Hitachi VT-M272A manual

1 1 HITA CHI VHS Video Deck VT-M272A Owner's Manual Your Complete Guide to Videocassette View ing and Recording Using these quality feat ures: • Up to 8 delay ed recording pr ograms • Auto tracking for impr oved picture in pl ayback • Cable-compati ble frequency sy nthesizer q uartz tuner • Remote control for use w ith your VC R, TV, a[...]

2 FOR YOUR SAFETY ................................................................................................................................. 4 READ THIS FIRST ................................................................................................................ .................... 6 • Table of Contents ..........................[...]

3 To Find Speci fic Sections on a Tape ............................................................................................... 35 Basic Operations (Recording) ................................................................................................... ................ 39 • Recordin g a Program ......................................[...]

FOR YOUR SAFETY 4 F O R Y O U R S A F E T Y POW ER SUPPLY: AC 120V, 60 Hz ONLY. The POW ER swi tch turns the VCR on and off, leaving the cl ock/timer unaffected. If the unit is to be left unattended for a long peri od, it is recommended that the uni t be compl etel y sw itched off and unplugg ed. Illustrated below is the label on the back y our uni[...]

FOR YOUR SAFETY 5 THIS A PPLIA NCE TO RA IN OR MOISTURE. CA UTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH W IDE BLADE OF PLUG TO W IDE SLOT, AND FULLY INSERT PLUG. This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B l imits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference r egulations of the Canadian Department of Communi[...]

READ THIS FIRST 6 R E A D T H I S F I R S T Thank you for buying a Hi tachi product. You've chosen the best VCR for you, and we want to he lp you make the most of your purchase. Please ta ke time to become familiar with this m anual and how it is set up. Keep i t handy for future reference, too. To guide you, we've concluded: • "Mu[...]

• Table of Contents 7 • Table of Contents • = "Must Read" Secti ons fo r First Time Operation Getting Sta rted, 6 Important Safeguards, 6 Simple Hookups, 8 • 1 Decide W here to Put Your VCR, 8 • 2 Decide W hich Hookup Method to Use, 8 • 3 Hook Up the Audio/Video Si gnal, 9 • 4 Hook Up the RF Si gnal, 10 • 5 Attach the TV a[...]

• Table of Contents 8 Recording a Program, 30 • Before You Record, 30 • Basic Recording Steps, 30 Recording Tips, 31 Using the In sta nt Reco rd ing Tim er (IRT), 3 2 Setting the VCR to Record Later, 32 Revi ewing W hat You Hav e Programmed, 34 Progr amming Prior ities, 35 Easy delay ed recording w ith VCR Plus+, 36 • About VCR Plus+ , 36 ?[...]

Getting Started 9 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d This section expl ains safety rules, how to hookup, q uick tour of the controls, set up for first-time operati on using on-screen menus, Vi deocassette tapes. Let's get started. • IMPORTA NT SAFEGUA RDS In addition to the careful attention dev oted to quality standards in the manufacture of your [...]

Getting Started 10 5 Power Sources - This video pr oduct should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the mar king label. If y ou are not sure of the type of power suppl y to your home, consul t your v ideo dealer or local power company . For video pr oducts intended to operate from battery power, or other sources, refer to th[...]

Getting Started 11 accessory i tsel f and should not hav e been modi fied so as to defeat the safety features. This will help avoid any potentia l hazard from electric shock o r f ire. If in doubt, co n tact qualif ied servi ce personnel. 10 W a ter and Moisture - Do not use thi s video product near water - for ex ample, near a bath, tub, wash bow [...]

Getting Started 12 14 Cleaning - Unplug thi s video product from the w all outlet before cleani ng. Do not use liqui d cleaners or aerosol cl eaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning . 15 Object and Liqui d Entry - Nev er push objects of any kind into thi s video product through opening s as they may touch dangerous vol tage points or short- out parts[...]

Getting Started 13 prevent fire, el ectric shock or other haz ards 20 Safety Checks - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this video product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks recommended by the manufacturer to determine that the v ideo product is in safe operating condition.[...]

Getting Started (Hook ups) 14 Getting Started (Hookups) • Simple Hookups 1 Decide Where to Put Y our VCR • Be sure your cho s e n location a llows for prop er ventilation , sta bility, and prot e ction from heat and moisture (s ee Important Safeguards). • Place the VCR near your TV but not on top of it. For conveni ence in using the remote co[...]

