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Video Cassette Recorder VR960BPH Owner’s Manual I m p o r t a n t ! R e t u r n y o u r W a r r a n t y R e g i s t r a t i o n C a r d w i t h i n 1 0 d a y s .
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Return your Warranty Registration card today to ensure you receive all the benefits you’re entitled to. Once your PHILIPS purchase is registered, you’re eligible to receive all the privileges of owning a PHILIPS product. So complete and return the Warranty Registration Card enclosed with your purchase at once.
The ENERGY STAR ® name and logo are registered marks of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As an ENERGY STAR Philips Consumer Electronics has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR ® guidelines for energy efficiency. SmartPicture and ShowGuard are trademarks of Philips Consumer Electronics.
Putting Batteries in the Remote Control To remove the battery compartment lid, push in the tab, then pull up the lid. Place two AA batteries inside the battery compartment with their + and – ends aligned as indicated. Replace the battery compartment lid. Using the Remote Control •...
6 Hookups without a Cable Box The basic VCR/TV connection – antenna/cable to VCR to TV – is shown below. If you have a Cable Box or a Direct Broadcast System, please refer to pages 8-9. After you hook up the VCR, please go to pages 10-11 to turn on the VCR.
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Connect the RF coaxial cable (supplied) to the RF OUT Jack on the back of the VCR and to the ANTENNA IN Jack on the TV. (You may use either a snap-on type or screw-on type of coaxial cable, whichever you prefer. A snap-on type is supplied.) Antenna CABLE...
8 Hookups with a Cable Box/Direct Broadcast System There are two ways to connect your Cable Box/DBS to the VCR. With this connection: • You may view any channel. • You must select channels at the Cable Box/DBS. Channels cannot be changed at the VCR. •...
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Hookups with a Cable Box/Direct Broadcast System (cont’d) 9 With this connection: • You may watch one channel while recording another. • You may not record scrambled channels. CABLE AUDIO VIDEO CH3 CH4 Cable signal RF coaxial cable Connections Connect a Cable signal to the VCR’s ANT(enna) IN jack. Use an RF coaxial cable (supplied) to connect the RF OUT jack on the VCR to the IN jack on the Cable Box/DBS.
10 Turning on Your VCR • Before turning on your VCR, make sure there are batteries in the remote control and the VCR, TV, and Cable Box/DBS (if applicable) are connected. • The menus will continue to appear every time you turn on the VCR until you complete the steps on pages 10-11.
If you do not want to set up the Cable Box Controller now, press the OK/STATUS button to leave the Controller turned OFF. The display shown below will appear on the screen. Proceed to step 6. You may set up the Controller later by following the instructions on pages 49-53.
12 Automatic Channel Setup Although your VCR may automatically memorize the channels you receive when you turn it on for the first time, this function lets you set up channels again. Make each entry within one minute of the previous entry. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button.
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Adding/Deleting Channels Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. VCR SET UP TUNER SET UP INITIAL SET UP SELECT: 89 CONFIRM: OK END: MENU Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select TUNER SET UP, then press the OK/STATUS button. CABLE/ANTENNA CABLE AUTO CH.
14 Setting the Clock There are four ways to set the VCR’s clock: Manually, with Time Zone Selection, with Manual PBS Channel Selection, or with Automatic PBS Channel Selection. Cable Box/DBS users must set the clock manually. Before you set the clock, make sure: •...
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Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button repeatedly to set the TIME. Every time you press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button, the time changes in one-minute increments. If you press and hold the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button, the time changes in 30-minute increments.
16 Setting the Clock (cont’d) Time Zone Selection Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select INITIAL SET UP, then press the OK/STATUS button. CLOCK LANGUAGE ENGLISH VCR PLUS+ CH. CABLE BOX DBS RECEIVER SELECT: 89...
Manual PBS Channel Selection Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select INITIAL SET UP, then press the OK/STATUS button. Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select CLOCK, then press the OK/STATUS button.
18 Setting the Clock (cont’d) Automatic PBS Channel Selection Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select INITIAL SET UP, then press the OK/STATUS button. Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select CLOCK, then press the OK/STATUS button.
Follow the steps below to program the VCR so its clock will move forward one hour in April and turn back one hour in October. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select INITIAL SET UP, then press the OK/STATUS button.
20 Language Selection Follow the steps below to change the language of the on-screen displays and menus. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. VCR SET UP TUNER SET UP INITIAL SET UP SELECT: 89 CONFIRM: OK END: MENU Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select INITIAL SET UP, then press the OK/STATUS button.
