Sanyo unit for $999 excellent value

Press, 12 March 1985, Page 15

Sanyo unit for $999 excellent value

Sanyo’s VTC-MlO Beta is the cheapest video cassette recorder on the market at only $999 (recommended retail) so we thought that we would see how this little unit shapes up.

The VTC-MlO is a nice looking unit, a little bulkier than some of today’s slimline machines but attractively laid out and easy to use, with large, well marked controls.

The front panel is divided into three segments, each a different colour. The top strip is black and along this we find the cassette loading flap and the clock/counter display, with the channel selected indicator at far right. The centre strip is dark grey and, running from left to right, we have the eject button, tape-in indicator, dew warning light, video/TV indicator light, clock/counter, reset/memory buttons and the channel selection switches.

The bottom strip is silver and along here we have the remote control jackpoint, the mode controls for record, rewind/review, play, fast forward/cue, stop and pause/still. A large flap runs across to the timer and on/off button on the righthand side and this flap conceals the clock and timer programming controls. The only other control on the front'of the unit is the packing and this is located beneath the flap.

All mode controls are soft touch (easy to operate) and each mode has its own bright red indicator light, making it very easy for the user to determine which mode the Sanyo is in. Clock and timer controls are easy to follow and a snip to use. The MlO has a 1 programme/14 day timer (ample for most purposes) which can be set to record one programme each day automatically.

The digital display doubles as both clock and counter, with either display being selected at a push of the clock/counter button. The memory function fe incorporated here — to find

any part of a tape again quickly, just reset the counter to 0000 and set the memory button to on. The tape will rewind automatically to the required section. The picture quality is very good, as we have come to expect from Sanyo. Although picture search and pause/still modes are in black and white, they work very well and, at the price, who is complaining? The audio quality is also up to Sanyo standard — very good, especially for a unit which does not incorporate Dolby. The Sanyo MlO comes complete with a seven-func-tion corded remote which covers stop, play, cue, re-

view, fast forward, rewind and pause/still. The remote has a nice long cord which means it can be used from anywhere in an average lounge.

Sanyo has always presented a range of budget VCRs which have features more commonly found in the more expensive units and each has looked smart, worked extremely well and represented excellent value for money. The MIO fits under this umbrella, too. It offers a range of features and picture/audio quality found in VCRs costing hundreds of dollars more. At $999 tjte Sanyo VTC-MlO is excellgpt value.