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USER’S
GUIDE

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VR552

Summary of Contents for VR552

Page 1: ...dervideocassetterecordervideo cassetterecordervideocassetterec ordervideocassetterecordervideoc assetterecordervideocassettereco rdervideocassetterecordervideoca ssetterecordervideocassetterecor dervideocassetterecordervideocas setterecordervideocassetterecord ervideocassetterecordervideocass etterecordervideocassetterecorde rvideocassetterecordervideocasse tterecordervideocassettereco rdervideoca...

Page 2: ...ding as close to the point of cable entry as practical Care and Cleaning Use a soft cloth or the dusting attachment of your vacuum cleaner to dust your VCR Remove dust from both top and bottom ventilation holes Plastic surfaces are easily scratched and can be marred by alcohol and various solvents Avoid excessive use of oil based furniture polishes since the materials used in the cabinet will accu...

Page 3: ...4 VCR Plus System Channels 15 VCR Plus System Worksheet 16 Additional Set up Features 17 Remote VCR1 VCR2 Option 17 Auto Play 18 EnergySaver 18 Front Panel Brightness VCR Display 19 Preferred Tape Speed 19 VCR Basics 21 Remote Buttons 22 Playing a Tape 23 Automatic Rewind 23 Tape Eject 24 Recording 24 Check the Safety Tab 24 Recording 25 Express Recording XPR 26 Timer Recording 27 Timer Recording ...

Page 4: ...Displays 42 Connections 43 Before Connecting Components 43 Jacks and Cables 44 RF Jacks and Coaxial Cables F type 44 Audio Video Jacks and Cables RCA type 44 Choosing a VCR Connection 45 TV with RF Jack Only 46 TV with A V Jacks 47 TV with A V Jacks and Cable Box 48 Reference 49 Front Panel 50 Display Panel 51 Back Panel 51 How to Find Your TV s Video Input Channel 52 Troubleshooting Tips 53 Quest...

Page 5: ...eatures working with channels and basic video tape operations are essential to get all you can out of theVCR Once you are comfortable with these features feel free to refer to other sections because they cover the more detailed information What Remains The final sections of this manual contain playback and recording information a detailed connections section and a reference section including troub...

Page 6: ...f you have a TV with AUDIO VIDEO jacks use the jacks for a better connection Refer to the section Connections toward the back of the manual for additional connection options STEP 4 PLUG IN THE VCR Your VCR s power cord has a plastic band strung through the blades Remove plastic band before plugging the cord into the power outlet To remove band cut with a pair of scissors and pull it free of the bl...

Page 7: ...ks which language you prefer to use for your VCR Use the remote control s number buttons to select options Select a language Seleccione un idioma Choisissez une langue 1 English 2 Espanol 3 Francais 1 Press 1 for English 2 for Español Spanish or 3 for Français French The remaining menus throughout the set up will appear in the chosen language Just follow the step by step procedures until setup is ...

Page 8: ...e one you selected during the initial set up do the following 1 Press MENU to display the VCR MAIN MENU VCR MAIN MENU 1 VCR Plus 2 Timer Recodings 3 Time 4 Channels 5 Preferences 6 Language 0 Exit 2 Press 6 to display the LANGUAGE menu LANGUAGE Select a language 1 English 2 Espanol 3 Francais Press MENU to continue 3 On the remote control press one 1 for English two 2 for Spanish and three 3 for F...

Page 9: ... set up but if you ever want to change a menu refer to this section Language Cable Box Set Up VCR Channel List Auto Channel Search Auto Clock Set Daylight SavingTime andTime Zone Time and Date VCR Plus System Channels RemoteVCR1 VCR2 Auto Play EnergySaver Front Panel Brightness PreferredTape Speed Setting Up the VCR 2 First things first 1 Recording 3 VCR Basics 4 Connections 6 5 7 Reference OTHER ...

