JVC HR-S9911U Discontinued!

[Cyrax9]

@John--

I saw the info on the JVC website, as you said it has been "incomplete" or slightly inaccurate in the past. Amazon.com lists the 2MB Frame Buffer, but B&H, Adorama, and a slew of other sites are listing 4MB. I was ne step from buying it... then I read the reviews on Amazon and I wondered if the guy working the assembly line was drunk. The unit only has 2 (out of 5) stars and people are complaining that it's not working with MiniDV Tapes shot on Sony & Canon equipment -- no Sony = Bad since my Camcorder (and deck for the MiniDV Copies of my remastered videos) is Sony! The next swift kick came in what sounds like "JVC vs. the World" -- apparently their techs insist the problem is Sony & Canon and not their DV portion of the deck. If I'm buying a DV & S-VHS Deck, and paying more for the DV portion (face it, the S-VHS half I NEED, is ironically the "extra" on this unit) than the S-VHS portion, I expect functionality.

I'd like to get a hold of a JVC Rep on the phone and get a straight answer out of them, I'd like to know if LordSmurf has dissected the DVS3 and if it's only got 2MB RAM or 4MB RAM. If it has 4MB RAM and is a "9911 with a DV Deck attached" I might bite -- emphasis on might. Here's why: My father's friend called him yesterday, no gaurantees but he's going to check with his friend -- it may take a few days, with the weekend here I'm hoping that when my father's back in work on Monday there's a note on his desk with a price-tage for an HR-S9911U and a unit on hold for me -- I don't like what I'm reading about the DV portion of the DVS3. If I'm going to truely "capture" the video rather than pass it through the DV portion of the deck, it had better be able to output.

This unit looks like it has some bugs in it, but if it's got 4MB Frame memory and functions like the 9911U for S-VHS I might go with it and ignore the DV Portion, I just don't know why they didn't stick with the 4MB Frame memory -- sure it's a combo unit but why go backwards at all, it's the same as what Panasonic did with their DVD Writers -- they had a 400GB HDD in one and now they're back down to 120GB -- it's sad -- I liked those units for their oversized hard drives which let me procrasinate on dubbing to an actual disc. (This comes in handy when you have hours worth of footage to work with.)

As for the DVS3U, I think someone need to try and figure out if it's two or four MB frame memory -- perhaps a "test tape" and comparison is in order? You know, test pattermns, blow the quality (make it so they have to actually be filtered) and a really really low-grade tape -- see if the filtering is any different. It'd be a nice experiment. I hate it when companies can't get their own websites right.

Oh and I saw that GoVideo deck -- (I know Lordsmurf is going to clock me for looking at them) -- ironically some of the tapes I want to restore that aren't in that bad condition came off of a GoVideo deck -- I wonder if they're all, or mostly just rebranded JVCs? it'd make sense since I remember they talked about "Enhanced Circuitry" years before anyone else and some of their decks blew "normal" units out of the water. If JVC has a 9911U counterpart I'm there -- this is interesting though, and it looks like a repainted/rebranded JVC deck anyway so I'm pretty sure this si right. I know for quite some time Emerson was making rebranded Sony decks, don't know if this still holds true but if it does, it'd explain the quality drop since I've seen Emersons that should only be used to keep the door open -- not to playback videos.

I hope this guy has the 9911U or I'm back to hunting for one. It's this particular model I want -- I've seen it in use enough to go ape-crazy for it. If the people on Amazon just don't know how to use their DV Camcorders and JVC screwed up their info page (Which is why I posted the Adorama info) than I'd reconsider the DVS3U, but if it's as bad as they say and only 2MB frame memory, JVC ought to put that thing on clearance, can it, and put out a decent model for S-VHS again -- they have a slew of MiniDV decks, and if it's as bad as people claim, they should be able to fix it. There's no reason the good S-VHS half can't have an equally well made DV half. If I'm paying quadruple digits or over $500 the whole thing has to work, not just part of it. (This is my gripe with several combo units I have -- stereos with excellent radios but horrible CD Players, or excellent CD Players and horrible Tape Decks -- no excuse for that kind of problem, no excuse for only half of a usable dual-deck -- even if the bad half is the half I'm not interested in.)

Ahh well... I'll keep you guys updated, I'm going to try and pull a few strings here...

