2. home-theater
  3. 1143490696

Boring but still needed: which VHS VCR?

Here is a non-sexy question: My old HS VCR expired, which brand and model should I get (or brands to stay away from!)?

I have already invested in a dvd player, so only VCR is needed. It will be used for watching old tapes (so safe mechanical handling is an issue) and for normal recording and viewing.

My local sources are offering Panasonic 4525, 4624, and *refurbished* Sony N750, N55, N77. Prices are under or around $100 and any differences are not deciding factors. I can also buy inline if something else will make much better sense. Thanks.
aktchi
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
None of the VCR's that can be bought new are any good. The build quality is really cheap. If they last a year you will be very lucky. If you use them a lot, then 6 months of use is typical when problems start. The problems are mostly mechanical in the tape mechanism.

You are much better off looking for a used older model in near mint condition on eBay.

For fairly recent Panasonic models look for 4600, 4601, 4602. But then, I have a two Panasonic's that are 15 and 20 years old and they still work fine.
.
hodie
32 posts
 
I bought an Emerson about a year-and-a-half ago. What a piece of doodoo. Admittedly, it cost less than $50, but it looks and feels like something you'd find in a cereal box. I looked for something more substantial, but had no luck. This thing worked okay for a while; then it started adding a really annoying wow to playback that I haven't been able to get rid of. The Panasonic I bought back in '87, and which succumbed to lightning, was built like a Spectral compared with this thing.
jameswei
883 posts
 
I got a Sony SLV-R1000 VHS VCR a few years ago, top of the line then -- semi-pro. There is a pro version called the SVO 2000. I don't use all the bells and whistles, but I expect they should employ Sony's best build quality, with better longevity. There's lots for sale on eBay, but they may be out of your budget range. Good luck.
More to discover