Hi all,

I have a Sony Hifi VCR from about 1998. It's a 4 head machine and the
model
number is SLV-X825. It no longer plays or records in stereo. It still
receives broadcasts in stereo, and the sound is excellent, (in fact better
than my brand new digital set top box) and the picture remains crystal
clear, but tapes are all in mono now. If I put a factory made movie in it,
the stereo light flicks on for a split second and then dissapears. It's
not
a fault with the stereo light, as the equalizer on my amp indicates both
channels working on identical levels all the time when a tape is playing.

Does anybody know what this might be? If so is it an expensive repair?
I'd like to keep it going as it's an otherwise excellent machine and I
have
heaps of tapes.

yes, VHS Hi-Fi will sound much better than anything coming from your
digital set up box, due to the amount of digital compression your cable
or satellite provider uses.


VHS HI-FI sounding better than Dolby Digital 5.1??? Don't think so. Your
right
and my right to disagree, not trying to start a flame here my friend.

Just because he has a digital set top box, doesn't mean the stuff he's
listening to is in 5.1, and most of it won't be anyway.
Actually there is one recording that comes to mind, in which case the
VHS tape does sound tons better and that is the first TMNT movie. Why
they always feel they have to "remix" the audio for a 5.1 DVD release, I
have no idea.. but they completely botched it up! They cranked the
midbass way up and also added extra reverb to the vocal. It sounds like
complete and utter ****!
I am never a fan of any kind of audio tampering like that anyway. I say
if it's 5.1, great! If it's mono, leave it that way - don't try to
simulate stereo. If it's two channel stereo, great! Leave it that way
- don't try to remix to surround, etc..
And for Gods sakes, if you do need to go from stereo to mono for any
reason, DO IT RIGHT and use a Y-cable or something to mix left and
right. Don't be like my local cable company, who before they upgraded
to stereo modulators, would take ONLY the left or ONLY right channel lol

BTW, I'm a DTS guy myself ^_^ hehe