme tune with the volume right up!). Surround and Stereo tapes are handled perfectly then, but what about Mono? I suppose it is a bit too much to expect, but I must admit that with my older tapes (10+ years) there was a bit of hiss. Again, it depends on the cassette.
All in all then, I am most certainly impressed. I really needed to replace my old video recorder (a rubbish mono Toshiba), but I never imagined how good the SLV-900 was until I actually bought it! OK, I’ll admit it: I was attracted by the SmartFile feature. It sounds like a gimmick, but it does really work – maybe it doesn’t do as much as I had hoped it would, but it does work. If you’re not interested in DVD just yet, I would most certainly recommend that you buy this.
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