Sony VC-V540U Portable Television and VCR Vintage TV 1990 Working / Tested

Description

Sony VC-V540U Portable Television and VCR Vintage TV 1990 Working / Tested.
This TV has been very well kept, but does show very little signs of use on the back of this unit (the screen still still has the 4" sticker on it in perfect condition). I tried including clear enough pictures of the scuffs on the back.. I did test this unit after getting out of storage and it works great. Ran 2 different full VHS tapes through it and everything seemed to function as should including the sound. I believe this once had a battery pack with it, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE BATTERY PACK FOR THIS. What you see pictured is exactly what you will receive, minus the VHS used for pictures to show the screen works.
Here is an ad from 1990:
What did Mom pack in your school lunch box? Lucky kids found not only an apple but maybe a brownie or oatmeal cookie.
But in the 1990s, sweets are passe. The well-equipped lunch box now contains a VHS videocassette. That`s if you leave the food at home and take the lunch-box-size Sharp VC-V540U Handy Vision with you.
Sharp posits the Handy Vision as a VHS answer to Sony`s 8 mm Video Walkman. The VC-V540 combines a four-head VHS HQ VCR with a 4-inch liquid-crystal display screen and a 2-by-3 1/2-inch monitor speaker. The screen is virtually identical to the one used by Sony in the GV-9 Video Walkman.
At 11 pounds, the Handy Vision weighs about as much as the first laptop computers. Its comfortable padded handle collapses flush with the top of the charcoal gray case and pops up when needed. Similarly, the screen is flush with the front of the case. At the push of a button the screen`s bottom pops out, tilting it up for a more comfortable viewing angle.
The top contains three protruding knobs that adjust brightness, tint and color for the LCD screen, plus controls that turn the onscreen displays (which show volume, VCR function, etc.) on and off, as well turning the screen itself off (to conserve power while the tape winds). The knobs project too far up and could be damaged when the unit takes hard knocks in transit. Volume up/down buttons and the recessed master power switch complete the top mounted controls.
The lower right corner of the front panel displays the VCR function controls. These controls are mounted on a door that pops open to reveal the tape counter buttons, record, special effects and speed selector buttons, and a vertical lock adjustment. Tapes load into a slot on the unit`s right side.
The VCR portion operates smoothly, equaling a good 0 VCR in performance. Being portable, it makes an ideal dubbing deck.
The Handy Vision lacks a TV tuner, as well as a clock/timer. This omission drastically reduces the unit`s versatility and value. Because of stiff U.S. tariffs on most Japanese TV sets, including a tuner would have qualified the Handy Vision as a TV set, raising the ,900 price still further.
The lack of a tuner also eases airline objections to using the unit aloft. Some airlines forbid the use of any video device that includes a tuner, even if the tuner is not in use.
The Handy Vision serves well as a camcorder color monitor. You can either connect the camcorder while shooting to view your subject on the screen or swap the tape from the camcorder to the Handy Vision when you`re finished shooting.
But Sharp will have to try hard to justify the Handy Vision`s price. After all, a good Sharp VCR costs 0 and a Sharp 4-inch LCD color TV costs about 0, and that includes a tuner. Therefore, Sharp charges you a substantial premium for portability and battery operation. If your mom packed caviar and pate in your lunch box, the Handy Vision will suit your video appetite.