With a minimum of setup required, you can begin using the SLV-N750 almost immediately. Hooking the VCR up to your TV or your home theater is simple, and the SLV-N750 will automatically program all available TV channels as well as set the clock for you.

Picture and recording quality are enhanced with Sony's four dual recording and playback heads. Don't be afraid of getting the most out of your videotapes. Even when you record a full eight hours on a tape, the SLV-N750's 19-micron recording heads and the digital auto tracking system ensure a great picture. The SLV-N750 offers stereo sound as well.

Skipping commercials just got easier. With one touch, the commercial skip feature of the SLV-N750 allows you to automatically skip 30 seconds on the tape at a time, up to two minutes at once. Another common nuisance is a thing of the past with the flash rewind feature. A full-length tape can be rewound in about a minute.

The stylish, silver-toned SLV-N750 VCR is designed to be a perfect match with Sony WEGA TVs but works seamlessly with any brand of television. The wide body of the VCR is intended to mesh with other home theater, stereo, and video components, and will offer an appealing visual match with larger TVs.

The SLV-N750 provides two composite-video inputs and two analog audio inputs: one set in the rear of the unit and one set in front for quick hookups of your camcorder or other devices. The VCR has one composite-video output at the back of the unit.

You can schedule up to eight programs with the easy-to-use recording timer, and the multilingual onscreen display makes it easy to set up the VCR or record programs with instructions in English, Spanish, and French.

Users will appreciate the convenient multilingual onscreen display; the crystal-clear freeze frame, frame advance, and search modes; and the index scan, which helps locate a specific program on a tape without fuss. As opposed to VCR's with manual tracking, the SLV-N51 includes sophisticated digital auto tracking adjustment that smoothes playback. The VCR also employs an eight-event timer, auto head cleaning, a parental lock feature, and front AV inputs for connecting to a camcorder or game system. In addition, the SLV-N51 is Energy Star compliant.

This model's four-head design ensures smooth slow-motion play (forward and reverse) and clear still-frame images, and with hi-fi sound the unit records and plays back stereo audio tracks. If routing the stereo output to an AV receiver, you can even enjoy four-channel (left, center, right, and monaural surround) Dolby Pro Logic mixes from TV and Dolby-encoded cassettes. The SLV-N55's dual-azimuth construction uses two pairs of recording heads rather than one, each optimized for a specific mode (one for SP recording, the other for EP), while 19-micron heads deliver the clearest possible picture when recording or viewing in EP (extended-play) mode.

This model's four-head design ensures smooth slow-motion play (forward and reverse) and clear still-frame images, and with hi-fi sound the unit records and plays back stereo audio tracks. If you route the stereo output to an AV receiver, you can even enjoy four-channel (left, center, right, and monaural surround) Dolby Pro Logic mixes from TV and Dolby-encoded cassettes. The SLV-N71's dual-azimuth construction uses two pairs of recording heads rather than one, each optimized for a specific mode (one for SP recording, the other for EP), while 19-micron heads deliver the clearest possible picture when recording or viewing in EP (extended-play) mode.

For setup, a single button calls up an onscreen menu to guide you through VCR setup, including parameters for features like menu language select, satellite receiver or cable-box control setup, and auto tuner presets. The VCR automatically marks the tape with an index signal at the point where each recording begins so you can easily scan back to the start of a recording using these signals as a reference.

The VCR's advanced Quick-set timer dial makes it easy to program the timer up to one month in advance. Press the dial once to activate the timer, then turn the knob to set it. You can adjust start and stop times in one minute increments. VCR Plus+ further simplifies programming, as it lets you set the VCR to record programs based on common PlusCode numbers found in the TV listings of over 600 newspapers andTV Guide--no more worrying about start and end times for your most frequently recorded shows.

Commercial Pass makes it easier than ever to zip past commercials and unwanted "coming attractions." Press the button once to go into high-speed picture search; press it again and the VCR stops, rewinds a few seconds so you won't miss any of your movie, then plays. Adaptive Picture Control (APC) tests each tape and adjusts recording parameters for the best performance and adjusts playback for an ideal balance between picture sharpness and low video noise.

ChildLoc circuitry keeps small hands from going where only tapes belong. With the handy one-hour timer back-up, the VCR saves timer data for up to one hour in the event of a power loss. The unit comes with a multi-brand TV/VCR remote control.

