Sony SL-HFR70 Super Betamax Beta VCR wManual & TestTape Free Shipping >> RESTORED to FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS Start Price USD 275.00 Current Price USD 275.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, October 06, 2008 End Time Monday, October 13, 2008 Location FLORIDA See more about 'Sony SL-HFR70 Super Betamax Beta VCR wManual & TestTape' Description Hello, I exclusively sell working Betamax VCR's on e-Bay. I don't sell a Betamax VCR one day and then the rest of my sales consist of  Dolls, antique dishes, welcome mats, used clothing etc. There are many Betamax VCR's being sold on e-Bay. These sellers seem to know nothing about these superb VCR's, other than they sell for a lot of money if you can convince everyone that they are "great".    By the way, here are some actual statements from Betamax auctions >>> "Used only 3 times in 1984, was a little dusty but played a few minutes of the tape 'Star Wars' perfect" NO DOA. " Found it in my grandparent's closet, plugged it in and after 25 years had a sharp picture..much better than VHS but sold AS-IS" "Don't have a tape to check, should work."          "Appears or seems to work??"..."Works Great/REFURBISHED but as with all electronics it is SOLD AS-IS" ...... "All light are lit and was able to set clock, but never had a chance to hook it to a TV."    "Used 10 years ago and worked perfect the last time I used it, but I don't have the time to hook it up."  "Nice picture..but may need a good head cleaning and a lube."  "Bought it at a estate sale and was told by the former owner that it was perfect."  and so on.   I find these auction descriptions to be very amusing and what will not be funny is when your PRECIOUS beta tape collections are inserted in these so called "working great" units and get chewed up and destroyed.   The bottom line is if you see AS IS or no DOA, Run DON'T WALK to another Betamax auction..                                    >>>One more recent observation. I notice some sellers (some of whom have contacted me via eBay for refurbishing advice) are finally starting to replace belts and pinch rollers in their units and maybe a couple of leaking electrolytics in the power supply, a great start and I commend them on taking that first step to a complete refurbish procedure.  It is disturbing, however, when these same sellers claim that is all that needs to be done on these close to 25 year old units. I'd like to believe their claim is heart-felt, but I just feel that it is as far as their knowledge of the workings of these Betas can take them. Dried out and out-of-tolerance capacitors critical to the tracking and picture quality are equally important and must be addressed.  This problem became apparent to us in the late 1980's. Now, 20 years later, it is still being ignored and glossed over.       Since replacement of these components requires mastery of the servo alignment techniques, and of course possession of the correct (for the model & brand you are servicing: KR5-1Z for mono audio models & KR5-1M  for Beta Hi-Fi 400 HZ +and-25KHZ deviation) factory authorized alignment tape, it is obvious why they are being ignored. If these components are not replaced, the purchaser will know why in short order. >>>Tracking knob at one end of rotation, intermittent color, warbling audio and pulsating video are a few symptoms of this negligence.                                                                                 Hours have to be spent getting these VCR's back to factory specifications. Only changing parts that are known to fail, even if they look good, and doing a full service on these units is the definitive way to honestly be able to state that a Betamax will perform as it did when new.   NOW for  is  a Sony SL-HFR70 SuperBeta Betamax VCR.   This later model SL-HFR70 SuperBeta has many improvements that are quite obvious. Specifically, the transport was re-designed to insure gentler tape handling and the drop-out compensation circuitry was much improved. What this 3 head Betamax has done is allow for a cleaner look to older tapes that may not have kept their original pristine video. Any "dropouts" (streaks, black dots, etc.) are eliminated in the processed video section of the vcr, rather than in the head amp rf section. These two factors are considered by me to be very important when copying older, precious tapes. Appearance wise, the SL-HFR70 is clean and has been well maintained.  The styling on this SL-HFR70 is modern and presents a very distinguished look.. A really nice unit!!  Included with the photos is a top view of the unit with the cover removed. This will serve to give you a clear visual indication of the condition of both the chassis and the electriconic/mechanical components. These critical aspects of any vcr are in superb condition. I would ask the winning bidder to remove the top cover and see for himself that I have not exaggerated my claim.    Mechanically, the Superbeta operates 100%. Record ( B11 and B111) and playback ( B1, B11 and B111 ), fast forward, fast forward review, rewind, reverse review, pause, tracking stability, timer record, clock operation, sharpness control and channel selection have all been tested and operate flawlessly. NO sluggish rewind that is so common on these vintage VCR'S. This unit will produce a crisp and brilliant SUPERBETA quality video and clear audio as well. Has a bright, white digital clock display  with a real time counter (hours, minutes and seconds) that is easy to read. No weak or burned out segments with which to contend.  I also found the "tape return" feature useful in automatically returning the tape to its zero counter start point.  As previously mentioned, this Betamax employs a 3 video head disc design. This allows for a clean and stable picture in the still and slow motion (either 1/5 or 1/10 normal speed picture) mode.   Please take Note: This  Sony SL-HFR70 (as well as others in this model line) displays remarkably tight tracking characteristics and is noted for doing so when aligned to Sony factory specifications. What this means is if you have older, perhaps unstable video tapes to transfer to DVD, this Betamax can do the job where others may fail.   There are convenient RCA type jacks for video and audio outputs on the rear panel to make the transfer to DVD an easy task.   An ideal VCR to transfer or watch your STANDARD BETA or SUPERBETA collection in that it is simple to operate and is practically mistake proof.   NO REMOTE.   Those Betamax pioneers still saving those original K-60 cassettes that were recorded in the B1 speed will be glad to know that this unit will play those tapes as well. (I know because I have an extensive collection of those!)    An  SL-HFR70 Owner's Manual will be provided to assist the purchaser in the use, familiarity and hook-up. (This is a must item. Despite the fact that this model is simple to operate, it is always nice to have the manual for any type of electronic equipment because questions invariably arise during the user's initial set-up.)   I will also provide a NOS (new, old stock) Sony ES L-750 (Test Tape) Beta video cassette that I used to verify the unit's operation as described above.   To summarize, the winning bidder will receive a  working, professionally refurbished Sony SL-HFR70 SuperBeta  the SL-HFR70 Owner's Manual and the new Sony ES L-750 Beta Test Tape just mentioned.   Packaging technique will be meticulous to prevent any damage to the Betamax during transit. A New Double-Walled  18" X 18" X 21" Dish shipping carton, Hard Foam & large bubble wrap packing materials are all employed in order to assure that your unit will arrive to your home or business in perfect condition.    FREE shipping Includes>>shipping to the confirmed PayPal address, tracking number and applicable insurance. Nothing else is stated or implied.    Payment will be by "PayPal" only. LOWER 48 STATES U.S. bidders only, please!    In order to protect the seller and buyer under the PayPal protection plan, I will ONLY ship the Betamax to the "Confirmed" address on your PayPal account. Please take this into consideration before placing a bid.   IMPORTANT NOTE: Unlike your other possibly frustrating buying experiences ....when your payment is received you will be notified immediately and your Betamax will be shipped either on the day of purchase or the next business day. That very evening you will know your tracking number and all the shipping details. I will not keep you in the dark or wondering about any aspect of the transaction. I have gone through this myself and can understand the agony and then, eventually, the sheer anger of a buyer who wonders when and how the item will be sent. Sorry for the long and possibly tedious narrative...but I feel, considering what I see and read on eBay, that this is all very important information for the prospective Betamax purchaser. Thank you very much for looking. Place a Bid!