VCR Display Panel Information about VCR operations appears here. Different information appears at different times. The display is brighter when the VCR power is on. The display dims automatically when you turn off the VCR power. Cassette Compartment Insert a tape here. TIMER Light VR960B 4-HEAD HI-FI STEREO VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER...
22 Front Panel POWER Button Press to turn the VCR power on and off. Remote Sensor Receives a signal from your remote control so you can operate your VCR from a distance. Press the VCR button on the remote control before pressing other VCR operation buttons.
ANT(enna) IN Jack Connect your antenna or cable here. Details are on pages 6-9. AUDIO OUT Jacks Connect audio cables going to the AUDIO IN jacks of a camcorder, another VCR, or an audio system here. Details are on pages 48 and 55. AUDIO IN Jacks Connect audio cables coming from the AUDIO OUT jacks of a camcorder, another VCR, a Cable Box/DBS, or an audio source...
Details are on page 61. Press to select an item in the VCR menu. For some PHILIPS or PHILIPS MAGNAVOX TVs only: After pressing the TV button, press this button to select an item in the TV menu.
After pressing the TV button, press this button to select TV mode or Auxiliary mode on some televisions. ALT(ernate) (Channel)/SPEED Button For some PHILIPS or PHILIPS MAGNAVOX TVs only: After pressing TV, press to go back to the previously selected channel on the TV.
26 On-Screen Status Displays An on-screen status display will appear when you press the OK/STATUS button or certain function buttons. The contents of the status display will vary; the status display describes the current operations of the VCR. ON SCREEN MODE ON: Whenever you press the PLAY 8 button or the STOP 9 •...
28 Setting the Remote Control to Operate a Cable Box/DBS Your VCR remote control may operate your Cable Box/DBS. Follow these steps to set the remote control code. Turn on your Cable Box/DBS. Point the remote control at your Cable Box/DBS. Press the CBL/DBS button, then press the POWER button.
Read and follow the steps below to play a tape. Turn on the TV and set it to channel 3 or 4, whichever channel to which the CH3/CH4 switch on the back of the VCR is set. Insert a tape in the VCR. The power will come on. The VCR will place itself in VCR position automatically (the VCR light will appear on the display panel of the VCR).
30 Recording Read and follow the steps below to record a television program. Turn on the TV and set it to channel 3 or 4, whichever channel to which the CH3/CH4 switch on the back of the VCR is set. Insert a tape with its record tab intact (details are on page 5) in the VCR.
When shipped from the factory, this VCR was set to automatically select S-VHS format for recording on an S-VHS tape, and VHS format for recording on a VHS tape. If you want to make a recording using VHS format on an S-VHS tape, follow the steps below. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button.
32 S-VHS ET This VCR allows recording in Super VHS ET (Expansion Technology). You can play back cassettes recorded in S-VHS ET on a VCR equipped with S-VHS ET. You can record with S-VHS picture quality on VHS cassettes. Before you begin the recording, press the S-VHS ET button on the front panel of the VCR.
Press the VCR button. Press the REC(ord)/OTR button to start a recording of the current channel. Details are on page 30. Press the VCR/TV button to put the VCR in TV position. The VCR light will disappear from the display panel. Use the TV remote control to select the channel you want to watch at the TV.
34 One-Touch Recording The One-Touch Recording (OTR) function allows you to start an immediate timed recording 30 minutes to six hours long of the channel you are watching. Before you begin, make sure: • Channels are set up. Details are on pages 12-13. •...
This feature allows you to automatically record a satellite program that is programmed on your DBS. The VCR will start recording when it receives a signal from the DBS. The VCR stops recording when the DBS signal turns off. Connect the AUDIO and VIDEO OUT jacks of the DBS to the AUDIO and VIDEO IN jacks on the back of the VCR.
36 Setting Up the VCR Plus+ Programming System First, fill in the boxes on this page. It will only take a few minutes, and you must do it if you want the VCR Plus+ programming system to work properly. Since the channel numbers of the stations you receive may not be the same as the station numbers, and since channel numbers differ from area to area, you must program the VCR with your local channel information.
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Setting Up the VCR Plus+ Programming System (cont’d) 37 Now, compare the channel numbers you have written into the VCR PLUS+ CH. and CABLE/TV CH. columns. You’ll notice that some stations have VCR Plus+ and Cable/TV channel numbers that are the same, and other stations have channel numbers that do not match.
38 Timer Recording with the VCR Plus+ Programming System Follow the steps below to program a timer recording using PlusCode programming numbers. Before you begin make sure: • Channels are set up. Details are on pages 12-13. • The clock is set. Details are on pages 14-18. •...