Getting Started (Hook ups) 15 DO NOT T URN ON T HE POW E R YE T. FOR YOUR SA FETY, LEAVE YOUR TV AND VCR UNPLUGGED W HILE HOOKING THEM U P. 3 Hook Up the A udio/Video Signal If your TV is a fairly recent model, you probably hav e both audio and video jacks. Look at the back of your TV fo r two jacks - possibly color-coded yellow and white. They w i[...]

Getting Started (Hook ups) 16 in Advanced Oper ations (page 44). Simple A ntenna/Cable 75 Ohm Hookup This is an easy hookup that you can use if your cabl e or antenna has a 75 ohm round wire connector. Y ou will need the 75 ohm cable supplied with y our VCR. It looks like this: (Refer to page 11 for 300 ohm U HF connection to TV and antenna.) If yo[...]

Getting Started (Hook ups) 17 provi ded by this eq uipment. External or Internal 300 Ohm A ntenna If you have ei ther an external or internal (r abbit ears) antenna rather than cabl e, you may hav e 300 ohm connectors like these: In this case, you will need special adapters (not provided w i th VCR) to make the 75 ohm round w ire connections shown [...]

Getting Started (Hook ups) 18 300 ohm flat UHF and 75 ohm round VHF If you have "rabbit ears" (an antenna on top of your TV), y ou will need an additional adapter and 75 ohm extensi on to make your leads r each from the antenna to the VCR. This connection will work only if you have a strong, clear picture on the TV, indicating a strong si[...]

Getting Started (Hook ups) 19 6 Install Batteries in the Remot e Control The remote control req uires two fresh "AA" batteri es. On the back of the remote, a plastic cov er pushes off in the direction show n by the arr ow. Remov e this cover and install the batter ies, matching the plus end of each battery with the plus mar k on the remot[...]

Getting Started (Contr ols) 20 Getting Sta r ted (Controls) • Quick Tour of the Controls Study these pictur es carefully to learn about the buttons and contr ols that you'll need for daily operation. Various control s are explai ned throughout this manual as they are needed, but now is a g ood time to get f amiliar with their locations. Most[...]

Getting Started (Contr ols) 21 Remote Control Buttons Illustration of remote POW ER Turns the VCR on and off. VCR1, TV, CA TV, VCR2 Devi ce buttons let you set the remote to control one of f our devices. MUTE (T O CONTROL T V) Turns off the audio until you press Mute ag ain. VOLUME Increase or decrease the audi o volume and play s back in adjustabl[...]

Getting Started (Contr ols) 22 GUIDE Brings up an on-screen setup and progr amming guide, the Easy Guide System. TAPE SPEED Swit ches between standard play (SP) and extended pl ay (EP). SLOW SPEED Plays back i n adjustable slow moti on. AVX Used for recording from an auxiliary input such as a stereo system. GO-TO/INDEX Used for marking and searchin[...]

Getting Started (Contr ols) 23 0 to 9 Number buttons used in on- screen programmi ng. Can also be used to change channels. (Simply press 2 or 3 dig its for the channel you w ant - such as 0 and 6 for channel 6, or 100/ENT and 2 and 4 for channel 124.) VCR/TV Swi tches between vi ewing thr ough the VCR and not v iewing through the VCR . When the Rem[...]

Getting Started (Contr ols) 24 POW ER T urns VCR power on and off. STOP/EJECT Cancels any v ideotape action, and when pr essed a second time, ejects tape. PLAY Play s the loaded videotape. DISPLAY Show s time, channel, and status indicator s. CHANNEL U p and down arrow s for selecting channel s. REC/IRT T o begin re co rding. F.FW D Contr ols the v[...]

Getting Started (Contr ols) 25 You may view all the on-screen instructi ons in English, Fr ench, or Spanish. W hen you first set up your VCR, it will be set to E n glish . Press num b ers 8 or 9 f o r the othe r languag e options. You w ill do most of your programming and setup by pressing numbers on the remote control w hich correspond to options [...]

Getting Started (Initial Setup) 26 Getting Sta rted (Initi a l Setup) • Setup for First-Time Operation Before you use y our VCR to w atch or record from your TV, you need to "tell" the VCR whether your TV uses cable or antenna input and l et it program i tself to receive y our TV's channels. It's also a good idea to set the cl[...]

