JVC HR-XVC25 DVD Player / VCR Combo

Pros: Combined, compact VCR and DVD player. DVD plays MP3's as well.
Cons: Poor construction, unreliable, can't assess tape progress during playback, slow DVD mp3 playback

Within days after purchasing this unit on sale from a regular retail dealer, the VCR component ceased to be able to record images. Rather, it could record, but with so much garbled junk on it as to render the image unviewable. I therefore will proceed ...

Pros: Biggest pro was the unit was a VCR/DVD combo.
Cons: Did not last a full 13 months of use.

Bought the particular JVC back in April 2004. It is now May 2005 and the unit is not functioning correctly. DVD's get "stuck" during playback. VCR play doesn't consistently work.

This particular unit has had minimal amount of use and just has not held up. This was surprising to me as I have had a JVC stereo for over 10 years without any issues.

I would not recommend a JVC DVD player to others.

Pros: Not sure it has any. Combination unit may suit some consumers
Cons: DVD door prone to lock up. No eject button for the VCR on the remote.

I bought one of these because it was cheap and I thought it would be a good option for replacing a single VCR with a combo unit. Within the first week the DVD door locked up and wouldn't close. The authorized repair center fixed it fine but kept it two weeks, and I had only had it one week prior to that! That was six months ago. I've enjoyed the unit, it's easy to use, plays decent enough for my purposes, and it's convenient - but the door is locked up again and I'm set to carry it back to the repair shop in the morning. If you can invest the time carrying it back and forth to the shop - go for it! Another drawback I've found is that the VCR does not eject from the remote. JVC should seriously consider discontinuing this model for something more reliable. I'm thinking I need to buy a VCR and a DVD player in separate units, because when you have to take this unit for repairs you are left with nothing - and my four year-old just doesn't quite understand that!

Pros: None
Cons: Poor quality, not worth the money, will break down

We thought we were getting a good deal on a DVD/VCR. Thank goodness it was under warranty when the DVD drive stopped opening. (The repair man had another one in just like it!) But now it no longer works. You can play a movie once you put it in, but you can't stop it or do anything else. Not sure what went wrong with JVC, but I will not be buying a DVD or VCR from them again! This isn't even a year old and now we will be getting a new one. Wish I had read epinions before I bought it!

Pros: Convenient to have a VCR/DVD combo, looks nice
Cons: Poorly made, repair problems

We bought this DVD/VCR combo just over a year ago. It has been to the repair shop once because it would not turn off (and the warranty on labor had expired). Now the DVD compartment makes a loud whirring noise and pops open unexpectedly while we are just watching TV or using the VCR and refuses to stay closed. When we insert a DVD, the door pops open until we press it closed several times. We will not buy another JVC product. This was a real disappointment, as our previous VCR, a Magnavox, is still ticking after 17 years! All we have ever done is clean the heads. They just don't make them like they used to.

Since I wrote this review, the DVD compartment will NOT stay shut, so we can no longer watch DVDs.