You know the one - 19" Trinitron, first ever Betamax...not quite working though because Seller "blew a fuse or something." Guess so...her description's pretty hard to read. But you can give it a try. (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1976-SONY-VTR-TELEVISION-RECIEVER-SYSTEM_W0QQitemZ270110901504QQihZ017QQcategoryZ733 74QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

I couldn't even get past the fisrt line of all caps with no paragraph breaks.

What a piece !

Strange, though, that the serial number is European: #502 629...

Strange comment about Beta referring to the tape path... Actually, the Beta tape path was referred to as "Omega wrap" for its resemblance to that Greek character.

I bought my LV-1901 for US$100 about 1990, and its TV still works fine after a couple of small repairs, but I have not tried the VCR for several years. The clock stopped working in the early 1990's. The unit's serial number is 504098, so that series must be normal for these US models.

The unit's serial number is 504098, so that series must be normal for these US models.

...strange...very strange...
(but anything goes with Sony!)

Strange comment about Beta referring to the tape path... Actually, the Beta tape path was referred to as "Omega wrap" for its resemblance to that Greek character.

Correct-- the Betamax format (along with most other VCR formats) uses an "Omega" wrap. The loading mechanism for Betamax is considered to be a "U-load" style, a style which Sony introduced with the (appropriately named) U-Matic videocasette format. I dunno the actual reason for the name "Beta", but I always guessed it had something to do with it being Sony's second videocassette format; sort of a "son of U-Matic" in some respects.

[Note that VHS has an "M-load" mechanism. Sony held patents on both "U-load" and "M-load" loading styles, but they pretty much gave up on the M-load idea early on. I think JVC had to license some M-load patents from Sony when JVC developed the VHS format.]

What a piece !

I agree. Somewhere a crusher is just drooling to taste this one!