Page 10: ... screen displays will appear in that language 1 On your remote control press the MENU button to display the VCR MAIN MENU VCR MAIN MENU 1 VCR Plus 2 Timer Recodings 3 Time 4 Channels 5 Preferences 6 Language 0 Exit 2 Press 6 to select the LANGUAGE menu LANGUAGE Select a language 1 English 2 Espanol 3 Francais Press MENU to continue 3 Select 1 English 2 Español Spanish or 3 Français French by press...

Page 11: ...ME channels 3 Cancel setup 4 If you selected ALL CHANNELS enter the output channel of your cable box usually 03 or 04 or press the INPUT button on your remote control for video line input if you use AUDIO VIDEO jacks CABLE BOX SETUP On what channel does the VCR receive signals from the cable box usually 3 4 or Video Enter 01 13 or INPUT Press MENU to cancel Video INPUT If you are having a hard tim...

Page 12: ...hannels List If you use a cable box for all channels this step is not necessary Your VCR may come with a channel list preset at the factory but you may want to add or delete some channels depending on whether they are active Auto Channel Search 1 Press MENU to display the VCR MAIN MENU VCR MAIN MENU 1 VCR Plus 2 Timer Recodings 3 Time 4 Channels 5 Preferences 6 Language 0 Exit 2 Press 4 to display...

Page 13: ...ions on all channels Detect Automatically will make this decision for you AUTO CHANNEL SEARCH Now scanning channel 14 Press any key to cancel The VCR begins scanning for the available channels this takes about one to two minutes When the scan is complete the VCR tunes to the lowest channel number available At this point pressing CHAN up or down should only select the active channels To Change the ...

Page 14: ... the Auto DST Daylight Saving Time feature to ON or OFF for your area Auto Clock Set Feature The Auto Clock Set feature is set to ON at the factory In the ON setting the VCR looks for a channel carrying XDS Extended Data Services information XDS updates the clock using the Coordinated Universal Time There are certain steps that are required such as Auto Channel Search setting the Time Zone and set...

Page 15: ...MAIN MENU 2 Press 3 to display the TIME menu 3 Press 4 to display the SET DAYLIGHT SAVINGS menu SET DAYLIGHT SAVINGS Does your area observe Daylight Savings Time from April to October 1 Yes DST is observed 2 No 3 Automatic Press MENU to continue 4 Select one of the options DST is the acronym for Daylight Saving Time If you chose AUTOMATIC the VCR sets the clock using the DST information broadcast ...

Page 16: ... 2 Press 3 to display the TIME menu TIME 1 Set Time and Date 2 Auto Clock Set ON 3 Set Time Zone 4 Set Daylight Savings XDS Time Data was not found 0 Exit 3 Press 1 to display the SET TIME AND DATE menu SET TIME AND DATE Time hh mm Date Press MENU to cancel 4 Enter the data using the number buttons Press 0 before single digit numbers and follow the on screen directions SET TIME AND DATE Time 12 34...

Page 17: ...s for an example only See next page for Canadian List Two Digit VCR Plus System Channel Numbers for Cable TV USA List 35 American Movie Classics 39 Arts Entertainment 57 Black Entertainment 54 Bravo 42 Cable News Network 45 Cinemax 98 Cinemax 2 37 The Discovery Channel 53 The Disney Channel 63 Entertainment Television 34 ESPN Sports Network 47 The Family Channel 33 Home Box Office 95 Home Box Offi...

Page 18: ... La Chaine Francaise 51 The Learning Channel 65 MeteoMedia The Weather Network 48 MuchMusic Network 55 MusiquePlus 52 Nashville Network 73 Newsworld CBC 53 Le Reseau des Sports 43 The Sports Network 64 Super Ecran 37 Super Ecran B 98 Super Ecran C 66 Telatino Network 46 TV5 Montreal 92 Viewer s Choice 1 93 Viewer s Choice 2 94 Viewer s Choice 3 95 Viewer s Choice 4 71 Vision TV Canada s Faith Netw...