Timer Recording with the VCR Plus+ Programming System (cont’d) 39 Press the OK/STATUS button. If the VCR PLUS+ and CABLE/TV channel lists appear on the screen, the CABLE/TV channel has not been set for the VCR PLUS+ channel of the program you have set in step 4.
40 Quick Programming Follow the steps below to program your VCR to record TV programs while you’re away from home. The VCR will turn itself on, record, and turn itself off automatically. Before you begin, make sure: • Channels are programmed. Details are on pages 12-13. •...
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Press the Number 1/START + or Number 4/START– button to set the recording’s start time. Every time you press a button, the start time changes in one-minute increments. If you press and hold a button, the start time changes in 30-minute increments.
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42 Quick Programming (cont’d) Press the Number 3/DATE+ or Number 6/DATE– button to set the recording date. Every time you press a button, the date changes in one-day increments. If you press and hold a button, the date changes quickly. The day of the week will appear automatically.
Press the OK/STATUS or TIMER button. PROGRAM WAS COMPLETED/PLEASE TURN OFF VCR FOR TIMER RECORDING will appear on the screen. If PROGRAM NOT COMPLETED appears, try again from step 1. Press the POWER button to turn off the VCR. The r light will appear on the display panel.
44 Turbo Timer This function allows you to set a timer recording without using the on-screen menus. Complete each step within one minute of the previous step. Use Turbo Timer to set a timer recording within the next 24 hours only. Insert a tape into the VCR and press the TURBO TIMER button on the remote control.
Checking, Editing, or Clearing Timer Recordings Press the VCR button, then press the TIMER button. VCR PLUS+ QUICK PROGRAMMING PROGRAM REVIEW SELECT: ,9 CONFIRM: OK END: TIMER Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to select PROGRAM REVIEW, then press the OK/STATUS button. The list of programmed timer recordings will appear.
46 Program Overlap Warning If the timer recording you just set overlaps a previously set program, “PROGRAM NOT COMPLETED/PROGRAM OVERLAP” will appear on the screen for five seconds. To correct the overlapping recordings, follow the steps below. PROGRAM NOT COMPLETED PROGRAM OVERLAP The program review screen will appear automatically after “PROGRAM NOT COMPLETED/PROGRAM OVERLAP.”...
If a program is recording in SP and there is not enough tape to record the entire program, the VCR automatically switches to SLP to allow complete recording if TIMER REC SPEED is set to AUTO. This feature is especially useful when you set a timer recording for a program that is more than two hours long.
48 Rerecording (Tape Duplication) The instructions on this page show you how to copy tapes. Different VCRs may operate differently. To duplicate a tape, make the connections shown, then follow steps 1-6. (You may use the AUDIO and VIDEO In jacks on the front of VCR 2 instead if you prefer.) VCR 1 Playing VCR CABLE...
If you are using a Cable Box/DBS, connect the Controller to your VCR. The Controller will automatically select channels at the Cable Box/DBS during a timer recording. Leave your Cable Box/DBS turned on during a timer recording. Connect the Cable Box/DBS to the VCR as shown below. For more information, please read page 8.
50 Setting the Controller to Operate a Cable Box • If you use a Cable Box, you must set the clock manually. Details are on pages 14-15. • Complete the steps on page 28 before proceeding. This will enable you to use the VCR remote control to operate the Cable Box, and you will learn your Cable Box code.
Setting the Controller to Operate a Cable Box (cont’d) 51 Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to set the code for your Cable Box (see list below), then press the OK/STATUS button. SELECT CODE NUMBER OF YOUR CABLE BOX DID CABLE BOX DISPLAY CHANGE TO CHANNEL 09? A YES...
52 Setting the Controller to Operate a DBS • If you use a DBS, you must set the clock manually. Details are on pages 14-15. • Complete the steps on page 28 before proceeding. This will allow you to use the VCR remote control to operate the DBS, and you will learn your DBS code.
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Setting the Controller to Operate a DBS (cont’d) 53 Press the PLAY 8 or STOP 9 button to set the two-digit code for your DBS (see list below), then press the OK/STATUS button. SELECT CODE NUMBER OF YOUR DBS RECEIVER DID DBS RECEIVER CHANGE TO CHANNEL 205? A YES...
54 Multi-Channel Television Sound System This VCR can receive and record programs broadcast in stereo or second audio. It can also play back tapes recorded in stereo or second audio. • Second Audio You can program your VCR so you can hear a program that is being broadcast in second audio or a tape that was recorded in second audio.
