SL-HF77
Sony 1986
Betamax SL-HF77

super beta logo
beta hifi logo
beta vcr logo

Overview

slhf77 front flap left

Front flap (left)


slhf77 front flap right

Front flap (right)

The SL-HF77 was a well specified Super Beta HiFi model. It was not released in the UK domestic market, it's nearest UK equivalent being the SL-HF100.

The machine is lower profile than the SL-HF100 and follows the design style of the SL-F30/60 series. It replaces the individual channel select buttons with an up/down pair of controls. The infrared remote is also slim like the SLF30/60 series.

The machine has provision for a sound only recording (this feature disables the video drop out compensator) which also doubles in enabling it to be used with a PCM encoder to give higher than CD quality digital stereo audio.

The front flap houses the following controls:

  • Beta Hi-Fi Audio Out: Auto / Normal.
  • Tracking.
  • Beta HiFi Record: Video / Sound.
  • Beta HiFi MPX Filter: On / Off.
  • Input Select: Tuner / Simul Line PCM.
  • A/B Bilingual selector.
  • Audio record level sliders.
  • Timer controls.
  • PAL/SECAM support.
slhf150 vs slhf77

SL-HF150 (top) vs SL-HF77 (bottom)
click to enlarge

The SL-HF150AS compared to the SL-HF77

This model can be directly compared with the SL-HF150 with the main difference being no Super Beta Hi-Fi.

The Australian SLHF150AS version has its TV output on VHF Channels 0 or 1 whereas the SLHF77ES has its TV output on UHF tuneable over the range channel 30 to 39.

Style variations are as shown in the pictures with the gold versus silver highlighting changes and the addition of "Super Beta" title to the SLHF77ES.

slhf77k Mic connector

Mic socket and mix level control

Karaoke Betamax - The SL-HF77K

The SL-HF77 had another special version with the `K` indicating it was Sony's Karaoke model. A microphone mix socket and input level control replaced the headphone and output level control found on the front left hand side of the original version. The flap also shows KARAOKE.

A rotary switch under the power cable at the rear allowed the voltage to be selected between AC 110/127/220 and 240 Volts.

slhf77k front flap

SL-HF77K Karaoke Flap


Thanks to Noel Higgins for supplying the additional information