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  1. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    It's all low-end crap.
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    Yes, they're crap, but they're probably better than an old premium used model. Those are getting pretty worn out.
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  3. Member bendixG15's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
    It's all low-end crap.
    Of course its crap, that's all the market will buy.

    Tapes are going, oops, have gone, into the trash can same as LP audio records. And now DVDs are starting to go.
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  4. I didn't think there were any VCRs still in production.
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    Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138 View Post
    I didn't think there were any VCRs still in production.
    I don't either. I think they're all reconditioned old units.
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    Originally Posted by Hoser Rob View Post
    Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138 View Post
    I didn't think there were any VCRs still in production.
    I don't either. I think they're all reconditioned old units.
    The Toshiba in the link is a DVD recorder/VCR combo. Combo units may still be manufactured.
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  7. Member PuzZLeR's Avatar
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    Yes, consumer-ware, but nevertheless, likely much more reliable than any high-end VCR you can purchase today.

    As for your options:

    I like Toshibas for their "ordinary" units. But this is a combo unit - avoid at all costs if you're using one to transfer tapes to digital. These are garbage.

    The OEN is also consumer-ware. But if you're going to get a consumer-ware VCR, you are far better off if it's a working, clean, new/restored 4-head HiFi stand-alone VCR as this is.

    The Sansui is stand-alone, and 4-head, but I have not found HiFi with it. But it has no record function AFAICS, so this could be a bonus since it was designed for playback.

    If you're going to get a consumer-ware model, get a stand-alone VCR that is 4-head/HiFi from Sharp, Panasonic, Memorex, Sony or Toshiba. If you can get it new, even better.

    Also, get a black model. For some reason the silver ones are bad, maybe built cheaper.
    I hate VHS. I always did.
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  8. Originally Posted by jman98 View Post
    Originally Posted by Hoser Rob View Post
    Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138 View Post
    I didn't think there were any VCRs still in production.
    I don't either. I think they're all reconditioned old units.
    The Toshiba in the link is a DVD recorder/VCR combo. Combo units may still be manufactured.

    I occasionally see some in the electronics department at work, so maybe a few of them still get manufactured.
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  9. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Hoser Rob View Post
    Yes, they're crap, but they're probably better than an old premium used model. Those are getting pretty worn out.
    No.
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    i have to say i am shocked that there still so much interest in VCR technology, i would think that one would be inclined to convert their old VCR tapes to a high quality digital format and archive them that way.

    @lordsmurf: i see all the advice as to which used/old VCR to buy for editing and/or capturing but i've always wondered what about stuff like what Pinnacle makes, that can take a VHS tape and convert it to dvd automatically, is that stuff any good?
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  11. Originally Posted by deadrats View Post
    i have to say i am shocked that there still so much interest in VCR technology, i would think that one would be inclined to convert their old VCR tapes to a high quality digital format and archive them that way.
    You don't find your two statements contradictory? For what other reason would there be so much interest in and discussion of VCR technology except to learn the best ways to convert those tapes to digital? In very few cases is it just to play the things, but almost always to capture them in the best quality and then afterwards (maybe) to 'restore' them on the way to making DVDs or Blu-Rays from them.
    ...but i've always wondered what about stuff like what Pinnacle makes, that can take a VHS tape and convert it to dvd automatically, is that stuff any good?
    If you follow these discussions at all, you'll know that converting to DVD-Video directly isn't the best way to do it, although it's one fairly easy method and is maybe a step ahead in quality from going direct from VCR to DVD recorder. I don't know anything about Pinnacle's programs but would guess they're maybe a little bit better than ArcSoft's, which isn't saying much.
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  12. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by deadrats View Post
    @lordsmurf: i see all the advice as to which used/old VCR to buy for editing and/or capturing but i've always wondered what about stuff like what Pinnacle makes, that can take a VHS tape and convert it to dvd automatically, is that stuff any good?
    Their stuff is crap. (Want to buy mine? Was $100, will gladly take $50!)

    It makes an EZCap (ezcrap) look good!
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  13. One thing I will say for my VCR is that at the moment, it's the only thing I've had any success with getting stuff that isn't available on DVD off of my DVR with.
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  14. And now DVDs are starting to go.
    Over a year ago Walmart in big cities in China stopped selling DVD players, Blue ray players, cd players and any kind of plastic disk (movies, music, software, etc.) The US tends to follow in China's footsteps.
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    Originally Posted by jimdagys View Post
    And now DVDs are starting to go.
    Over a year ago Walmart in big cities in China stopped selling DVD players, Blue ray players, cd players and any kind of plastic disk (movies, music, software, etc.) The US tends to follow in China's footsteps.
    China certainly leads the world in one area -- intellectual property theft. That is why Walmart stopped selling those items. Nobody, including Walmart, can make money selling legitimate copies of anything, or licensed DVD and Bluray players in China.

    Disc sales in the US have slowed mainly because of legitimate paid streaming services.
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  16. Member PuzZLeR's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
    Originally Posted by Hoser Rob View Post
    Yes, they're crap, but they're probably better than an old premium used model. Those are getting pretty worn out.
    No.
    No.
    Originally Posted by deadrats View Post
    i have to say i am shocked that there still so much interest in VCR technology, i would think that one would be inclined to convert their old VCR tapes to a high quality digital format and archive them that way.
    No and yes.

    No - most of us into this stuff actually hate VCRs and VHS. Our interest level is due to the fact that - yes - we do indeed want to rescue our content from it to the best possible quality in digital and move on from the VHS format.

    It's kind of like cancer care foundations - I'm assuming they hate cancer, but their interest level in it is to rid it, and to rescue precious bodies from it. Their ultimate mission is to cease to exist one day.

    ...but i've always wondered what about stuff like what Pinnacle makes, that can take a VHS tape and convert it to dvd automatically, is that stuff any good?
    Not the best methods, as Manono explained.

    Also, my saying is that Pinnacle products are so bad you can blame a divorce on them.

    Originally Posted by lordsmurf
    It [Pinnacle] makes an EZCap (ezcrap) look good!
    Yes, we agree here, it does indeed make Pinnacle look bad.

    What we don't agree on is that ezcap makes alot of other models look bad too.

    Never heard of the "ezcrap" variant though - that one sounds like it sucks.
    I hate VHS. I always did.
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    The Toshiba is still being retailed, so, unless they have a large stockpile, it is still in production.

    I wouldn't expect exceptional picture quality, but it may better than using a unit with worn heads. I'm not in the market anyway, I was just curious.
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  18. Member PuzZLeR's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by magikarp99 View Post
    The Toshiba is still being retailed, so, unless they have a large stockpile, it is still in production.

    I wouldn't expect exceptional picture quality, but it may better than using a unit with worn heads. I'm not in the market anyway, I was just curious.
    As of this post, B&H is selling brand new Toshibas. (Not sure if from recent production or warehouse load).

    However, they are combo units - not the best option for VHS capturing. Even with playback alone to capturing directly on a computer it is not the best solution either.

    Combo units were built for convenience, not focussed for best quality.

    And I agree, an inferior VCR that works is much better than dealing with anything that is problematic, and worn, from (ab)use - even if it is high-end (unless you're willing to endure headaches and spend big $$ on fixing something that may, or may not, be fixable to begin with).
    Last edited by PuzZLeR; 29th May 2014 at 14:34.
    I hate VHS. I always did.
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