Customer Reviews

Sony SLV-D380P DVD/VCR Tunerless Progressive Scan DVD/VHS Combo Player

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

I got this to replace my old dvd vcr combo. I wanted the multi read dvd player for my home made dvd's. As an added bonus it also reads jpeg disks. As to all the negative reviews, I read all of them found them to be without merit. Every complaint was that the vcr had no tuner. I have a satellite box and if I wish to tape programs I use the satellite to do so. However I have no need for this as I have a dvr with my satellite service. To those who objected to the absense of a tuner, why would you purchase this product not knowing what that meant? Besides, in 2009 when the broadcasters switch to digital, everyone will need a separate digital tuner anyway.

DVD players can be so unstable, hit and miss, unreliable and short-lived that the machine may be worth the price for that feature alone. It's played every disc and doesn't even stick. There are disappointments, however. This Sony unit's remote control will not operate my Sony TV, which was purchased two years ago. More aggravating is the jumpy picture on all of my commercial VHS tapes when I play them with the Sony. (Note that S-video out and component video out capabilities apply only to the DVD player, not the VHS half.) Fortunately, I've got a really cheap Sylvania VHS player that blows this one away, and by stacking the practically generic machine on top of the Sony combo player and employing three remote controls, I'm able to achieve the desired result for which this machine was manufactured.

Still, somehow it's just not the same.

[Later: One problem I've noticed with the DVD player is the rapid movement of the tray. On some occasions, it's closed so hard the DVD has become dislodged, forcing me to hold the tray back to prevent it from slamming shut.]

Until DVR's are more uniform, we decided to replace our broken VCR with another. We do have cable, and at first were really impressed with the quality and quiet of this unit. HOWEVER...when we tried to play a tape we'd previously recorded on another machine, we found out that the Sony can't adjust the tracking for tapes recorded on other VCRs, if they were recorded in SLP, the fastest speed that uses the least tape. So our old movies are unplayable, and the only way to record on our older Panasonic to be able to play it on the Sony is to record in SP, thus getting only 2 hours on a 120 tape. Anything longer will be cut off. So forget about a movie or baseball game.
A very bad feature on a very good machine.

this unit replaced a broken 6-year old jvc in the kids' room (you can imagine how tragic a breakdown in entertainment is to kids). thus far (2 months) the sony unit has performed well. read times on dvd's is faster than the old jvc, the vhs is relatively noiseless, and picture quality is good overall.
this unit does not have a cable tuner - so you'll have to switch the tv back and forth between sources! this also means that if your tv only has a cable jack / coaxial input you'll be out of luck connecting this unit. the remote is adequate but did not come with codes to control a 14-year old jvc crt (which refuses to die), so now we have to train the kids to use 3 remotes (tivo remote for directv, jvc tv and sony dvd) - if it werent for kids' natural propensity for this stuff, i'd have no hair left.

I have a continuing need for VCRs because I have a large condo and many areas in which to view tapes. I don't use the DVD function because my DVD recorders use RAM discs, but so what? For $79, the DVD drive can sit there empty. This Sony plays 19 micron tapes recorded on my Sharps, JVCs and other Sonys exceptionally well. As I have made a point of buying only 19 micron VCRs, I can't attest to other types of recordings.

This is what you do: Attach it to any AV input directly to your TV, and use it only as a player. There is no coaxial connection, so you have to have an unused AV input. If you have a malfunctioning VCR, don't throw it away. Piggyback this Sony into the front or rear AV inputs, and use this Sony's recording capacity and the old VCR's tuner. Eventually, I will go all DVD, but I need to wait for the prices to come down, and for my other units to die a natural death.

It took awhile for me to figure all this out. I hope it helps others make an appropriate and helpful purchase. I am contemplating buying another one while I can, and reserve it for later in this time of expensive electronic change.

Who could not understand the word "tunerless". It turns out to be just what I wanted. I have an old unconected Mitsubishi TV and a lot of VCRs and DVDs I wanted to play but all the new units had connectors not available on my older TV all I have is "RCA" inputs. Guess what? So does this unit...Perfect fit for me. People should do better research before they plunk dowm $80. Sonystyle has a great explantion of this set. I think the low price interfered with their input channel. (by the way take note, this unit does not have "S Video or HDMI connectors either)

I did a good amount of research before I chose this model. It is exactly as I expected. Anyone who can read will know that it DOES NOT have a tuner. It says so on the outside of the box as well as at least 3 places inside.I assume most people use a cable box so that shouldn't be an issue. Set up was easy. I plan to record TV so I did need to hook up an additional audio-video cable which was not supplied (also stated in specs.)After about 15 minutes, it was working. The DVD player and VHS both work fine. Based on reading reviews of other similar units, I am very confident I made the right decision. With a little searching, you can buy this unit for $90. I got mine at Walmart and it is also at Target. If you are looking for a good combination unit, I highly recommend this Sony.

This is a real value and a real space saver if you have an old VHS tape unit that you must have because of old movies and videos that are still on VHS. I have bought three of these I have been so impressed....one at the lake home and two in my main residence. You must be aware that the unit does not have a tuner.

That folks will review a product at 1 star because there's no tuner when the product listing says, "TUNERLESS"... anyway
I got this for my kids' room. Needed an inexpensive DVD/VCR combo. I set it up last night, and watched a dvd with them, and found that it's quality is above what I expected for the price. The only complaint I have is the image quality when inactive (the sony screen when a dvd isn't playing). It flickers, but not noticeable when it is in play mode. It also could be the TV, as it is old and tired, so I can't say for sure that the unit is to blame.
The rewind feature is great (Flash rewind a whole VHS is 120 seconds) and overall, I am happy. This may not be what you want if you are building a dynamo home theater system, but if you just want to play some movies and get a decent quality out of it, I would recommend this one. The remote is easy, and can be programed to work with most televisions as an alternative to two remotes (not a Samsung, though, so be forewarned if you have a samsung television).

Expect a simple player that plays both DVD and VCR. Nothing fancy, and looks rather cheap for Sony product. If you want to view both VCR and DVD you have to downgrade the cable to RCA three lines. No S-Video or any other high performance cable can be used. Basically cannot fully capture the benefit of owning a DVD player.