VCR User’s Guide Changing Entertainment. Again.
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Table of Contents Chapter 1: Connections & Setup Things to Consider Before Connecting Components ..................................................... 3 Cables Needed to Connect Components to Your VCR ................................................... 4 Choose Your Connection .................................................................................................. 4 TV + VCR .....................................................................................................................
Table of Contents Chapter 4: On-Screen Menus Explanation of the Menu System .................................................................................. 27 Timer Recordings ...................................................................................................... 27 Time ........................................................................................................................... 27 Channels ......................................................................................
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup Things to Consider Before Connecting Components Protect Components From Power Surges • Connect all components before plugging any power cords into the wall outlet. • Always turn off the TV and other components before you connect or disconnect any cables. Position Cables to Avoid Audio Hum or Interference • Insert all cable plugs firmly into their jacks.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup Choose Your Connection There are several ways to hook up your VCR, depending on the components connected. Please use the following chart to determine which connection is best for you and proceed to the appropriate page. Note: If you prefer, we can provide you with the name of an Authorized Service Representative who will visit your home for a fee to install your electronic entertainment system and to instruct you in its operation.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup TV (back panel) VIDEO AUDIO R L / MONO IN The back of your TV might not look exactly like the one shown here. L OUT TV CABLE/ ANTENNA S-VIDEO VCR 1B 1A ANT. IN AUDIO VCR R L OUT IN VIDEO RF OUT 2 From Cable or Antenna TV + VCR 1. Connect the VCR to the TV A. Connect one end of the supplied RF coaxial cable to the RF OUT jack on the back of the VCR and the other end to the TV’s antenna in jack (sometimes labeled CABLE/ ANTENNA). – OR – B.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup TV AUDIO VIDEO R L / MONO IN L OUT TV CABLE/ ANTENNA S-VIDEO VCR ANT. IN AUDIO VCR R L OUT IN RF OUT VIDEO SATELLITE RECEIVER IN FROM ANT CH3 CH4 OUT OUT TO TV VIDEO te Sa llit R L S-VIDEO SATELLITE IN e From Cable or TV Antenna From Satellite TV + VCR + Satellite Receiver 1. Connect the VCR to the TV A.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup TV VIDEO AUDIO R L / MONO IN L OUT TV CABLE/ ANTENNA The back of your TV might not look exactly like the one shown here. S-VIDEO VCR 1B 1A VCR ANT. IN AUDIO R L OUT RF OUT IN VIDEO 2 CABLE BOX IN FROM ANT Ca B b le ox OUT TO TV 3 CH3 CH4 S-VIDEO The back of your cable box might not look exactly like the one shown here. From Cable Feed TV + VCR + Cable Box 1. Connect the VCR to the TV A.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup Put Batteries in the Remote Control 1. Insert the batteries matching the polarities (+ and –) on the batteries with the diagram in the battery compartment. Turn on the TV and VCR 1. Turn on the TV (if the TV you’ve connected to the VCR is an RCA, GE, Proscan, or Scenium TV, press the TV button on the remote packed with your VCR). 2. Tune the TV to the correct Video Input Channel. • If you used a coaxial cable to connect your VCR to your TV, tune the TV to channel 3.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup CHANNELS menu – submenus are listed below. Auto Channel Search – automatically searches for channels so that they are stored in the VCR’s channel list (the list of channels that are accessed when you press the CH +/– buttons. Add/Remove Channels – allows you to manually add or remove channels from the channel list. This is helpful if the channel’s signal is weak. See Auto Channel Search on page 27.
Chapter 1: Connections & Setup VCR Basics Once your initial settings are complete, you can begin using your VCR. In order to begin, you must first understand some basic concepts. Playing a tape 1. Tune the TV to your VCR viewing channel (03, 04, or the Video Input Channel). 2. Insert a tape in the VCR. If the Auto Play feature is set to ON, the tape automatically begins playback (the safety tab on the tape must be removed).
Chapter 2: Remote Control The Buttons on the Remote Control ON•OFF TV (0-9) Number buttons Selects channels up to 99 by pressing two number buttons. Selects 3-digit channels by pressing and holding 1 until 1 – – appears on screen. Then press the other two numbers. VCR PLAY FORWARD RECORD STOP PAUSE INFO CHAN SEARCH CHAN GO BACK F. ADV (Frame Advance) during play-pause mode.
Chapter 2: Remote Control Tip TV•VCR the TV. Switches between displaying the picture from the VCR or To turn off all the RCA, GE, Proscan, and Scenium components that are connected to the VCR, press ON•OFF twice within two seconds. VCR Turns on the VCR and puts the remote control in VCR-operating mode. This feature only works with most RCA, GE, Proscan, and Scenium products. VOL < and > Raises and lowers the television’s volume of some compatible TVs.
