Good Deck for the $$
Written: Oct 21 '00 (Updated Nov 01 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Right price, good features, S-VHS ET mode.
Cons: Clunky remote, traditional programming procedure.
The Bottom Line: Decent deck, good service, poorly designed remote.
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| apowell's Full Review: JVC HR-S3600 VCR |
I was looking for a solid, dependable VHS deck but specifically wanted to get the highest image quality for the buck. Check other lines, and you'll find that JVC has a big advantage with their VHS-ET format which allows you to record a lower-resolution version of SVHS on standard grade tape!
The 3600 is the least expensive deck on which this feature is available, and for the money it's a great, dependable deck. Connection is simple, and if you have cable TV, it will set its internal clock automatically from the cable feed. The deck has an S-VHS output (and input) which you can use with higher-end TV sets providing S-VHS input.
The deck is not the most solidly built, but most decks in the past couple of years have lighter and less substantial chassis than they did a few years ago. FF and rewind are reasonably quick - not as fast as the 4600, which is the next model up.
This deck has no tracking control - the set adjusts automatically. in my experience, this has worked very well and has worked with slightly damaged tapes. When you hit a divot in a tape, you will see "Video Calibration" flash on the screen. One interesting feature is that the audio tracking on the 3600 is actually MORE forgiving than the 4600, which I also own. I have had high-quality tapes which had some audio problems on the 4600 but which played cleanly on the 3600.
Update comment: I found there is a manual tracking override on both the 3600 and 4600 involving pressing the channel up and down buttons simultaneously. Check your owner's manual and you'll find it. This is REALLY handy when you have audio noise problems, which tend to be the most frequent issues on tapes. If you have audio noise, using the manual tracking feature will usually allow you to get rid of the noise.
It comes with a small infrared plug-in control which can be connected to the 3600. The IR emitter at the cable's other end is placed in front of a DBS satellite receiver to control the receiver using VCR commands. This is a nice idea which doesn't seem to come in handy very often.
Other reviewer's comments on the remote control are accurate. It's OK, nothing more, the buttons aren't especially well placed, and the record settings are no more convenient than they were in my 1988 Fisher deck which this replaced.
Update comment: programming the clock after a power outage and/or setting up timed recordings requires either using the original remote (not a universal unit) or the manual controls on front of the deck. This means you better keep track of the original remote!
If you're "programming challenged", this deck won't work miracles for you unless you have VCR listings in your paper. In that case, the deck does accept VCR commands and it will make programming much easier.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
apowell
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Member: Al Powell
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Professional broadcaster. Educator and Ph.D. Technically oriented handyman, expert in electronics, automotive and home repair.
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