Any V.C.R. "fans"?

[Jeffhs]

Mitsubishi VCR remotes/manuals

I have a Mits HS-U69 that I picked up recently from the SA here. I am looking for the remote and manuals for it, but I've gotten sniped a few times on both.

Can you use a universal remote with your Mitsubishi VCR? The better ones are as good as the stock controllers, and if you use one you can have control of your entire home-entertainment system, not just the VCR. I use an All For One universal remote with my own modest entertainment system, but am considering eventually getting a Philips learning remote so I can use it with my CyberHome DVD player (the All For One controller will not operate this player). One other problem I am still having with the All for One is that I cannot seem to find setup codes for my Aiwa stereo system. The one code that works at all only allows the remote to turn the system on and off--no other functions. It works well with everything else, however, except the DVD.

As to manuals, have you checked with Mitsubishi on its web site? Depending on how old your unit is, they might have the manual in downloadable PDF format. While I wouldn't try this if your VCR was made 30 years ago (!), I would think manuals for most fairly recent units, made in the last 10-15 years or so, would be available online at Mitsu's website. Can't recall the URL off the top of my head. I want to say it's mitsubishi.com, but I'm not at all sure if that's correct.

Good luck and very kind regards,

 

[VinylHanger]

I just picked up a Mitsu HS-413UR because the video store across the street has a huge selection of rare and foreign films, most of which are on tape. And because it has a ton of features under the drop down panel. I love this VCR. It weighs as much as some of my receivers. Very well built. We use it more than the DVD player lately.

 

[uofmtiger]

I really don't see the sense in spending hundreds of dollars on TiVo, which also requires a subscription fee, when very good DVD/VCR combo players are available these days for less, in many cases under $200. (I recently saw Emerson VCRs at Big Lots priced at $23.88, and combo VCR/DVD players for only about $30 or so more.) A VCR does basically the same thing as TiVo except, of course, TiVo is digital whereas VCRs are, always have been and always will be analog devices.

There is a big difference between VCRs and Tivo. The hard drive based system is very easy to use and can be programmed to record your favorite shows for an entire season at a touch of a button. You can also tell it to record all shows or tell it to skip the repeats. The Directv Tivo (which is the one I have) can record two programs at once and I can watch a pre-recorded program at the same time. I can watch a show from the beginning while it is still recording (great for football). I can go on vacation, record every show I want for the week and not worry about running out of tape.

The main thing is convenience.

Don't get me wrong, for archiving the VCR is better than Tivo (which is why I have both). However, if I had to give up the VCR or the Tivo, the decision would be very easy. The amount of time you spend buying tapes, setting up programs to record each week, labeling the tapes, changing out the tapes, etc...I am doing nothing but enjoying the shows I have on Tivo.

 

[Micropassatman]

I agree UOFM,

Tivo is king of the video hill as far as convenience goes. The VCR is a vintage slice of nostalgia from my past - a machine that represents the first change in home television viewing via a time-shift. It allowed us to rent and/or buy motion pictures at our own liesure, as well as record television when and how we wanted to. In a way it was us giving a collective 'finger' to the programmers at the big networks, who had jockeyed our viewing preferences around to suit their ratings. Hi-Fi VCRs also brought Dolby Pro Logic software into our newly assembled home theaters. I am still thankful for its existence, and it will remain as a presence in my home theater, in some incarnation, as long as I can keep 'em running. I may even buy a D-VHS unit sometime soon.

 

[mg196]

I still use a VCR, but only to record cartoons for my son. VHS is a dead format. Period. Yes, people will continue using them and blank tapes will still be made, but around me, all of the major rental chains (Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc) no longer stock VHS. If I really need to watch a show, I just download it from a file-sharing site and watch it in pristine quality on either my computer on on my DVD player.

VCR's will still be produced for some time, but they are DEAD. Hey, cassette decks are still made, but who doesn't believe the cassette is a dead format? Outside of vintage/audiophile cirles, ZERO.