The machine was simple to hook up to an antenna and TV. The setup features--available in English, Spanish, and French--were simple to navigate via easy-to-view on-screen graphics. The VCR's electronic clock feature is well lit for late-night viewing. The front panel display also contains an oversized icon of a tape, which displays when a video is stationary, playing, or rewinding. The SLV-679HF also displays some information on screen. For example, an on-screen clock lets you know how many minutes have passed since you began playing the tape--a great feature for viewers who want to keep track of a particular scene.

The Sony SLV-679HF handled moving from the Play to Fast-Forward or Rewind positions fairly efficiently, taking just over one second to switch functions. However, you can really hear the gears cranking during the switch. We found the "pause" feature to be especially impressive; the picture held steady and did not jump jerkily like many machines. Under most circumstances, VCRs are placed in stable, steady environments, such as in an entertainment center. However, we were impressed that the Sony SLV-679HF was able to continue chugging away in the Play mode when we placed it on its side. This is good news if you have young kids or if you're an overly enthusiastic sports fans.

The audio on this unit is impressive--typical for a hi-fi stereo unit. The SLV-679HF also includes VCR Plus+, an on-screen programming guide that works in conjunction with the PlusCode numbers published in newspaper TV listings. Simply enter a program's corresponding PlusCode number into the unit via the remote and the VCR timer automatically sets itself to record that program. However, while the VCR Plus+ feature may make your life easier in the long run, learning how to use this technology will most likely send you to the user's manual for the first few attempts.

This machine is great for those who are looking for something sturdy, basic, and easy to use.

Pros:

• Sturdy build
• Low cost
• Name brand quality

Cons:

• VCR Plus+ can be difficult to learn

Recording TV programs is easy with the VCR Plus+C system. Just look up the "PlusCode" number assigned to a program (published in the TV section of most newspapers and cable TV listings) and enter the number into the VCR--the date, time, and channel are automatically set. You can also manually record programs--up to eight at any one time. The QuickSet Timer Dial lets you quickly program a recording when time is of the essence, even without turning on your TV. The Commercial Skip feature--a 30-second skip search--makes it easy to jump through recorded ads, while the unit's jog/shuttle control allows for precise, frame-accurate rewinding and fast-forwarding.

If you have a video camcorder, it's easy to connect it to the line-in jacks at the front of the SLV-N900. The back of the VCR features line-in and line-out connections for RCA-style jacks and coaxial cable. It also has a Control S input, which enables direct IR control of VCR unit when a Control S-equipped Sony TV or receiver is used.

The included Cinema Illumination remote control can control both Sony and non-Sony TVs, as well as cable boxes and digital satellite receivers equipped with an infrared remote control. It has glowing keys that are easily viewed in low-light settings.

Other features include:

• Available play modes (speeds): SP/LP/EP
• 19 micron heads ensure higher-quality recording in EP mode
• 17-inch width
• Flash Rewind feature rewinds a T-120 cassette in about 60 seconds
• Energy Star compliant
• Index scan and play: The VCR automatically marks the tape with an index signal at the point where each recording begins. Access can use these signals as a reference to find a specific recording.
• Instant replay: The tape can be immediately rewound and playback started on the scene. During playback, the replay button is pressed and the tape is rewound 10 seconds on the counter for each press of the button.

Tech Talk

• Four-head VCR: A VCR requires two video heads to record a picture. With four heads, a VCR can perform special effects like slow motion and freeze frame, and it is optimized for recording and playback in both the SP (2-hour) and SLP (6-hour) modes. You'll also get a better picture from rental videos with a four-head VCR.
• Hi-fi VHS: The standard VHX format with Dolby Surround Pro-Logic encoded in the stereo audio channels, which produces near-CD-quality sound. You'll need an A/V receiver with Dolby Surround Pro-Logic decoding to take full advantage of this feature.

This worldwide VCR will play and convert NTSC, PAL, and SECAM tapes on any monitor. The 181-channel MTS tuner also acts as a worldwide TV-signal receiver. Audio dubbing allows you to record audio over existing images, which is handy for layering narration over your video tapes.