Page 19: ...rgySaver 2 00 4 Front Panel AUTO 5 Tape Speed SLP 6 Commercial Advance 0 Exit Now you are ready to select an item from the menu to set up Remote VCR1 VCR2 Option If you own a compatible RCA GE or ProScan remote that has a VCR2 VCR2 LD or VCR2 DVD button this feature allows you to set this VCR to respond to that button Press 1 to select the Remote Control item Then press the VCR2 VCR2 LD or VCR2 DV...

Page 20: ...By default this VCR automatically turns off after two hours of inactivity Press 4 to change the time delay or to disable the feature OFF The VCR will remain turned on until you shut it off 1 00 2 00 or 3 00 The VCR turns off after one two or three hours of inactivity Thirty seconds before shutting off the VCR will warn you with a screen reading The VCR will turn off in 30 seconds Press any key to ...

Page 21: ...tch between the options SP sets the preferred recording speed to SP SLP sets the preferred recording speed to SLP Tape Speeds SP Standard Play Gives the best quality recording but fewer programs can be recorded on the tape Special effects such as pause slow motion picture search and frame advance work well when you play back tapes recorded in this speed SLP Super Long Play Gives three times the re...

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Page 23: ...recording a program should do just that This section shows you the basics of using your VCR It discusses things like using the remote control playing a tape and recording programs VCR Basics tells you what you need to know in order to watch a movie or tape your favorite show Setting Up the VCR 2 First things first 1 Recording 3 VCR Basics 4 Connections 6 5 7 Reference OTHER FEATURES ...

Page 24: ... the AUDIO VIDEO IN jacks on the back of the VCR If you are having trouble with the INPUT channel refer to page 52 MENU Brings up VCR MAIN MENU on the TV screen Numbers 0 through 9 Select a channel up to 99 by pressing two numbers Select a cable channel over 99 by pressing and holding 1 until 1 appears on the screen Then press the other two numbers PAUSE Pauses playback or recording Press PAUSE ag...

Page 25: ...the VCR PLAY on remote to begin tape play Press PLAY PAUSE PAUSE on remote for stop action Press TRACK up or down to remove any streaks from the picture if necessary Press STOP EJECT on VCR STOP on remote to stop playback Automatic Rewind The VCR automatically rewinds the tape if it reaches the end of the tape during playback While rewinding you can press POWER and the VCR will turn off after rewi...

Page 26: ...hen the VCR is off Recording If you want to record something that you re watching you can use basic recording For more detailed information refer to the Recording section starting on the next page 1 Set the tape speed by pressing the SPEED button on the remote 2 Press the RECORD button REC on the remote to begin recording 3 Press STOP to stop recording If you just want to pause the recording for a...

Page 27: ...plain the different recording features available to suit your needs including Recording explained in VCR Basics section Express Recording Timer Recording Timer Recording withVCR Plus System Copying and EditingTapes Setting Up the VCR 2 First things first 1 Recording 3 VCR Basics 4 Connections 6 5 7 Reference OTHER FEATURES ...

Page 28: ...lowing the VCR to record just by entering a PlusCode programming number found in TV guides Express Recording XPR Use Express recording to quickly record the remaining portion of the program you are watching 1 Set the tape speed by pressing the SPEED button on the remote control 2 Press the RECORD button REC on the remote to begin recording 3 Repeatedly press the RECORD button to set up the recordi...

Page 29: ...for the program with the number buttons The data includes the channel number press INPUT to select the line input start time and end time including AM or PM The start date is automatically entered based on the VCR clock The date and or speed can be changed when flashing Timer Recording Information The Clock must be set correctly Insert a tape with the safety tab in place and enough tape to record ...

Page 30: ...og Program 1 has been saved Remember to insert a recordable tape and turn the VCR off before the program start time Remember to leave your cable box on and tuned to the desired channel Timer Recording with VCR Plus System You can use the VCR Plus system to simplify timer programming if you have cable TV and don t receive all channels through a cable box or if you receive your TV signal off air Set...

