Satisfactory five years of use.
Written: Jun 18 '05 (Updated Jun 18 '05)
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Pros: Picture and Sound Quality
Reliability
Clean On-Screen Displays
Cons: Supplied Remote Control
The Bottom Line: Discontinued. Decent reliability and ease of use. The remote is not up to par. Currently inexpensive.
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| jedo1507r's Full Review: Sony SLV-N50 VHS VCR |
I bought the N50 back in October, 2000. Since then, the machine has been used daily for a three hours. This machine replaced a 1988 Sharp VC-M701U - which had its transport tantrums with a tape inside. I had looked around various shops for a deck before settling on the N50; we looked at a high-end Sanyo, a multi-system Panasonic SuperDrive, and a mono Sharp model (all at different price points).
The transport is top notch for an inexpensive deck. Shuttle functions (by another remote) are responsive and has the capability of playing in reverse; however, without sound.
Recording and playback picture quality is slightly better than expected and can be sharpened or softened through the menu. Also, for some areas with fringe reception through an antenna, settings for manual fine tuning (bypassing auto-tuning) are available - a rarity in most recorders.
The menu is clearly labeled and nicer looking compared to most brands. The on-screen display shows the elapsed and remaining time left on the tape. It also displays station identification (station call letters) when flipping channels, which may or may not be handy; but it also has a show identification to identify what is currently on.
The downside to this recorder is the supplied remote. The late-1990s Sony design is much left to be desired as far as feel and reliability. After the remote ceased to operate, we substituted with a large, shuttle-equipped remote - which brought out the best of the machine, especially deck-to-deck editing.
Locking the unit from children is quite interesting, well it won't stop children from putting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in it (like some older Samsung models that physically lock the door), but it prevents access to the controls by anyone that does not know the process to unlock it. Pressing the power button and holding it for a few seconds (from on to off) will lock it, do the same to unlock it - locking it will not interfere with scheduled timer recordings.
After many hours of use, the deck never had problems; although it will eventually. The supplied remote leaves much to be desired.
Variation (differs cosmetically): SLV-AX10
Step higher (VCR Plus, program search, Dial Timer): SLV-N60; SLV-AX20
The current base Sony models are manufactured by Samsung, which are identified by an LED digital display (formerly used a florescent display - readable in the long run), a large brand on rear ID sticker (different from outgoing models) and plastic bottom portion of unit (identical to some other brands, also used different face molding and paint). This was one of the last base models that Sony manufactured.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99.00
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Epinions.com ID:
jedo1507r
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Location: Clarksville, Tennessee
Reviews written: 37
Trusted by: 0 members
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