Sony SL-5800 Betamax VCR (from 1980)

[@michaeljohn9263]

I had a Sony SL-5400 that was VERY similar to this model, of course it didn't have all the "bells and whistles" that this one has. However it had an amazing picture and loved to play old tapes in pretty high quality with very minimal drop-outs. It's nice to see that there are some people out there still fixing these tanks. I also liked the intro and outro Billy Joel - My Life....Very nice touch!!

[@5476Himself]

Ah, I knew that music sounded familiar!

[@videoholic50s60s70s]

Point of interest: the bightness Balance was added on later models of the 5800. which was the ONLY Betamax to have that feature. Later models had a 'still frame adjust' button, but it didn't control flicker (which was gone by then on still-frames.)

[@onelphil8832]

Got one of these at the thrift store for $15 a few days ago. Neat to learn some things about it! All the belts and such look perfect inside, I'm kinda shocked haha.

[@airspeedmph]

Fantastic piece of technology. Obsolete yes, but just look at it. All those electronic components, motors, belts, levers, cogs and whatnot working together, it just boggles the mind.

[@probnotstech]

These machines are marvels of engineering

[@Betamaxx1]

this reminds me so much of my sanyo vtc 9300! The model has a bad reputation, but mine works perfectly and to service the belts was so easy. One motor runs everything with the big belt (as you describes).

[@nathen4021]

Separate real table motor is for better reliability and serviceability along with minimizing wear on the head drum bearings.

[@electronicwaves]

Great work, I can't wait for the next video. I need to find some time (and confidence) to try to fix my Akai VHS from 1987 that I grew up with it. I found the same mold under the dry belt.

[@bobskie321]

I have no idea if that model can play Hi-Fi tapes properly but ours was a Sony SL-5400 and when I played tapes recorded with Hi-FI audio the picture is distorted.

[@alexthomson6593]

Has one of the coolest names for any beta machine: “Time Commander.” I love mine, the thing is a tank, I actually have 2, been trying to find the right fuse to replace on my second one.

[@probnotstech]

Every time I hear Time Commander, I think of this kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIPVl6GsfLZ6Z6s

[@crusiethmaximuss]

I wish VHS and Betamax merged into one technology prior to the introduction of VCD & DVD... Too bad...

[@probnotstech]

Video8 (Sony's 8mm videotape format) was originally meant to replace Beta and VHS, but it really only got adopted in the video camera market.

[@crusiethmaximuss]

@@probnotstech 👀😮Never even heard of that!!! Do ya' have a video 'bout it on your channel or plan on doin' one?

[@probnotstech]

I'm not really knowledgeable on it. But I do have an old Sony Video8 camcorder I want to work on. Funny enough it's just as musty as this VCR. When I get to it I'll do a video.

[@tambarskelfir]

Removing mustiness is not easy, but it can be done. Here are some mold-cleaning observations, which may or may not help at all. A bath of isopropyl alcohol or a good spraying of it does help. Worked well on speaker grills that had been stored in a moist cellar somewhere for years. Doesn't work well on paper though. What did work surprisingly well on a musty old book that I bought, was using a hairdryer with hot air on it. Ten to fifteen minutes of hot air and most of the moldy smell was gone. I did not expect that to work as well as it did. Anyway: Death to Mold!

[@probnotstech]

I may give that a try with some 99% isopropyl I have in a spray bottle. I cleaned the outside covers and entire mechanism, but I'll try this on the electronics and any crevices I couldn't get at. Thanks!

[@betamaxuser1282]

Try playing a βI tape. The manual suggests that review, cue, still-frame, and other trick-play features will not work on βI. What happens if you try using them? Thank you for demonstrating the trick-play features with a CRT screen. Many flat-panel screens will black out the picture if the image is not stable. Also, I have noticed that some picture-bending or flagging effects (seen in review/cue on the VHS LP mode and two-head Betamaxes on βII) appear on CRTs but not on some flat-panel screens. Showing this on a CRT gives a better idea of what it was like to use this machine in the past.

[@probnotstech]

I completely forgot to test βI speed! I just checked and this will play βI after flipping that switch on the back. Also, as you found, the special effects will not show an image. Fast Play is disabled, Pause and Betascan blank the screen. Weirdly enough Frame Advance and Slow Motion function, just with a blanked screen which seems pointless.

