Choosing a VCR - The Choice Is Simple...
Jun 17 '00 (Updated Feb 17 '03)
The Bottom Line My advice - get Panasonic 4-head Hi-Fi VCR (they are also inexpensive - currently less than $100) and be happy! It will last 10 years.
There is a large selection of VCRs today starting from $59 2-head no-name unit to $600 worldwide multisystem gizmos. Yet, I believe the choice is quite simple.
I have had and used extensively (literally every day) the following models (both for TV recording and movie replication - I used to replicate movies for a living, so I guess I know the subject):
1. European models: Shivaki (Japanese brand), Panasonic J series, Panasonic NV-SD 11, Panasonic NV-SD 400, Panasonic P4, P7, Sony 711, Sony P series, Funai, Akai, JVC, Samsung, Sharp.
2. US: Panasonic PV series, Symphonic, Emerson, Toshiba, JVC SVHS models.
All VCRs and camcorders use so-called helical scanning system. The tape moves along the rotating metal drum that has video heads (and in case of Hi-Fi models, audio heads). The drum may include 2 video heads located at the opposite ends of the drum, 4 heads located, or more heads in professional models.
The rotation of the drum is directed with an angle to the tape so it fills the entire tape's surface with magnetized lines that contain information about image - brightness of different areas and such. It is impossible to achieve good still picture with two heads - it will be distorted, noisy and usually has a vertical "noise line". 4-headed models allow the perfect still picture/slow motion and several recording speeds.
Let's concentrate on VHS models first.
There are simple 2-head machines with mono sound, 4-head machines with mono sound (they provide 3 speeds, allowing you record up to 9 hours using T-180 tapes or 6 hrs. for T-120, better quality when using still and slow modes), and 4-head Hi-Fi stereo models.
The latter should be your first choice. No longer you have to pay significant difference to get 4-head stereo models. The price premium for them may be as low as $15-25 comparing to similar 2-head mono model from the same manufacturer. Yet the sound they provide is really of CD quality and you can save on tapes when recording shows that do not require highest possible visual quality by using lowest SLP speed.
By the way, even 4-head models use only 2 heads when working on standard SP speed, so the image quality at this speed will not depend on number of heads, it will though in slow, still and search mode. In addition, if you want to perform some video editing, I suggest you get a model with flying erase head. It will allow you to get rid of distortion when insert-editing. Jog/shuttle control will also be helpful. It allows to find the insertion point more quickly and precisely.
As far as brands go: Panasonics are the best I ever encountered. They are mechanically superior to anything else (even though they don't generally have Super Drive system with direct drive (and super quick responses and precision) I liked so much in European models and which they offer in AG series professional models. The image quality was also the best with JVC approaching it.
Surprisingly SONY was the worst brand I have ever seen. Especially the mechanical part. Even auto tracking did not seem to work in 50 percent of cases, so I had to eject the tape and reload it or use manual adjustment. I have never seen anything worse! Funai was better.
Mechanical part was slow. And I had no idea where it was assembled, it's my perception that SONY manufactures majority of their products nobody knows where with poor quality control (Consumer Reports reliability ratings show that almost in all categories (VCRs too) SONY products hover near the bottom, breaking more often than other brands).
JVC is very good, close to Panasonic, Toshiba too and reliable. Samsung models are cheap and very reliable with medium image quality.
Actually, let me list the reliability of brands (data taken from “Consumer Reports Magazine” reliability survey results - Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2000, page 37), so you will not think I’m just trying to convince you in something I have no idea about.
Brands are listed starting from the most reliable (best) to least reliable (worst):
1. Panasonic - produced by M a t s u s h i t a Electric
2. Quasar - also produced by M a t s u s h i t a Electric
3. Samsung
4. Sanyo
5. Toshiba
6. Sharp
7. ProScan
8. GE
9. Hitachi
10. Philips
11. RCA
12. JVC
13. Symphonic
14. Emerson
15. SONY - isn’t it too low for a “leader”?
16. Optimus (Radio Shack)
17. Mitsubishi
18. Zenith
19. Series LXI (Sears)
20. Fisher
My advice - get Panasonic 4-head Hi-Fi VCR (they are also inexpensive - currently less than $100) and be happy! It will last 10 years. Example: Panasonic PV-V4622 4-Head VHS Hi-Fi VCR With Fast Rewind. For better picture quality, you can get Panasonic Super VHS VCR.
P.S. VHS and VHS-C provide horizontal image resolution of about 240 lines, Super VHS (S-VHS, S-VHS-C) - 400 lines, DVD - 480 lines.
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Epinions.com ID:
dkozin
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Location: California
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About Me:
I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
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