Page 31: ... guide VCR PLUS Enter PlusCode Number from TV listing 12876 Press CLEAR to correct Press MENU when done 4 Press MENU to enter the VCR PlusCode system number How often should this program record 1 One time 2 Daily every day 3 Weekdays M F 4 Weekly once per week 0 Cancel 5 Indicate how often you want the program to be recorded Program 1 One time Channel 03 Cable Start Time 08 00 PM End Time 09 30 PM...

Page 32: ...TOP button for three seconds Reviewing and Clearing Programs To review programs that you have already set up 1 Press 2 when the VCR MAIN MENU is displayed to display the TIMER RECORDINGS menu TIMER RECORDINGS 1 Create a New Program 2 Review Existing Progs 3 Use VCR Plus Code 0 Exit 2 Press 2 to display the Review Existing Progs screen Program 1 One time Channel 104 Cable Start Time 12 00 AM End Ti...

Page 33: ...nd TV 3 Tune the TV to the VCR viewing channel either 3 4 or TV s video input 4 If you are using coaxial cables for the connection tune recording VCR to channel 3 or 4 the one selected on the playback VCR If you are using audio video cables select the line input on the recording VCR 5 Insert the tape you want to copy into playback VCR Insert a blank tape with its safety tab in place into recording...

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Page 35: ...CR Operation Commercial Advance Movie Advance Picture Search Options Tracking Pro Tect Plus Locking Time Counter On Screen Displays Setting Up the VCR 2 First things first 1 Recording 3 VCR Basics 4 Connections 6 5 7 Reference Other Features ...

Page 36: ...or see the video as the commercials are skipped Because television signals do not indicate where commercials are located this feature finds and marks them through a set of formulas based on how television is br oadcast today Since television stations br oadcast differently and insert their own commercials you may experience some variations in this feature s effectiveness Station pr omotions identi...

Page 37: ...n commercial marking ON or OFF Select ON and the VCR will mark commercials within approximately 30 seconds for the following types of recording Timer Timer with VCR Plus System or Express Recording The VCR automatically marks the commercials after the power is turned off Recording When you stop the recording the VCR prompts you to mark the commercials The VCR is waiting to mark commercials in the ...

Page 38: ...program segment is between commercials and less than one minute or there are frequent dark and quiet scenes If part of the program is skipped rewind the tape to the beginning of the skipped program segment and press PLAY Select MANUAL and the VCR won t advance through the blocks of marked commercials until you press SEARCH If you press SEARCH during playback of material other than commercials the ...

Page 39: ... 2 if it s a recording made at home or press 3 if it s something else you don t know or you do not want to select MOVIE ADVANCE Pressing 2 or 3 gives the same response and takes you to a different search feature If you accidentally make a wr ong selection press STOP EJECT on the VCR and reinsert the tape Press SEARCH If you press 1 the MOVIE ADVANCE menu appears MOVIE ADVANCE Would you like to go ...

Page 40: ...ress PLAY to start Press STOP to cancel This display will time out after a few minutes and the VCR will enter the Stop mode Pressing 2 to GO TO PREVIEW has the following screen appears with a video background Searching for preview Press SEARCH to reverse Press STOP to cancel When a preview is detected the VCR cues it and begins playing automatically Pressing SEARCH goes back to the beginning of th...

Page 41: ...EV to search in reverse 2 Press FWD or REV again or press PLAY to return to normal playback Slow Motion You can view a tape during play or play pause using slow motion Slow motion works well for tapes recorded at the SP or SLP speed 1 Press SLOW on the remote to begin slow motion playback 2 During playback press PAUSE and then FWD or REV to begin slow motion playback 3 Press FWD to increase or REV...

Page 42: ...H on screen display 3 If you want to search through a certain number of index marks press two number buttons to enter the number of marks you want to search Press CLEAR on the remote to correct an entry 4 Press FWD to search forward or REV to search in reverse The VCR will locate your index mark and begin playback If you did not enter a specific index number the VCR will locate the next index mark...

