Sony SLV-D300P Progressive-Scan DVD-VCR Combo

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [2.44mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 17 x 4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00008SJX3
• Item model number: SLV-D300P
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,088 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #59 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > DVD-VCR Combos
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

This classy, versatile combination deck offers the convenience of VHS recording and playback alongside high-end progressive-scan DVD performance, all in a single, WEGA-styled silver chassis standing under four inches tall. Sony's SLV-D300P handles just about any conceivable media format, from VHS and S-VHS tapes (which it renders at standard VHS resolution) to DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, MP3 CD, and JPEG picture CD. From your library of VHS videos to digital music files and digital photos, the SLV-D300P lets you enjoy them all in the comfort of a living room or bedroom.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the SLV-D300P can deliver the full potential of DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, providing higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Other DVD functions include bookmarking, one-disc resume play (which picks up where you left off after stopping), picture zoom, parental lock, and a screen saver.

The VCR section offers one-month, eight-event advance programming to commercial skip. Your camcorder or gaming console plugs right into the front panel for hassle-free connections. Its 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. Its 19-micron heads deliver the clearest possible picture when recording or viewing in EP (extended-play) mode.

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. Commercial skip makes it easier than ever to zip past commercials and unwanted "coming attractions."

Connections with combo units are often inconvenient, forcing you to use separate video hookups for each section (DVD, VCR), a problem for some TVs. This player has it figured out: a single RF or composite-video connection to a television will display either the DVD or the VCR signal, depending on which format you're viewing. If you want to view DVDs in S-video or in component-video (either interlaced or progressive-scan), you will need to use two inputs, as the device will not upconvert the signal from the VCR to either of those higher-resolution formats.

It's a different deal for audio: you can listen through a single set of stereo analog-audio cables for each component (one is supplied), or--if you want to enjoy DVDs in discrete 5.1-channel surround sound--you can send the DVD's audio to a compatible audio/video receiver and a multichannel speaker system through a digital-audio interconnect (either optical or coaxial, not supplied). The unit also comes with an RF cable that will transmit VHS audio and video to your TV, a multi-lingual onscreen display (English, Spanish, French), and a multi-brand TV/DVD/VCR remote control.

What's in the Box
DVD/VCR combo, remote control, remote batteries (two AA), user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, coaxial video cable, and warranty information.

From the Manufacturer

Sony presents an irresistible combination . . . the SLV-D300P DVD/VHS component. By designing this special unit, we offer you all the features you would find in DVD and VCR separate components in one product. Features include progressive output for DVD (480P), DVD, DVD+RW/+R, DVD-RW/-R (video mode) playback plus CD, SVCD, VCD, CD-R/RW, and MP3 playback, and JPEG digital picture playback (CD-R/RW). Additional features include component video output and S-video output for DVD, a multi-brand TV remote control, RF output for DVD and VCR, and Dolby Digital and dts multi-channel digital audio output. Don't forget to utilize the included VCR recording functions and DVD convenience features that make watching movies and more even better. The SLV-D300P--the right combination for you.

Features:

• Combination DVD and VCR player
• Progressive output for DVD (480P)
• DVD, DVD+RW/+R, DVD-RW/-R (video mode) playback
• CD, SVCD,VCD, CD-R/RW, and MP3 playback
• JPEG digital picture playback (CD-R/RW)
• Component video output and S-video output for DVD
• Multi-brand TV remote control
• RF output for DVD and VCR
• Complementary WEGA TV styling (silver finish)
• Coaxial and optical digital output for DVD
• Dolby Digital and dts multi-channel digital audio output

Specifications:

General Features

• Combination DVD and VCR player
• Complementary WEGA TV styling
• Multi-brand TV remote control
• Front A/V inputs for camcorder or game system
• Multi-lingual on-screen display
• JPEG digital picture playback (CD-R/RW): view your JPEG digital images from a CD-R/RW right on your TV

DVD player

• Progressive output for DVD (480P)
• DVD, DVD+RW/+R, DVD-RW/-R (video mode), CD, SVCD,VCD, CD-R/RW, and MP3 playback
• Dolby Digital and dts multi-channel digital audio output
• Virtual surround sound
• Frame advance (forward)
• Slow advance (forward)
• 2x play (forward)
• 10 Bit video DAC with 27 Mhz processing
• Parental lock
• Screen zoom function
• Bookmark function
• Video cassette recorder
• 4-head Hi-Fi VHS video cassette recorder
• 19 Micron heads for optimized EP recording
• Flash rewind: rewinds a T-120 video tape in about 60 seconds
• Plug and play easy setup for tuner and clock
• Auto head cleaner
• 1-month/8-event recording timer
• Auto tracking for VHS playback
• Commercial skip
• Screen saver
• S-VHS quasi playback

Inputs and outputs

• RF output for DVD and VCR
• Component video output and S-video output for DVD
• Coaxial and optical digital output for DVD
• Dolby Digital dts multi-channel digital audio output

