Hey Woodman...

[Resident Loser]

...if you get the opportunity, could you give me any recs on a dedicated VHS hifi stereo vcr(preferred) or a dvd/vcr combo...my old Sony is starting to act up after only eight years of constant abuse!...imagine that...

jimHJJ(...thanx...)

[woodman]

...if you get the opportunity, could you give me any recs on a dedicated VHS hifi stereo vcr(preferred) or a dvd/vcr combo...my old Sony is starting to act up after only eight years of constant abuse!...imagine that...

jimHJJ(...thanx...)

OK, Jim. First off, resist the temptation to buy any "combo unit" - whether a DVD/VCR combo, or a VCR/TV combo, or any other combo product. They're bad news, in that the ways that they're designed render them virtually impossible to service should the need arise.

For dedicated VHS-HiFi stereo VCRs, it's pretty much of a crapshoot in today's market. That product category has dropped down the scale to the point where today, it's become a "commodity product" ... meaning (in very plain English) ... "how cheap can we make one?" I'm using a Sony that I bought about 3 years ago at Sears for around $150. It's been bullet-proof (so far), and the performance has been nothing short of outstanding! Whether or not that can be construed as a recommendation is impossible to say, but considering the state of affairs in that market segment, I'd probably go for another of the same brand and type if and when I had to.

Good luck -

[Resident Loser]

...for your input...that's pretty much my take on things...

The only reason the "combo" units even entered the picture was due to the fact they seem to be what the manufacturers are producing and retailers are selling...stand alone VCRs are in the minority(if my surfing is any indicator)...

My guess was they are trying to get folks to buy DVDs, so these things are an attempt to bridge the techno-gap and a hedge against the dying technology...Unlike the audio-only gear, there seems to be a "kinder, gentler" transition, not the immediate "no more vinyl" mindset the media producers adopted with CDs...I guess John Q. and Mary Public might be a little miffed if they couldn't play the tapes they made in lieu of Super 8 movies over the years...which, in my mind, reveals further the gullibility of the "audiophile" types...but that's just the way my sick, twisted mind works I guess...

My wife(the main user) uses the VCR for time-shifting and commercial zapping(God bless FF)...Unfortunately, I have a small eclectic collection of videos(classical performances and classic movies)...when the technology is finally deemed dead, I will have to make contingency plans

All things being equal, it's a toss-up between stickin' w/Sony or goin' to JVC...I suppose I'll base it more on warranty period, features and unit color...

jimHJJ(...have a good one!...)