Getting Started (Initial Setup) 27 Here are what the options mean: 1 ANTENNA/CABLE Press 1 to select the ty pe of receiving setup y ou have: <ANT.> Internal or external antenna <CATV1> Ordi nary cable <CATV2> Alternate cable ( if CATV1 doesn't give y ou the channels you ex pect) 2 AUTO CHA NNE L SETT ING Press 2 to automatica[...]

Getting Started (Initial Setup) 28 Press the number buttons on the remote contr ol to set the current time - tw o digits for the hour and tw o f or the minutes. Then press 1 or 2 for AM or PM, respecti vely. For exampl e, if it is now 2:15 PM , press 0, 2, 1, and 5 for hours and minutes, and press 2 for PM. Continue pressi ng buttons to set the dat[...]

Getting Started (Initial Setup) 29 Once channels are preset, y ou can use the up and down CH ANNEL buttons to move through the activ e channels or y ou can press the number buttons to move q uickly between channels that ar e far apart. Removing Channels You may not want to keep all the stati ons the auto-programmer sel ects, since you may prefer to[...]

Getting Started (Videotapes ) 30 Getting Sta rted (Vide otapes) • A bout Videocassette Tapes Ty pes The best thing y ou can do f or your VCR i s use the best quality tapes available. This VCR uses VHS tapes only, w hich are the most common ty pe. Look for the VHS mark on new or prerecorded tapes you buy . Tapes are marked either T-120 or T-160, w[...]

Getting Started (Videotapes ) 31 Loading and Ejecting W hen you load a videocassette i nto the VCR, there is only one right w ay! Most tapes show y ou the way with a littl e arrow on the top si de which should g o in first. Push the videocassette g ently into the slot on the front of the VCR. You will feel the VCR take it in. W hen the cassette is [...]

Getting Started (Videotapes ) 32 bookshelf) away from any magneti c sources. Resist the temptation to leav e them lyi ng flat on top of the VCR. T apes will last longer - and so w ill your VCR - if you store them properly . Remember, dust, dir t, and liquids are enemi es of your tapes and VCR. To avoid ag gravati on later, apply the l abels that co[...]

Basic Oper ations 33 Basic Operations Practice starti ng and stopping a video you've rented - play it through, see how it automati cally rewinds. Get a blank tape and tr y recording a TV show. Then you'll know how to use the VCR when you need to - or where in the manual to find the instructions you forgot. Let's go! • Viewing a Vid[...]

Basic Oper ations 34 Manual Tracking Scratched tapes or poorl y recorded tapes may require addi tional picture adj ustment. You can do this wi th the remote control. Pr ess VC R 1 or VC R 2 on respecti v e mode, then press either of the TRACKING buttons ( down or up arr ows) until picture clears up. After operating the tr acking manually , eject th[...]

Basic Oper ations 35 Still Play back (Pause) Press PAUSE to still the tape during play. The picture w ill "freeze". After 5 minutes in PAUSE mode, the VCR automatically switches to STOP mode to protect the tape. If the screen jitters dur ing PAUSE, use the remote's TRACKIN G buttons to minimize i t. (See manual Tracking ) To resume p[...]

Basic Oper ations 36 and seconds the tape has run. W hen you first start play back, the counter shows bri efly in the TV screen's upper rig ht corner. W hen you w ant to check the counter during playback, there ar e several w ays to do it. Pressing DISPLAY on th e re mote co n trol will cycle you through the three o p tions. • Press DISPLAY [...]

Basic Oper ations 37 Press STOP, if tape is play ing, and press INDEX to bring up the Set Go- To T ime screen: Select minutes by pressing buttons 0 to 9 - one dig it for hours, then two di gits for minutes. Then press F.FW D if you want to mov e that many minutes ahead, or R EW if you w ant to move that many minutes backward. For exampl e, say you [...]

Basic Oper ations 38 • If this is not the prog ram you w ant, don't press anything. After 15 seconds, the VC R will move to the nex t mark and play a part of that program. The VCR will continue searching unti l you press IN DEX again or PLAY reach the end of the tape. W hen you find the program y ou want and press IND EX and the VCR retur ns[...]

Basic Oper ations (Rec ording) 39 Basic Operations (Recording) • Recording a Program Before y ou Record • The VCR must be hooked up properl y for recording . See the Simple Hookups at the beginni ng of this manual. • Make sure you are familiar with the Easy Guide System for on-screen programming (page 18) and the basi cs about videocassettes [...]