Supplied Accessories

• Audio video cord (RCA type) (1)
• 75-Ohm coaxial video cable with F type connector (1)
• Batteries: AA x 2
• Remote Commander remote control
• Instruction manual

Specs:

Video

• Laser assemblies for DVD/CD: Yes (2)
• Video horizontal resolution: >500 TV lines for DVD
• Audio frequency response (DVD, 96 kHz PCM) - 2-44,000 Hz, ±1.0dB
• Audio frequency response (DVD, 48 kHz PCM) - 2-22,000 Hz, ±0.5dB
• Audio signal-to-noise ratio: >115 dB
• Audio dynamic range: >103 dB (DVD) > 99 dB (CD)
• Harmonic distortion: <0.003%

Connections

• Video inputs: RF video input (VCR only) x 1 composite video input (VHS section) x 2 (one on the front of unit)
• Video outputs: component video output (DVD only) x 1 S-video output (DVD only) x 1 coaxial digital output (DVD only) x 1 optical digital output (DVD only) x 1 RF video output (VCR/DVD) x 1 composite video output (DVD/VCR) x 1
• Audio inputs: audio line inputs (VCR) x 2 (one on the front)
• Audio outputs: additional analog audio output (DVD section) x 1 audio line level output (VCR) x 1

General

• Power requirements - AC120 V, 60 Hz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Spacesaver does it all (well) at a reasonable price,,, August 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony SLV-D300P Progressive-Scan DVD-VCR Combo (Electronics)

I bought this combo unit to replace my recent new purchase of a similar Panasonic unit which had "seemingly poor" reviews such as this Sony unit has had here. (clumsy, unintuitive remote and user manual made the unit difficult to use as well) I like Sony products and have preferred them for many years and am one who returns products if they don't live up to my slightest expectations. I bought this unit 2 weeks ago and THEN read the few reviews here about DVDs pausing midplay and was concerned. The VCR portion seems acceptable (Timer TV recordings aren't as HQ as I would wish though) and the DVD player has worked flawlessly with burned CD's as well as movies from Blockbuster. It even does a nice job with the JPG images burned on a cd (which is a nice way to show your photos to a group) which the Panasonic choked on in random fashion. I'm wondering whether the few units which had the same DVD play problems was a MFG batch problem which has been taken care. (sounded like a firmware glitch) I like this unit! It has a nice remote which WILL also operate your TV (unlike the Panasonic) so one remote handles 3 of my ever expanding devices hooked up to the TV and Stereo. It has features such as up to 128 x fast forward on the DVD, as well as "zoom" to get a closer look at images from your digital camera or DVD movies. When you first plug it in, it automatically sets the clock AND Channels for you and retains this for 24 hours if the power goes out. The easy to read manual allows you to use the many extra features this unit comes with and the unit has done so for me without a hitch!

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buyer Beware, June 1, 2003

By 

S. Shaw "jnovindod" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony SLV-D300P Progressive-Scan DVD-VCR Combo (Electronics)

I just returned this unit because of the same problems people had with the earlier SLV-D100. The first line on the addendum says "DVD's with scratches may cause the disc to pause". Not a good sign. Scratches or not the machine paused on every dvd I played. New, used, played once or twice it didn't matter. They all froze at some point in time during playback. I tried eight dvd's and had trouble with them all. I called Sony and of course they had nothing to offer. I wanted to keep this item but I had to return it, it was useless. I'm going to look at Panasonic next, hope they are better. I really used to admire Sony products. I have an older Trinitron TV and the picture is still amazing, nothing like it today. But today's Sony equipment is price competing junk.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THIS COMBO WORKS FOR ME, December 5, 2003

By 

Kit Franz "Kit Franz" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony SLV-D300P Progressive-Scan DVD-VCR Combo (Electronics)

We purchased this DVD/VCR combo with a little hesitation due to some negative reviews here and on other sites but have found that, for the money ($179) it is a very decent DVD player/VCR player-recorder. Setup was a breeze -- less than 5 minutes with only a glance at the instructions.

Since buying this unit last week, I've played about 10 DVDs on it. All played flawlessly with a beautiful picture. Last night we watched a DVD from the library and near the end, the picture began to break up as some other have complained about the unit. When we examined the borrowed DVD, we saw that it contained several severe scratches near the end and this is why the picture was breaking up -- not the fault of the player.

The VCR works flawlessly -- mostly we just record the news and Comedy Central and we use our tapes over and over. Even old tapes that had been recorded on many times played back beautifully on this player. (...)

I can't quite give the unit a rating of 5 because the response time on some of the commands is a little slow. Also, I have had one incidence of having no response when I pressed the eject button the DVD player. I had to switch the power off and on and press the button a couple more times before it worked. That was the second time I used the DVD, but it has worked every time since then. We have not yet completely read the manual nor learned to use all of the controls on the remote, but we are quite satisfied with the performance of this unit.