near digital quality...the last of the great VCRs?
Written: Dec 06 '00 (Updated Dec 06 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: incredible build/picture/audio quality, great design
Cons: pricey, hard to find/no longer available
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| beanbear's Full Review: Mitsubishi HS-U781 S-VHS VCR |
Synopsis:
A great full-featured S-VHS VCR – more details and subtle features than most other models.
Design/Quality:
Excellent. The HS-U781 has a full component-sized heavy chassis with a heft and solid feel absent from VCR’s of the past couple years, including Mitsubishi’s own latest line (except the high-end HS-U795). The front left panel opens to reveal a third set of component & S-Video inputs – a nice touch. The remote is very nice and one of the few that still includes a jog shuttle, which is duplicated on the unit. It is uncluttered, but that simplicity is a tradeoff since the remote has a lid that opens to reveal a second set of buttons (primarily the number pad).
Overall, it feels substantial like older electronics – as it should, for its original $790 price tag. Street prices descended to around $400, but they’ve got amazing resale value and demand. Refurbished or used models fetch between $200-275, enough to put you in a new JVC, Panasonic, or Toshiba S-VHS unit.
Technology:
Part of the reason is the stuff you don’t see, like the Pure Class A video amp, the 2D digital comb filter, a total of 3 sets of inputs, HiFi and audio level meters, etc. Mitsubishi’s Twin PerfecTape is still the standard when it comes to auto tracking/adjusting, fine-tuning everything to optimize for the quality of each particular tape. If you stumble across etown.com’s review, please note that the HS-U781 does NOT have S-VHS ET, which allows you to record S-VHS onto high-grade VHS tape.
Performance:
Exceptional. I have digital cable and use the VCR to record the movies and shows that are on while I'm out of town or at work. The video and audio quality in EP is particularly amazing when used with high-end S-VHS tape, such as TDK’s XP Super Pro (usually about $5/piece). It rivals a TiVo or ReplayTV very closely in EP, with a touch more noise and softer edges. In SP, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference. Mitsubishi’s proprietary audio chip shines, delivering among the best analog home theater experiences.
Setup:
“AllSet with ViewPoint”, Mitsubishi’s more graphical menu system is much nicer than anything I’ve seen yet. The only thing close in usability is the interview-style setup with Proscan’s. However, the channel mapping sequence for VCR Plus Gold and the channel changing of the cable box is slow. That said, this unit probably has one of the most compatible converter box controls I’ve seen – even though this model is from late 98-mid 99, it is able to control a ’00 digital Scientific Atlanta.
Timer recording, both manual and through VCR Plus, is very intuitive. It is one of those times in which having a jog shuttle remote really helps, as you zoom through different input fields.
The one strange thing is the S-Video compatibility. I originally had it set to work through this input, but the menus would show up as wavy across the screen and the video image would still be playing. It was not the case when hooked up directly to the TV’s antenna input or the separate video input. The difference in video quality between the component video and the S-Video is unnoticeable and sometimes the former feels better, so I’ve left it as such and the menus work fine.
Value:
Very good. After looking high-and-low for a leftover or demo model (11/00), I faced the fact that I would have to find either a lightly-used or refurbished model. I found a latter one and it looks and works great (the service from the retailer is another story). If you can find an elusive leftover new model on closeout, buy it immediately – I highly recommend both this model, its predecessor (HS-U780) and its more editting-focused sibling (HS-U790). You cannot buy a finer VCR and chances are it will be on sale at a deep discount.
Used and refurbished models are more of a toss-up, but these models are built to last – I’ve heard that many refurbs were non-defective returns just because somebody realized it was twice as expensive as a JVC or the like.
If you are a purist, I highly recommend this unit - the performance is better than anything else on the market. The current comparable model is the HS-U776, but it lacks the jog shuttle, great chassis & remote, and other subtle touches. Even if you have a TiVo, this would make a great archiving VCR; if not, it is perhaps the best analog substitute.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
beanbear
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Member: B Kim
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 62
Trusted by: 7 members
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