Page 43: ...or snow You can also use tracking when you pause a tape to reduce jittering of the picture When you manually adjust the picture automatic tracking is turned off To turn automatic tracking back on press both TRACK buttons on the front of the VCR at the same time or eject the tape and re insert it Tracking has no effect during recording only playback Pro Tect Plus Locking Feature To disable the usag...

Page 44: ...f the program You may want to press PLAY to verify Now you can begin recording at this spot 5 Press INFO twice to remove the time counter from the screen and return to the normal display mode On screen Displays The INFO button shows the status of the VCR STOP PLAY RECORD etc channel number time counter date time and tape speed on the TV screen The date and time must be set before they can be displ...

Page 45: ...ead cables and keep them away from the audio video cables as much as possible Make sure all antennas and cables are properly grounded Refer to the Safety Tips sheet packed with your unit Protect Your Components from Overheating Do not block ventilation holes in any of the components Arrange the components so that air can circulate freely Do not stack components Allow adequate ventilation when plac...

Page 46: ...OUT The coaxial cable supplied with your VCR is used to connect the VCR s RF OUT jack and your TV s antenna input Audio Video Jacks and Cables RCA type The AUDIO VIDEO jacks provide very good picture quality and sound and can be used if your TV has audio video input jacks These jacks are used for most audio video connections between components The VCR AUDIO VIDEO jacks are color coded yellow for v...

Page 47: ...ith RF jack only TV with audio video jacks TV with audio video jacks and cable box to unscramble pay channels only If you need to connect additional components not shown in the diagrams here and are unsure of how to connect them refer to the instruction manual that came with that particular component Advantages of Audio Video Cable Connections Using a simple coaxial cable connection gives you good...

Page 48: ...ection coaxial cable for cable box connection To connect 1 Connect cables as shown 2 Return to First Things First then follow the steps Using This Connection Tune your TV to channel 3 or 4 whichever one you selected with the 3 CH 4 switch on the back of the VCR To play a tape 1 Insert a tape 2 If necessary press PLAY To record one program and watch another 1 Begin recording a program using one of ...

Page 49: ...tion or two coaxial cables for cable box connection two audio video cables To connect 1 Connect cables as shown 2 Return to First Things First then follow the steps Using This Connection Tune your TV to its video input channel To play a tape 1 Insert a tape 2 If necessary press PLAY To record one program and watch another 1 Begin recording a program using one of the recording features 2 Select a d...

Page 50: ... To connect 1 Connect cables as shown 2 Return to First Things First then follow the steps Using This Connection Tune your TV to its video input channel To play a tape 1 Insert a tape 2 If necessary press PLAY To record a scrambled or unscrambled program and watch another unscrambled program 1 Begin recording a scrambled or unscrambled program through the cable box using one of the recording featu...

Page 51: ...ou also will find a TroubleshootingTips section and a question and answer section about COMMERCIAL ADVANCE in this Appendix which might help to resolve some of those simple problems Finally this section contains your warranty information Setting Up the VCR 2 First things first 1 Recording 3 VCR Basics 4 Connections 6 5 7 Reference OTHER FEATURES ...

Page 52: ...layback Pauses recording to prevent recording of unwanted scenes POWER Turns the VCR on or off RECORD Starts VCR recording Used for express recording Remote Sensor Receives signals from the remote control Aim the remote at this sensor REV Rewinds the tape when the VCR is stopped Searches the picture in reverse during playback Starts slow motion during play pause and decreases slow motion speed SPE...

Page 53: ... Viewing Channel is 3 or 4 Press the TV VCR button on the remote or front VCR panel to turn on or off VCR Indicator on Picture from VCR VCR Indicator off Picture from the TV channel Back Panel 3 CH 4 Switch Selects the channel to which you will tune the TV to see the VCR picture if you connect the VCR using one of the basic hookups AUDIO and VIDEO IN Jacks Receives signals from another component l...

