The very first Betamax; included a 19″ Sony Trinitron TV plus an SL-6200 X-1-only Betamax in a beautiful teakwood cabinet. Had a built-in 24-hour timer, a second TV tuner, and a camera input! (Still makes for an attractive piece of furniture!) It could be said that this unit started home video.

First stand-alone Betamax; had no audio or video inputs, only outputs.The clock was an option for $45! One-event, 24-hour timer.Had removable RF converter that was for Ch. 3 or Ch. 4, depending upon where you lived!

Essentially the same as the SL-7200, but with audio and video inputs, and a microphone input which overrode all other audio input sources.

First of the “SLO” industrial models (“O” stood for “Office”). The 260 looked like an SL-7200, but added an audio VU meter, manual audio level control, and audio dub. Oddly enough, the Pause button didn’t lock like it did on the 7200!

A remodeled SL-7200, with a double-wide RECORD button. Introduced the X-2 speed, which allowed for 2-hour recording and required the newly formulated L-500 tape.

Improved and redesigned industrial “X-1” unit; had solenoid buttons with full logic control, programmed playback operations, optional full-function remote control (actually made for Sony’s U-Matic units), audio limiter switch, audio VU meter with level control, and random-access search feature using another optional remote! Had a strange quirk in the record mode, where the picture would become unstable and lose sync (fixed in the next model, the SLO-323.)

First Betamax with a built-in digital clock, wired pause control, and semi-solenoid buttons. Biggest drawback was the fact that it only handled the new X-2 speed in both play and record.

Groundbreaking machine! Introduced: BetaScan search mode; 3X fast play; BIII record/play speed; Express Tuning (14 electronic pre-sets); audio dubbing; remote control with scan and pause; multi-programming (3-day, 1-event); freeze frame. Played back all 3 speeds, but the B-I playback switch was on the rear of the machine! Renamed record and playback speeds Beta II (or BII) instead of X-2. First unit to use the new Greek Betamax logo.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-J1

First portable Betamax; white in color; rec/play X-1 only.

Improved SL-5400, introducing 14-day 4-event programming, electronic indexing (called “Tab Marker System”), and 10-minute battery back-up.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-J7 (first Betamax to offer linear stereo)

First Betamax with a name: “Time Commander.” Introduced unique features such as variable-speed scan, frame-by-frame picture advance, variable speed slow motion, crystal-clear freeze frame, all accessible from the remote control, plus automatic rewind at end of tape. Had a BetaStack changer as an option.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-J9

Second-generation portable unit; recorded BII, played back both BI and BII.

Vastly improved SLO-320; added two-track stereo sound and variable-speed playback, from slo-mo to scan.Fixed the instability record problem of the SLO-320.

The ultimate X-1 editor, an improved SLO-323 (there was another SLO model between these two, the SLO-325). The 383 offered true audio and video insert editing using flying erase heads, programmed operation, linear stereo audio, 2 mike inputs, headphone jack, and a video tracking meter. Original cost was an incredible $3,750, making it the most expensive Betamax ever!

First front-loader; stripped-down, 1-event, 1-day timer.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-J10

Slightly improved SL-5000; 7-day timer.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-J20

Ushered in a new generation of “slim-line” Betas; this one was only 4″ tall! Had an optional changer, first one made for a front-loading unit.Ushered in many great playback features that are common today, such as frame-by-frame in forward and reverse (called “Swing Search”), etc.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-F11

First lightweight portable unit; had the first linear time counter (hours/minutes/seconds [actually, tenths of seconds]); weighed in at 9 ½ pounds. Had outboard, matching tuner-timer unit, the TT-2000, with 14-day programming. Re-released in 1984 as the

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-F1

No info, sorry!

First of the “E-Z Beta” line; extremely stripped-down machines, simple to use and program. 3-day, 1-event programming.

Unique story here: these were really SL-2000 portables that Sony bought back from Zenith after Zenith dropped the Beta format; Sony painted them black, changed the model number to SL-2005, changed the tuner from TT-2000 to TT-2005, and sold them off as their own!

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-F1B

First Beta Hi-Fi unit which offered near-CD quality stereo audio, a vast improvement over the 2-track linear stereo available on Sony’s Japanese Beta units. Same physical appearance as the SL-5000 with as few features. Had 3-day, 1-event programming. Early users discovered that tapes recorded in Beta Hi-Fi played back with small irritating horizontal lines in the picture when played on a non–Beta Hi-Fi machine. Notice that the first few Hi-Fi machines didn’t have the “HF” designation in the model number.

