VCR INFORMATION

Listed here is about the various VCRs available. I have been through a many VCR Units. Some users have been nice enough to let me know about their units, good and bad. I have had up to ten VCRs at one time in my house. 

Ok, down to it...

     Dub with the cheap VCRs and you will get what you paid for. Cheap doesn't mean price, it means  lousy VCR. If you want to dub seriously for your own collection or friends, then stay away from the cheap quality VCRs. Price is NOT indicative of the units quality or performance. Generally you are paying for the name and not what is inside. 
     With quality VCRs priced under $100 now budget isn't really an issue anymore.  Remember, quality and price are no longer go hand in hand. 

NOTE:  Make sure the VCRs you are using are generally 4 head hi-fi stereo VCRs. Stay away from the mono and 2 head units. You can get cheap four head/hifi units for under $50 now. 

     Quality VCRs can be had in the $85 to $185 price range depending on the brand and what you want. A unit with the flying erase head will generally be the companies top end unit and cost over $200 to get. The best recording workhorse unit available is the Panasonic top end non SVHS model VCRs. My oldest model is 12 years old. The old girl rewinds a bit slower now, but she records wonderfully.  The 98 models were the 8660/8661 (different remotes only. Same VCRs.) The 99 models are the 9660/9661. The 2002 models are the V4622 & V4612S. The cost $85 at Sam's club and Price Costco. The sudden drop in prices isn't from lack of quality, but the onslaught of DVD players and recorders. 
     The Panasonic models are true workhorses. Some can make a little noise when operating, but it does NOT an indicate the unit is a problem. They dub outstanding in SP, LP and EP speeds.  
     Most brands today no longer offer the LP recording mode.  Most of them will however play back in the LP mode.  Panasonic, Quasar and possibly Symphonic still offers the LP mode.

BEST:

Panasonic Units: $100 to $120 SRP range. The Unit seen is down to about $85 at Costco. Model numbers may change, but the features are the same. Newest model number is V4622. Model V4612S has the same guts but is missing the fast rewind and commercial skip. There are other model numbers housing the same guts but with different remotes and thus, various model numbers.
           These are workhorse units that last. Best LP mode in the business. The Panasonic records outstanding in all three modes and the unit is extremely durable. Makes a great player or recorder. I use these for my recording units. I have seen these models in office catalogs selling for $150+ each. Do not judge the unit by the mere $85 price. They are impressive.

Sony Units: Silver $130 / Black 150 SRP.
           The Silver model SLV-N88 has excellent quality video in SP mode. The black model SLV-N99 has the same quality picture but offers more extras. Sony units do not offer the LP mode, but its EP speed uses the 19u micron head systems to supposedly improve the quality. SP quality is great. Still debatable whether or not the micron system really works that well.  Sony units are not generally workhorse units. The SLV-N88 is designed to look good with their WEGA TV's. 

ProScan: $200+ units.
            Wonderful SP quality recorder with flying erase head capabilities that are great for recording. Using this unit gets rid of the line running through image after a commercial. LP is good too, but less than the Panasonic. EP/SLP mode is... so so. Mine is a great player, and SP recorder from source material . My unit is now over two years old and it sometimes locks in the VCR mode. I had to pop the unit with my hand to clear it. It's not a workhorse, but the picture quality is awesome and the flying erase head a must. To get a flying erase head plan to shell out over $200 in most cases.

GOOD: 

Samsung Units: $110 range.
             Samsung has a beautiful SP mode. The quality is outstanding. However the unit has no LP and EP/SLP is sub-standard. You cannot go into the record mode from being in pause while in the play mode. Unit is useless if recording from television and editing out the commercials as you watch. This is NOT a durable unit.  Could make a great player in a set-up. NOT as a recorder. Samsung does make a World Wide VCR you can read about at the bottom of the page. 

GE: $90 to $150+ range.
              The older GE's are outstanding. Newer GE units are decent recorders in SP and EP/SLP modes. Some may still offer the LP mode as the older units do. Newer models can also fall into the average range. The products production is not consistent per unit. Three of the same models may record extremely different from each other. What use to be high end units are now cheapy units.

QUASAR: $12O range. Model - VHQ-451
                Quasar offers all three modes of recording and playback. Quality is good to average and these tend to last a long time. They are durable if not somewhat of a workhorse. Based on price you get your moneys worth. 

TOSHIBA: $100 range
              Quality picture as expected. Not a workhorse unit by any means. Only SP and EP modes available. Some units will not go from pause play to pause record at the push of a button. A need for the recording geek. Not a unit that will last.

AVERAGE: 

Emerson: Sub $100 range.
               These units are great right out of the box. SP mode records outstanding. LP & EP/SLP speeds are average to poor quality. However, even the SP mode deteriorates over time. And these units cost a fortune to repair due to their construction. Makes a decent player unit, for while. 

RCA: $100 range.
                What can I say... these units are decent bedroom players but are not the quality workhorse recorders a videophile needs in his or her systems. SP, LP, & EP are average at best. Some may get a unit with better output than some, but that is not common. If you just want a player, this is a great model.

Sharp: $100.oo range. Model: VC-H820U
                 This model is like the RCA. Makes a decent player. Recording buffs should stay away from these units. Not worth the money they cost for a recorder unit. Upgrade baby, this one isn't going to make you master copies worth a crap. for SLP this unit uses the 19u micron heads. 

JVC: $130.oo range.
                JVC doesn't know quality in this area. The units look good but the quality output is average. These units suffer a circuit heat problem which can cause stress problems. One customer had theirs for one day when it broke, and JVC wanted $40 just to run a diagnostic on it. NOT a recommended purchase for the serious video fan.

POOR: 

Magnavox: $90+ range.
                  This unit can dub copies with great quality in SP speeds. The other speeds are less than stellar performers. Magnavox is NOT a workhorse. These units can start making excessive noise when playing or recording video. My unit starting squeaking and grinding within a year of purchase. If you see one, admire it, but don't touch it. Most common problem is the rewind starts to gets very slow and it's downhill from there.

PHILLIPS: $100.oo range Model - VR621CAT 
                These are nice looking units, but Phillips quality is good to average like so many units. Quality varies per VCR and not an overall standard. Phillips and Magnavox are from the same company. They are both shit units and not recommended for anything.

     Remember. Shit gets shit. If your going to make the effort to dub a series from television do it the right way, with the right tools. You will be glad you did. So will anyone you trade with, if your into that stuff. 

      Happy VCR hunting. Get the most for your money. The best is NOT always the highest price. In some cases you are paying for the name and not the quality if offers. If your dubbing old beat-up VCRs, at least let the other person know you are dubbing with that type of equipment. Make sure your player unit is the best one you have. Doesn't matter how good the recording is, if the player output sucks.

SPECIAL: Samsung offers a world wide VCR. Able to play and record in any format you wish. The model SV-7000W: The World Wide VCR is similar to the Multi-System VCR in that it will playback tapes recorded on any TV broadcasting system. However, there are a few key differences. As the Multi VCR only records and plays back with the same signal as the original input signal, therefore the broadcasting system TV must be the same as well. It cannot be viewed with other system TV. (No Color, Picture Crash!). But, World Wide VCR can play any tapes on any TV. Besides, All tapes of all formats can be converted to any other tape system. Amazing but true! The price... Wasn't listed, sorry.

TB.

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