Chapter 2: Remote Control Programming the Remote to Operate Your TV The remote can be programmed to operate most brands of remote controllable TVs. The remote is already programmed to operate most RCA, GE, Proscan, and Scenium TVs. Find Out If You Need to Program the Remote To determine whether the universal remote needs to be programmed for your TV, turn the TV ON. Point the remote at the TV, and press the TV button. Then press ON•OFF or CHAN up or down to see if the TV responds to the remote commands.
Chapter 2: Remote Control Note Some of the remote’s buttons might operate differently for other components, especially when you’re using another component’s menu system. How to Use the Remote After You’ve Programmed It Because this remote control can also control a TV, it uses operational modes triggered by the component buttons. For example, if you want the remote to control the TV, you would press the TV button to put the remote into TV mode before you could control the TV. 1.
Chapter 2: Remote Control Code List TV Codes Akai .............................................. 03 AOC ......................................... 06,12 Candle ........................................... 06 Citizen ........................................... 06 Colortyme ..................................... 06 Concerto ....................................... 06 Curtis Mathes ........................... 01,06 Daewoo ................................... 06,12 Daytron .........................................
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Chapter 3: VCR Features Recording Features Your VCR provides many ways to record programming. Basic recording is explained on page 10. The following recording techniques are also available. • Recording – lets you press one button to record a program. • Express Recording (XPR) – allows recording to start while a program is being watched. This feature automatically stops recording after a designated period of time.
Chapter 3: VCR Features Timer Recording You can set up to 8 different TV programs to be recorded. Before a Timer Recording will work, the VCR needs to be set up correctly. • VCR’s clock must be set correctly. • If you’ve set up the VCR for a cable box for all channels, the output of your cable box appears in the channel item of the Timer Recordings menu. • PROGRAMS OVERLAP appears if two programs whose times overlap are entered.
Chapter 3: VCR Features Index Search The VCR has a VHS Index Search System that automatically records index marks on the tape every time you start a recording. During playback you can locate the program you want to play by the number of index marks or by scanning. The VCR will search forward or reverse from the location you are at on the tape. INDEX SEARCH Press REV or FWD to begin scanning OR enter a specific index number _ _ To Activate Index Search: 1.
Chapter 3: VCR Features Time Counter The time counter shows the actual time used when recording or playing back a tape. The time counter helps locate the beginning or end of recorded events. It resets to 0:00:00 whenever a tape is ejected from the VCR. For example, if you record a 30–minute program at the beginning of a tape, rewind it, and then want to go to the end of the first program to start another recording: Hours Minutes 0:30:00 Seconds 1.
Chapter 3: VCR Features COMMERCIAL ADVANCE ® This feature uses patented technology to detect and mark most commercials on your tape for any recording that is more than 15 minutes long. Once recording is finished, the VCR rewinds the tape to the beginning of the recording and determines where the commercials are located. It then marks the beginning and end of the detected commercial segments, and when finished, returns the tape to the end of the recording. It does not erase commercials from the tape.
Chapter 3: VCR Features COMMERCIAL ADVANCE 1 Marking: ON 2 Playback: AUTO 3 Display: Blue COMMERCIAL ADVANCE Playback Press 2 to switch between Playback: AUTO and MANUAL. • Select AUTO to have the VCR automatically advance through the blocks of marked commercials. It works with most 30, 45, and 60-second commercials. 0 Exit A commercial group starting with the first two minutes or last two minutes of a recording will not automatically be skipped.
Chapter 3: VCR Features MOVIE ADVANCE ® MOVIE ADVANCE helps you locate certain parts of prerecorded movies (rented or purchased). This feature works two ways: 1) you can go to the beginning of the movie, or, 2) you can skip from one preview to the next. MOVIE ADVANCE works only on tapes with the safety tab removed and recorded in SP speed. MOVIE ADVANCE What type of tape is this? 1. To select MOVIE ADVANCE, insert a tape with its safety tab removed and press the SEARCH button on the remote control. 2.
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Chapter 4: On-Screen Menus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 VCR MAIN MENU Timer Recordings Time Channels Setup Preferences Audio Language Exit If you ever need to change some of the settings in any of the menus that appear in the setup procedure, choose Setup (press 4 on the remote) from the VCR MAIN MENU. Explanation of the Menu System The on-screen menus you saw the first time you turned on your VCR were explained in Chapter 1.
Chapter 4: On-Screen Menus ADD/REMOVE CHANNELS Channel 115 is presently ADDED Add/Remove Channels Your VCR may come with a list of channels preset at the factory. Even though it may come with such a list, you may want to add or delete certain channels. Note: If you use a cable box to view all channels, this step is not necessary.
Chapter 4: On-Screen Menus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 VCR MAIN MENU Timer Recordings Time Channels Setup Preferences Audio Language Exit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 PREFERENCES Remote Control: VCR1 Auto Play: ON Auto TV/VCR: ON EnergySaver: 2:00 Front Panel: AUTO Tape Speed: SLP Set Auto Repeat COMMERCIAL ADVANCE Exit The PREFERENCES menu allows changes to be made to a variety of different VCR features. Setup Use the Setup menu to change any of the menus in the initial setup procedure.
