Sony SLV-690HF VHS VCR
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- VCR Type: VHS
- Number of Video Heads: 4
- Audio: Hi-Fi Stereo
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A good VCR, but Sony has done better
Pros
Good picture quality, reasonably sturdy for a modern VCR, nice features.
Cons
Lacks LP record mode (my major Sony gripe) and front A/V input.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great choice for most consumer videotape recording/viewing applications.
We bought this model secondhand at a Goodwill store because our 11-year-old Sony SLV-751HF developed mechanical problems. As longtime fans of Sony home video tape equipment, (right back to Betamax) this was a natural choice among the ones available.
I'm not sure exactly how old this model is, but it can't be that old because it is physically very similar to Sony's new line of SLV-NXX el cheapo low-end VCRs for the 21st century. It is rather small (not component width) and lightweight, but not quite as flimsy as the newest models.
Picture quality is very good for a VHS VCR. It has 4 heads and APC (Adaptive Picture Control) which is a nice Sony feature that tailors the recording to the condition and type of tape used. I've found this does tend to produce better picture quality than VCRs without this type of feature. However this VCR's picture quality is certainly nothing to hold up to S-VHS, Hi8 or DVD.
Audio quality is also very good, but not detectably better than any other Hi-Fi stereo VCR.
This Sony model has some nice features that are left off a lot of newer VCRs. Among them are slow motion and frame by frame playback in both forward AND reverse, a real-time hr/min/sec counter that is displayed in the LCD panel on the front of the unit (instead of just in the on-screen display as in Panasonic models), and an Audio Monitor button on the remote, which allows you to quickly switch between Hi-Fi and linear mono tracks without having to do it through a menu.
Timer programming and clock setting are not too hard, I was able to figure them out quickly despite not having the manual. The menu interface is not as user-friendly as on my Panasonics, with smaller text and a slightly more confusing layout, but still doable.
This is a good model if you're looking for a nothing more than a solid, everyday recorder/player with quality and features slightly above what you can buy new on a VCR.
I'm not sure exactly how old this model is, but it can't be that old because it is physically very similar to Sony's new line of SLV-NXX el cheapo low-end VCRs for the 21st century. It is rather small (not component width) and lightweight, but not quite as flimsy as the newest models.
Picture quality is very good for a VHS VCR. It has 4 heads and APC (Adaptive Picture Control) which is a nice Sony feature that tailors the recording to the condition and type of tape used. I've found this does tend to produce better picture quality than VCRs without this type of feature. However this VCR's picture quality is certainly nothing to hold up to S-VHS, Hi8 or DVD.
Audio quality is also very good, but not detectably better than any other Hi-Fi stereo VCR.
This Sony model has some nice features that are left off a lot of newer VCRs. Among them are slow motion and frame by frame playback in both forward AND reverse, a real-time hr/min/sec counter that is displayed in the LCD panel on the front of the unit (instead of just in the on-screen display as in Panasonic models), and an Audio Monitor button on the remote, which allows you to quickly switch between Hi-Fi and linear mono tracks without having to do it through a menu.
Timer programming and clock setting are not too hard, I was able to figure them out quickly despite not having the manual. The menu interface is not as user-friendly as on my Panasonics, with smaller text and a slightly more confusing layout, but still doable.
This is a good model if you're looking for a nothing more than a solid, everyday recorder/player with quality and features slightly above what you can buy new on a VCR.