Multi-Channel Television Sound System (cont’d) 55 To receive and record programs broadcast in second audio, follow steps 1-6. To receive and record a program broadcast in stereo, make one of the connections shown, then follow steps 1-6. If you have a Stereo and a Monitor TV, use a video cable to connect the VCR’s VIDEO OUT Jack to the TV’s VIDEO IN Jack.
56 Hi-Fi Stereo Tape Playback If a tape is recorded in Hi-Fi stereo, follow the steps below to play the tape in Hi-Fi stereo. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. VCR SET UP TUNER SET UP INITIAL SET UP SELECT: ,9 CONFIRM: OK END: MENU...
You can correct vertical vibration when playing back tapes. When VIDEO STABILIZER is set to ON, vertical vibration will be corrected automatically. Follow the steps below to set VIDEO STABILIZER to ON or OFF. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. VCR SET UP TUNER SET UP INITIAL SET UP...
58 SmartPicture You can make the tape playback picture softer, sharper, more natural, or more distinct by adjusting the SmartPicture setting. Follow the steps below to adjust the SmartPicture setting. Press the VCR button, then press the SMARTPICTURE button. The current setting will appear on the screen for about five seconds.
The Digital Studio Picture Control (DSPC) checks the condition of the tape during recording and playback, then makes adjustments to provide the highest possible picture quality. To set DSPC to ON or OFF, follow these steps. Press the VCR button, then press the MENU button. VCR SET UP TUNER SET UP INITIAL SET UP...
60 Search Options Index Search When you make a recording, the VCR automatically places an index code at the beginning of the recording. Essentially, an index code is a type of “bookmark” for your tape. This feature is useful if you have several different programs recorded on a single tape.
Forward and Reverse Searching During tape playback, press and release the FF : button or the REW(ind) ; button. A fast forward or reverse picture search will begin. To return to playback, press the PLAY 8 button. Viewing a Still Picture During tape playback, press the STILL/SLOW A still picture will appear on the screen.
START STOP DATE DAILY WEEKLY SPEED CLEAR STILL/SLOW PLAY STOP OK/STATUS MENU TIMER TURBO REC END AUDIO/ SKIP SEARCH MUTE SEARCH TIMER /OTR EJECT Helpful Hint • If you lose your remote control when Child Lock is on, contact Philips.
If you want the TV screen to be solid blue when a weak signal is received, set BLUE BACKGROUND to ON. The screen will be blue and the sound will be muted. Or, if you want to receive the weak signal, set BLUE BACKGROUND to OFF. When you select a channel that is receiving a weak signal, you will see and hear the static in the TV programming.
64 Automatic Operation Features Automatic Playback When you put a tape in the VCR, the power will come on automatically. If the tape’s record tab is missing, playback will begin. You can not insert a tape without a record tab if the VCR power is off and a timer recording is set.
AUDIO IN/OUT Jacks: jacks located on the front and back of the VCR which are used to record audio from another source (IN) or to send audio to another system (OUT). Automatic Channel Programming: process in which the VCR scans all available channels and places the ones you receive in its memory.
66 Helpful Hints If you are having problems with your VCR, check the following list of problems and possible solutions before requesting service. You may be able to solve the problem yourself. If you need to call a customer service representative, please know the model number and serial number of your product before you call.
The Number buttons won’t work for channels above 69; channels above 13 cannot be received. • Select CABLE at the TUNER SET UP menu, then let the VCR set up the channels. Details are on page 12. A TV program cannot be recorded. •...
For 90 days thereafter, you may exchange the defective product for a new product at the store from which it was purchased or through Philips. This exchange is made at no cost to you. From 91 days to one year from the date of purchase, you must follow the exchange procedures set out on the next page.
After 12 months from the day of original purchase, contact Philips Service Solutions Group at 1-800-531-0039 for information regarding out-of-warranty exchange. • If you do not have your original sales receipt, or if you have any questions, call Philips Service Solutions Group at 1-800-531-0039. To obtain a replacement product from Philips: 1.
70 Specifications Video Heads Four video heads with two Hi-Fi stereo heads Video Signal EIA standards; NTSC color Antenna VHF/UHF – 75 ohm external antenna terminal VHF Output Signal Channel 3 or 4 (switchable) 75 ohms unbalanced Power Requirement 120V AC; 60 Hz Power Consumption 22 W Operating Temperature...
The following additional items are not provided with your VCR, but they are designed for use with your new VCR.To order these optional accessories, contact us at: Philips Parts & Accessories Marketing Department 401 East Old Andrew Johnson Highway VHS Cassette Rewinder #M61117 This owner’s manual is made of recyclable materials.