Basic Oper ations (Rec ording) 40 Recording Tips To Watch the Same Program While Recording To view what y ou are recording, pr ess VCR/TV on the remote control so that the VCR is selected - th e VCR indicato r will light up on the VCR's display. You 'll want to do this th e first few times any way to be sur e you're recordi ng what y[...]

Basic Oper ations (Rec ording) 41 remote control at the same time or REC/IRT to record the nex t show. (Pressing PAUSE during r ecording does not leav e an index mar k.) During timed recording s, the VCR automaticall y inserts an i ndex mark at the beg inning of the recording. Using the Instant Recording Timer ( IRT) The In stant Reco rding T im er[...]

Basic Oper ations (Rec ording) 42 on the same day. Before You Begin Assemble the information y ou need for timed recording: • Be sure that the clock is set to the correct time • Date and day of the prog ram • Starting time • Ending time • Channel to be recor ded • Blank or erasabl e videocassette (safety tab i ntact) Delay ed Recording [...]

Basic Oper ations (Rec ording) 43 To Stop a Delay ed Recording in Progress Press POW ER and then immediately - within 10 seconds - press the STOP (STOP/EJECT) button (use the buttons on the remote or VCR as you w ish). A n Example Let's say y ou were inter viewed today by a local TV reporter. You're eag er to see yoursel f on the evening [...]

Basic Oper ations (Rec ording) 44 have preset. • To remove a program, press CLEAR. The screen will display the nex t program, if there are more, or it will switch back to the main menu. Programming Priorities W hen you have set up sever al timed recording s, it may occur that some of their times overl ap. For example, this can happen if your VCR [...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 45 Basic Operations (VCR Plus + Recording) • Easy Delayed Recording with VCR Plus + A bout VCR Plus+ This handy feature makes timed r ecordings a snap. Y ou don't need to enter the specific channel, date, time, or dur ation of a program. All y ou enter is its Pl usCode--a number of up to eight dig it[...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 46 3. If you don't get cable TV, make a li st of all the broadcast channel numbers y ou receiv e on your TV - for exampl e, channel 4 W TTV (Ind.), channel 20 W FYI (PBS). 4. If you subscribe to cabl e TV, have your cable company 's channel directory handy. This should lis t all the channels as yo[...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 47 Home A ntenna If your VCR i s connected directly to your home antenna, chances are y ou don't have to do any special channel setup. To f ind out, compare the VCR Plus+ channels i n your TV progr am guide to your list of channels that you recei ve at home. If any channel numbers don't match, fol[...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 48 channel number is the same as the VC R Plus+ channel i n your TV listing , do not enter any number. Pr ess CHANNEL up or dow n to position a nonmatching station next to the arrow. 3. If your broadcast channel number is not the same as the VCR Plus+ channel in your TV listing , use the number buttons to a[...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 49 This is the rig ht setup if you used Option 3 in the cable box hookups covered i n Advanced Operati ons. W ith that hookup you hav e an A-or-B sw itchbox because y ou receive: Some of your cable channel s through a cable box (scrambled premium channel s), and Some of your channels ( unscrambled) directl [...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 50 2. Use the number buttons to enter the PlusCode of the program y ou want to record. This code can be up to eight dig its. Do not enter a z ero at the beginning of a code -- the VCR will not accept it. If you enter a wrong digit, press CLEA R a n d enter the co rre ct one. 3. If you accidentall y enter a [...]

Basic Oper ations (VCR Plus + Rec ording) 51 7. Revi ew the screen to be sure ev erything is set as you w ant, then press GUIDE to complete your programming or continue w ith additional prog rams. W hen you have set up all the ti med recordings y ou want: • Don't forget to load a videocassette (w ith the safety tab still attached) to record [...]

Advanced Operations (Rem ote Control of TV) 52 A dvanced Operations (Remote Control of TV) This section explai ns how to use the VCR's rem ote control to operate your TV. It also shows you how to hook up a cable box and how to connect a stereo or a second VC R for a complete hom e entertainment system . • Controlling Your TV with the VCR&apo[...]

Advanced Operations (Rem ote Control of TV) 53 of button combinations one by one until y ou find one that does change your TV channel. Also, if your br and of T V is not listed in the chart, try all the number buttons. One of them may w ork for you. If the TV channel still doesn't change after going through all the button combinations listed, [...]

