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Hitachi VT-M181A Owner's Manual

Hitachi owner's manual vhs video deck vt-m181a
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Introduction
VT-M181A
VHS Video Deck
Owner's Manual
Your Complete Guide
to Videocassette Viewing
and Recording
Using these quality features:
Up to 8 delayed recording programs
Auto tracking for improved picture in playback
Cable-compatible frequency synthesizer quartz tuner
Remote control for use with your VCR, TV and cable converter
All basic playback functions on the VCR
On-screen graphic programming guide
Front Audio and Video Jacks
Auto Head Cleaning
Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc.
3890 Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093
Tel. 770-279-5600
HITACHI SALES CORPORATION OF HAWAII, INC
3219 Koapaka Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Tel. 808-836-3621
QR10201 © Hitachi, Ltd. 1994
HITACHI (HSC) CANADA INC
3300 Trans Canada Highway, Pointe Claire,
Quebec, H9R 1B1, CANADA
Tel. 514-697-9150
- 1 -
Printed in Malaysia

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Summary of Contents for Hitachi VT-M181A

  • Page 1 Auto Head Cleaning Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc. 3890 Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093 Tel. 770-279-5600 HITACHI SALES CORPORATION OF HAWAII, INC 3219 Koapaka Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 Tel. 808-836-3621 QR10201 © Hitachi, Ltd. 1994 HITACHI (HSC) CANADA INC...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Introduction Introduction... 3 FOR YOUR SAFETY ... 3 Getting Started... 5 IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS ... 5 Simple Hookups ... 8 1 Decide Where to Put Your VCR ... 9 2 Decide Which Hookup Method to Use... 9 3 Hook up the Audio/Video Signal ... 10 4 Hook Up the RF Signal...

  • Page 3: Introduction

    If the VCR Doesn't Work Right ... 40 Don't Attempt Repairs Yourself ... 40 Care and Servicing (Problems) ... 40 Often Encountered Problems ... 40 Hitachi Service Hotline... 42 Specification ... 42 Technical Specifications ... 42 = "Must Read" Sections for First Time Operation...
  • Page 4 Thank you for buying a Hitachi product. You've chosen the best VCR for you, and we want to help you make the most of your purchase. Please take time to become familiar with this manual and how it is set up.

  • Page 5: Getting Started

    A quick index to the basic functions of the VCR which you will use often (this page). A detailed table of contents directing you to specific information quickly (page 4). Get to know your VCR by using this manual, and get to know Hitachi. We appreciate your business.
  • Page 6 Getting Started - 6 - line plug (a plug having one blade wider than the other). This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing the plug.
  • Page 7 Getting Started connected to this unit should bear the UL listing mark or CSA certification mark on the accessory itself and should not have been modified so as to defeat the safety features. This will help avoid any potential hazard from electric shock or fire. If in doubt, contact qualified service personnel.

  • Page 8: Simple Hookups

    Getting Started - 8 - product. 16 Lightning -- For added protection for this video product during a lightning storm, or when it its left unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna or cable-system. This will prevent damage to the video product due to lightning and power-line surges.

  • Page 9: Decide Where To Put Your Vcr

    Getting Started 1 Decide Where to Put Your VCR Be sure your chosen location allows for proper ventilation, stability, and protection from heat and moisture (see Important Safeguards). Place the VCR near your TV but not on top of it. For convenience in using the remote control, locate them no more than three feet apart.

  • Page 10: Hook Up The Audio/Video Signal

    Getting Started 3 Hook up the Audio/Video Signal If your TV is a fairly recent model, you probably have both audio and video jacks. Look on the back of your TV for two jacks - possibly color-coded yellow and white. They will be labelled AUDIO IN, or VIDEO IN.
  • Page 11 Getting Started - 11 - Simple Antenna/Cable 75 Ohm Hookup This is an easy hookup that you can use if your cable or antenna has a 75 ohm round wire connector. You will need the 75 ohm cable supplied with your VCR. It looks like this: (Refer to page 11 for 300 ohm UHF connection to the TV and antenna.) If you have been watching the TV in your home before getting the VCR, you will already...
  • Page 12 Getting Started - 12 - take it from where it comes in on the wall. 2. Considering the three pictures below, determine which adapter you will need to hook it into your VCR. If you have Use this adapter Single 300 ohm flat wire Separate UHF and VHF antenna antenna wires, both 300 ohm flat wire...

  • Page 13: Attach The Tv And Vcr To The Power Supply

    Getting Started - 13 - 2. Using the 75 ohm cable supplied with your VCR, connect either end to the OUT TO TV upper jack on the back of the VCR. 3. Use a second adapter to attach the other end of the 75 ohm connector back into the TV (where you first disconnected the antenna).

