VCR to DVD: Anything better than JVC HR-S5902U under $200?

[sanlyn]

MeekloBraca, that HR-S7600 was hit by lightning, or an electrical surge. No kidding. Now, I know I have some arguments with some folks here about JVC, but my (used) 7600 from eBay will beat, I think, almost any JVC that came after it. I was skepical about biding $125 on eBay for a brand I'm known to dislike -- but, darn, after spending $175 more getting it fixed like new, the critter has become something I can't do without for VHS-to-DVD, except for really clean retail tapes that look slightly better on my Panasonic PV-9668 (which, itself, is a real tin-and-plastic toy that requires constant TLC).

Check JVC's website for service centers. The Factory and the Preferred centers are the ones to contact. There's also a very nice joint in Florida at avrepair.com . They fixed my crippled SONY SLV-585HF, I figure it's good for another 1000 hours (at a cost of >-gasp-< $410, a complete rebuild except for the motherboard).

Yes, my 7600 did end up costing some $300-plus to revamp...but look what you get for $200 to $500 these days: junk. I'd go for a good used JVC, fix it, and use it. But don't quote me on anything later than the JVC 7600 -- some people like the later ones, I don't.

Got my 7600 on eBay 5 weks ago, 3 weeks to fix. I just used it for 2 really really really crappy VHS tapes I made in 1992, and the 7600 did a great job, along with some mild help on a few taped scenes with VirtualDub (well, not even JVC can do everything!).

Every VCR I own is from the 1990's (4 of them). All of them have been repaired at considerable expense. Except for $5000 pro gear, I think 90's VCR's are better than any you could buy at comparable prices today.

[lordsmurf]

The 9600, 7600, 9800, 7800, and SR-V10U are pretty much identical machines in build quality and features. I'm not surprised you like that 7600.

Enjoy.

[sanlyn]

Today on eBay I see another 7600 and several other high-end JVC, SONY, etc., up for bid. As lordsmurf sez, these are nice machines but they all have some age on them. Even if they sat in storage and haven't been used for a few years, their belts, heads, capstans, other parts will harden and oxidize. I've bought about 6 used VCR's on eBay. Two of them were beyond repair. But I can't imagine a 13- to 8-year old VCR, even a very pricey one, that wouldn't need fixing. So I'd caution people in this forum: many of these old units are in good shape but will probably require that you ship them off for a tune-up. Pain in the neck, I know. But worth the trouble and expense. If you can handle the work yourself, more power to you. I cleaned my used gear myself, but sometimes you need an experienced pro. They're hard to find, but they're out there.

I've looked for a post on this forum about good service shop recommendations, but couldn't find any. I found mine on the Internet and at the maker's websites. Too bad that so many local techs won't work on these nice machines, but that's the way it is.

[bevills1]

I have the same LiteOn 5005 tluxon has with same firmware mod, and it did add 3 hour record option after drive firmware update. What apparently failed is the removal of Macrovision protection since I still get the "Protected Content" message when trying to do VHS to DVD backup inspite of the fact that the hack program showed Macrovision was found and removed. The only other possibility is that I have more than ordinary number of VHS with protection other than Macrovision which would mean a filter of some kind to remove those would be required. Is tluxon using any kind of digital video stabilizer device or just the firmware mod, and does anybody have any suggestions for my apparent failed Macrovision removal.

[bevills1]

Unfortunately faulty instructions at http://ilohacker.tripod.com/ caused all my problems because instructions say to get latest firmware from LiteOn for the hack where it should say to get the 098 firmware for the hack. Once I figured that out the hack for my recorder finally worked, and all VHS now appear Macrovision free with no need for a video stabilizer. Note I did the official update from the link first and then the hacked version just in case.