JVC HR-XVC20U DVD Player / VCR Combo

Pros: Both VHS and DVD, MP3, WMA, VCD, JPEG
Cons: Not best combo device out there

I purchase a JVC HR-XVC20U off of eBay a few months back. It is one of JVC's newer DVD & VCR decks. Our VCR (which was a GE about 8-9 years old was dying) and our ailing Toshiba DVD player both needed replaced. I wanted a dual unit for obvious reasons ...

Pros: Shiny black color - gives appearance (from a distance) of an ACTUAL QUALITY ELECTRONIC UNIT!
Cons: Uh....all the functionality and usability you'd expect of a carnival midway prize

I bought this at a discount store prior to the Holidays and was able to pick it up for $89. I'd had good experience with other JVC products so I wasn't too concerned about the brand name. Basic hookup was fairly easy - I plugged in the cord at two ...

Pros: excellent remote control
Cons: flimsy build, poor console display, horrendous on-screen menus

I used this product for 1 day and returned it, so I can't comment on its long-term durability. I bought it, because I was unhappy with some design flaws and remote control layout in my Panasonic PV-D4743. Also, read a lot of negative reviews on Sony ...

Pros: Looks nice
Cons: Everything else that you can think of!

The unit looks good and I have never had a problem with JVC before, but this one is really junk!

The remote is pretty useless and works opposite of what you would think that it should. The front panel buttons only work when they want to.

After using this player for about three days the DVDs started to get stuck in the unit. We even had to open it up in order to get one DVD out. The display freezes up from time to time and the unit runs really hot.

As far as the VHS side, I haven't had too many problem, but we don't watch too many VHS tapes anymore either. My advice is that if you are thinking about buying this product - DON'T!

Pros: Plays both VCR and DVD formats.
Cons: Confusing remote control. Not cheap.

I bought this player for my mother, because she had still not had experience using DVDs, so wanted the security of knowing she could still just pop in a video if the going got too rough with operating the new-fangled DVD. I bought it in August of '03, and as I write this now, in August '05, I have to report that both players have worked fine, up to now. Yes, I agree with the reviewer who said the setup of the remote is less than intuitive, but operationally, the thing has served us fine (in my experience, by the way, the movie *does* go back to the place it stopped when you leave to change the setup in the main menu). The problem now is that my sister's toddler son pulled out the DVD tray, and now, when you slide it back in, the movies either refuse to load up or play, but only partway through the movie. Too bad. I think it's been a perfectly fine product, though, on the whole for two whole years. We bought it, by the way, on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, where it cost us two hundred dollars.

Pros: VHS portion play great, good quality, no problem.
Cons: Won't play many DVDs, display ERR on JVC and Incorrect Disc on the TV.

No problem with vhs portion, works great.
Major problems with DVD portion, Won't play many DVDs,
display ERR on JVC display and incorrect Disc on the TV screen.