Chapter 4: On-Screen Menus Tape Speed You can choose a preferred tape speed for recording; either Standard Play (SP) or Super Long Play (SLP). The speed selected appears on the screen and in timer recording menus. Recording Speeds Recording Times Cassette SP SLP T-120 2 Hr 6 Hr T-160 2 Hr/40 Min 8 Hr SP (Standard Play) Gives the best quality recording, but fewer programs can be recorded on the tape. SLP (Super Long Play) Gives three times the recording time of tapes recorded in SP mode.
Chapter 5: Additional Information Troubleshooting In this section, you will find answers to common recording, playback, and general VCR questions. Consulting with this section first when there is problem may help you answer common questions. General VCR Problems No power • Make sure the VCR is plugged into a working outlet. • Make sure connections between devices are correct and snug. The VCR does not respond to the remote control • To put the remote control in VCR mode, press the VCR button first.
Chapter 5: Additional Information The VCR makes noise when it is stopped • This is normal. The VCR removes the tape from the playheads when stopping. The cylinders inside the VCR will continue to rotate for a few minutes after stopping. The VCR won’t find active channels correctly using the Auto Channel Search feature • • • • Make sure all cable connections are secure and correct. Make sure that Signal Type: CABLE/ANTENNA, is set correctly in the CHANNELS menu.
Chapter 5: Additional Information Streaks in picture during normal playback • Press one of the TRACKING buttons to move streaks up or down for the best picture. • Make sure the tape is of good quality and not worn out. Time counter not working or time counter not working in search modes • The time counter does not advance during unrecorded portions of tape. When an unrecorded segment of tape is encountered, the time counter will hold its count until recorded material is detected again.
Chapter 5: Additional Information Questions and Answers About COMMERCIAL ADVANCE ® Will commercials be scanned through only on playback of recordings? Yes. The VCR rewinds and marks commercial segments after a recording is finished. How fast does this feature scan through commercial breaks? In SLP tape speed, a 3-minute commercial break is scanned through in approximately 8-12 seconds. In SP, it takes about 25-35 seconds. Are commercials still recorded if I want to watch them? Yes.
Chapter 5: Additional Information Display Panel Clock/Counter Displays current time, time counter, tape speed, or channel numbers when switching channels. FUNCTION DISPLAYS: BYE The VCR is turned off. EJEC A tape is being ejected. FF A tape is fast-forwarding. HI The VCR is turned on. PLAY A tape is in playback mode. PLAY (Flashing) Playback is paused; a still-frame image is displayed. REC The VCR is recording. Also denotes a timer recording in progress. REC (Flashing) A recording is paused.
Chapter 5: Additional Information Limited Warranty What your warranty covers: • Defects in materials or workmanship. For how long after your purchase: • 90 days - Unit exchange, with Thomson at no charge. • 91 days to 1 year - Unit exchange, for a payment of $29.95. The warranty period for rental units begins with the first rental or 45 days from date of shipment to the rental firm, whichever comes first.
Chapter 5: Additional Information What your warranty does not cover: • Customer instruction. (Your Owner’s Manual describes how to install, adjust, and operate your VCR. Any additional information should be obtained from your dealer.) • Installation and setup service adjustments. • Batteries. • Cleaning of audio / video heads. • Damage from misuse or neglect. • Products which have been modified or incorporated into other products. • Products purchased or serviced outside the U.S.A.
Chapter 5: Additional Information How to Find Your TV’s Video Input Channel You must tune your TV to the video input channel if you are using the VCR’s Audio/Video (A/V) OUT jacks to connect to the TV’s A/V input jacks. You must select the TV’s video input channel before you can see the VCR’s menus, the cable/antenna reception, and the content that’s on a tape. The video input channel for TVs varies by brand and model.
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Chapter 5: Additional Information Index A Audio 30 Audio/Video (A/V) jacks 9 Audio/video cables 4 Auto Channel Search 27 Auto Play 10, 29 Auto TV/VCR 29 Automatic rewind 10 B Basic recording 10 BYE display 35 C Cable box setup 9, 28 Cables Audio/Video 4 coaxial 4 positioning 3 CH + and - buttons 11 Channel buttons 27 Channels, adding/ removing 28 CLEAR button 19 Clock display 35 Coaxial cable 4 COMMERCIAL ADVANCE Display 22 Playback 22 questions and answers 34 Commercial Scan 35 Connections 5 D Display p
Visit the RCA website at www.rca.com Please do not send any products to the Indianapolis address listed in this manual or on the carton. This will only add delays in service for your product. Thomson multimedia Inc. 10330 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46290 ©2002 Thomson multimedia Inc.
