Dirt cheap (in it's time), features (auto tape return, auto repeat, time skip, index search, and quick find), picture, sound, front/rear extra AV inputs, satellite/cable box link, 3 speed recording options (SP/LP/EP), and hi-fi stereo.

Durability (fails to RW/FF, or most other special features after about 6 months), lightweight (indicates build quality), eats tapes (only when trying to ff/rw or using special functions), loses everything even on short power outtages, programming functions require scrolling up/down instead of just punching in numbers, and no other pre-programmed remote appears to be programmed with codes to operate this VCR (it should either register as Funai, Orion, or Memorex as I have seen the other shell and remote at various locations).

If it wasn't for durability I would say that this is the absolute best VCR I've ever owned. I also bought one of these for a friend as a christmas gift (since I borrowed a movie from him almost every week and his stereo VCR went out I thought I sort of owed him) and the same thing happened to him as well.

The wierd part is that they both will still record, ff/rew/slow scan, and play without any problems it isn't until the play heads come off and you try to rapidly rewind or fast forward to use the special features that this thing just all of a sudden eat tapes. If you have an external tape rewinder this is still okay (unless you want to rewind scan to the beginning every time).

The main three features I love about this VCR were the time skip, index search, and quick-find. The time search would allow you to move in minutes forward or reverse on a tape so you can go past commercials ("Politically Correct" in my area had exactly 3 minute commercials so this was very handy) or to go to the nearest moment in minutes on a familiar tape (or you could just 30 minutes from a spot to avoid watching a repeat sitcom for example). Index search would allow you to move from each point of a recorded start time in sequence (lets say on one tape you recorded Star Trek Voyager, Dark Angel, and Politically Correct in this order; if you want to watch Dark Angel you can hit index 2 rewind and it will take you to the start of the Dark Angel recording). Quick find was great for finding out what multiple recording you have on a tape at it goes to each index point and play for 10 seconds then move to the next point (this sometimes is potluck as you will sometimes encounter nothing but commercials).

The satellite/cable box feature allows you to dedicate one of the AV inputs to the control box and when the box comes on it starts recording whatever channel is played at whatever formerly recorded speed it was set on. It is also handy when archiving and condensing tapes as it also allows you to pause the recording as well (to eliminate commercials for storing series).

What shocked a friend of mine and I is how good the recording/playing sound/picture is on this VCR as I have recorded VE and Ultimate Platinum from my DVD player and it doesn't introduce noise to the picture test patterns (if the "Rental" mode isn't turned on which is the same as "Auto Enhance" on some VCRs) and was able to record/play the 20-20k hz sweep patterns as well (some of my friends Sonys, Toshibaes, and Panasoncs couldn't record the higher sweeps though they all could play it). I thought this was pretty good for a budget player.

I still don't recommend buying this unless the extended warranty is cheap and you get a replacement instead of repair service (I bet they're swamped, but then they might not as it lasted long enough to be beyond warranty). The wierd part is that mine is in a house with 3 hepa filters and when I popped off the top the insides were clean (looked like it was new and without dust after 6 months) and nothing was misaligned or out of place. It would not eat any tapes with the cover off but soon as the cover is put on and you try to rewind or fast forward a tape it immediately started to eat it. I wouldn't even recommend having this even if you have a tape rewinder as when this player reaches end of a tape it tries to automatically rewind the tape (thus eating it).

I will have to give this a 2 star at best as it still records and plays tapes but for just a little more money you can buy a VCR from a more reputable company that should last until a recorder with digital audio out comes out for the HD era.

Similar Products Used:

Various Admirals (Sharp clones), Emersons, Toshibaes, Sonys, and Panasonics.