Sony SLV-N900 VHS VCR

Pros: no opinion
Cons: Unacceptably poor Control S support

When I bought it about 7 years ago, I wanted a home theater setup that my wife, kids, babysitters, parents, et cetera could all use. I wanted it to be as simple to use as a standard VCR+TV rig... preferably simpler. I bought an all-Sony stack, and it work ...

Pros: Performs well considering the cost
Cons: Remote and programming are a little strange

I bought this product about one year ago. Within a week the picture began tearing at which point I packed it up and sent it back to Sony. Then, they returned the unit full of packing popcorn foam which had to be cleaned out of the machine. From then on I held my breath. Now, after one year I can report that the machine has performed acceptably well--especially considering the price. Yes, as other reviewers have mentioned the remote takes some getting used to as does the programming. Honestly, I doubt this machine will function longer than two to three years and quite likely the remote will die before then. All in all though, for the money, the machine is decent enough.

Pros: Controls my cable box 99.9% of the time
Cons: Had to replace the remote. Index feature is hard to use

VCR records well. I purchased it because it can control my cable box. I had this VCR before and the remote stopped working. I've had this remote for a little over a year and the remote doesn't work AGAIN. Replacement remotes cost almost as much as a new VCR.

Pros: It worked for an hour or two, just fine, and controlled cable box.
Cons: Totally non-functioning now.

I have now tried, and returned, two Sony slv n900's. Both machines sort of started out fine--except for the crumby remotes. The remote controlled my cable box. However, neither machine carried out timed recordings (using set up that controls cable box) reliably. Occasionally, they recorded. Mostly, they just did not. And sometimes, they recorded the wrong channel. The first machine recorded without audio, switched into black and white. On both, the remote controlled my Sony TV volume on day 1, but not thereafter. When I called Sony about the second machine they seemed very unconcerned and told me the machine was not compatible with my Jerrold cablebox (despite the fact that the Jerrold is listed in manual and is about as common as any box I have seen).

Pros: Quiet operation, fast rewind, and easy setup
Cons: Dimly lit clock, functions should display on TV without pressing the Display button on remote

I just bought my SLV-N900 for $109.00 at a local electronics store. I took it home and immediately set it up. It was easy to setup and understand. Two things that I liked on my previous Zenith VCR (circa 1986) that are missing on this model are; 1) a brightly lit clock, the clock on the VCR is too dim to read across the room, 2) what's happening?, when you press the remote for play, rewind or fast forward it does not display anything on the TV (unless you press the display button first). The VCR is quiet and I find myself wondering if my last command was recognized and carried-out by the machine. Otherwise, I like the black finish which matches my DVD player and all the other features. I recommend this VCR for those of you with alot of old EP recorded tapes.