JVC HR-S9500U VCRs
JVC HR-S9500U VCRs
USER REVIEWS
[Mar 17, 2000]
Paul Dushkind
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Performance
Weakness:
Dependibility Background: I bought a store demo at The Good Guys, a JVC 5400 S-VHS deck, and thought I was getting a terrific deal. But the motor was noisy. Similar Products Used: Fisher FVH 960, JVC HR-S5400 |
[Nov 07, 1999]
John Dorn
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Incredible picture quality on regular tape with S VHS turned off. Get's better with ET turned on but you can't loan those tapes to other people without ER! Can't tell a copy from the original! The picture sets a new standard with S VHS on S VHS tape. Sets time itself when you leave the tuner set on PBS station - nice!
Weakness:
Lack of inputs/outputs- 2 in (but one is on the front) 1 output. Sony has 3 and 2. Remote is ugly beige, difficult to figure out, some buttons do double duty depending on where you are. Progamming is impossible by intuition, easy once you read the manual. I agree with what has been said in the other reviews, except you can change tracking from the remote while playing using the up down TV channel channel buttons, which is not clearly labled. Much of the cost of this unit is the editing features for copying home videos onto a new tape that I don't use or need. JVC should have all the picture quality features available without the editing at a lower price. That would be a best seller! It hasn't broken, so I can't say anything about long term reliability. The Sony has been fixed twice! Similar Products Used: Sony 1000, their best unit. Pricy, picture is softer than JVC. Requires expensive S VHS tape which is hard to find. Need to set clock manually after every power failure (frequent where I live). Better remote control though. |
[Nov 19, 1999]
Chris Boylan
Audiophile
Strength:
Good remote with true jog/shuttle, Great picture quality, Good editing features, great tuner.
Weakness:
Cannot advance or reverse frames from RECORD/PAUSE mode, only two inputs (1 on front), TimeScan feature should not be default (annoying). Well here we go again with a JVC VCR. My first JVC SVHS unit (HR-SC1000U) lasted about 3 years of fairly heavy use then died. The picture quality was quite good and build quality was also impressive. I then went with a Sony SLV-R1000U - picture quality not quite as great (but still excellent), and this one has some great features like the most comprehensive jack-pack around (3 A/V inputs complete with S-video jacks on each and 2 A/V outputs). This unit (the Sony) was repaired twice early on in its life, but has been quite solid for the last 3 years and is still in regular service. Similar Products Used: Sony SLV-R1000U, JVC HR-S9400U, JVC HR-SC1000U |
[Jul 21, 1999]
Dat
a Casual Listener
For picture quality, JVC produces some of the best SVHS deck out there, assuming it still worked after the warranty period ended because JVC decks are plagued by poor reliability (including the infamous white-streaks problem).Having said that, I decided to buy the 9500 as an alternate deck to the two Panasonic AG-1980s I was using. In terms of picture quality, the 9500 is decent, slightly better than the Sony SLRV-1000 but not nearly as good as the AG-1980. The TBC and digital DN do improve the picture quality and the SVHS ET is nice, but not a replacement for true SVHS tapes. The slow-motion is very good, but the rewinding is quite noisy. |
[Jun 02, 1999]
F Kim
an Audio Enthusiast
Just purchased it over the weekend after looking at various JVC, Sony and Panasonic VCRs. The final decision was betweeen the 7500 and 9500. The 7500 has the same features except for JLIP (computer interface)and it was priced $200(CDN) dollars less. I said to the salesman that I'd buy the 9500 because it has feet and the 7500 didn't. Funny but true... I think the 9500 has decent build quality, better than any VCR except for the top of the line Sony S-VHS which is twice the price. |
[Jun 20, 1999]
Gerry Reiss
a Casual Listener
The JVC HR-S9500U has some great technical features, from 400 line recording ability onto regular VHS tape (when using a satellite dish TV signal source)to professional editing features. In my case, the downside was the unit I received had a defective tape transport mechanism, so the videotape jammed in the machine. Great technology but no quality control, which is why JVC, the developer of VHS, is a niche VCR manufacturer. The recording quality of my now-repaired JVC VCR is super - the video stabilization circuitry does a great job. The tape transport mechanism still is not near as smooth as previous VCRs I have had. So the potential buyer has to weigh the many advantages of this unit, including commercial advance and S-VHS quality recordings on regular VHS tape against a relatively high price, questionable quality control and time spent learning the specialized features of the JVC HR-S9500U. These are the sort of decisions that make life aggravating when problems occur with a purchase. When buying this unit, make sure you know the vendor's return policy. |
[Jun 21, 1999]
Dennis Blejer
an Audio Enthusiast
I have had the S9500 for over a month now and I'm very satisfied. I got it from an Internet sources for less than $500 and sold my old VCR for $100 so I did very well. I wanted it because I recently installed DSS (DirecTV) and wanted to be able to record without loss of video resolution. The results have been perfect on SVHS tape and less so on VHS tape (as expected). The audio is excellent. The VCR's digital comb filter is an improvement over the analog comb filter in my TV. I can't comment on all the features since I don't use many of them and have no intentions of editing. As a basic SVHS VCR it is superb. It looks good (champagne finish) but its build quality could be better.See the review in Video magazine where the reviewer considered it to the VCR of the year. |
[Jul 03, 1999]
lee scherer
a Casual Listener
The first one came out of the box with dirty heads (!). Took it back, got another. Good machine, video is a bit noisy but the 9500 flew through Video Essentials with solid stable colors. I checked out other brands but the JVC was cleary sharper. You can record SVHS on regular vhs tape, but if you want the best recording, from a laser disk or satellite, use SVHS tape. The remote is the most complete since the 6700, as far as I know. JVC's transports have always had quirks and need regular maintenance via Aurora, Il, but I use them a lot and vcrs are a clunky amalgam of plastic gears, rubber bands and occassional pieces of metal. Those high rpm Malaysian motors really let you know where it was built, I buried mine behind extra plexiglass as it does run loud. Bottom line, I like it. |
[Jul 11, 1999]
Anthony Beaty
an Audio Enthusiast
I have had this VCR for a few months now. The picture quality is terrific. I have it hooked up using s-video through my Audio/Visual Receiver eventually to my TV. The sound is also great (although this has a lot more to do with my home theatre system than the VCR). |
[Aug 15, 1999]
Norm Strong
an Audio Enthusiast
The JVC 9500 has as good a picture as you'll find anywhere; certainly as good as any of the other 4 S-VHS VCRs that I own. Playback is especially good, since it has a noise reduction system. After a year of ownership, I have discovered all its good and bad points. I'll simply list them: |