[FulciLives]

Personally ... and don't take this the wrong way ... but I think you are just being WAY too anal.

Go for that GO VIDEO on eBay OR just go with the SR-V101US which appears to have all of the features of the 9xxx series but with 2MB instead ... I can't imagine it makes a difference ... even JVC owner's are saying it doesn't make a difference.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[gshelley61]

This must be the fourth or fifth time I've mentioned this... the TBC/DNR frame buffer size makes no difference in PQ that I've been able to see, and I've had to opportunity to check out more JVC S-VHS VCR's and combo units than most people. Some of these machines have better physical build quality than others, with the trend being the newer units are lighter and less sturdy than earlier models.

If you have a MiniDV camcorder, there's no reason to blow huge money on a S-VHS / MiniDV combo unit. In fact, it would probably be cheaper to buy an S-VHS VCR and a second used MiniDV camcorder just for playback purposes than it would be to acquire the combo unit. Plus, everyone knows combo units are generally put together with some compromises in build quality, and are a big hassle to deal with when one side of the unit breaks. Buy separate machines!

That GoVideo unit is the only one I've ever seen or heard of that is obviously a re-branded high end JVC machine. Most of their product line is junk.

[swiego]

I also wouldn't worry too much about getting the 9911 or feeling like you've missed out on the cream of the crop. As a 9911 owner I can tell you that I do not trust it to have the "best" capture capabilities any longer. It's very good, but other top desks (incl. those by other manufacturers) can match it IMO.

[davideck]

I have a 7600 (2 MB) and a 9600 (4 MB), and their image qualities look the same. Both TBC/DNR systems provide the same benefits and produce the same artifacts.

WRT the JVC SR-V101U;
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=280412

[Sillyname]

4MB frame buffers may have been useful when memory was slower.

A 2MB frame buffer can be just as good if not better, if it refreshes faster than previous 4MB frame buffer models.

[FulciLives]

I have a 7600 (2 MB) and a 9600 (4 MB), and their image qualities look the same. Both TBC/DNR systems provide the same benefits and produce the same artifacts.

WRT the JVC SR-V101U;
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=280412

Oh great now he'll never want to buy the SR-V101U

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[JAB285]

@John--

I saw the info on the JVC website, as you said it has been "incomplete" or slightly inaccurate in the past. Amazon.com lists the 2MB Frame Buffer, but B&H, Adorama, and a slew of other sites are listing 4MB. I was ne step from buying it... then I read the reviews on Amazon and I wondered if the guy working the assembly line was drunk. The unit only has 2 (out of 5) stars and people are complaining that it's not working with MiniDV Tapes shot on Sony & Canon equipment -- no Sony = Bad since my Camcorder (and deck for the MiniDV Copies of my remastered videos) is Sony! The next swift kick came in what sounds like "JVC vs. the World" -- apparently their techs insist the problem is Sony & Canon and not their DV portion of the deck. If I'm buying a DV & S-VHS Deck, and paying more for the DV portion (face it, the S-VHS half I NEED, is ironically the "extra" on this unit) than the S-VHS portion, I expect functionality.

I'd like to get a hold of a JVC Rep on the phone and get a straight answer out of them, I'd like to know if LordSmurf has dissected the DVS3 and if it's only got 2MB RAM or 4MB RAM. If it has 4MB RAM and is a "9911 with a DV Deck attached" I might bite -- emphasis on might. Here's why: My father's friend called him yesterday, no gaurantees but he's going to check with his friend -- it may take a few days, with the weekend here I'm hoping that when my father's back in work on Monday there's a note on his desk with a price-tage for an HR-S9911U and a unit on hold for me -- I don't like what I'm reading about the DV portion of the DVS3. If I'm going to truely "capture" the video rather than pass it through the DV portion of the deck, it had better be able to output.



...

I can't answer the question about other DV tapes because my camcorder is a JVC. I haven't used any tapes recorded by another brand yet. I've read those claims on Amazon also and I can see how that might be a dealbreaker for you. I can only tell you that I haven't had any problem with it so far. I have a backup Sony but it uses D8 tapes. When I use the D8, I use the firewire. BTW, the firewire works both ways. I can output to a camcorder or a dvd recorder using the firewire.

