So who still has a VCR in their entertainment center? (1 Viewer)

[Mattias_ka]

Phil Nichols, Yes, I do that. VCR cannot be as detailed and sharp as LD/DVD but a really good VCR (with a good comb filter) you can get a really "good" picture. I have bought a D-VHS (30K) just to get as good picture I can from my NTSC tapes but have not tried it out yet (must get a 220->110 volt converter). But if one is used to lowbudget and/or older movies on DVD/LD, then one could really live with a good VCR IMO. But, if only new reference DVD's and HDTV is what one only use, VCR would look too bad.

Yes, I do have the top of the line laserdisc players and they are GREAT, use them a lot (1100 LD's)

For me, the movies have always been the reason, not the technology.

 

[Phill O]

Yep I still got a VCR, the tuner burned out but it will still play tapes. We don't record shows so that is fine. Someday I'll burn the tapes to DVD. but untill then I'll keep it.

 

[Adrian D]

I have 2 VCRs, and both are used on a regular basis.

Here are the examples of when I use them:

I don't own a digital recorder, so I use the VCR to record tv programming. Not because I won't be at home, but because it's damn near impossible to watch anything with a 2 and 4 year old running around. We wait until the kids go to bed to watch our shows.

My wife has quite a few Disney movies on VHS. There's no need to upgrade to DVD with a 4 year old watching them (not to mention shelling out for those DVDs).

When the wife and I rent movies for ourselves, we usually rent a couple for the kids. We opt for the VHS for the kids due to the fact that most of the kids DVD rentals are scratched enough to skip or freeze up. It's quite annoying when I have to stop our movie to go upstairs and try to clean of a dirty DVD. Also, try telling a 4 year old that they can't watch the rest of the movie because the DVD is too scratched up.

I record from my 8mm videocam to VHS to send to my grandmother, who doesn't have a DVD player.

And finally, I can't let all of those VHS pornos to go to waste!

 

[Jerome Grate]

Adrian D. I also have a 2 and 4 year old, and they think the VHS tapes are a platform or a plank. They jump on them or crash them down from the t.v. stand in the den and bedroom (my 4 year old son's game). I starting to collect a good deal of the kid movies since he has a DVD/VHS machine in his room high up out of reach. I try to keep the DVD movies out of his reach but he ask his mom to see the cover and she fell for it for a while.

The question I have is what will a scaler do for my JVC 7600? how much of a upscaled picture will I get from these things via S-VIDEO? If anyone knows.

 

[ChuckSolo]

I just saw a Mitsubishi D-VHS recorder at Tweeter for.....are you ready for this......$399.99!!! I would get it immediately but the guy at the store said that it would only work with a Mits TV. There were plenty of S-Video in/outs, and the standard coaxial, but no component or DVI or HDMI either. It did have firewire in/out and he said that is why it won't work with anything other than a Mits. Does this sound correct? I would love to get that machine for that price.

 

[CarlosGH]

ChuckSolo, Mitsu D-VHS VCRs are considered "bit-buckets," they only recieve and record encoded high-def video, so there is no to use it with a regular ATSC tuner or HDTV. The TV has the mpeg encoder/decoder. I don't know about it being a s-vhs VCR. The last Mitsu HD VCR I saw only had composite and firewire. Also the firewire will only work with a Mitsu, no DV cams or PCs.

 

[Jeff Pryor]

I still use my Sony SLV-N71 VCR everyday, mostly for recording TV programs to watch later since I'm usually using my Yamaha DV-S5750 DVD player during primetime. When DVD recorders become a little cheaper (since I'm a cheap bastard) then I'll upgrade, but I seriously doubt I'll get rid of the VCR.

 

[Bob Lvl]

I still have 2 Sony SLHF-1000 Beta editing recorders on my racks ... but they rarely get used any more. Positively the best consumer VCR's ever made!

 

[Elinor]

>"It did have firewire in/out and he said that is why it won't work with anything other than a Mits. Does this sound correct?"

It doesn't sound correct to me. I know (of) a guy who is using the Mitsu "HD VCR" with a MIT ATSC tuner to record HD OTA. I assume the VCR he refers to is DVHS.

Check this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...postid=4005962

 

[stephen la]

Im actually looking to buy a vcr right now.
I cleaned out alot of my old stuff from my moms house and I have hundreds of tapes recorded, lots of anime and some cinemax movies.. plus many anime tapes I bought.
I'd hate to have them go to waste so I'm gonna get a dvd/vcr combo for the bedroom..
already have a directv with tivo, and was thinking of adding a dvd to the bedroom.. why not add the vcr with it?

 

[Bill Will]

Hate to say it but I still find myself using my RCA VCR to time shift programs rather than my DVD Recorder just because it has "Commercial Advance" I know how lazy can I get not to just push the Commercial Skip button on the recorder's remote but once you get used to commercial advance it's hard to go back. Too bad DVD recorders don't have this feature. I also have 2 old JVC VCR's that I used to use for editing tapes still hooked up plus I must have at least 400 tapes with some really old tv series, mini-series & etc but I don't think I'll transfer them to DVD's until the new HI-Def recorders are out. If anyone is looking for some old tv episodes that they might be missing in their collection email me & I'll let you know if I have it & maybe we can swap some for episodes I'm missing.

 

[Rachael B]

Mattias, buy a couple of D-Theater tapes for your new deck. You need a new jones.

 

[Julian Reville]

I still use a Mitsubishi S-VHS in my living room system and a Sony Super Beta in the bedroom system; both used for time shifting TV shows as I absolutely hate commercials.

 

[Mattias_ka]

Rachael, I have Fight Club but there are maybe 1-2-3 more movies I could get on D-VHS. Most out on D-VHS is new crap movies IMHO.

 

[Rachael B]

Mattias, I suggest you move quickly if you ever intend to own more D-Theater tapes. They may all go out of print soon...? I think about half the titles out are mediocre. I have the other half. I'm stille tickled pink that I have Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid in HD! You may be shocked at how good D-VHS is when you observe your tape? You should be. IMO, the best looking tape in my collection is Moulan Rouge. I highly recommend it.

 

[Citizen87645]

I use one of my VCRs as a clock in the home theater area. I do any VHS viewing on a 27" TV in the spare room.

 

[Mattias_ka]

Rachael, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid is one of the few I could get. I rather destroy my 9500LC CRT and all my LD's than buy and see Moulan Rouge

 

[Tony Kwong]

Any W-VHS users out there?! I find the W1, W5, W7 have better transport than the JVC D-VHS's. Most of the time I use industrial Panasonic S-VHS tape decks, they are very reliable. Crazy overbuilt transports, multi field TBC, etc. There are pretty cheap on eBay, but you have to know what you are getting and what the deck was used for. Also how to check the hour meter. Most of these do not have remote controls but it's pretty easy with a serial port for computer/automated control.

 

[Robert James Clark]

I just happened to remove my VCR from my home theater last weekend, and gave it away...

 

[Jack Keck]

Still have it. Rarely use it. Will probably not replace it when it breaks, assuming I'll know when it breaks.