Page 54: ...electing the channel from the TV s menu system see table below tuning directly to the channel by selecting a specific channel number see table below going through all the channels in the channel list by pressing the channel up or down buttons on the TV Some common scenarios are listed in the Video Input Channel Variations table that follows Common Scenarios for Video Input Channel Variations Your ...

Page 55: ...Check to make sure the antenna connections are secure and correct Snowy or no picture during playback Press TV VCR to turn VCR indicator on Check TV channel selected 3 or 4 to make sure it matches the channel selected with 3 CH 4 switch on back of VCR Check to make sure the TV s fine tuning is correct for the channel you have selected Check video cable connections between VCR and TV monitor Check ...

Page 56: ... the tape is not already rewound VCR Plus system or timer recording not made or wrong program recorded Check to make sure the correct VCR Plus system code is entered Check to make sure the cable box or satellite receiver was turned on when recording was to begin Check to make sure the program was entered correctly wrong channel or times Power interruption Reset the clock Check to see if time and d...

Page 57: ...Type CABLE ANTENNA feature is set correctly If Detect Automatically was selected for the Signal Type in the AUTO CHANNEL SEARCH menu try using either CABLE TV or ANTENNA instead May not be necessary if using a cable box for all channels Contact your local cable company for more information Tape plays back in slow motion Press PLAY to return to normal playback Cannot select channels over 69 Cable c...

Page 58: ...when The Marking feature is set to OFF in the COMMERCIAL ADVANCE menu Set it to ON A recording is less than 15 minutes or the commercial is longer than one minute A single isolated commercial can not be marked Recording started in the middle of a commercial segment A commercial group within the first or last two minutes of a recording Accuracy and effectiveness can vary depending upon program cont...

Page 59: ...e is set to AUTO the marked commercials should be skipped each time the tape is played in a COMMERCIAL ADVANCE VCR After marking commercials is the tape left at the beginning or end of the recording The tape is left at the end of the recording so it is in position to begin additional programmed recordings Does the marking process interfere with other programmed recordings No If two or more recordi...

Page 60: ...es deep 273 mm Weight 7 92 pounds 3 7 kg Storage Temperature 22 F to 149 F Range 30 C to 65 C Operating 41 F to 104 F Temperature Range 5 C to 40 C Check your cable company s compatibility requirements Cleaning the VCR Use a soft cloth or dusting attachment of your vacuum cleaner to dust your VCR Remove dust from the ventilation holes on the top back sides and bottom of the cabinet Plastic surface...

Page 61: ...pleted What your warranty does not cover Customer instruction Your Owner s Manual clearly describes how to install adjust and operate your VCR Any additional information should be obtained from your Dealer Installation and related adjustments Signal reception problems not caused by your VCR Damage from misuse or neglect Cleaning of video audio heads Batteries A VCR that has been modified or incorp...

Page 62: ...R 4 Connections 43 audio video cable 45 TV a v jacks box to un scramble pay channel 48 TV with a v jacks 47 TV with RF jack only 46 two VCRs 31 Copying and editing tapes 31 D Daylight saving time 13 Display Panel diagram 50 E Eject 24 EnergySaver 18 Express recording XPR 26 F F ADV button 22 Forward and reverse search 39 Frame advance 40 Front panel brightness 19 Front panel diagram 50 FWD button ...

Page 63: ...language 8 using menus 8 Signal type changing 11 Skipping commercials 34 36 49 57 SLOW button 23 Slow motion search 39 SLP tape speed 24 Solving problems 53 SP tape speed 24 Specifications 58 SPEED button 23 Speeds recording 19 STOP button 23 STOP EJECT button 50 T Tape eject 24 Tape speed 19 24 SLP 19 SP 19 Time Counter 42 Timer recording 26 27 stopping 30 Tips troubleshooting 53 TRACK buttons 23...

Page 64: ...e please contact your dealer or the nearest Servicenter from the yellow pages 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 As an ENERGY STAR Partner Thomson Consumer Electronics has determined that this product or product model meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency ...

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