Decent VCR, Goofy Remote
Written: May 22 '04
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Pros: Reliability, Picture Quality (S-VHS)
Cons: Two-fisted Remote Operation, Picture Quality (Regular VHS)
The Bottom Line: Good VCR with a few annoyances, but solid reliability.
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| alpinab12's Full Review: JVC HR-S3800 S-VHS VCR |
In the infancy of S-VHS, I was in awe of the picture quality. For years and years, I drooled over models like the HR-S 7200 but the price was prohibitive. However, I managed to treat myself to a JVC HR-S 3800U as a Christmas present a short time ago.
One thing about this VCR that I truly like is the front panel connections. this makes connecting a camcorder to the VCR much easier. Also, the controls on the VCR are actually well laid out. The jog dial surrounds the play button and makes it easy to fast forward or rewind. The other buttons are smaller but logically laid out enough to operate the machine with a minimum of fuss.
However, one thing that will drive owners nuts is that the machine has to "track" every tape inserted. The message for this takes slightly less than a minute but it can be quite annoying when you are watching a good tape.
However, the biggest annoyance is with the remote. To operate TV functions is a two-handed process. You have to hold down the TV button with one hand and then change the channel of the TV with the other. Also, setting the remote to work with some TVs tends to be quite convoluted. You have to press the TV button, then another button, then another button that corresponds with the code for that TV.
Outside of those minor annoyances, the machine records on most video tape quite well. I have used TDK, Sony, Maxell with no problems. As for picture quality, the S-VHS emulation scheme is not bad. It does make the video clearer than standard VHS but oen thing most viewers will notice is that this VCR does tend to have some high color saturation on some recordings.
As for reliability, I have had this machine for over 4 years with no issues whatsoever. It's held up under a period of time where I played tapes for weeks on end without protesting or breaking tapes at all.
However, the picture quality on S-VHS tape is quite impressive. It's not DVD quality but pretty close. The high color saturation when using regular tapes is lessened drastically.
Audio performance is excellent for a VCR. It does not have any distortion, wow, or flutter on playback.
Bluntly, this is a decent VCR for those who are looking for a S-VHS unit for a decent price.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
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Epinions.com ID:
alpinab12
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Location: Arizona
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
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