Need advice on new Panny VCR

[sweetmate]

Ok folks, my lovely old Panny NV-HD100B, that has stood with me through thick and thin, is finally on its way to the big VCR skip in the sky

So I need some advice on replacing it:

I'm down to the Panasonic NVHS825BS and the NVHS870BS.

the 825 is £208 from QED-UK and the 870 is £287.

the only difference i can see from the Panasonic site is the 870 has "Deluxe Easy Guide On Screen Display" and "One touch edit with control LANC" which aren't listed for the 825.

Anyone know if the 825 is from an older range or a newer one?

Any advice from people who have bought one of these? And no I wouldnt consider a Sony (image too soft) or a JVC (short life span in my experience).

And as a sidenote, anyone bought a VCR from qed.uk.com? if so what do you think and what kind of courier do they send stuff by?

Cheers.

The 825 is a new model like the 870.

Difference is that the 870 has:-

-3D NOISE REDUCTION
-ONE-TOUCH EDIT AND INSERT EDIT

Sorry can't help with the QED-UK question. But the 825 is reviewed in this months what video & tv if you haven't seen it.

Waited 6 months for the 825 to become available only to find it can't accept svideo inputs via its scarts so I'm looking more towards the JVC 7860.

But what of this jvc's have short life span?

[sweetmate]

Originally posted by gary_cheshire
The 825 is a new model like the 870.

Difference is that the 870 has:-

-3D NOISE REDUCTION
-ONE-TOUCH EDIT AND INSERT EDIT

The 825 has insert edit too, but not one touch edit or 3D noise reduction which i guess I can live without..

Originally posted by gary_cheshire
But the 825 is reviewed in this months what video & tv if you haven't seen it.

Nope, haven't seen it, can u sum up the review?

Originally posted by gary_cheshire
But what of this jvc's have short life span?

I know 2 people with JVC's and they both wore out pretty quick. After about 2 years, neither would track HI-FI audio channels very well. They had that characteristic trrtrtrrrrr sound that my old Panny has now developed (after 7 years of abuse) since I tried to get it serviced last month.

[Paul G]

Have you tried any of the most recent sony vcr's? Their £150 model that I tried had one of the sharpest pictures that I've seen on a standard vhs machine.

[sweetmate]

Ok well I went for it, and got my shiny new Panasonic 825 today,...... and all I can say is,.....

well they don't make em like they used to.

It's not terrible, but its not great. It seems really light and flimsy, and the picture is really grainy. There is no manual audio level adjustment, so everything has that compressed clipping sound to it. The soft/sharp setting is not a slider, it just has 3 settings: soft,(which is really soft and blurry), Auto (which is really grainy) and Sharp (which is horrendously grainy!)

It also seems to have a horrible boosting of the contrast, that makes the image very unnatural.

Overall, everything I watch looks like Band of Brothers! Really grainy with stark contrasts!

The display has a CVC light lit (that auto tape-quality sensing rubbish which I remember disabling on a friends panasonic drastically improved the picture). Anyone know how to disable the bugger?

I also cannot find a tape which gives watchable recordings with the SVHS ET mode. I have many very high quality tapes, and recording results in ET mode are very unimpressive. (ie worse than VHS)

Overall I'm not impressed. The only better models in Panny's range are the 870 (which has the same manual and the only extra features seem to be the 3D NR, Adjustable Rec audio Levels, and a LANC socket) and the 970.

If this is the quality level of the 2nd/3rd top machine in the Panasonic range, I get the impression that some DVD consortium is paying manufacturers on the side to produce progressively worse VCR's to make the public never want to use VHS again!!!!

[Paul G]

Basically I think the more expensive vcr's use the exact same components as the cheaper models in the range. Your just paying more for the add on features. Personally I wouldn't part with more than £150 myself.


Well I've had my say......

So Paul G,

As sweetmate doesn't sound too happy with this panny , what Sony model do you have?

and does it allow you to at a press of a button record for a set time length ie 30mins, 1hr, 1.5hrs etc?

[Paul G]

Actually I don't have a Sony VCR. MY point was regarding picture quality! As far as I'm concerned you can spend as little as £150 on a standard nicam vcr and get a picture that's as good as a more expensive machine with extra features.
Unless you want to buy a SVHS machine of course.

No offence was meant.

none was taken.

I have been thinking about a new svhs vcr for a long time, but can't seem to make my mind up on which one to go for!!

Gary

[timhum]

Hi Sweetmate,
I don't suppose you still have the remote for the pany do you? My remote has died and I would be pleased to send you a cheque for your one if it is still around.
Contact me off line on tim@timhumphries.com if you can help.
All the best,
Tim

[Cynthia 7]

Hi Tim,

I have just e-mailed you in case sweetmate doesn't have his remote now.

[sweetmate]

Will have a look for it and get back to you.