  • Page 14: Getting Started (Controls)

    Getting Started (Controls) Getting Started (Controls) Quick Tour of the Controls Study these pictures carefully to learn about the buttons and controls that you'll need for everyday operation. Various controls are explained throughout this manual as they are needed, but now is a good time to get familiar with their locations. Most of the time, you'll be directing the VCR from the remote control, but there are some controls on the VCR that will come in handy too.

  • Page 15: Remote Control Buttons

    Getting Started (Controls) - 15 - Picture of Remote Control Remote Control Buttons POWER Turns the VCR on and off. VCR1, TV, CATV, VCR2 Device buttons let you set the remote to control one of four devices. MUTE (TO CONTROL TV) Turns off the audio until you press Mute again. VOLUME/SLOW Increase or decrease the audio volume and plays back in adjustable slow motion.

  • Page 16: When The Remote Doesn't Work Right

    Getting Started (Controls) - 16 - REC Starts recording on the station the VCR is set to. (Press REC and PLAY at the same time.) F.FWD Fast forwards the videotape. PAUSE Temporarily stops the cassette from recording or playing. Press PAUSE again (or PLAY) to resume.

  • Page 17: Display Indicators

    Meet Your On-Screen Guide Your Hitachi VCR has as a special feature called the Easy Guide Menu. This feature guides you through simple setup and programming tasks right on the TV screen. With the TV and VCR turned on, press GUIDE on the remote control. You will see this...

  • Page 18: Getting Started (Initial Setup)

    Getting Started (Initial Setup) You may view all the on-screen instructions in English, French or Spanish. When you first set up your VCR, it will be set to English. Press number 6 or 7 for the other language options. Now, you will do most of your programming and setup by pressing numbers on the remote control which correspond to options presented in this and other on-screen menus.

  • Page 19: Setting The Clock

    Getting Started (Initial Setup) At the screen are the default settings on your VCR. The default settings are the ones that are preset at the factory. They come up on the VCR every time the power goes out for more than 1 minute - for example, during a storm or when you unplug the VCR. Look at each item to see if it matches your own setup: To change a setting, press the button that has the same number as that item.

  • Page 20: More About Channel Selections

    Getting Started (Initial Setup) When you first plug in the VCR or after a power interruption, the clock display will read "--:--". To set the clock, press GUIDE, then press 1 to bring up the Clock Set screen: Press the number buttons on the remote control to set the current time - two digits for the hour and two for the minutes.

  • Page 21: Getting Started (Videotapes)

    Getting Started (Videotapes) between channels that are far apart. Removing Channels You may not want to keep all the stations the auto-programmer selects, since you may prefer to have only a few favorite channels in the tuner's memory. Or, you may want to delete from memory a weak or unused channel that the tuner picked up.

  • Page 22: Safety Tabs Prevent Erasure

    T-160 160 min. You may have noticed that there is also an LP speed. You Hitachi VCR does not record at this speed, but it can play cassettes that were recorded in LP mode. No special setting is required for playback.

  • Page 23: Tape Storage

    Basic Operations indicator shows on the LCD display. It may also start playing immediately if the safety tab has been removed. To remove the cassette, simply press the STOP/EJECT button on the VCR. (If the tape is playing, press STOP/EJECT on the VCR once to stop the tape and a second time to eject it.) Now you can take the cassette out and put it away.

  • Page 24: To Fine Tune The Picture

    Basic Operations - 24 - To Fine Tune the Picture Auto Tracking Pressing PLAY starts the auto tracking feature, which adjusts the tuning to eliminate static lines that may appear on the screen. Manual Tracking Scratched tapes or poorly recorded tapes may require additional picture adjustment. You can do this with the remote control.

  • Page 25: To Find Specific Sections On A Tape

    Basic Operations Still Playback (Pause) Press PAUSE to still the tape during play. The picture will "freeze". After 5 minutes in PAUSE mode, the VCR automatically switches to STOP mode to protect the tape. If the screen jitters during PAUSE, use the remote's TRACKING buttons to minimize it. (See manual Tracking) To resume play, press PAUSE or PLAY again.
  • Page 26 Basic Operations When you want to check the counter during playback, there are several ways to do it. Pressing DISPLAY will cycle you through the three options. Press DISPLAY just once to see the counter, mode, time, and date on the screen for 5 seconds.

  • Page 27: Basic Operations (Recording)

    Basic Operations (Recording) Select minutes by pressing buttons 0 to 9 - one digit for hours, then two digits for minutes. Then press F.FWD if you want to move that many minutes ahead, or REW if you want to move that many minutes backward. For example, say you want to review a scene that began about 2 minutes earlier in a video, press 0, 0, and 2 to display 0:02 on the screen.