I have yet to invest in TIVO, but am anxious to toss my VCR in the trash.

Actually, the only thing I want to have a VCR for is to watch the original Star Wars trilogy without any added special effects. George LucASS won't release the original, non-remastered versions on DVD.

 

[madpioneer]

Way back my VCR's helped me to catch all my favorite shows, 'Friday's', 'Sledgehammer', David Letterman. I worked odd hours from 4 in the afternoon until 12 midnite so my vcr was a good friend in the 80's. I do not watch any TV these days and Tivo would be useless for me. I do have a DVD recorder with a 80 gig hard drive, but I use that to archive rare Laserdiscs and give to friend's.
Money has been tight but I missed out on this beauty that would ahave fit into my setup nicely. A PIONEER S-VHS VH-930!!

 

[colortrakker]

Speaking VCR here what the heck happened to the dissappearing recording speed EP or LP 4 hour mode?

JVC never sanctioned LP as part of the VHS format. One of the higher-uppy from JVC was actually quoted as calling LP "the bastard stepchild" of the format. Basically it was a bad compromise between SP and EP, where you got the quality of EP with less capacity (4 hours sted 6).

And plain ol' VHS was bad enough on SP, which is why I switched to S in 1996 and haven't looked back. I still have my original JVC HR-S5200U, and an HR-S7600U S-VHS-ET deck.

 

[Cleve]

As soon as I saw how clear, sharp, and superior the DVD picture was to that of my Panasonic HiFi VCR, I pulled the plug and never looked back. And that's using an old 1994 vintage "big screen" without the benefit of progressive scan. I can only imagine how *good* the picture would be with a set capable of using prog. scan.

Got tons of pre-recorded VHS tapes I never play, though.

 

[uofmtiger]

VCR's will still be produced for some time, but they are DEAD.

I agree that it is dead, but I will keep mine around for a while. It is the only way to record HD programming off of premium channels that are flagged to record once. Also, the Dtheater tapes in HD will blow away the picture quality of any DVD player that is out now. When and if they come out with an HD DVD recorder that can archive "flagged" HD television programming, I will probably rarely use the VCR. However, the VCR I have right now is still the best way to capture HDTV and also move it to a computer if I want. :thmbsp:

As a disclaimer, the HD VCR (DVHS) is not dead because it was never alive to begin with. However, I do not really care what the "public" uses, I buy things for my own needs.

 

[Telecolor 3007]

You can find now cheap studio V.H.S. casettes - rented in the past, but God knows in what V.C.R.'s they runed.

 

[Cosmic]

...Still have my Sony Hi-Fi VHS; I kept it first off because I had no other recorder (although I still have a Sony Hi-Fi Betamax as well, with some old episodes of 'Cop Rock' somewhere, LoL.)

Now I have gotten a Panasonic VHS/DVD recorder combo which is nice for transferring to DVD and for recording DVD-RWs off the air. Still don't have HiDef so it looks fine on my 27-inch.
The Pana has upscaling built in, so it should survive reasonably well on a big screen, come the day.


Best,
C.

 

[Lady Ayeka]

i have a mitsubishi HS-413UR (1987) and a sony SLV-R5UC (1990) the R5 needs work, but the 413UR i found at a salvation army a year and a half ago in NEAR MINT condition for $14.00. i tested it and there was perfect audio but the picture was pure snow. the employee was going to chalk it off and haul it in the back. it was the most beautiful VCR i had yet seen with the exception of the HS-U70 so i offered $10 with intention to get it serviced. i got home and opened it up and found something rattling around when i turned it upside-down. the guide pin for one of the arms that draws the tape to position came out of it's mounting! i put it back and it has been a champ since! it has outstanding variable speed slow motion FX that absolutely blows away the quasar that my mother hand chose in 1984 for it's slow FX since she handycammed dog shows and wanted to observe corgi movement in slo-mo. anyway, i am convinced that 1985-1989 mitsu VCRS are the best VCRS ever designed and i am currently looking for a HS-U70 & HS-U80. the two best units period. by the way, i recommend anyone who finds a 413UR with snow-vision to CHECK THE GUIDE PINS! (ADDENDUM, 1/12/08 as of 1/11/08 i now own a mint condition gun metal colored front panel version HS-U70 with all accessories including the box! only thing missing is the "S-VHS twin digital U70" sticker that goes on the front panel door. if anyone has got a dead U70 and they dont mind sparing the front door plate with that sticker, i sure could use it!) ADDENDUM 2, 4/2/08 i have procured another -U70 off the bay for a song and bummed it's "S-VHS twin digital U70" decal for my mint, gunmetal face U70. it has been to the shop for a overhaul and is now a complete, fully functional reference piece. i will eventually get a thread up with many pics!

