Region free method for Sony SLV-D380P

See page 88 troubleshooting of user manual for help
SLV-D380P (sony.com)

If your player is the Sony SLV-D380P, the unit does not play Blu-ray discs. It is only a DVD player and VCR. It can play some CDs. The discs must be finalized for homemade video DVDs and audio CDs. You can find the specifications and manuals here: https://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=SLVD380P&template_id=1®ion_id=1&tab=manuals#/manualsTab .

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

No. DVD cannot play Blue Ray disc.
You need a BluRay player or PS3/4.
The technology and the media capacities are very different.

Contact factory.

The problem is in the color processing ic, far cheaper to replace the player than have it repaired.

You can only do One-Touch Recording without a remote (if you do not need to change the input). Press REC on the unit with a blank cassette in the unit. However, you can buy a replacement remote control from Sony for $20.95 at https://servicesales.sel.sony.com/ecom/accessories/web/productSearch.do?searchOperation=modelSearch&searchText=SLVD380P&sessionId=MEu4cyyCPB_tX52Te6QhWL2 . Remotes.com also has the remote (for more than Sony charges). A universal remote may work but you will need to check if the timer feature is matched by the remote codes.

The manual for the slv-d380p is available from Sony: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=SLVD380P .

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Auto tracking, or 'digital tracking' as it is sometimes known, is generally governed by the CTL (the linear control track head), located toward the right-hand side of the main head cylinder drum, along with a combination of the guide posts/rollers, the capstan speed as the tape travels in the deck, and of course the drum balance since this rotates the fastest. Usually this is pre-aligned to factory standard, but as parts wear down, the alignment changes - hence your 'tracking query'.

Presuming you have a video picture from your tapes on the TV screen, you can bet the tracking is controlled electro-mechanically (as above). One of the first parts on the mech to wear out is the rubber pinch roller - when it becomes glazed or shiny, tapes can be chewed and/or the 'control track' drifts during playback - more so than when recording.

Nevertheless, it is usually a simple workshop repair involving inexpensive part replacement/alignment on the mechanism including a new pinch roller and cleaning of the entire tape path. The only 'cost' would be labour on top of the parts. The option here is that you can submit your unit to a workshop/service centre for a quote on repair/parts costs first, then decide if you want the tracking fixed - up to you. I hope you have no other really serious issue with this combo unit - SONY is a premium brand - trusted and reliable. I assume the DVD section works fine.

Remember; bad tracking is not always a mechnical mis-alignment - it can also be the quality/age/condition of the tapes a person uses as well, even if that person doesn't 'thrash' tapes on a daily basis. From memory, the SLV-D380P is one of SONY's better DVD/VCR combos.

This machine is not capable of recording DVDs of any kind, but it is capable of reading DVD+/-RW and DVD+/-R.

Sounds like compatibility issues, your player maybe old enough not beable to recognize newer disc.

can you explain your problem in detail?