Second Beta Hi-Fi unit, loaded with all the high-end playback features missing from the SL-5200, plus had the slimmer styling of the SL-2500. Had 14-day, 4-event timer.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-HF77

Another low-end unit. 3-day, 1-event timer, this was one of the “E-Z Beta” units with super-simple operation and slim-line styling. Had front-mounted camera input.

Same as the SL-2300 but had 14-button tuning.

A slightly improved SL-2400.

Basically an SL-2400 with brown case; had front A/V inputs.

A 2401 with increased timer to 3-week, 4-event. Known as the “talking Betamax”; had synthesized speech messages!

No info, but suspected an improved SL-2410.

A new top-of-the-line Beta Hi-Fi that replaced the SL-2700.

2-head low-end model; 7-day, 6-event programming.

A low-end Beta featuring random-access tuning and linear tape counter.

First Beta Hi-Fi with the “HF” prefix. 7-day, 6-event timer. Available in silver or black!

Step-up model of the SL-HF300, with linear timer counter.

Another ingenious Sony idea: make a Beta that’s only Hi-Fi-ready, buy the hi-fi processor separately, as an option, only if you want it! 7-day, 6-event timer; available in silver or black!

A step-up Beta Hi-Fi-Ready unit, with 21-day, 9-event programming. Had linear time counter (H/M/S).

Lowest of the low E-Z Betas. Had 7-day, 6-event timer. This, and the next 3 “E-Z Betas,” had only Channel Up/Down tuning on the unit.

Low-end E-Z Beta unit. 7-day, 6-event timer. Available in 3 colors!

Almost the same as the SL-20, but had decent freeze-frame. Also had 7-day, 6-event timer.

An SL-30 with 4 heads; had perfect freeze-frame and frame-by-frame advance. Still had 7-day, 6-event programming.

The King of the EZ-Betas; had 4 heads, perfect freeze-frame, 21-day, 9-event programming, and random-access tuning controls on the unit.

Here come the SuperBetas, which offered increased video bandwidth and slightly higher picture quality.Entry-level SuperBeta, with Hi-Fi audio, stereo tuner (118-channel cable-ready), and SuperBeta processing.

Step-up version of the SL-HF400. Had frame-by-frame and slo-mo playback, plus arrows showing tape movement and direction.

A great machine, the top-end SuperBeta for 1985. Had 4 video heads, crystal-clear variable-speed playback, jog/shuttle wheel, pseudo video insert editing, audio dub, 21-day, 8-event timer, Electronic Tab Marker indexing up to 9 segments on one tape, regular and slo-motion tracking controls, headphone jack with volume control, mic input. Also had little-known “animation record” feature, where you can record one frame at a time. Very sought after in the used Beta market!

(Note: The Japanese version of this unit recorded and played back SuperBeta BI-S; the American version could be modified to do this too. Contact this author for details.)

Another Hi-Fi-ready machine; 7-day, 6-event programming, with 148-ch. cable-ready tuner.

Industrial SuperBeta, cream-colored unit, with transport and electronics similar to the SL-HF1000. Had a locking jog wheel, linear stereo, flying erase heads, and insert audio and video editing.

Industrial Superbeta Hi-Fi duplicator, with VU meters for the audio levels and tracking level.

An improved SL-HF400; now had linear time counter, frame-by-frame playback, and slo-mo playback. 7-day, 6-event timer; had single audio level control.

A step-up SL-HF450, with 3 heads and perfect freeze-frame and slo-mo; improved fluorescent display with moving arrows showing tape motion; split audio level controls for L and R channels; 7-day, 6-event programming.

High-end SuperBeta.

• Introduced B-I recoding in SuperBeta with great picture quality.
• Also had unusual “linear skate cassette loading” mechanism that loaded a cassette like a CD
• Frame-by-frame and slo-mo in forward and reverse
• 4 heads
• First Betamax to have a limited on-screen display
• Recorded and played back all 3 Beta speeds in SuperBeta
• Had EDIT switch to improve picture quality when dubbing tapes
• Electronic Tab Marker Indexing for marking and retrieving up to 15 points on one cassette, and even locking scan on the machine!
• The remote control had all this, plus a jog/shuttle wheel for precise frame editing
• 21-day, 8-event programming

Very sought after in the used Beta market!

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-HF705

A rare monaural SuperBeta; 7-day, 6-event programming, mono cable-ready tuner (148 ch.), linear time counter.

Low-end unit; 7-day, 6-event. No other info.

