Not as User-Friendly as my last VCR was!
Written: Mar 24 '01
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Pros: The commercial skip allows you to "skip ahead" 30 seconds at a time.
Cons: Not user-friendly.
The Bottom Line: The sound and picture quality are worthy of the SONY name. The frustration derived from trying to complete a most basic task makes this VCR an "unfriendly" product.
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| sgentile's Full Review: Sony SLV-N50 VHS VCR |
What prompted me to buy this SONY VCR when I was so fond of the Panasonic I owned that had recently died? Well, the $99 sale at Wal-Mart had, and a husband who said, “Oh no, get the Sony” when I called him from my cell phone… The reason I didn’t fight him on it (because I DO have my own opinions and tend to be very loyal to brands when one has served me well), was because Sony does have a great reputation. Also this VCR had many intriguing features and a sleek hi-fi appearance.... and the $99 price didn't hurt.
Since I am NOT enamored with this product, let’s start with my complaints (I’m assuming you don’t mind)….
MY COMPLAINTS:
• Pre-recording.
While immediate recording of what is currently playing is a breeze (simply insert your blank tape and press “record”), programming this VCR to record a program that is scheduled to play at another time is not so easy. Maybe my Sony is a dud. I know I am usually quite good at following a manual’s instructions and figuring out how to do this primary video cassette recorder task…. For some reason this has not been the case. And my husband (who is a computer networking professional) can NOT figure it out either…. Hmmmmm.
• The Remote Commander.
I should have known by the name Sony gave their remote (“Remote Commander”) that I wasn’t going to be fond of this gadget…. It is sleek though; long and slender. I suppose I should provide you with a little background information, to be fair to Sony….
I have a two year old and a 9-month-old. Remote controls intrigue babies, for reasons undetermined at this time. When my 9 month old son gets his hands on this remote (I mean Commander), things really start happening…. The play button gets activated, the television channels get surfed, and once the video was ejected (WHO’s idea was it to include an “eject” button on a VCR remote?)! The most frustrating occurrence is that suddenly the remote stops working on the television and we are forced to use the TV. Remote until we can figure out how to correct the situation. (FINDING the television remote control is another challenge at times.).
Mind you, this problem is NOT corrected by the simple solution of pressing the TC/VCR button. It generally involves turning the VCR off, and figuring it out by process-of-elimination. Add to this inconvenience, the mayhem of having a two-year-old who is in distress from having her favorite Elmo song interrupted! Arg!
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Now I realize that I have complaints with only two features. However these two features are almost solely responsible for the ease and level of enjoyment that a VCR can provide its owners with. The frustration and time spent trying to make these functions work efficiently truly makes this product seem “unfriendly.”
What I do like:
• Commercial Skip.
I believe this feature is inaccurately named, but it is a good feature nonetheless. Commercial skip does NOT skip the commercial, as the name implies. Instead, the tape is quickly advanced 30 seconds for each press of this button on your Commander (remote). You can press the Commercial Skip button up to four times.
• Replay.
When you press the replay button your tape is rewound 10 seconds’ worth, and will automatically start to play again.
• Child Lock.
This feature allows you to secure your settings without worrying that they will be accidentally cancelled.
• Select a Language.
You can select English, Spanish or French as your “on screen display language.” I haven't actually used this feature, but it might come in handy if it is still working when my children start learning a second language in school.
• Quick Rewind.
This Sony VCR rewinds much more quickly than all the other VCRS I am familiar with; I am comparing its speed to those VCRs owned by family and friends. A quick rewinding VCR is a great feature to have when you have children three and under.
The rest of the features are found in most VCRS (HiFi sound, auto clock setting, etc), so I won’t get into those.
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Bottom Line:
The quality of the picture is excellent, and the sound is also superior to many of the VCRs I am familiar with. However, due to the difficulty my husband and I have experienced trying to figure this unit out (to perform it’s most basic task… recording), I must say I do not recommend this unit. There are other VCRs in the same price range that have many of the features we sought (commercial skip, pre-programming capability, etc.). If I were to do it all again, I would have shopped for a VCR when I didn’t have my children with me; so I could take my time and ask the electronics’ department clerk show me how easy/difficult it is to pre-record.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 99
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Epinions.com ID:
sgentile
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Location: New England, United States
Reviews written: 249
Trusted by: 476 members
About Me:
I'm a mother who focuses on safety, fun, & value. I write from experience.
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