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I am looking for a high end VCR with excellent picture and sound quality. I do not want a DVD/VCR combo. Just an old fashioned, really good quality VCR! Does such a thing even exist anymore?
I have two, really crappy Panasonic PV - V4524S VCR'S which are about 13 months old. One bit the dust last week and the other one is already starting to display the same characteristics that the first one did before it died.
I have had many VCR's in the past. Back when VCR's first came out, I bought the best one Toshoba had. It was a 4 head model and back then it cost about $700.00 Canadian. It died within a year. I figured that was an anomoly and bouth yet another very expensive Toshiba VCR. It too bit the dust within about 2 years.
So I switched to a cheaper RCA model (about $300.00) and it was great. It lasted nearly 5 years! Since then, I have had less expensive Sony's and one or two others which were no name brands. None of them worked nearly as well as the RCA. Unfortunately, RCA have all but gotten out of the VCR business as have many manufacturers in favour of DVD's and DVD combo sets.
I want to buy two more, very good quality VCR's. I was reading consumer reviews of the Panasonic PV - V4640 and thought I had a winner ... until I went to Panasonic's web site and they don't list it anywhere and I can't find anyone who appears to be selling this model.
Do any of you have any suggestions? I am tired of wasting my money buying crap!
I bought a new TV and related accouterments recently in Japan and it's really tough to even find units with VCRs in them. It's all HHD/DVD combos now. It looks like a lot of the Japanese manufacturers aren't even developing new VCR technology anymore. It's all digital now.
It's all HHD/DVD combos now.
Sigh ... I know! I am getting desperate. I hate those blasted combo units and hate the DVD thingme's. I just want a really good VCR. I gues if I ever find anything, I am going to have to buy a lifetime supply of the things!
Its like what happened when I tried to buy a new answering machine! They don't make ones with tapes anymore and the digital ones are useless in the islands because we have regular and frequent power outages. The stupid little batteries don't last more than a couple of days here and it gets ridiculously expensive to keep replacing them. So if the power goes out overnight and is off for about 3 or 4 hours ... I lose all my messages because the batteries pack it in! *&^%$£
Technology is great sometimes but not every change in technology is an "advancement"! Sometimes, the older technology is much better for specific applications.
Does anyone have any specific VCR model recommendations?
Many thanks for the tip ... I should have it within a week! :)
As a side note, my experience on St. John was that if you don't have AC running all the time, the life expectancy of any VCR is fairly low, you might be better served to just keep buying VERY cheap VCR's and replacing them. I would think you could find new ones online for $30 with postage being no more than 20-30....
This is what I'll be doing next month. I have some time available. I figure, it's either that, or buy a few VCRs and keep them in storage for the future :-)
Presumably it works with regular broadcast signals in addition to High Definition signals. Don't know if it works with a regular TV. Don't know about reliability. Don't know if you can back up data on the hard disk to any other medium. But if you're looking for a videophile quality recorder, this is probably the direction you want to be heading.
JVC S-VHS top models should be fine,i have seen at least a few in offline stores
Actually, I (eventually) found just that online at B&H who I deal with for my Nikon camera equipment! I ordered two but am thinking I will buy 2 or 3 more (for future use) if they turn out to be reliable and of good quality.
Thanks for the tips guys! :)
However I'm toying with the idea of building one of those nifty computers than can tape programs on to a hard-drive. But then I don't think they are showing that much programs worth taping so it's on hold.
I imagine you can find, high quality almost free used VCRs at the online auctions. Heck, I have 2 or 3 laying around in my basement doing nothing that are about to go into the trash to free up space. Swing by my house on garbage day :-)
ROFL DFE
So for me, its a VCR or nothing!
Change from VCR to DVD certainly was and why do you hate the 'DVD thingme'?
Change from VCR to DVD certainly was and why do you hate the 'DVD thingme'?
I like to tape programmes so that I can watch them in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.
I have a VCR/DVD combo thingme. I have a vision problem (even with my glasses) and I can't see the 13 thousand different little buttons they have on the remote control.
My old VCR was great! It had large buttons which lit up in the dark and some basic, record, play, fast forward, reverse and stop buttons. That's all I want. Just something simple and easy to see. I don't rent movies, so why would I want a DVD?
I have the Panasonic KXTG5439 system, it is great, you should like your similar choice (the lit keys are great for those that like dim lighting or have sight issues).
I'm in Florida, we have similar power loss issues in the summer!
As for VCR's. My wife made be buy a new one just before Christmas so that she could watch her old movies (Our 10 year old GE VCR finanlly died).
We went for the Sony RDR-VX500 DVD/VCR Combo. I know you hate combo's, but this unit lets you record on DVD as well as transfer your VCR's to DVD.
It plays the old tapes until you transfer/record them on DVD, lets you record to tape or DVD (rewrite if you decide not to keep), but most often we use it to back up the Tivo content we want to keep once the Tivo is getting too full.
It costs less than you paid for your first VCR, with a power surge suppressor in place it should be good for years to come.