[JAB285]

...
If you have a MiniDV camcorder, there's no reason to blow huge money on a S-VHS / MiniDV combo unit. In fact, it would probably be cheaper to buy an S-VHS VCR and a second used MiniDV camcorder just for playback purposes than it would be to acquire the combo unit. Plus, everyone knows combo units are generally put together with some compromises in build quality, and are a big hassle to deal with when one side of the unit breaks. Buy separate machines!

I have to agree with Gshelly61 here. Spending $700 on a VCR was kind of insane and I spent a couple of days thinking about it before I pulled the trigger. I was lucky that the S-VHS side turned out to be so good. If I had done more research, I probably wouldn't have gotten it. A second camcorder and a S-VHS vcr is a cheaper way to go. Especially if you're concerned about breakdowns. This did worry me and I took out an extended warranty just in case. That being said, I haven't had any problems with mine(knock on wood) and it has performed well. And it is very convenient having a dual deck. But it's probably not for everybody.

[spectroelectro]

There's nothing sacred about hte JVC SR9911 model. It's an excellent model with the all-important built-in digital video noise reduction, but other models by other manufacturers produce results at least as good, if not bette, when playing back old tapes. The Toshiba M781, M784, W800 and W8000 are boast built-in digital video noise reduction and give playback results at least as good as the JVC SR9911. There's also an older model of Sony VCR with "reality regeneration" circuitry that's basically the same thing as the 4 meg video frame buffer DSP in the JVC or the digital video noise reduction built into the Toshiba M78X series and W8XXX series.

There's also no real need for S-VHS since most of us who do VHS transfers use older standard VHS tapes we recorded back in the day. An excellent ordinary VHS deck like the Toshiba DX900 (I own two) will do a superb job. I produced my 2-DVD set of Frankenstein: the True Story with a DX900 and a tape I recorded off the Sci Fi Channel back in 1995, and it looks at least as good as anything I've ever produced with the Toshiba M784 -- the secret is to use an excellent DVD recorder like a DRM10 as well as a proc amp and a TBC and a good solid video enhancer like the Sign DR1000 or the Vidicraft Detailer III or IV along with an excellent VCR.

[FulciLives]

Now there is one rare slice of cinema ... the complete 2 part version of FRANKENSTEIN THE TRUE STORY.

Damn Universal has so many great 70's TV movies just locked away somewhere.

By the time they release them people that remember seeing that shit and want it (like me) will be dead

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Wile_E]

Now there is one rare slice of cinema ... the complete 2 part version of FRANKENSTEIN THE TRUE STORY.

Damn Universal has so many great 70's TV movies just locked away somewhere.

By the time they release them people that remember seeing that shit and want it (like me) will be dead

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I totally agree! There are tons of stuff that was broadcast in the 80's that I wish I recorded. You may laugh at me, but I think it would be interesting to see stuff that just aired once. Like some TV Specials. Parades they had during holidays, presidential addresses, The Oscars, etc. These things won't ever be put on DVD, so they might as well make them available to the public through a download service.

I've had the idea rolling around in my brain. To start a website where people could upload their copies of broadcast material from VHS tapes to MPEG2 format. You could log in, search a huge database for something, then download an ISO and burn to keep. It would be yours. There would be even a rating system. If someone else posted a better looking version of the same thing, then the crappy version would be replaced. A website something like Google Video I suppose, but higher quality. Google stuff just looks poor. There is Usenet and BitTorrent, but all hard to search for stuff. What we need is a central website with a huge database of videos that people would upload to.

[FulciLives]

I've had the idea rolling around in my brain. To start a website where people could upload their copies of broadcast material from VHS tapes to MPEG2 format. You could log in, search a huge database for something, then download an ISO and burn to keep. It would be yours. There would be even a rating system. If someone else posted a better looking version of the same thing, then the crappy version would be replaced. A website something like Google Video I suppose, but higher quality. Google stuff just looks poor. There is Usenet and BitTorrent, but all hard to search for stuff. What we need is a central website with a huge database of videos that people would upload to.

Interesting idea but unless you charge for it (to pay for the bandwidth) it would be better set up as bit torrents per current technology and lack of funds.

Also it might be better to just have the files as MPEG-2 DVD spec files like, "Oscars_1981.mpg", and then people can author it themselves after they download it if they want.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[BrainStorm69]

Unfortunately, such a site would have problems with copyright vioations, and would probably be shut down by the networks quite quickly.

