RCA VDT625, no A/V audio when idle

[probnot]

I remember being told the a lot of the first VCRs were like that (both JVC and Panasonic).

I think the idea was for it to operate similar to an audio cassette deck from a component stereo system. The tuner being pushed through end-to-end without record or audio dub would have been the unusual bit.

I guess it was decided pretty quickly that it was just easier to show whatever you were going to record regardless if any of the buttons were pressed.