Not Sony's Best VCR
Written: Aug 04 '01 (Updated Aug 04 '01)
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Pros: Fast rewind, reasonable price
Cons: Poor quality
The Bottom Line: An okay machine with some fancy features.
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| Staceys1's Full Review: Sony SLV-N51 VHS VCR |
After countless showings of Barney, Blues Clues and Scooby Doo tapes, our VCR gave up and we needed to purchase a new one. Knowing that the new machine would be used and abused on a daily basis, we wanted a quality VCR, but did not want to spend a lot of money.
The Sony SLV-N51 VCR fit our needs perfectly. First, the price of just under $100 was within our budget and second, the Sony name has always been equated with quality.
Sony is an Engery Star partner, and this machine has the Energy Star approval, meaning that it meets the guidelines for energy efficiency.
One of the nice features of the Sony SLV-N51 VCR is the Child Lock. By holding down the "power" button on the machine for a few seconds until you see the word "LOC", any timed settings you have entered will be secure and cannot be accidentally erased. While it is locked, the VCR cannot be used except for the timed recordings, but just by holding down the "power" or "stop" buttons, or inserting a tape will unlock it.
Another feature is the "Flash Rewind" which will rewind the tape in 60 seconds. This has been quite helpful when I realize that we forgot to rewind the tape the last time we watched it and the children are anxious for the movie to start.
The Sony SLV-N51 VCR also has a button on the remote control labeled "replay" which will playback the scene you just saw. It saves a step in that you do not have to press "rewind" and then "play" if you missed something, but we do not make much use of this button. Another button on the remote will give you an on-screen number indicating how far into a movie you are, or how many more minutes remain.
The remote control itself is long and slim (about 1.5 inches wide by about 8 inches long) I find that it is awkward to use, since even if it is centered in the palm of my hand, I cannot reach all of the buttons. The good point to the remote is that came equipped with batteries.
The 60 page instruction booklet is well organized with an index and a quick reference page on the back cover. To me, a good instruction book is important since my children tend to get hold of the remote control and change the settings, so that I like to be able to reprogram it quickly.
The big drawback to this machine is that it seems to be of flimsy quality. If you do not insert the tape almost perfectly straight, it will not accept it. The door and, the whole machine itself, seems to be made of thin plastic and although it has not been a problem yet in the month that we have owned it, I would not be surprised if it began to crack.
The picture and sound we receive from the Sony SLV-N51 VCR is adequate for our needs, but I would consider it average. "Average" is the grade that I would give the
Sony SLV-N51 VCR overall. It is fine for our needs since this machine is primarily used by our children: the tape goes in, we press "play" and that is it. We rarely use any of the features that the remote control has to offer, which is fine with me, since I do not particularly like to use this remote.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 95.00
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