Panasonic AG-3200 s-video VCR?

[Bob W]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=271429...#goto_itemInfo

Finally someone other than JVC that is offering a s-video VCR (with a s-video in and out) VCR. It doesn't have a TBC but in my case I have an external TBC so no big deal. Thing is I have two s-video VCR's and both have problems so I'm not real hot to buy another JVC. Anyone here know about the Panasonic s-video VCR's?

[sanlyn]

I've found precious little info on the Panasonic AG-3200, which appears to have been on the market for at least several months. If you go to the Panansonic and JVC websites and look at their Pro VCR's, the AG-3200 looks exactly like the JVC SR-V101US with a few front-panel cosmetic changes. Panasonic and other sites selling the AG-3200 give precious few specs on the Panny, but JVC gives a whole list of additional features on the SR-V101US. It wouldn't be the first time a JVC unit has appeared with different name tags -- many Pro Panasonics in the past have been JVC's with slightly different features.

JVC gives their model a $425 list price, Panasonic gives theirs $400. Oddly, www.bhphotovideo.com and www.jr.com sell the JVC for $280 and the Panny for $290 (the prices at b oth sites seem to fluctuate by 10 bucks from week to week). Other sites price both units somewhat higher.

Except for the selling price, I've seen no user comments on the 'Net about either unit other than mentioning their existence. If I knew the Panny had all the same features as the JVC, I'd say that either model would suffice. But since JVC is the only source that lists all features, I'd go with the JVC (which seems to be a "lesser" but "Pro" edition of the prosumer JVC HRS-9911U). I'm on the verge of getting the 9911 over the 101. IMHO, for a few years all Panasonics have lowered the price level by denuding the units of noise reduction and i/o correction circuits. A 3-year-old Panny doesn 't have the same picture as older units -- the newer Pannies have snappier contrast but a lot more noise and color smearing. The AG-3200 specs say nothing about built-in TBC, but the JVC lists this as a feature. Whether they both have it, I don't know -- I visited B&H and J&R in Manhattan, but the salespeople could say neither yea nor nay about this on the Panansonic. Apparen tly Panasonic has little interest in selling this unit. In the past, however, I've read about Panny marketing JVC's with fewer of JVC's features.

[lordsmurf]

I the AG-3200 looks exactly like the JVC SR-V101US

No TBC.
It appears to be the HR-S5911 rebadged. (Possibly even the 2901, but silver.)

Ancient post needed an update.