[@crashbandicoot4everr]

The service manual for the 5800 you can find online has the old βetamax logo printed on it so it's expected that it doesn't mention the brightness balance control. Production of this model ended in 1982 so that control might very well only exist in those later-production examples.

[@probnotstech]

Weirdly my owners manual for the 5800 does have Brightness Balance shown in it - and it's copyright year is 1980.

[@superdznuts99]

I. Just got 6800 model but I can't get it to take up tape or return it without help manually can you help?

[@luisvillamizar1179]

Excellent video, I congratulate you, and I want to ask you for help, I have a model just like yours and the problem I have is that every time I load the cassette, the video starts and after a while it stops and the tape gets tangled inside the Betamax. When it comes out of the cassette deck it does not come out completely rolled up. I appreciate your help.

[@caroleecarlson9492]

I have a VR 9760 zenith beta vcr do you know where I can get a manual for this. Do I need a plug for ac outlet in order for it to work

[@carlos.felipe]

Hey, Thank you very much for the video! It is super helpful. I have the same machine, I bought it for about 10 USD, It was completely dead, but now I can see images. The audio was not working before I watched this video, I tried the switch pressing and it worked!, but when it was released the sound went away again. I sprayed cleaning contact on it, but I still got the same behavior. How do you manage to keep the switch in the right position? I hope you can help me with that, thanks!

[@Tristand0920]

Quick question. I just got one of these and if it’s sat on a table the transformer makes a very pronounced hum. Does yours do this or is it something with my transformer

[@probnotstech]

I don't remember any noticeable transformer hum on this one. I have noticed that with some other VCRs though, and never really figured out the cause. It could be the transformer itself, or something downstream. I usually don't worry about it unless it's very loud, or getting too warm when running - then I would check to make sure there isn't an issue in the power supply, like a leaky smoothing capacitor drawing too much current. Also, I personally don't leave any of this old stuff plugged in unattended - just in case.

[@Tristand0920]

@ yeah I’m just not gonna worry about it.

[@Tristand0920]

@@probnotstech what did you do to get it to rewind? Mines having the same issue but I can’t find where or if you said it in the video

[@probnotstech]

​@@Tristand0920 I don't really remember, but other than the seized belt pulley on the bottom I did replace all the idler tires and most of the belts. Most likely the tires were what fixed it.

[@Tristand0920]

Thanks a lot

[@dmitripetrov5536]

How many belts used in this model Beta machine?

[@Betamax19732]

Good morning video

[@pyrodisc]

Tengo una 5400 pero no abre la tapa del cassette y sólo da corriente al reloj no funciona nada más 😢

[@tikamustikabinaminudin894]

Vintage's series from sony beta vcr

[@MyPOLYSTAR]

Tenho um igual,e que aqui em Portugal não foi comercializado. Betamax Sempre!

[@caroleecarlson9492]

What is the ac outlet

[@videoholic50s60s70s]

There is no Indexing on this machine....that came later.

[@probnotstech]

There absolutely is an indexing feature on this machine, I'm not sure what you mean. Both the SL-5600 and SL-5800 had it.

[@videoholic50s60s70s]

@@probnotstech describe what it does. Indexing in the Beta Hifi and SuperBeta machines meant you can manually put an "index' on the tape, and search for it later.

[@videoholic50s60s70s]

The indexing feature I'm talking about has Mark and Erase buttons to make an index point, then erase it if need be. Your machines are too old to have this.

[@videoholic50s60s70s]

@@probnotstech I just looked at some picutres, and both do have an Index position as part of the counter and reset button. I'll have to do some research and see exactly how this worked.

[@probnotstech]

The manual states that it automatically records a cue marker onto the tape upon starting a recording. With the counter switch in the index position, the VCR will stop (from ff/rew mode) when it sees the cue marker. Later models added more features, which may be what you're thinking of.

[@kramsniggah4333]

When I was 14 a mate had seriously minted parents that were utter b'stards that bought everything they could just to stop interacting with their kid. They had one of these monsters and a stack of snuff movies that we would watch over and over. No wonder I'm fcked up 50 years later...

[@probnotstech]

wild