The unique “SuperBeta Theater,” with built-in stereo amplifiers and different sound fields (“surround,” “concert hall,” etc. Hi-Fi stereo, 148-ch. cable-ready tuner, 7-day, 6-event programming.

Considered by many (including this author) to be the Nº 1, all-time best Betamax ever made! The list of features is endless:

• 4 heads
• 21-day, 8-event programming
• 181-channel cable-ready stereo tuner
• Jog/shuttle wheel on the unit as well as on the remote
• New B-I Super High Band 6.0 MHz record mode
• Black Screen
• EE mode (which lets you view a momentary live picture during tape playback!)
• 8-segment Automatic Assemble Editing (when used with two SL-HF1000s)
• True insert video editing using two flying erase heads
• Audio dubbing
• Full on-screen display showing hours/min./sec./frames, as well as a monthly calendar for setting the timer
• A built-in character generator with 4 font sizes, 8-page memory, complete alphanumeric alphabet and two backgrounds (plain white letters or white letters against a black background)
• 19-segment indexing
• Time Search feature on the remote (lets you search for an exact spot using hours and minutes)
• Tape Remaining Indicator (you set the tape length for L500, L750, L830 tape), mic input
• Headphone jack w/volume control
• And an EJECT button on the remote!

Probably the most sought-after Betamax ever!

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-HF3000

Low-end SuperBeta; monaural; 7-day, 1-event timer.

Low-end SuperBeta Hi-fi; 7-day, 6-event timer.

Newer version of the SL-HF600; 7-day, 6-event programming, 148 channel cable-ready tuner.

One of the first two ED-Betas to bow, the 7500 was the low-end model; required special metal tape to produce a dazzling picture of 500 lines! Had 7-day, 6-event programming; one flying erase head; digital effects on the remote; digital scan on the machine (a digitized but visible picture in FF and REW); new Shuttle Edit Control; S-video inputs/outputs; cable-ready stereo tuner.

The high-end ED Beta editor; had all of the 7500’s features (except the Digital Scan button on the unit – was only on the remote), plus many of the great features of the SL-HF1000, such as true video insert editing, Time Remaining indicator, on-screen display, audio dub, Automatic Assemble Editing, indexing, 21-day, 8-event programming. Also had some digital effects, such as strobe, still, etc. One of the Dream Machines, and heavily sought after on the used Beta market!

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

EDV-9000

Another low-end SuperBeta; had 7-day, 1-event programming; monaural.

Essentially the same as the SL-330, but with hi-fi stereo audio; 7-day, 6-event programming; 2 video heads.

Digital Effects Beta arrives! This model had 7-day, 6-event programming, with an array of digital effects, such as picture-in-picture, strobe, stop motion, etc.

Another digital ("D") machine, with 14-day, 4-event programming.

Top-end digital Beta for ’88; 2 heads, full complement of digital effects (PIP, mosaic, strobe, still picture art, multi-strobe, digital zoom, recall, digital scan, digital slow, etc.), 151-ch. cable-ready tuner, 7-day, 6-event programming.

The industrial ED Beta version of the EDV-9500; differed only in features, and had no tuner, timer, remote, or RF unit.

Supposedly an improved SL-330, low-end unit.

Another low-end SuperBeta; 7-day, 1-event. Had “color switch” to increase color intensity of tape playback.

Successor to the 860D, with a Tape Stabilizer System and wooden sides.

Only American Betamax with the “S” designation in the model number; was SuperBeta but non-Hi-Fi; has 2 heads, slo-mo playback, and locking BetaScan (a feature found only in a few latter-year model Betas).

The much-awaited 15th Anniversary Betamax, also known as the Buttonless Betamax.

• Had huge front-panel swing-down door that ran the width of the machine, with unique touch-pad with all the machine functions
• Unique LED readout with scrolling messages
• The first Sony Beta to ever have automatic tracking (which was defeatable)
• Recorded B-I Super High Band like the SL-HF1000
• Had video and audio insert editing
• 4 heads
• S-video inputs and outputs
• 1-month, 8-event programming
• Lacked a headphone jack
• Had the most high-tech but impractical remote control ever conceived, again with no buttons, just a long touch-pad with 13 different menu screens and two-way communication with the unit. Setting the timer was a nightmare!

Heavily sought after on the used Beta market and, the last high-end, full-featured American-market Beta produced (sigh! ).

The last American Betamax model made. Extremely stripped-down version of the SL-HF2100, with none of the frills; 2 heads, a standard remote control, no B-I record, normal buttons, etc.

JAPANESE EQUIVALENT

SL-HF200D