Great VCR, Except for Remote
Written: Feb 03 '01
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Pros: Cost Effective, Sleek Design, Sturdy
Cons: No S-video, Remote, Indexing Not Comprehensive
The Bottom Line: This VCR excels in quality, but fumbles with the remote and non-comprehensive indexing. You might look elsewhere first.
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| MikeD03C's Full Review: JVC HR-VP770 VHS VCR |
My old mono Magnavox VCR broke down so I decided it was time for something new. I really didn't look around too much. I was looking for something to record shows for me and allow me to tape television so that I could archive on computer later.
This VCR has the following features: Hifi Stereo w/ MTS decoding (this has to do with TV sounds on a home theater, I compared this VCR to an old Sony one on my home theater downstairs and could not discern a difference on any of the channels), VCR+ w/ cable eye controller, flying erase heads (when recording in the middle of stuff, like editing home movies, you don’t get as much, if any white noise because you can position the write heads more precisely), plug and play (explained below), Movie Advance (cut through previews on a video tape), Picture Control (I really haven’t been able to discern a difference), Express Programming (explained below), Instant Review (explained below), Auto Index, and AV inputs on the front.
The VCR is packaged well and is a full sized set. It also weighs a respectable amount which I frankly like in my electronics. It is a very solid feeling machine, it makes me expect that it should last a few years. All you do is plug in your cable feed into the coax input on the back, plug in your either coax out or RCA jack out (I used this option) to your TV, then plug it in. You’ll get a screen that flashes Auto while your VCR synchronizes its internal clock with a signal broadcast by your local PBS station. This may take some time, so read the manual or otherwise divert yourself for a few minutes while it does this. When it has found the time it will display it on the face, it will also configure what channels there are automatically for you. Please note that if you are using a cable box this feature will not work. This is the feature they call “plug and play”.
The OSD is pretty average. To be honest I was hoping for more. Maybe you can’t get comprehensive menus on a VCR. I am spoiled by my Toshiba DVD’s OSD I think. The menus are all multi color, extremely aesthetic, and are very nifty. But I’m not sure if you can get such a good OSD on a VCR anyway, so don’t take this into too much consideration.
Recording is very easy, stick in a tape, and either press record on the VCR’s face, or hold down record and play on the remote (a very good safety idea), to start. The remote is very light but I think it will hold up ok. Programming your TV in is pretty easy. However using your TV with this remote is a pain. To use any TV functions you must hold down the TV button to turn it on or adjust the volume. The TV button is on the top left, and the volume controls are on the 2 axis control all the way at the bottom, requiring two hands—very bad design.
To set up a timer for recording you just press the (numbered) buttons on the remote. It’s all laid out very easily, just press program and enter your VCR+ code, or use the four dedicated rocker buttons to manually input a time. It’s very straight forward.
The video quality is pretty good. I was expecting more, but I’ve been spoiled by DVD here, so I’m betting what I get is actually pretty good. The VCR has gone as far as it can and the “next big thing” should make its entrance soon I bet.
This VCR also has dubbing and insert capabilities. I do not do such editing so I can’t comment on how this works. I doubt many do video editing with their VCR anyway.
Some of the advanced features mentioned above deserve a little notice. The indexing capability was something I was really looking forward too. This is where the VCR bookmarks spots on the tap that you can jump to. It’s a simplified version of chapters on DVDs basically. For example, I could put 4 half an hour episodes on a tape, and go to each individual one. However I was disappointed to see that the only way to add a mark was by recording in a segment. You can not manually insert them which was something that disappointed me. I believe other VCRs allow you to do this and if I had known this I would not have bought this VCR.
Another feature is Instant Review. There is a button for this on the remote and on the face of the VCR. What it does it go to the starting bookmark of the thing you last recorded. This is actually pretty handy. You just press “Review” on the remote and it rewinds and starts playing the thing you told it to record. It’s one of those small things that make life easier.
In a way I wish I would have gone with a VCR with more comprehensive indexing, and a better remote, but besides those caveats this VCR seems to be very well built and should hold up well. You might want to look elsewhere if the two aforementioned things are important to you though.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 120
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Epinions.com ID:
MikeD03C
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Location: North Central Indiana, USA
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 2 members
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