Bought a brand new 1993 Hitachi VCR today.

[Eric H]

I found this VCR today, the box had been opened but I'm pretty sure it has never been used, there's not a mark on it, cords still wrapped, it still smells like new and the original batteries are still in their plastic bag taped to the packing.

This was originally sold in Germany apparently at the Sembach Base Exchange, sale price, $519!

It has the two prong Euro style plug on it but it's multi voltage and it came with an adapter for the U.S. style 110 outlet. I plugged it in before I bought it to see if it was at least alive and it powered right on, the fluorescent display is bright and clear and the tape door drops down when you hit the eject button so I'm guessing it'll work.

The same store had another Hitachi VCR in the original box and it was a more deluxe model that would play anything from American NTSC to SECAM.
It had seen some light use, there were fingerprints on the plastic and the window on the remote had come loose.
I found three issues of Playboy from 1990 stashed under the VCR when I took it out to look at it, some Serviceman no doubt smuggled them back when he came home.

They also had a NIB or near NIB 20"Hitachi TV from the same batch that they also found some Playboys hidden in the box.

[Eric H]

Here it is out of the box and working, playing some horrible Pia Zadora movie (redundant statement).

For all it's NIB coolness it's still a pretty basic VCR, I would have preferred the other one, more features, a bit older but it was used and more expensive.

It has one feature called Quasi S-VHS, it'll play S-VHS tapes but only at standard definition. It also has 5 heads and an Edit feature.

[zenith2134]

that's a beautiful find. re: Quasi-SVHS, does it include a Y/C SVideo output jack? My aunt and uncle had a Sharp Quasi SVHS at one time which did.. Seems kind of overkill, since the tapes would be played back at VHS resolution.

[ChrisW6ATV]

S-video is just as worthwhile with regular VHS (or Beta) as it is with Super VHS. Usually a big improvement.

[Eric H]

This thing doesn't even have S-Video.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I am not surprised. S-video seemed to be only used on the true Super-VHS machines (and ED Beta VCRs as well).

[compu_85]

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

S-video is just as worthwhile with regular VHS (or Beta) as it is with Super VHS. Usually a big improvement.

I was amazed at how much of a difference this makes. The standard VHS tapes I've digitized on an SVHS deck look really great!

-J

[Electronic M]

SVHS is an analog format as is WVHS. If you want to record with a digital tape format you need to get a DVHS deck.

[NJRoadfan]

I'm surprised they made SQPB VHS decks back in 1993, I've only seen it on late 90s decks before this. The feature was really intended to allow folks with SVHS-C camcorders to view their tapes on their standard VHS deck. Note its "Quasi" because although they play, the SVHS tapes only output at VHS quality.