The Sony International Betas

THE SONY INTERNATIONAL BETAS

Sony Betamaxes were sold all over the world, and in many countries were more popular than VHS, even until the late 1990s. Many of these Betas were unique and unusual compared to our USA versions. Here are some photos.

JAPAN

	SL-6300 The very first X-1 Betamax, released in Japan in 1975. This was inside the LV-1901 Console sold in America, it was known as the SL-6200. The second picture shows the 6300 with a companion tuner.
	SL-7300 The Japanese counterpart to the first stand-alone American Betamax, the SL-7200. Note that, unlike the American version, this unit had a knob for the tracking, and audio dub!!
	SL-8300 The Japanese counterpart to our first X-2 (BII) Betamax, the SL-8200. Their 8300 had a built-in clock/timer (which appeared first in our SL-8600), and an audio dub button!
	SL-J1 (1978) Released in 1978, the first in the line that included the American SL-5400/5600/5800. Offered BII/BIII record/play.
	SL-J5 (1978/9) Follow-up to the SL-J1, probably released in late 1978 or early 1979.
	SL-J7 (1979) The famed SL-J7, akin to our SL-5600, but recorded and played X-1 and X-2. First Beta ANYWHERE to offer linear stereo sound and a stereo tuner!
	SL-J9 (1980) The follow-up unit to the SL-J7, the SL-J9 was like our SL-5800 and had a dynamite remote control (see below). Added BIII rec/play and only played back X-1....like our 5800. This unit could audio dub on either the Left or Right audio channel, or both.
	Probably the neatest wired remote ever offered, this remote had all transport functions, plus variable-speed Betascan, variable slo-mo, and 2 headphone outputs, each with volume control!!
	SL-J10 (1981) Almost a clone of our SL-5000, this was probably the first Japanese front-loader.
	SL-J20 (1981) Improved SL-J10, presumably with more features.
	SL-J30 (1982) Last of the "J" Japanese Betamaxes.
	SL-F1 (1982) A portable Beta, a clone of the American SL-2000.
	SL-HF705 A clone of the American SL-HF750, first Beta to offer B-Is record/play mode, plus the slide-out drawer! Unlike its American counterpart, the remote did not have a large jog/shuttle wheel.
	SL-HF1000D (1986) A unique hybrid, a combination of the SL-HF705 and the SL-HF3000. Had the weird loading drawer and shape/size of the 705, but the B-ISHB record mode of the 3000! Below the Sony picture are some home-made pix of the unit that I bought in 2012.
	SL-B5 PORTABLE (1986?) The last Sony portable Betamax ever made, with an LCD readout screen. Never imported to the USA.
	SL-HF3000 (1986) A clone of the American SL-HF1000. Probably the most feature-laden Betamax ever, with incredibly high playback picture quality!
	EDV-5000 (1988) The low-end Japanese ED Beta. Had limited digital FX.
	EDV-6000 (1988) A higher-end ED Beta, with more digital FX.
	EDV-8000 (1989) The EDV-8000, a high-end Japanese ED-Beta with digital effects and an LCD remote (1989)
	EDV-9000 (1989) The high-end Japanese Beta, with flying erase heads, digital FX, Tone control, jog/shuttle, etc.
	SL-HF90SD (1989) The SL-HF90SD had digital effects akin to our SL-HF860D, and linear stereo as well as Beta hi-fi stereo.
	SL-2100 (1990) A clone of the American SL-HF2100, the "buttonless Betamax," AKA the 15th Anniversary Betamax. From Sony's website: A recorder that updated conventional design in video components. The touch-panel display eliminates buttons, a fully illuminated display presents information attractively, and a two-way remote introduces interactivity. Just what users had been hoping for, this unit was the culmination of many current advances. Uniformly rounded, with a centered Sony logo. The included remote control is covered by an LCD screen, and it can receive and display the recorder's operating status.
	SL-F205 (1997) The last Beta available in Japan in the late 1990's, the SL-F205 is a middle-of-the-road model.

THE U.K.
To see more machines of the United Kingdom, go to the Betamax PALSITE Gallery page by clicking on these brands:

SL-HF950 (1986)
An exact clone of the NTSC SL-HF750, but with flying erase heads for true insert video editing, plus a tape position for Pro-X tapes.

THE MIDDLE EAST
Most of these machines have the "ME" designation in the model number (for Middle East) and closely resemble our NTSC (American) Betas. These machines are in the SECAM TV format, but many of them are "multi-standard" and can be used in many different countries.

	SL-T50ME (1983) A 3-system machine (PAL, NTSC, and MESECAM)
	SL-800ME (1988) An 8-system high-end SuperBeta, with Pro 4-heads for perfect still frames, AutoVolt operation, and 7-day, 2-event programming. This machine was available in standard black (upper picture) or in Champagne Gold, below.
	SL-700ME (1988) A 7-system SuperBeta, with AutoVolt operation (99-264 volts), with Color switch and 7-day, 1-event programming.
	SL-500MEMKII (1988) 3-system SuperBeta with 7-day, 6 event programming and Semi AutoVolt system (110-127 or 220-240V)
	SL-200MEMKII (1988) PAL or SECAM only, with color switch, 7-day, 6-event, Semi Auto-Volt system.
	SL-HF660 (1988) An NTSC SuperBeta sold in the Mid-East, with Beta Hi-Fi audio and 7-day, 1-event programming.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PIX YOU CAN SUBMIT, PLEASE E-MAIL ME!

SITE NAVIGATOR

Free counters provided by Andale.