 

[Gary777]

I've got a all sony stuff, 920, two 998's and a 686 on the bench. Also two d360p's. the d360p's and 998's get used daily, the 920 at least twice a week.

Gary
Macomb, MI

 

[Fred Sanford]

Mits HS-U778 S-VHS
Mits HS-U67 S-VHS

Pro Scan VHS
RCA VR676HF VHS
Some other RCA & Pro Scan VHSs I haven't unpacked yet.

Three typical TiVos, and one with DVD-R. I'll be getting a video capture card soon, too.

A Sony 8MM player around here somewhere, as well.

Lots of home movies & concerts I'll need to archive, just another time consuming project on my list...

je

Oh, yeah, and I think I have two of the remotes Micropassatman was mentioning earlier in this thread, but they both work full-function on my Mits machines so they'll stick around (pic below).

 

[Macdude]

I have a few..

Sony SL-HF300 (Beta HiFi)
Sony SL-HF750 (SuperBeta HiFi, needs work but in mint shape cosmetically)
Panasonic PV-1730 (VHS HiFi)
JVC HR-S7000U (First SVHS HiFi?)

I have a few hundred Beta videotapes that I've made over a few years. I used to record DVD's over to Beta because there is no AGC, therefore I had no macrovision issues. It's amazing how well those tapes hold up, I have some from 1978 that play like they were just recorded. I can't say I plan to change over to anything new in a long time. These VCR's are built much better than the Tivos and DVD/VHS combos of today. I like putting a tape in the front without the whole unit sliding backwards due to it's lack of guts. Iin my opinion there really isn't anything on tv now thats worth the tape (or hard drive space).

In conclusion, yes, I still use it daily.

 

[Bob in STL]

Since before my theater was finished, I told myself I'd never install a VCR in there. I've held true to that promise with the exception of once. I just wanted to see what it would look like on the big screen....
4:3 blown up this big was not flattering to anybody. :sigh:

I'd feel guilty throwing away all these VHS tapes, but can't stand to watch them anymore.

Bob

 

[titanstats]

After my old VCR died, I picked up a nice little Sharp at the thrift for 5 bucks. Thing plays wonderfully (the sound is great!), and to me is still useful for children's movies, cartoons, etc., and for my old racing and hockey tapes that I've never bothered to transfer to DVD. They existed long enough and had enough media made for them that they are a useful device still. I have so many inputs on my TV that I'm not hard done by if I have a nice little VCR hooked up to it.

 

[vinyldavid]

Oh, Yes

I still use my VCR, a LOT. I buy movies at the Goodwill for $2 each and watch them. I also tape stuff and use them as tuners.

LONG LIVE VHS!!!!

 

[caddisgeek]

Still have one for the kids to use, but I got me a HDD DVD player, very handy for recording stuff on the telly to watch later (heaps better than VCR or DVD R)

 

[Bob in STL]

I'd feel guilty throwing away all these VHS tapes, but can't stand to watch them anymore.

I still use my VCR, a LOT. I buy movies at the Goodwill for $2 each and watch them.

David - Sounds like a marriage made in Heaven. :yes:
Whatcha think David? Have I peeked your interest?

Bob ("in St. Louis" too)