~~THE EMERSON 4 HEAD HI-FI VCR~~THE PERFECT INEXPENSIVE CHOICE FOR THE KIDS
Written: Nov 27 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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Pros: Inexpensive in price; small, compact design; perfect for the kids.
Cons: Recordings are a bit snowy in appearance, especially on the EP setting.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a VCR to play the kid's old VHS movies on, this Emerson 4 Head Hi-Fi VCR is a good, inexpensive choice.
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| melissasrn's Full Review: Emerson EWV601 S-VHS VCR |
Several weeks ago, we decided to pull out our older kids' VHS movie collection for our almost 2 1/2 year old son as he was becoming interested in watching programs on our DVD player. Only we quickly discovered that BOTH of our old VCR's no longer worked properly, so we began calling repair shops to see if we could get one or both fixed at a decent price. Turns out most wanted $20 each just to LOOK at them, so we quickly decided that purchasing a new machine altogether would be the best thing we could do for the money. So online to www.wal-mart.com I went to check out prices, and what I found was this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B for the rock bottom price of just $46.67. Wow! I had no idea a VCR could be purchased so cheaply these days. For I remember paying well over $200 for our first model, and it was far from being top-of-the-line at the time as well. Since we prefer watching movies on DVD now, this new VCR would be mainly viewed by our 2 year old son, so top-of-the-line was far from what we wanted or needed. Read on to find out more about this inexpensively priced choice that cost much less than we probably would have paid otherwise to get one of our older models repaired.
~~~The VCR~~~
According to product advertising listed online at www.walmart.com, this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B offers 4-head video performance at a price that makes it an exceptional value. Even after paying shipping and handling (no tax), the total price was no more than about $52 total. This standard VCR is black in color and has a compact design, measuring 14 inches wide, 3.75 inches tall, and a mere 8 inches deep. The Audio/Video ports are found in the front left-hand corner for easier access than models with ports located in the back of the machine. Located on the left of the tape insertion area are the play, rewind, fast forward, and stop/eject buttons clearly labeled. The small record and pause buttons can be found in this same area, and the rest of the settings are located across the bottom of the machine. The remote is ergonomic in design and is very simple to operate. Press the fast-forward button twice to quickly zip through commercials and annoying ads at the beginning of the tape. Just make sure to press the TV/VCR button and place your TV on channel 3 before beginning. On-screen programming is a breeze and the playback quality of old VHS tapes is adequate, though admittedly less desirable than what DVD technology now offers. My 2 year old certainly can't tell the difference, so for now that's all that matters. So this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B fits our particular VCR needs perfectly at the moment.
~~~VCR Features~~~
A summary of the features found with this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B are as follows:
***Remote Control (requires 2 AA batteries--included).
***(19 micron) 4 Heads provide better picture quality at the slow EP speed plus clearer freeze-frame and scan.
***Front Panel Audio/Video Inputs for camcorders, digital cameras or video game consoles.
***On-Screen Menus in English and Spanish.
***Can be programmed to record 7 shows automatically during a month (1 Year/7 Event programmable).
***Automatic Head Cleaner---safely cleans video heads for optimum picture quality during recording and playback.
***Energy Star-Compliant to save electricity.
***181-Channel Auto Set Quartz Tuner.
***Still Frame and Slow Motion Play.
***Front Panel Menu Access.
***SQPB (S-VHS Quasi Playback).
~~~My Thoughts & Experience~~~
We've owned this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B for a few weeks now and are satisfied overall with the quality of playback. My 2 year old son is totally obsessed with the Toy Story movies and usually watches one or both at least once a day. We use a VCR rewinder to save the heads on our new VCR as we've known for a long time now that rewinding movies is very hard on the head system and will prolong the life of our VCR. The quality of recorded shows isn't quite as good however, especially on the EP setting. Playback of recorded programs on our big screen TV leaves a bit to be desired, but since we rarely tape programs to watch at a later date, this con really isn't a big issue so far. 95% of this VCR's usage is for our 2 year old, so of course no one is complaining right now. For he's too infatuated with Buzz Lightyear to notice that the quality of VHS tapes played in this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B just isn't as good as watching other movies in our DVD player. And set-up was a breeze (at least my husband had no trouble connecting our model correctly ot the TV with the included coaxial cable).
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
If your old VCR finally dies and you are considering getting it fixed, think twice before paying high repair costs as chances are you can purchase a brand new model like this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B for less. While it's not the best choice if you record programs for later viewing very often, it works just great when the kids want to watch their old VHS movies over and over again. It's hard to imagine that an average quality VCR can now be purchased for less than $50, but that's exactly what you'll get here. We'll certainly continue renting movies in the DVD form for viewing by the adults on our big screen TV, but when 2 year old Tristan asks to watch Toy Story yet one more time, this VCR performs adequately without complaint for the most part. Purchase one of those new DVD/VCR combos if you are new to the DVD scene but would still like to watch your old favorite movies in the VHS form, too. But when you need a cheap no-frills VCR alone for purposes similar to ours, then this Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B won't let you down. Good luck and happy VCR shopping!
The Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B comes with a limited one year warranty.
To purchase your Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B online today at www.walmart.com, copy and paste the following link into your computer's web browser:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp? product_id=1881913&cat=4564&type=1&dept=3944&path=0:3944% 3A3987:95329:4564
I've seen these in the brick and mortar Wal-Mart store, too, so pick one up this holiday season as an inexpensive gift before they are gone.
***This Emerson 4-Head VCR EWV401B is manufactured and distributed by the Funia Electric Corporation.
To find out more about the www.walmart.com website itself, please check out the following review:
www.walmart.com
http://www.epinions.com/content_80237923972
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 46.67
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