[Cyrax9]

Well my father's friend thinks he has access to a new, sealed HR-S9911U, but he won't be able to check until the 14th. He's away on business overseas and needs to talk to the guy who controls the warehouse.

I'm considering the GoVideo deck and after seeing that thread John you're right, I'll NEVER touch the V101U! -- I had an old Phillips that greened/pinked like that and the end result was it died in two weeks and it didn't even go back to the store, my entire family got so ticked off that we just threw it out. I didn't feel like returning it and it really was garbage. I mean, it had the absolute worst PQ I've ever seen. The only thing worse was when my really old Panasonic wouldn't take half the tapes I owned.

As for that Sony with the RR (Reality Regenerator) feature... it wouldn't happen to be the SLV-N81, would it? I have that unit and it has the RR and the APC Feature. (APC = Adapative Picture Control) -- I think JVC has a similar device to APC, but it supposedly scans the tape fo the best spot to begin recording before it starts printing your tapes. I do notice a differance between the N81 with the RR/APC features, the N71 with only APC, and the cheap Panasonic I got at target when my '96 Sony finally died. I might get the thing repaired since I still have a load of VHS. The JVC unit is just a better remastering system and has enough filters that I can do some basic capturing off of it. The S-VIDEO Feature is also helpful since I've been tinkering with S-VHS in a few of my classes. Yeah, we use S-VHS in a bind so I have to know how to work an S-VID deck. The one we use there is a JVC with the "BR" prefix and I know the model goes for $7000 because of its BNC/XLR Video/Audio connectors. If I had that kind of money I'd get that deck since it's studio-quality and I spent more nights working with it than I care to remember. A friend of mine has the HR-S9911U and I've drooled over his PQ, other machines in the school are consumer level JVC decks. Not quite the 9911U, but still very nice -- especially if you saw what went inside of them. (Some of these tapes need new cassettes.)

@John, LOL I'm always anal about my video stuff. I think the worst was when I went directly to Sony to buy a TV since they were the only ones who still had the model I wanted in stock -- good thing too; the successor to the set I have is garbage -- a friend bought one (on my reccomendation to get the one I went to Sony for) and thought I had lost my mind. Then we compared model #s and he realized he had the new one. We still joke about it, but he did get a new set. (He gave the Sony to his mother who didn't have a decent set either.) I'm a detail-freak, I admit it.

@SillyName -- the most RAM any of my systems have is 512MB. The only ones that use more than 384MB are my Laptop and my brother's computer so the 4MB would go well with my 'doze ME system, my 98SE system, or even my laptop. The 2MB might work on the Laptop but I could see problems on the PC side and my laptop doesn't have a lot of capture space.

@GShelley -- Point taken on the PQ; I do have a question though: What problems have you had with GoVideo? The reason I'm asking is because some of my best recordings have come off of GoVideo decks. I've heard of Greening/Pinking issues, but I've only seen those on units using the infamous EP/SLP mode. The tapes I've made off of GoVideo decks in SP Mode are usually fine. Yes, the tracking on the record heads dies every one and half years so you need a new unit every three years, but compared to many decks I've seen that's not too bad. (Read above for the 2-week phillips deck.) Use Deck A for recording for one and a half years, then switch to Deck B, in year three, buy the newer model and use the old one for playback only. (Or sell it to someone on eBay who doesn't care about the recording quality -- only the playback.) I have heard some of them are disasterous, but I've never seen them and most seem to rank higher than the JVC V101U so they can't all be bad units. Now I can honestly say that their DVD Recorders are crap on the level of the Wal*Mart special. Keep in mind that All of the decks I have now are Sony sans one Panasonic and the only one with any form of filter is the SLV-N81 which has a Reality Regenerator -- A.K.A. "Frame Memory" -- I have to see how much though. In any case I've just got to wait until the 14th, there's a very good chance that I'll be able to grab the 9911U.

@swiego -- could you give me some brands and model #s of the units you're talking about; namely the ones that are still available and the general price range? I don't want to spend more than I would on the 9911U -- if it turns out my father's friend can't get the 9911U (highly unlikely after today's e-mail) I'll need back-up plans.

Thanks again everyone, and yes I know I'm obssessed over that one unit.