Although connecting the PV-V4520 was very routine, we found the coaxial cable TV inputs and outputs to be difficult to access with our fingers, making it hard to tighten down the cable company's painstaking CATV terminals. There are no front-panel audio-video inputs on this VCR. Since it's a hi-fi model, however, the PV-V4520 does provide a pair of standard audio input and output jacks on the rear, along with a composite-video in and out. Once you connect the VCR to your TV, you simply turn it on and automatically enter the setup mode. If you need to reset the VCR, the owner's manual gives clear instructions on how to proceed using the onscreen guide and remote control. In less than five minutes, you can manually reset the clock and the language for the onscreen text, as well as the TV output channel (3 or 4), antenna, and automatic channel tuning.

The remote control is intelligently designed to stand up on a tabletop or shelf. It has a backlight button that enables you to see the most important keys (Play, Stop, Rewind, and Fast-Forward) in the dark. Since the remote accepts codes from multibrand TVs, cable set-top boxes, and satellite receivers, you'll definitely want to program it to operate the channel and volume control functions. The remote's buttons are intuitively laid out and simple to use, with the exception of the channel and volume keys, which are rather small.

Most of the PV-V4520's features are geared toward recording, beginning with the VCR Plus+ guide, which, if set up properly, makes it relatively simple to command the VCR to tape programs while you're gone. After configuring the VCR setup for TV only, satellite receiver, or cable set-top box, you must look up the VCR Plus+ two-digit codes in your local TV listings and assign them to their respective channels using the remote control and onscreen menu. This is a rather cumbersome process when compared with today's hard drive TV recorders; however, Panasonic's PV-V4520 VCR is considerably less expensive and you don't have to worry about memory management.

The PV-V4520 has a number of advanced recording features that used to be found only in more expensive S-VHS models. Program End Search places an invisible index mark at the end of each recording on a tape, making it easier to find multiple shows you've recorded. This VCR also has a Zero Search tape counter locator, which enables you to find the location of a specific segment on a tape.

We did not care for the Commercial Skip feature. Contrary to its name, Commercial Skip does not automatically sense the beginning and end of advertisements. It's basically an automatic fast-forwarding device that works in 1-, 2-, and 3-minute increments. We found that 30-second increments would be more useful, since commercial breaks often run shorter or longer than one or two minutes.

We did like the auto start, rewind, tape eject, and power off features, which are great for lazy, late-night movie sessions because they make it easy to crawl off to bed without rewinding the tape and shutting off the VCR.

If you're primarily interested in a hi-fi VCR that simply plays back VHS cassettes, the PV-V4520 probably isn't for you. If you're hooked on VHS "time shifting," however, this is an ideal deck for recording new tapes and watching old ones. The PV-V4520 is a solid performer from a reliable VCR manufacturer with one of the best customer satisfaction ratings in the business.--Eric Gill

Pros:

• Easy to program
• Great remote
• Good build quality
• Lots of useful features

Cons:

• No front-panel audio-video inputs

A notable feature made standard in Panasonic's latest line of VCRs is the VCR Plus+ feature, which lets users program the VCR by entering the PlusCode numerical codes that are found in many newspapers' television listings andTV Guide.

Other features include Auto Clock Set with 24-hour backup and a trilingual onscreen display (French, English, and Spanish). Auto Clock Set, featured on every Panasonic VCR, takes advantage of the Extended Data Service signal from the user's local PBS channel to automatically set and update the time and date. In the event of a power outage, the time and date will automatically be reset within 24 hours. This model also features index search and a tape position display.

The 6240VE lets you freeze frame, view in slow motion, and advance frame by frame, as well as gives you two quick-search speeds (5x and 15x) when view tapes recorded in SLP (super long play) mode. Digital tracking lets you search for a specific point on the tape either by time or index, with a real-time onscreen counter. The VCR can be programmed and customized through onscreen menus, which can be displayed in English, Spanish, or French. Its 181-channel, direct-access tuner can accommodate up to 125 cable channels and offers the convenience of automatic channel programming. The 6240VE also includes automatic repeat play, a useful feature for demonstrations or tradeshows.

The 6240VE has a set of A/V inputs in front for easy connection of camcorders, digital cameras, and game consoles, in addition to RF, composite-video, and mono audio inputs and outputs on the rear of the unit. It includes a 27-key remote control.