  • Page 28: Recording A Program

    Basic Operations (Recording) Recording a Program Before you Record The VCR must be hooked up properly for recording. See the Simple Hookups at the beginning of this manual. Make sure you are familiar with the Easy Graphic Menu for on-screen programming (page 18) and the basics about videocassettes and VCR safety.

  • Page 29: Using The Instant Recording Timer (Irt)

    Basic Operations (Recording) Once you have set the VCR for recording, press VCR/TV on the remote control. Now, you will be viewing through your TV only. Switch channels using your TV controls or the VCR remote, if it's programmed to control your television (see Advanced Operations). The recording will continue as set on the VCR.

  • Page 30: Setting The Vcr To Record Later

    Basic Operations (Recording) 1:30, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00) by continually pressing the REC/IRT button. While you are recording, the time remaining is shown in the display. At the end of your recording the display will read "0:00"; recording will then automatically stop and the VCR will turn itself off. To stop recording while in the IRT mode, press the POWER button and then press the STOP (STOP/EJECT) button (this can be done either on the VCR or with the remote control) within 10 seconds.
  • Page 31 Let's say you were interviewed today by a local TV reporter. You're eager to see yourself on the evening news tonight. The news comes on channel 8 at 6 0'clock - but you've got a meeting scheduled during that time. Luckily you just purchased this Hitachi VCR.

  • Page 32: Reviewing What You Have Programmed

    Basic Operations (Recording) Enter the end time, half past six, as 06:30. The VCR automatically selects PM for you. The screen shows today's date, so no changes are needed on that line. Press TAPE SPEED to switch to SP because you want the best quality picture for this recording.

  • Page 33: Advanced Operations (Remote Control Of Tv)

    Once you have programmed the remote, you won't have to do it again until you change the batteries. This Hitachi remote control can be used with your TV as well as the VCR, as long as your TV comes with a remote control. This feature comes in handy - you don't have to juggle two remotes.

  • Page 34: Controlling The Tv

    If the TV channel still doesn't change after going through all the button combinations listed, it is likely that you will not be able to program this remote control for your TV. TV Brands Press TV and This Number Hitachi Zenith Sony Magnavox...

  • Page 35: Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hookups)

    Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hookups) Be aware that not all of your TV's functions may work even though the remote control is correctly programmed. Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hookups) Hooking Up to a Cable Box The cable box brings all the advantages of pay cable, but finding a satisfactory hookup can be challenging.
  • Page 36 Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hookups) - 36 - 1. Remove the cable company's cable line from the back of your TV. Connect it to the IN FRONT ANT lower jack on the back of the VCR. 2. Using the 75 ohm coaxial cable supplied with your VCR, connect either end to the VCR's OUT TO TV upper jack 3.

  • Page 37: Remote Control Of The Cable Converter

    Advanced Operations (Cable Box Hookups) splitter. 2. Using a coaxial jumper, reconnect one of the splitter outputs to the cable box's input that you just freed up. 3. Using a second coaxial jumper, connect the other splitter output to the A of the A-or-B switch.

  • Page 38: Advanced Operations (Second Vcr)

    Illustration of Hookup To Control Both VCRs with the Remote Control If the second VCR that you've hooked up is also a Hitachi, you can set your remote to operate both VCRs. Press GUIDE, then press 4 to bring up the Setup screen.

  • Page 39: Copying From One Vcr To Another (Dubbing)

    VCR.) Copying from One VCR to Another (Dubbing) Consider VCR1 the recording VCR, and VCR2 (VT-M181A) the playback VCR. You will play a tape on VCR2 and record it on VCR1. To begin copying: Insert the prerecorded videotape in VCR2.

  • Page 40: Periodic Maintenance

    The chart on the facing page covers the more common problems that new VCR owners encounter. If none of these troubleshooting aids help you solve the problem, then see your Hitachi service center. Don't Attempt Repairs Yourself Do not remove the cover or the back of the VCR - this will void the warranty and endanger your safety.
  • Page 41 Care and Servicing (Problems) set correctly? VCR power turned off? Safety tab removed from Put cellophane tape over the the videocassette? Does not record Safety tab removed from Put cellophane tape over the when you press the videocassette? videocassette with the safety tab intact.

  • Page 42: Hitachi Service Hotline

    Otherwise, no is necessary. Hitachi Service Hotline Authorized Hitachi service facilities are available throughout the US and Canada. For the location nearest you, call the Hitachi Service Hotline at one of these numbers: In the continental U.S.A. In Canada QUEBEC...
  • Page 43 Accessories: Accessory part numbers shown are for USA only. For information about how to obtain these accessories, please call TOLL FREE 1-800-448-2244 for your nearest Hitachi Authorized Parts Distributor in the continental United States. For ALASKA and HAWAII, please contact the nearest Hitachi Regional office.

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