DVD vs VCR - It All Depends...
Jun 23 '00 (Updated Sep 15 '00)
The choice between DVD and VCR depends on what you need it for.
Picture quality: VHS and VHS-C provides image resolution of about 240 lines, Super VHS (S-VHS, S-VHS-C) - 400 lines, DVD - 480+ lines. In VCRs the image is analog, in DVD it's digital. It means that DVD is superior to VCR in terms of video quality.
Sound quality: Sound in DVD case is better too, however Hi-Fi VCRs provide CD-quality sound.
What DVD cannot provide (yet): You cannot record on DVD.
VCR
There is a large selection of VCRs today starting from $59 2-head no-name unit to $600+ worldwide multisystem gizmos.
All VCRs and camcorders use so-called helical scanning system. The tape moves along the rotating metal drum that has videoheads (and in case of Hi-Fi models, audioheads). The drum may include 2 video heads located at the opposite ends of the drum, 4 heads located at 90 degrees of each other, or more in professional models.
The drum's rotation 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 2 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. Also 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 didn't 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.
My advice - get Panasonic 4-head Hi-Fi VCR (they are also inexpensive - a bit more than $100) and be happy! It will last 10+ years.
For review of my Panasonic PV-9661 go to http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-32B7-41BCAB3-39B034F1-prod1
DVD (Digital Versatile Disc, not "Digital Video Disc" as some reviews state)
Of course you can get good picture quality (and CD quality sound) by getting good Hi-Fi VCR and renting or buying prerecorded tapes. However if you have anything bigger than 20" TV, you will really notice the difference in visual quality when you get DVD.
DVD has 480+ lines of resolution comparing with just 200 for VHS or 8 mm VCR or camcorder. It is even better than Super-VHS or Hi-8 with 400 lines. Also there is virtually no video noise, since the image (and sound) is recorded digitally versus analog VHS, where quality deteriorates with use and/or time.
Another DVD's feature - you don't have to rewind it as you'd have to do with tapes. Also DVD movies include menus where you can choose subtittles (in several languages) and one of several soundtracks, jump directly to a scene by selecting a thumbnailed image, see other info about the movie.
Additionally, DVDs usually have "extras" like director's commentaries, pieces on how the movie was made.
DVD can provide you (if you have a Dolby Digital or DTS decoder) with 5.1 digital sound, and you can even choose one of several languages.
The bad part - if you scratch the disc you get all sorts of "freezing". Also some players refuse to play some discs (this is called incompatibility).
I recommend you get a brand name player - Panasonic for example.
For review of my "cheap" ($135) Sharp - DV-600U go to http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-1D0A-DC00C31-38EBCB7C-prod2
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I think ideally you have to have both VCR and DVD. If you don't expect to record any TV shows and/or use it in conjunction with camcorder, you probably don't need VCR.
If you don't rent and/or buy a lot of movies, you don't need DVD (note: DVD movies are also more expensive to buy).
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dkozin
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I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
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