SHARP VC-H810: Who the Hell Needs a VCR, Anyway?
Written: Jan 19 '01 (Updated Feb 03 '01)
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Pros: Four heads and hi-fi for a cheap price. Good extra features, too.
Cons: Noisy operation, confusing (and blah remote, rear mounted A/V inputs.
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a cheap hi-fi VCR that will provide you with decent picture quality, make this your next choice.
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| vara's Full Review: Sharp VC-H810U VHS VCR |
Come on, people... face it. VCR's are a thing of the past. I mean, ever since the dawn of DVD players, VCR popularity has really plummeted. Why buy one?
I've found that more and more people are taking this attitude with VCR's, yet it's because of this dismissive attitude that VCR prices have gone down so drastically. If you're looking to take advantage of this trend, the Sharp VC-H810 is an option for you.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
Yeah, DVD players are getting more and more popular, but the fact of the matter is that VCR's aren't going to disappear any time in the immediate future. Why? Because DVD's still cost too much ($25 for a movie... come on), VHS tapes are still plentiful, VCR's give you recording capability (huge reason) and finally, VCR's are getting incredibly cheap.
That said, one must still exercise caution buying a VCR: the fall in prices isn't just because of the DVD player phenomenon. Electronics companies are aware that, though DVD players are the next step, many people will still ned to buy a VCR. They also know that the majority of people won't want to give their arm and a leg for a "just a VCR." So, they've lowered the prices... The main reason, though, is that VCR's are not made like they used to be. Before, many of the moving parts were made of durable metal. Now, almost everything including the gears are plastic. This makes construction costs much cheaper, yet the products less durable.
I bought this VCR on sale at Circuit City for $80. Here's why:
1.) It was a hi-fi VCR with four heads
2.) It was cheap
3.) It had hi-speed rewind (180X faster than normal play!)
4.) It promised good picture quality with the Sharp Super Picture
5.) My DVD player didn't hook up directly to my TV, so I needed a VCR anyway (this is the part that electronic companies are aware of... we all need a VCR for some reason or another!)
I've had it for a good while now, and here's what I can tell you about it...
THE GOOD!
Decent picture and sound quality: It's a hi-fi VCR, and it provides you with very decent sound and picture. While inferior to DVD quality, the picture is sharper than many other VCR's I have seen, from various high-end manufacturers. Sound is always in sync, and is acceptable, though again, DVD's are better.
Good feature content: After flipping through the manual, I discovered that my VCR had a good deal of features. There is your standard fare like slow-motion, Auto-tracking, and programming for recording purposes. Best of the basic things is the high-speed rewind. Man, it's fast!
There's lots of extras, too, like a "replay" feature that allows you to rewind 10, 20, 30 (and so on) seconds back from the point you are at in the movie. You can also do this going forward using the "Skip search" feature... you can fast forward to any time on the tape. Another cool feature I actually use often is the "Tamper Proof" option. Hold the "tamper proof" button for two seconds, and your remote control/VCR unit will be protected from inadvertent button pushes. So, you won't have to worry about accidentally pushing "stop" on the remote, or your kids pushing a button while your VCR is recording a TV program.
A/V Inputs: I was actually surprised while shopping for VCR's in that many didn't have inputs for other devices like gaming systems, or in my case, DVD players. This one has them.
As for my DVD's picture quality using the VCR, it suffers a little bit. I can still see a vast difference between the picture quality when compared to the VHS tapes, but after seeing what my DVD player looks like directly connected to a TV, the picture quality is a bit worse by comparison. Nothing too big, though.
Durable for the price: While at Circuit City, I tinkered with other VCR's in this price range, and the Sharp, while still not 100% solid, seemed a good deal more durable than most of the competition.
THE BAD:
Manual reading is required! Basic operation (play, rewind, etc.) is very simple, of course. But, after one glance at the remote control, I realized that I would need to study the manual if I wanted to know how to work the extra features on this thing. Some buttons require that you hold them for two seconds, other operations ask you to push a sequence of buttons, etc. The on-screen menu isn't all that helpful, either. After reading the manual, I learned the tricks of the trade pretty well.
Sheddep, ya VCR! Another thing about this VCR is that it's friggin' loud. It makes a loud sound for just about anything, from rewinding to ejecting.
Inputs are in the back: This kind of thing is bad if you plan on connecting a Sega Dreamcast or your video camera.
THE VERDICT:
If you're shopping for good value and not the top-of-the-line, this may be the VCR for you. I'm quite happy with my purchase. Sure, it's a little complicated to use, and it's noisy, but it gets the job done, and sends a few nice extras your way.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 80
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Member: Daniel Ramirez
Location: Miami Beach, FL
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