Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater VCR died

Hey my VCR just died and I want to get a replacement for all my old tapes. Hard time finding any decent reviews for VCRs still available.

Anyone recommend a model they like/where to purchase?

Don't want to get a VCR/DVD combo player, just a stand-alone VCR. Maybe S-VHS that also plays standard VHS.

Thanks,

Maxx

I picked up a new toshiba W-528 on ebay for $35. 4 head Hi-fi, the best vcr I've had. Super fast rewind, with smooth stop. Never had the slightest troulbe with it. It's a lower end model. I don't think you can go wrong with Toshiba for a vcr.

I recently bought this JVC at buy.com. Not the cheapest, but it has S-VHS, S-video output, sets its own clock, VCR Plus+ programming. Works well; I'm pleased. Here's JVC's info on this unit.

I've got a JVC HR-S5912U. Looks and feels cheap, but has yet to give me any problems in the year or so I've had it. Could use a better tuner on it though.

Tivo...sorry, had to do it...

I too will be buying a Tivo, but alas, Tivo can't play my old VHS tapes. A VCR is still a necessary, though dinosaur device.

Quick question - What is SVHS? I remember seeing it a couple of years ago when I was looking to buy a new VCR, btu opted against it b/c of price.

Is it just a better way of reading regular VHS tapes, or are certain tapes S-VHS?

S-VHS tapes were recorded with a higher resolution, and when played back on a S-VHS deck which is hooked up to a TV that has a S-VHS input, you get that resolution.

In reply to:

---

I too will be buying a Tivo, but alas, Tivo can't play my old VHS tapes. A VCR is still a necessary, though dinosaur device.

---

Do you still have a turntable too?

Capn Pickard,

With a composite video connection, an S-VHS VCR is capable of up to 400 lines of horizontal resolution at its fastest recording speed vs. 240 lines of regular VHS. If you recorded off-air live broadcasts at SP on an S-VHS VCR, there was little or no difference in picture quality between the tape and the live broadcast. No match for DVD, of course, but a visible improvement over mediocre VHS.

The playback quality was similar in sharpness and video noise to the old laserdisc format. S-VHS tape was more expensive than regular videotape, but then several manufacturers introduced S-VHS machines that would yield S-VHS picture quality using regular tape.

Regards,

Of course then you'd watch your SVHS tape a few times and it'd start to look like crap. Tape technology is just bad. SVHS, or no.