Quasar VHQ450 Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
Written: Dec 26 '01 (Updated Jan 06 '02)
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Pros: Panasonic quality, good feature set, fine picture & sound. "LP" record mode!
Cons: Clunky "tower" remote.
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for an inexpensive, high-quality VCR for any purpose, steer clear of the junk and get Panasonic quality for a surprisingly low price with the VHQ450.
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| ConnCarl's Full Review: Quasar VHQ451 VCR |
My review is actually of the VHQ-450, virtually identical to the VHQ-451, but with a "new and improved" tower-style remote control.
Don't let the "Quasar" name fool you, this is a quality Panasonic Omnivision VCR through and through. I purchased it about six months ago as a cheap hi-fi stereo unit for my den, mostly for playing children's videos.
Amazon was offering these for $59.95, including free shipping. At the time, I had an extremely rare and expensive studio quality JVC Super VHS VCR on the television in my den. I love it and know it to be virtually irreplaceable, so I groaned inwardly every time I saw it grinding away at Barney or Bear in the Big Blue House tapes.
Connecting up the Quasar was easy. There are the usual video/audio RCA jacks and cable/antenna coax connectors. No surprises here.
Good-sized and easy to follow, the manual gets high marks in my book. It is broken down into three simple sections, "Getting Started" for the basics, "Advanced Features", and a third section for really getting into the nitty-gritty. Plenty of clear illustrations and plain English text.
This inexpensive little box has an impressive array of features. An oversized LED display tells you what is going on. Automatic clock set means no more flashing "12:00", telling your friends and visitors over and over "Dumb guy. Can't set a VCR clock." A clever little "fuel gauge" tells you the tape position at any time. You get commercial skip, auto rewind and auto eject as well.
Best of all, it supports "LP", or 4-hour, record mode! Holy cow! I've owned dozens of VCRs, but never one that would record in LP mode. The VHQ-450 does, and using it, I am amazed that virtually every other manufacturer cheaps out on this simple feature. The quality of LP recordings is virtually indistinguishable from SP, and totally blows away EP/SLP. It is perfect for backing up lengthy DVD titles like "Titanic" or "The Patriot" onto VHS tape, for archival purposes.
If you've been suckered into buying a poor quality Chinese-made mass merchant VCR (like the Orion, for example), you'd really appreciate the video and sound quality of the Panasonic. SP and LP recordings, as well as prerecorded tapes, offer very good clarity with very little "noise". Excellent performance, especially when the price (within $5 or $10 of a Chinese Orion) is considered.
Durability hasn't been an issue as of yet. At least two or three tapes a day go through this unit, seven days a week, without so much as a hiccup so far.
The only gripe I've got is a really small one. I don't like the "new and improved" tower-style remote. It works very well but I find it clunky and awkward in the hand. To be fair, this is nitpicking and shouldn't stop you from considering this solid product.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 59.95
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Epinions.com ID:
ConnCarl
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Location: Fairfield County, CT, USA
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Microcomputer Support Professional, 44, Married, two kids.
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