VCR Philips with or without AGC?

[kodec]

Does anyone know for sure if this Philips VCR from 1985 already had an AGC?

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/philips_video_recorder_vr6861.html

[hech54]

I'm pretty sure I know what it doesn't have.....video outputs other than TV/Cable outputs. I don't even see any cinch/RCA outputs. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's good.

[kodec]

Wrong

http://www.njuskalo.hr/vhs-video/vhs-videorecorder-philips-hi-fi-stereo-vr-6861-51-oglas-6277674

[hech54]

Wrong

http://www.njuskalo.hr/vhs-video/vhs-videorecorder-philips-hi-fi-stereo-vr-6861-51-oglas-6277674

That's $46 or €32 ?
Is that what makes it good, important, collectible?

[kodec]

I think you can see the price in € on the site? It's 66 €. Well I don't know what makes it collectible for the others except perhaps that it was a first class deck back then and that it looks lovely. All I want to know is if someone here can confirm that it still didn't have the AGC, THAT makes is highly collectible to me.

[hech54]

The best Philips consumer VCRs were the VR-1000, VR-1100 and the VR-1200....they were also sold as JVC models (clones).
After my VR-1000 died, I bought a VR-1100 with built-in TBC......VERY nice machine.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-VHS-Philips-VR-1000-Videorecorder-6-Kopf-TBC-ShowView-TOP-Ge...cAAOSwzgRWzInb
Panasonic machines are also very nice.

[hech54]

I think you can see the price in € on the site? It's 66 €. Well I don't know what makes it collectible for the others except perhaps that it was a first class deck back then and that it looks lovely. All I want to know is if someone here can confirm that it still didn't have the AGC, THAT makes is highly collectible to me.

If your plan is to capture/record with that Philips 6861.....how are you going to connect it to your recorder or capture device? It looks like it only has TV/Cable inputs and outputs for video.

[kodec]

You can see in one of the pics in the ad what's on the rear panel.

EDIT: I know there are better S-VHS videos from 1987 onwards but all those functions you mention mean nothing to me in buying this one, I only want it not to have the AGC It must not even be Philips, it can be any decent video from the 80s that doesn't have it. I posted this one bc the guy who's selling it is in my country and it's very easy for me to buy it.

[hech54]

You can see in one of the pics in the ad what's on the rear panel.

Google Images - Philips VR6861

[kodec]

Why would you Google images when you have that VCR in the ad and pictures of it first hand

[kodec]

This is exhausting, please don't post unless you know the answer to my qeustion. Otherwise I jump like crazy on every email alert from this topic

[hech54]

You can see in one of the pics in the ad what's on the rear panel.

EDIT: I know there are better S-VHS videos from 1987 onwards but all those functions you mention mean nothing to me in buying this one, I only want it not to have the AGC

...and 99% of the people here will need to Google "AGC" because of how unimportant it is. There are some SERIOUS capturing Gurus here, I've been here a VERY long time....and this is the very first time I've seen the term "AGC" mentioned here.
You are looking for an excuse to buy a cheap VCR that is near you with cheap shipping charges. I'm fine with that....but whoever told you that "pre-AGC" VCRs are better than a newer VCR that may or may not have something called "AGC" is an idiot and you should smack him in the back of the head....

[kodec]

No man, you're completely off target jumping conclusions and it IS very important

Some decent 80s non-AGC VCRs 80s don't mind macrovison, like Panasonic PV-4962 for example. That's the whole point to this. And this decent 1985 Philips smells like it could be another one and I can easily buy it if that's the case. But it could be any other decent 80s model without AGC, as said.

[hech54]

No man, you're completely off target jumping conclusions and it IS very important

Some decent 80s non-AGC VCRs 80s don't mind macrovison, like Panasonic PV-4962 for example. That's the whole point to this. And this decent 1985 Philips smells like it could be another one and I can easily buy it if that's the case. But it could be any other decent 80s model without AGC, as said.

I've been in Europe for over 10 years, and have been capturing /recording video for longer than that(in both USA and Europe)....I have NEVER had a "Macrovision" problem capturing or recording via SCART.......ever.
Have I just been lucky for 10 years?
Again....someone is feeding you some wrong information.

[Skiller]

A non-AGC VCR can record a Macrovision protected VHS playing in another VCR. It does not remove Macrovision – it just isn't triggered by it.
But why would anyone need this in 2016?

[JVRaines]

Does anyone know for sure if this Philips VCR from 1985 already had an AGC?

Here is the service manual, in case you're handy with circuit diagrams (I'm not).

[lordsmurf]

You are looking for an excuse to buy a cheap VCR that is near you with cheap shipping charges. I'm fine with that....but whoever told you that "pre-AGC" VCRs are better than a newer VCR that may or may not have something called "AGC" is an idiot and you should smack him in the back of the head....

Agreed.

This whole thread is a "WTF?" for me.

If you have anti-copy issues (NOT just Macrovision!), then get a TBC. Don't buy POS VCR.

AGC = auto gain control. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_gain_control

This is (mostly) what anti-copy manipulates, by creates artificial/fake video errors. The purpose of a TBC is to remove all signal errors, be they fake or actual. Some anti-copy f's up the signal so much that even a TBC cannot repair it. Having a non-AGC unit isn't going to 100% cure anti-copy issues either. When Macrovision first came out, there were issues with pre-AGC units playing the tapes well.

Trivia: Rovi owns (or has owned) more than Macrovision, and some of it may surprise you. For example: MainConcept from 2011-2014.

[kodec]

Smurf, I have posted an ad in your original forum couple of weeks back to buy an external full frame TBC but you still didn't authorized it, and now you don't have to because meanwhile I have found and bought a simple remover that actually works . It costs 55 €, mine was used for 30 € and it's worth every cent. In case anyone wants to try it PM me and I'll tell you the name of the device.

And I don't need the thing from the first post, thank you all.