Is there an easy to use vcr?


My tv and dvd sound are played through a good sound system, anchored by a Threshold S300 amplifier. So, my sound is good, coming through the small Magnepans. There is a need for a vcr, though I know they may be becoming dinosaurs. It is important that the vcr be easy to use - does such an item exist? A very old one that I have and which has died is a nightmare to program - an old Mitsubishi SVHS. It's been a while since any comments were made on Audiogon re vcrs and I hope my inquiry is not too offbase. Thanks.
jdh9
Sean--Good to know it's not just me who got a little too fascinated with a piece of electronics and bought it without performing "due diligence," so to speak! ;-) (My God!! $400 for the JBL Harmony, piece pf junk glorified alarm clock! Aaarggh!!!!)
Bob, my partner at work ( Dan ) also has an S-VHS machine. From what i can recall, he's pretty happy with his. I'll try to find out the specifics and let you know.

As far as the JVC goes, not only is the programming less than fun and the manual not very easy to follow, it also uses some funky "remote sensor" that you have to put in front of the cable box / satellite receiver in order to do auto turn-on, etc... I don't remember the specifics as i gave up on trying to get it to work. It was / is a total joke. Sean
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It is as I feared. The present generation of designers cannot achieve an easy-to-use vcr. They probably also work on gps systems for cars and may have had something to do with Windows 98. The 10 year old Sony, formerly owned by Rphsvc, was apparently the peak and it is no more. Anyway, thanks for all the comments.
Hi there. Maybe I should add my two cents worth, given the fact that I own a commercial video editing and media duplication company. As several have already mentioned - most VCRs are less than "user friendly" when it comes to programming them. I've owned several dozen models since the early 1980s, and for pure simplicity the "VCR+" models seem to be the easiest to operate.
If you can find one, get a model that has S-VHS recording capability. The top of the line Sony models are generally pretty good - though quite expensive. Most of the current crop of stuff from JVC & Panasonic are just junk. In fact, in the televison industry we call JVC the "Junky Video Company" since many of their professional products are lacking - just as their consumer lines are.
Another idea you might want to seriosly look into, is to buy a home DVD recorder. Most of them have a built in tuner;
and the video quality is superb - much better than even digital video tape. And I think I can say that with some confidence, given the fact that my company has equipment for all but two of the broadcast high deffinition formats.