[Wile_E]

Ecost lists it as new and in-stock according to their website. $374.00
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecsplash/shop/detail~dpno~594984.asp

[lordsmurf]

I really like the SR-V10U. Like the 7600-7900 units.
The 101US is similar to the 9911.

[FulciLives]

Ecost lists it as new and in-stock according to their website. $374.00
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecsplash/shop/detail~dpno~594984.asp

I just looked and it says, "Availability: Call Us"

"Call Us" is a clickable link and when you click on it you get the following message:

"This product is not currently available for shipment from any of our warehouse locations. Please contact one of our account managers for an estimated arrival date."



- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lordsmurf]

Buy a JVC SR-MV40US:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/393952-REG/JVC_SRMV40US_SR_MV40US_DVD_Recorder_and.html

[Sillyname]

@SillyName -- the most RAM any of my systems have is 512MB. The only ones that use more than 384MB are my Laptop and my brother's computer so the 4MB would go well with my 'doze ME system, my 98SE system, or even my laptop. The 2MB might work on the Laptop but I could see problems on the PC side and my laptop doesn't have a lot of capture space.

I was referring to the frame buffer on the SVHS VCRs we are talking about in this post. I was not at all meaning anything about computers.

[swiego]

@swiego -- could you give me some brands and model #s of the units you're talking about; namely the ones that are still available and the general price range? I don't want to spend more than I would on the 9911U -- if it turns out my father's friend can't get the 9911U (highly unlikely after today's e-mail) I'll need back-up plans.

The Panasonic AG-1980 seems to put up some very stiff competition.

Furthermore, trust me, the 9911U build quality is pretty shoddy. In fact it's the most poorly assembled consumer electronics equipment I own. I treat mine like it is made of glass, I'm that afraid that it might break!

[Wile_E]

I wouldn't go so far saying the 9911 is very shoddy. The chassis is fairly heavy. More than my Quasar that was built in 1990. So there must be a few metal parts on the inside. But I still think JVC could've done much better on the outside, and with the features. The 9911 has a cheap plastic jog dial on front, has stupid magnets built into the flip-down door, and has limited features. By limited, it has little editing controls nor an adjustable DNR filter. All you have is AUTO/EDIT/SHARP/SOFT/OFF. Nothing in between. JVC should personally be ashamed to release their "last" VCR model like this. JVC should've kept all the features from past models like the real professional units. It wouldn't have cost them much more to keep all those features. Instead they dumb down the VCR.

On a positive note...It does give the cleanest picture, with the least grain. Even when comparing against the 1980. In this thread here, I've compared the images. The 9911 is definitely softer in AUTO mode, but also the picture is smooth with no grain. Even in EDIT mode, it has less grain then the 1980. I pulled out a few more VHS tapes to test. These are all recorded in SP and of "good" quality. Even when using AUTO mode, MPEG2 compression made a few captures a little pixelated. I had to use Convolution3D to get it to look okay.


I suggest to JVC....They need to go all out with their next model, IF they have a next model. They need to do it right, or else people will look back at the history of the company and laugh at the last VCR's. I'm sure JVC or the Japanese people wouldn't want that to happen. Put it in a thick metal case and use mostly all metal parts. Put a nice jog dial on front and editing controls.

[swiego]

The "Super VHS ET" metallosticker on the front flip-down plastic was halfway peeled off when I unpacked my 9911U. The jog wheel is, as you said, very cheap, cheap in the sense that I think the $79 VCRs they sell at Best Buy today might have buttons and switchgear that feel more solid. I've also lost some confidence in the transport... it hasn't broken but it sure doesn't feel nearly as rugged as the Sony SLV sitting on top of it.

The picture quality is pretty good, however. It reminds me of the Panasonic RP56 DVD player I used to have back in the day... guts of a four-figure video device sitting inside a cheap tin. Unfortunately, while I am somewhat new to SVHS, I'm otherwise somewhat familiar with the kinds of problems (noise, sync, etc.) that can be introduced through cheap componentry. And with the 9911's exterior being what it is, I find myself wondering about the quality of the power supply, the quality of the AD/DA converters that bookend the DNR/TBC, the durability of the transport, and more. I definitely treat it more carefully than anything else I own. I have a Nakamichi Dragon and a CR-7A, both of which are 15 years old, and I beat up on them without thinking twice, heck I once remember putting down a 120lb barbell on the Dragon. I'd never ever ever do such a thing with the 9911!

