The Tale Of The Tape
Written: Jun 01 '03 (Updated Jun 01 '03)
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Pros: Attractive price, Mitsubishi name, many features
Cons: large size may pose problem for some users
The Bottom Line: Can't beat it for the price! If you want features and you have the space for a larger VCR, then don't overlook the
Mitsubishi HS-U448 VCR.
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| cwmont's Full Review: Mitsubishi HS-U448 VCR |
This review covers the Mitsubishi HS-U448 Hi-Fi stereo VHS video player/recorder.
My Admiral unit quit after 3 years. The heads were dirty and no amount of cleaning would bring them back. I repaired VCR’s for a living back in the 80’s when a VCR was “meant” to be fixed, not like the throw away units of today. Even my trade secret (acetone and a chamois tipped cleaning swab) method of cleaning refused to work. In fact the chamois swabs purchased at Fry’s Electronics actually started to self destruct and got caught in one of the heads making the whole project even worse. Buyers beware if you get these swabs (Fry’s SKU 77498 or 3534564) as you might get a nice surprise like the one I did. OK, enough of this rambling on. You came here for a review and you shall have it.
My criteria for a new unit was as follows:
Price under $100.00, 4 head, Hi–FI STEREO, Auto timer recording, LED display, Slow motion, Fast search in both FF/RW.
I found a bunch of VCR’s that had the features I needed so making a decision was tough. I first purchased a Sylvania 6260VD a 4 head Hi-Fi unit. The store had a big display of them on hand. It was somewhat short on features but for $59.00, I thought it would work. I won’t go into detail on that unit but it was noisy and cheaply made.
After returning the Sylvania, I noticed the Mitsubishi on display. I knew from my previous repair experience that Mitsubishi always made a quality VCR and upon inspection, the HS-U448 shows the same great look and feel that you expect from a company like Mitsubishi. After looking at the features on this unit, I found it hard to believe that it only costs $79.00.
A quick rundown on the specs:
4 head
Hi-Fi stereo
Precision Turbodrive rewinds a T-120 tape in 43 seconds
Front AV jacks (great for video games or dubbing)
Mitsubishi's exclusive "ViewPoint" on-screen operating system
Auto channel memorization
Auto clock set using local PBS station
One Touch Recording
VCR timer recording 8 events per month
Quick Program feature, jumps right to the program record menu
Auto Speed Programming changes tape speed automatically from SP to EP if needed to finish recording
High-speed search both forward and reverse
Fast playback 2x
1/5,1/10, 1/30 slow-motion playback
Automatic tracking with manual override
Slow tracking for slow motion playback and still frame
Repeat playback
Timer/counter shows hours, minutes, and seconds
Quick search
Commercial skip in 30-second intervals
Counter zero stop
Tape indexing
Video Mute changes screen to blue, mutes sound on blank sections of tape and weak stations
Auto Power Save turns VCR off if idle 30 minutes or more with no tape activity
Child Lock feature press and hold “DISPLAY” button 8 seconds to lock or unlock
There are two features on the HS-U448 that are really nice, let me explain how they work.
One of them is exclusive to Mitsubishi called "PerfecTape" it tests the quality of videotapes and sets the circuitry to give you the best recording for any particular tape. You can also view any tape with the following options: Soft, Normal, Sharp and Auto, which allows the VCR to select the best setting for a tape.
The other called “Rental Xpress” automatically rewinds the tape, ejects and powers off the VCR upon reaching any blank section 30 seconds or longer on a rental tape or a tape with the erasure tab removed.
You might get confused looking at all these options but Mitsubishi has you covered with a very nice owners manual that covers everything in detail. The paper is somewhat thin so take care and watch for rips. Once set up everything is almost automatic, so you won’t be checking the book every other day.
My VCR was in black but I think a silver one is also available. The black looks good and all the lettering for the up front controls and a/v inputs are printed in white and easy to see. You can control all basic functions from the front panel, which is good if the remote breaks or gets lost. Speaking of the remote it’s big, easy to read and will work a TV as well. It works my Phillips/Magnavox TV with no problem. In a time when most companies give you a little dinky remote, I’m glad the HS-U448 gives the customer a nice remote. There is no backlight on the remote but for the price, I won’t complain.
One other thing, a big “HATS OFF” to Mitsubishi for using white lettering on the back where the hook ups are. It makes it so much easier to see what goes where with that nice white color!
The unit is large measuring 3.7H x 16.7W x 11.9D. I was able to get in my cabinet but it was a tight fit. If your space is limited you will probably have to pass on this VCR.
In operation the recording and playback is superb. The unit is quiet and the tape loading and ejecting works smoothly. Everything works as advertised. I’m very satisfied with the Mitsubishi HS-U448 and still find it hard to believe that you can get a VCR this nice for $79.00. I would like to commend Mitsubishi for still making a unit with this many features and at a very attractive price. This is even more surprising now when you consider we are probably seeing the ending years of the VCR as DVD recorders get cheaper and most companies are cutting back on features to get the price down.
In reading the reviews from other users on epinions, I noticed quite a few complaints about new VCR’s being described as flimsy and lightweight. I won’t disagree but I would like to add something based on my having seen the insides of VCR’s over the last 15 years. In order to get the prices low, the new VCR’s “are” very lightweight compared to the older players. If you are replacing an older unit, you need to treat your new unit “gently” if you want to avoid trashing it quickly. This is especially true of the loading mechanism. Push the tapes in slowly and straight on newer machines or you will get a damaged loading tray.
Happy shopping.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 79.00
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Epinions.com ID:
cwmont
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Location: Surprise, AZ, USA
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 1 member
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