Advanced Operations (Rem ote Control of TV) 54 • Press VCR1 to oper ate your VCR w ith the remote agai n. Be awar e that not all of your TV's functions may w ork even thoug h the remote control is correctly programmed.[...]

Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hook ups) 55 A dv anced Operations (Cable Box Hookups) • Hooking Up to a Cable Box The cable box bri ngs all the adv antages of pay cable, but finding a satisfactory hookup can be challengi ng. To sort out what to do, w e suggest a step-by -step approach to installation . You w ill need RF TV splitters, coaxial cabl[...]

Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hook ups) 56 Consult the cable company or the cable conver ter manual for assistance in using the VCR with a cable conv erter. You will probably need to set the VCR to channel 3 or 4 and then use the cable conver ter to switch stati ons. There may be additional procedures for picking up pay-for-v iew or scrambled chan[...]

Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hook ups) 57 Check all the TV and VCR functions. If you don't g et all the functions you w ant, proceed with Option 3. Option 3--Some Channels Scrambled This hookup requir es three coaxial jumpers with connector s, a 1-into-2 splitter , and an A-or-B switch box . 1. Disconnect the cable from the cable box and att[...]

Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hook ups) 58 Option 4. Option 4 If none of the preceding hookups wor k, check with y our cable company. Y ou may need to purchase a vi deo switching system from your l ocal electronics or v ideo retailer. This will easily handle most hookup problem s. Remote Control of the Cable Converter If you have a cable conv erte[...]

Advanced Operations (Second VCR) 59 A dvanced Operations (Second VCR) • Integrating a Second VCR W ith another VCR hooked up, you can copy videotapes as needed, and y ou can get fancy wi th multimedia progr amming. For this discussion, we refer to the model VT- M272A Hitachi as VCR2 and the other unit as VCR1. Hookup To hook up a second VCR, you [...]

Advanced Operations (Second VCR) 60 • Insert the prerecor ded videotape in VCR 2. • Insert a blank or er asable tape (wi th the saf ety tab intact) into VCR1. • Press AVX on VCR1 - the LINE indicator will display. • Press REC/IRT on VCR 1, and press PLAY on VCR2. To monitor the picture as y ou record, VCR1 must be connected to y our TV. The[...]

VCR Care and Servicing 61 V C R C a r e a n d S e r v i c i n g You are advised to keep an eye on a few things as you go. In addi tion, you may sometim es have troubles with your VCR. We offer some suggestions for care to prevent problem s, ways to troubleshoot, and places to contact when you cannot solv e the problem s yourself. • Routine Cleani[...]

VCR Care and Servicing 62 manual and try ing out some different controls and setting s. The chart on the facing page cov ers the more common problems that new VCR ow ners encounter. Don't A ttempt Repa irs Yours e lf Do not rem ove the cover or the back of the VCR - th is will void the warranty and endanger y our safety. The exposed uninsul at[...]

Care and Servicing ( Problem s) 63 Care and Servicing (Problems) OFTEN ENCOUNT ERED PROBLEMS PR OBL EM THI NGS TO CH EC K SO LUTI ON No Power Power cord plugged in? Connect the power cord to AC outlet. Delay ed rec ording does not work . Program set to the cor rect channel? Reset the delayed recordi ng. Program tim e and date set correctl y ? Reset[...]

Care and Servicing ( Problem s) 64 Mechanical s ounds during the STO P Has a loaded cassette been stopped m ore than 5 minutes ? Nothing is wrong. The tape protection m echanis m is working. Ejec t the cass ette if you are done viewing. Otherwise, no action is necessar y . Hitachi Serv ice Hotline Authorized Hitachi serv ice f a cilities are availa[...]

Specific ations 65 S p e c i f i c a t i o n s • Technical Specifications Recording : Rotary two-head heli cal scan azimuth recor ding Video: NTSC color EIA standard Cassette: VHS type Heads: 4 video heads: 2 for SP, 2 for EP 1 full track audio/v ideo erase head 1 combination head for control tr ack, audio erase and audio record/play (3 heads/sin[...]

Specific ations 66 Accessory par t numbers shown are for USA onl y. For information about how to obtain these accessories, please cal l TOLL FREE 1-800-448-2244 for your nearest Hitachi Authoriz ed Parts Distri butor in the continental United States. For ALASKA and HAW AII, please contact the nearest Hitachi R egional office. Design and specificati[...]