Affordable S-VHS bundled with other great features
Written: May 29 '00 (Updated Nov 17 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good quality, super-easy programming, auto-indexing, S-VHS, and other great features.
Cons: Poorly-designed remote control
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| puter's Full Review: JVC HR-S4600 VCR |
Updated Nov. 17, 2000.
Ever since I hooked my computer up to my TV to watch DVDs, I thought I would be able to get through life without ever actually buying a VCR. (My old VCR was given to me, and started eating tapes several months ago.) Well, I was wrong, so when I decided that I would purchase my first (and hopefully last) VCR, I narrowed my options down to Hi-Fi or S-VHS units. As far as brands were concerned, I gradually whittled my options down to JVC, Sony, and Toshiba.
I spent a few weekends over the duration of about two months researching various VCRs. During this period, both Sony and Toshiba came out with new product lines. Most of Sony's products are a bit overpriced for my tastes, and this proved to be true of their VCRs as well. So now I was down to JVC and Toshiba.
I had never owned any JVC products of any kind, so I was a little reluctant to invest too much faith ($200+, to be more precise) in their products. However, my fears were quickly swept aside after I talked to a couple of friends who had owned or had experiences in the past with JVC products. I decided that if I was ready to spend $200 to buy the S3600U, I might as well be willing to spend just a little more to buy the S4600U.
As I mentioned, Toshiba recently came out with their new product line, which includes several new S-VHS units. (Prior to the product refresh, Toshiba did not have any S-VHS units.) At the top end of their line is the W808, which is almost identical to the JVC S4600U in features. I have relatives who own several Toshiba VCRs and have never had any trouble with them, so I now had another S-VHS option.
Some of the nicer features both VCRs include are front and rear inputs, S-VHS capability, 6 heads (2 of which are for Hi-Fi audio), flying erase head(s), auto head cleaner, and front-panel jog and shuttle controls.
The JVC machine also has insert editing, so you can insert either your own audio track, your own video track, or both over an existing recording. (This is great if you do your own video editing, and I might just have to play around with it a little myself sometime.)
In the end, one additional advertised feature (auto-indexing), widespread product availability, and a huge number of glowing independent reviews (Thanks largely to the Epinions community!) were the determining factors in my choice to purchase a JVC HR-S4600U over a Toshiba W808.
I do have a couple of gripes about the S4600U, all of which have to do with the remote control. In order to control the TV or any other component the remote is capable of controlling, you need to use two hands on the remote. For instance, if you want to use the VCR remote to adjust the TV volume, you have to hold down the TV button while using the volume control. This remote would have been much better implemented if it simply required you to depress the appropriate mode button in order to switch to controlling a particular device. Requiring two hands for multiple device operation makes this remote far too clumsy for the task.
On the other hand, the layout of the buttons is very good. One thing I've never liked about Sony remotes is Sony's tendency to cram more and more rectangular buttons onto the same rectangular-shaped remotes. It's just not possible to easily memorize the locations of all the buttons on those remotes--but it is very easy to memorize the layout of the S4600U's remote.
I also am disappointed with the lack of a "previous channel" button which allows you to toggle between two channels. I use this feature all the time on my TV to toggle between channels during commercial breaks.
One more irritation regarding the remote is the inability to do "on-demand" recording. For instance, if you're sitting in your chair and suddenly decide that you want to record the show that is coming on in five seconds, you will need to jump out of your chair, run up to your S4600U, and press the "record" button on the front panel. I suppose JVC did this to help some of its customers get some much-needed exercise, but it really would be nice to be able to hit a button on the remote to start recording instantly. If anyone actually does find a way to do this, please let me know!
---Update Regarding On-Demand Recording - November 17, 2000---
A couple of months ago, I was playing around with the remote and found out that it can, indeed, initiate on-demand recording. I've gotten so used to modern remotes that make the VCR start recording if just the Record button is pressed. This remote, on the other hand, requires that the Play and Record buttons be pressed simultaneously in order to make the VCR start recording. Hooray, this removes one of the cons I listed for the VCR!
---End Update---
My final complaint is just a minor one that has to do with the battery cover on the bottom of the remote. JVC has done a nice job in making the remote control and its battery cover durable, but in the couple of incidents where I have dropped the remote, the battery cover popped off and the batteries fell out. I suppose perhaps this can function as an additional "feature" to lessen the impact of the remote on the floor, just as crumple zones disperse the force of impact between two cars in a car crash (any JVC engineers reading this are probably saying to themselves, "Yep, this guy's smart--he knows exactly what we were doing!"). :-)
Now for some tips to anyone wishing to buy a new VCR, regardless of brand or model. First of all, do not immediately believe any specs you read in the spec sheets at online stores or in reviews. Always double-check the specs with the manufacturer of the product you're looking at. I found out that in most online stores that I checked prices at, roughly half of the most important specs (including the existence of front-panel inputs, shuttle and jog controls, and VCR+ programming) were misreported, omitted, or claimed to be nonexistent on the VCRs I was researching.
Second, know what "extra" features you will use on your VCR. I think that auto-indexing should be one of the most important features you look for, simply because it eliminates most of the guesswork in trying to figure out how far you need to fast forward or rewind to get to the beginning of the show you want to watch. I really would have liked to have the "commercial skip" feature as well, but neither of the two VCRs I was seriously considering had this feature advertised. Easy programming features are also good, shuttle and jog controls are really cool to play with, and front-panel inputs may come in handy even if you don't anticipate using them.
Finally, be sure to do a lot of comparison shopping before actually pulling out your wallet. I found various stores selling the S4600U for prices ranging from a low of $210, all the way up to the MSRP of $350. And before closing the deal, be sure to factor in any applicable sales tax and/or shipping charges. Don't forget to make sure you're buying from a reputable dealer, too!
In conclusion, if you aren't bothered significantly by this unit's remote control, I think anyone who wants to buy an affordable, high-quality, feature-loaded S-VHS VCR should consider the S4600U. I don't watch much TV, but now I don't have to miss the few shows that I do watch.
---Update Summary---
Nov. 17, 2000: After finding out that the remote control was capable of on-demand recording, I removed one of the "cons" I had listed.
To date, I am very pleased with this purchase. I still would have liked to have a commercial-skip feature, but as I originally mentioned in the article, I could not find any other S-VHS VCRs that had this feature.
A word of warning to users of the S-VHS ET mode: this mode allows you to make higher-quality recordings on regular VHS tapes, but other VCRs will not be able to play them back properly.
---End Update Summary---
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
puter
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Member: Rob
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 5 members
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