VCR shopping basics.
May 17 '01 (Updated May 18 '01)
The Bottom Line Look for the best possible quality for the least amount of money.
Is your old VHS VCR finally on it's last leg? Are you one of us who has a DVD player with all the bells and whistles and a Dolby Digital surround system but still need a good, inexpensive VCR to record? I'm not going to beat around the bush here. DVD is a fantastic format for movie viewing. It's the only way for someone who is really serious about movies to watch them as close to the original as possible.
However, there are times when you need to record something. Perhaps you're too tired from a hard day at work to stay up for the late night talk shows. Maybe you like to shoot home videos and need a good dependable unit to dub them to. Well, for now, if you're on a budget, VHS is still the only way to go. There is of course Tivo. A new type of video recorder that records hours of video on an internal hard drive. These are more expensive than VCRs though and the media isn't removable. Once you've used up the available space on the drive, you'll need to record over existing material.
I was out looking at VCRs just today. I have three excellent VCRs. I wasn't really looking to buy. Just browsing. The bad news is that almost all of the major manufacturers have really started cutting corners on their VCRs. I have a Panasonic PV-9451 that I've had for several years. I couldn't help but notice how pathetic the current Panasonic model looks compared to mine. The remote has been slightly dumbed down and made much smaller. This is a negative for me because I like big remotes with plenty of well organized buttons.
The machine is very light. Just pushing the buttons on the front panel is enough to actually move the unit itself. This is indicative of the use of plenty of plastic parts on the chasis and inner mechanism. While it could in theory work fine for many years even with plastic parts, they aren't nearly as durable as metal and tend to break easily.
Several units I looked at felt and looked much more substantial. They were much more stylish as well. Among them were a couple of the JVC units and a Sony. Most of Sony's lower end units have been dumbed way down too though. I can only assume the one model I was speaking of may be a leftover from last year. Basically what I'm saying is this. If you're looking to buy a VCR, you may want to buy now because this may be your last chance to get something that will be durable enough to last a few years.
Two heads or four?
Two head VCRs are virtually extinct. Even if you could find one, I can't imagine why you would choose two head over four since four head models probably only cost twenty dollars or so more. A VCR only uses two heads for playback in normal play mode. The other two heads on a four head unit are used for the special effects (Freeze frame and slow motion.)If you can find a standard VHS VCR for under $250 that has a flying erase head (which I doubt unless you buy used), it's a very nice feature. A flying erase head allows you to pause the tape during recording and start it again without all of those color streaks and glitches you normally see on VCRs that aren't equipped with flying erase heads.
In fact, if you're interested in a VCR with a flying erase head, you may want to step up to Super VHS. It offers superior picture quality as well. A well equipped SVHS machine will likely cost you in excess of $250 though.
Hi-Fi Stereo or Mono?
Most likely any four head machine that you buy these days will be Hi-Fi Stereo. Unless it's the cheapest unit that the given manufacturer makes. The savings for a mono unit aren't really worth it though. You might as well spend a few dollars more and get the Stereo unit. Especially if you're planning on using it to view movies.
VCR Plus
This is an over-hyped feature that I find to be totally worthless. It requires you to look up the codes for the program you want to record. And guess what? You still have to program the channel codes in for the initial setup. No thanks. I can program the VCR manually faster than that. Most VCRs $100 and up have this feature though. Some people may find it useful.
Tracking controls
I can't over-emphasize the need for a tracking control on the remote enough. Most VCRs boast auto tracking but it doesn't always work flawlessly. I know for certain that Panasonic and JVC VCRs have tracking controls on the remote. Sony does but you have to activate it on the face of the unit before you can adjust it. That means you have to get up out of your easy chair. A couch potato's worst nightmare.
Inputs
If you plan on using the unit for recording, you'll definitely want to look for one that has audio/video inputs on the front panel. This is especially handy if you plan to dub from your camcorder. Trust me. After spending a few months pulling your VCR out of your entertainment center and swapping cables every time you want to record a home movie, you'll wish you had inputs on the front.
Conclusion
I'm sure I missed something. I do think that I've covered the basics fairly well though. If you've read any of my VCR reviews, you know that I'm in love with Panasonic VCRs. They provide the very best picture quality and reliability for the money. The newer Panasonic units aren't very stylish but they should prove to be very good performers and very reliable. Most of all, remember one thing. VHS is a format that is very close to being phased out. As soon as an affordable digital recording format becomes available, VCRs will begin to disappear. A VCR still isn't a bad purchase though. However, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a new one at this point in time. Anything under $150 is a great buy as long as you stick to quality name brands.
Most important of all, if picture quality is important to you, ask the salesman to allow you to try the unit out. Most will. Some won't. If they don't, politely inform them you'll go check out their competition.
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Member: Brian
Location: USA
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