Rating: 
Summary: It's a jitter bug :P
Review: 1) Like someone else wrote, I too get this disturbance at regular intervals when playing back with the SLV-N55. For me it occurs with some recordings made by other VCRs and pre-recorded videos. Every 5 to 10 seconds, the picture will jitter vertically for a second. I played around with the tracking to no avail. If it's because of the condition of the tapes or the recordings are a year old, that's still no excuse because these same particular tapes play perfectly stable on my other 3 Panasonic VCRs, and it should have no problem with pre-recorded tapes ESPECIALLY. (Side Note: I have a Panasonic PV-V4522 that makes recordings with a severe vertical jitter on older tapes, leaving you with a bad recording, but if I re-record over the same tape at the same speed, that recording will be stable... go figure) A hyper-sensitive VCR that requires mint condition tapes to play a decent picture (in the Panasonic's case, to record one) is not very useful then, because you'll WANT to watch and use your tapes and videos in the future, and you can't store your cassettes in a vacuum, electro-magnetic and gravity free chamber or something. 2) While so far the SLV-N55 has no problems playing back recordings made by itself, the quality of those recordings is not to my liking. It seems to record with more color bleed than other VCRs. Also there is this noticeable outline to the right of every object in the picture, resembling a slight "ghost" effect like with poor reception on a TV with rabbit ears or turning the sharpness too high on your set. (I get digital cable) If this is what 19 Micron quality is all about, then no thank you. I had an Optimus 19 Micron VCR long ago and while playback of it's recordings were fine, playing back of those same recordings on another VCR was very grainy. They should just keep everything the standard 26 Microns and all will be fine. So from now on I will avoid the feature "19 Micron Heads" like the plague. : P
Rating:
Summary: It's a jitter bug :P
Review: 1) Like someone else wrote, I too get this disturbance at regular intervals when playing back with the SLV-N55. For me it occurs with some recordings made by other VCRs and pre-recorded videos. Every 5 to 10 seconds, the picture will jitter vertically for a second. I played around with the tracking to no avail. If it's because of the condition of the tapes or the recordings are a year old, that's still no excuse because these same particular tapes play perfectly stable on my other 3 Panasonic VCRs, and it should have no problem with pre-recorded tapes ESPECIALLY. (Side Note: I have a Panasonic PV-V4522 that makes recordings with a severe vertical jitter on older tapes, leaving you with a bad recording, but if I re-record over the same tape at the same speed, that recording will be stable... go figure) A hyper-sensitive VCR that requires mint condition tapes to play a decent picture (in the Panasonic's case, to record one) is not very useful then, because you'll WANT to watch and use your tapes and videos in the future, and you can't store your cassettes in a vacuum, electro-magnetic and gravity free chamber or something. 2) While so far the SLV-N55 has no problems playing back recordings made by itself, the quality of those recordings is not to my liking. It seems to record with more color bleed than other VCRs. Also there is this noticeable outline to the right of every object in the picture, resembling a slight "ghost" effect like with poor reception on a TV with rabbit ears or turning the sharpness too high on your set. (I get digital cable) If this is what 19 Micron quality is all about, then no thank you. I had an Optimus 19 Micron VCR long ago and while playback of it's recordings were fine, playing back of those same recordings on another VCR was very grainy. They should just keep everything the standard 26 Microns and all will be fine. So from now on I will avoid the feature "19 Micron Heads" like the plague. : P
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Tracking
Review: As some have stated, this VCR produces noticable jittery effects on screen during playback and has done so from day 1. I would not recommend it to anyone, and I have lost faith in Sony QC.
Rating:
Summary: Sony makes great TVs not VCRs
Review: I have been shopping for a new VCR since both of my much older ones died (within a month of each other!). My Toshiba and my RCA, both made it to about 8 or 9 years old. In doing the shopping math - my old VCR repairman kept admonishing me to stay away from the Sony - good TVs and other electronics, but VCRs are not their forte, he said. In doing so, I found he was right, as also evidenced by the other reviews from guests. My VCR repairman would know, he repairs what can't be returned! So, now I'm looking at Panasonic and RCA. Thanks to all of you who tried to warn me - I'll get over my system not being totally Sony. I had to learn the hard way though.... still, why can't Sony make a VCR that works quietly?
Rating:
Summary: Poor Quality
Review: I have this for about 8 months now and it's not working anymore. Didn't work after first 3 months, I had to call sony and they helped me do channel auto set up and it worked. ( still it's hard to believe why that happened in 1st place without changing setup) and it happened 2nd time now. Doesn't play. Called Sony and can't get it fixed over the phone. It's out of labor warrenty. Was never satisfied with this one. I am big fan of Sony but I didn't read all reviews before I bought this one. Never Buy this product.
Rating: 
Summary: Over all quite pleased
Review: I have two other Sony VCRs...but except for two short comings are no better. These two failing occur in the pause and slow modes in which there is too much video noise. All other features work quite well, with the flash rewind a dream. The remote also deserves high marks for its ease of use.
Best of all is the picture quality which ranges from very good to excellent... I'd rate it a best buy.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I own another Sony VCR (SLV N-71) which is nice. This one was for the kids, but it's going back. The VCR is noisy - very distracting. Picture is fair. I expect more from Sony products.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy
Review: I purchased this Sony VCR at a Target, thinking you can rely on Sony, well I was wrong. It did not record a very good quality picture from my TV (cable). I tried switching tapes, and recorded in both EP and SP, but there was always some kind of disturbance seemingly from one particular point in the reel/head/whatever. It occurred regularly in playback, about every few seconds at the beginning of the tape, and then occurring in shorter intervals toward the end of the tape. Oh, and I used new Sony tapes, which did fine on my older Sony VCR...go figure, but don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Never buy a Sony VCR
Review: It plays fine but the rewind and fast forward is a loud motor running. I'm going to return it for perhaps another SONY or Panasonic.
Rating:
Summary: SONY loudness
Review: It plays fine but the rewind and fast forward is a loud motor running. I'm going to return it for perhaps another SONY or Panasonic.
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