Market for new HIFI VCR

[joelee]

Can someone recommend a HIFI VCR that can be purchased at the appliance stores that has a strong tuner. In other words doesn't weaken the signal. In the 80's VCRs would strenthen the picture but nowdays looping through a VCR weakens the signal.

Thanks!
Joe

[Sckott]

JVC. To be honest though, I've never had a problem with a VCR in the link, once you have a good signal though cable.

What are you using your tuner for, cable or broadcast?

[Jeffrey]

Originally posted by joelee
Can someone recommend a HIFI VCR that can be purchased at the appliance stores that has a strong tuner. In other words doesn't weaken the signal. In the 80's VCRs would strenthen the picture but nowdays looping through a VCR weakens the signal.

Thanks!
Joe

Hi Joe,

No, I cannot! The tuners in today's HiFi VCRs don't hold a candle to the first HiFi VCRs sold in the early 90's..... but they cost $500 in '91,92 and $80 today so, you get what you pay for.... 4 heads and a lame tuner.

-Jeffrey

[Alan T]

Yes, I’ve got to agree the quality of VHS machines and tapes has hit an all time low. I am almost ready to buy a stand-alone DVD recorder. After about 500 VHS tapes I want a medium that will take up less space to store.

[Jeffrey]

Originally posted by Alan T
I am almost ready to buy a stand-alone DVD recorder.

Hi Alan,

I'm also very excited about DVD recorders but plan on waiting until the cost of blanks gets to a reasonable level. $10 is insane!

-Jeffrey

[Dave]

Joe,

Eary 90's Electrohome VCR's rule, except for S-VHS that is. They are built like a tank and deliver great cable pictures. Daily, I regret giving my parents mine and buying a Sony.

[RetroSmith]

>>>funny! I just picked up one at a flea market

10 bucks!!! and working just fine.

The reason I bought it is because I'd heard that if you want to copy a VHS tape that has microvision, that the old top load players will ignore it and make a perfect copy. I havent had a chance to try this yet, tho.

Anybody else hear of this?

Mikey

[MagicAlex]

I'd say that you are probably correct. I had an old domestic VCR that ignored Mr. Macrovision and also I ordered a high-end deck once a couple years back from Europe and it ingnored it as well. I think that the Macrovision chips are not installed in Euro versions because of the copyright differences in those countries.

[Dan C]

Originally posted by mikey5967
>>>funny! I just picked up one at a flea market

10 bucks!!! and working just fine.

The reason I bought it is because I'd heard that if you want to copy a VHS tape that has microvision, that the old top load players will ignore it and make a perfect copy. I havent had a chance to try this yet, tho.

Anybody else hear of this?

Mikey

I did not know that.
There's an old top-loader RCA at a thrift store last time I looked. It's a great shape. Maybe I should snag it before it's gone.

Dan C

[SVL]

Originally posted by MagicAlex
I think that the Macrovision chips are not installed in Euro versions because of the copyright differences in those countries.

Most European VCRs have Macrovision installed, and cannot record Macrovision-encoded programs in either PAL or NTSC.

An S-VHS VCR with time-base correction should have no problem with that though.

[RetroSmith]

Grab it guy!!!

they are getting hard to find .

Mikey

[Richard Feirstein]

If "stereo rules" then you should want a VHS deck with Hi-Fi Stereo. It works and it works well.