[Wile_E]

Not to get off topic, but one thing I've noticed about the JVC brand, is it's non-existence of the "prosumer" products in retail chain stores. I have checked several stores nearby for JVC products...Circuit City, Best Buy, Tweeter, Fry's Electronics, plus several local home theater stores. For example, Fry's is the only store that has the JVC DR-M100S dvd recorder in stock. None of the other stores carry it.

It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. How does JVC expect to promote their products, if they are not in retail stores? This is what you call poor marketing. Plus forget about ever finding any "professional" products in a store. Even the local pro photography stores don't carry JVC professional products in store. JVC needs to start working better with the retail stores, to bring their "prosumer and professional" lines to them. If people are willing to spend $2000 on a HDTV, they will spend that kind of money on JVC professional line of products to go along with that TV. I never even saw the 9911 nor their older high-end VCR's/DVD players in stores. JVC is missing out on their share of the market by not promoting these products better.

[gshelley61]

Sony, JVC, Panasonic pro line gear is generally sold only by professional video dealers... not in retail stores. You can find the nearest authorized dealers of this type of gear on their respective pro line web sites. You can also check with some of the online dealers like Express Video Supply or B&H:

http://www.evsonline.com/

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

There are plenty of JVC consumer electronics products in retail stores. Their MiniDV camcorders come to mind. Sears sells their combo VHS/DVD recorder in large numbers. Their M100 DVD recorder is priced too high to sell in the current market, so retailers don't have any interest in stocking it. You don't see the 9911 S-VHS machine anywhere because there is no demand in meaningful numbers for high quality VCR's anymore. Only us video hobbyist types are interested in something like that, and our numbers are very small.

[anitract]

I can believe a lot of what is being said about the 9911u. Actually, from my own personal experience working with JVC tech & customer support to solve my SR-V101US problem I would absolutely say that the company making the machines today is not same company that earned so much respenct with their earlier professional models. Perhaps with areas outside of VCRs they are better though. Who knows...?

Anyway, if the 9911u was still being sold I probably would have purchased it since I was just in the market for a new one. Fortunately for me (and thanks to an AWESOME forum member) I was able to secure a 9500u for a great price. I hope my expectations are well-met.

[lordsmurf]

Their M100 DVD recorder is priced too high to sell in the current market, so retailers don't have any interest in stocking it.

Fry's for $250. Same price as most others. Got mine for $235 because box was ripped open (but unit was never "opened" or used). The one that nobody carries is the JVC DR-M30H. Then again, few HDD DVD recorders can be found in stores.

[gshelley61]

Their M100 DVD recorder is priced too high to sell in the current market, so retailers don't have any interest in stocking it.

Fry's for $250. Same price as most others. Got mine for $235 because box was ripped open (but unit was never "opened" or used). The one that nobody carries is the JVC DR-M30H. Then again, few HDD DVD recorders can be found in stores.

Yes, but I meant in comparison to other current entry level offerings from Pioneer, Panasonic and Toshiba that can now be purchased in the $135-$175 range. Even the highly over-rated Sony RDR-GX315 can be bought for less than $200. I imagine JVC will be introducing a more competitively priced entry level unit soon, since the M100 is last year's model. Same goes for their hard drive unit.

[lordsmurf]

Oh, yeah, JVC lacks super-cheap versions. But they've historically been that way anyhow, concentrating more on the prosumers and professionals. Which I guess is what you were saying all along.

The JVC DVD/VCR units are easy to find, Best Buy still has them. In fact, last time I was in Best Buy, it seems ALL they had were DVD/VCR combos, almost zero DVD recorders without the VCR, except for a couple of super-cheap units from LiteOn and Cyberhome.

I've never seen anything above a JVC 4000 series in a store. The mid and high end units were always from special or mail-orderr stores only, like B&H. The closest I ever saw was Fry's and CompUSA selling the D-VHS units.

[gshelley61]

The combo units are real popular with the general public. Actually, the DVD recorder in the JVC MV5 combo is identical to the M100... I think you can get one of those for less than $200 these days. Used and open box MV5's go for less than $150 on eBay all the time. The VHS in it is not too bad... it has a much better playback picture than the VCR in the (again) highly over-rated and much more expensive Sony RDR-VX515. The Sony's VCR has terrible chroma noise.