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#76
12-22-2012, 03:59 PM
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At least some of those JCPenney VCRs were made by Matsushita Panasonic. They would come into the shop out of warranty, usually with worn out heads and other wearing parts from heavy usage. Many had switching mode power supplies which when one went dead was probably the final blow. By that time VCRs were being sold at grocery and drug stores cheaper than you could rebuild one, so out with the old, in with the new.
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#77
12-22-2012, 04:57 PM
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#78
12-22-2012, 05:42 PM
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#79
12-23-2012, 02:53 PM
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I've never been big into just sitting and watching tapes but I used it mainly for archival purposes of stuff I figured I'd never see again. Case in point is WMC in Memphis had the last live wrestling program in the nation. I recorded some of its last incarnation (Power Pro Wrestling) on tape and then when it died, Jerry Lawler, along with Jimmy Hart, Dave Brown and Lance Russell, hosted clips of classic matches entitled Memphis Classic Wrestling. I recorded 4 tapes of that but other than that, it sat dormant. Came in one day to use it and it was DOA. Quite a good machine and I hated to part with it but I knew it would be an arm and a leg to repair it IF I could find someone to do it even.
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#80
07-17-2013, 02:23 PM
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  or  TECHNICS vcr   and sanyo+fisher ARE the same origin  ALSO superDIGIFINE JVC VCR Last edited by Visual; 07-28-2013 at 09:17 AM.
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#81
07-17-2013, 04:35 PM
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I can honestly say I have repaired every brand listed, except maybe Electrohome, substitute "Video Concepts" that were made by Mitsvbishi in it's place and that list would be 100%. Pretty accurate rating, but surprised all the pre-'83 Panasonic-Quasar-RCA top-loaders with burned out sensor bulbs and TU clutch-arm ass'ys that would shut off in mid-tape, Pana's first front-loaders that would literally burn out FL motors and melt the R side FL frame from the heat, and later G chassis + SMPS VCRs that had pretty high mechanical and electrical failures from a technician's viewpoint, didn't pull down their rating.
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#82
04-17-2020, 03:41 AM
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1980s VHS VCR 15-year median reliability data (1978-1993)...
(...UPDATE... as of 2021 year with new methodology used, and every VHS VCR brands listed from each OEM...)
Based on nearly 2,500,000 responses total to Consumer Reports' 1983 to 1993 Annual Questionnaires. Readers were asked about any repairs to VCRs bought new between 1978 and 1993. All are VHS format. Data have been standardized to eliminate differences among brands due solely to age and how much the VCRs were used. FEWER-REPAIRS <<<<<
MORE-REPAIRS (*) not listed, estimation only Last edited by waltchan; 10-27-2020 at 10:48 AM.
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#83
04-20-2020, 02:01 AM
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Interesting list, but one factor it could not take into account, and I am not sure how it could even verify, is the year and/or model number you purchased a particular brand.
For instance, the 1st VCR we had in our household was a Panasonic purchased in 1985. It finally crapped out around 1996. After 1996 we purchased 3 more Panasonics at Kmart, all of which lasted at most 3 years. Thus, all 4 VCRs purchased were Panasonics, 3 lasted 3 years at most (probably on average 2-2.5 yrs) and the other lasted 10-11 years. Obviously, the later build VCRs were much cheaper in price and build quality. As I recall the 1985 Panasonic cost $450, and the latter 90s Panasonics were in the $90-$120 range. Lastly, I will say that JVC SVHS VCRs have the best durability of anything I have seen, even though they are #4 on this list. Most of the ones I still use were made 1998-2002 (way into the cheaper build period of these VCRs) and still work great now, even with nearly daily use. To add to that point, I have purchased all these VCRs already used at thrift stores so they have had years of mileage on them already.
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#84
05-04-2020, 07:12 PM
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I don't know about relaibilty, but I got for free a non-used "Panasonic" V.C.R. that is about 28 years old and it worked!
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#85
05-06-2020, 02:46 AM
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IIRC, In the mid-1980s, ITT designed an all
digital signal processing chip set for VHS VCRs. AFAIK, this (type) of chip set was never used, it seems like it could have simplified VHS VCRs (circuit design and component count) and may have provided audio and video NR. BTW, I buy Panasonic VHS VCRs at thrift shops to record from Antenna TV, Comet TV, Cozi TV, MeTV etc. The VCRs are in use several hours most days (SLP speed), my oldest in a PV-945H, built about 21 years ago. Kirk Bayne
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#86
08-08-2020, 12:26 PM
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Great Thread.
Lately, I have been buying up all of the Panasonic PV-8661 VHS VCRs I can find. They are some of the last to be made in Japan, and while they are later plastic cased machines, they are repairable and still of a pretty high quality build.
Of the "real" battleship VHS decks, my personal tape collection has been played on 80s JVCs for many years now. they are typically heavy and solid with a fantastic picture. I've even installed a new head unit on a HR-7100 just because I wanted to save it! Not exactly cost-effective, but it had the original wired remote and manuals, so I minted it out. I use it on my Blonder-Tongue over air analog setup. What I find interesting is how some of the very last VHS decks can really have superior pix quality (due to the addition of VHS-HQ standard with better luminance extension, and the smaller headgap of 19-micron head), but the build quality is that of a toy. Zero (or near zero) reliability of the mechs in the 2000s decks. So, some of the 90s stuff is the best of both for me.
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#87
08-08-2020, 02:55 PM
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I had a power supply go bad on a Panasonic PV-4101 from 1991 yesterday. I've seen it talked about that a common thing that was repaired on Matsushita VCRs from that time period was the power supply.
Looks like I'll have to get a new one (I unfortunately do not have the expertise to replace caps or circuits). I use VCRs as part of one of my secondary hobbies of capturing and posting old home video logos and commercials.
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#88
08-21-2020, 02:00 AM
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Quote:
Last edited by waltchan; 08-21-2020 at 11:09 AM.
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#89
08-21-2020, 02:01 AM
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#90
10-27-2020, 12:28 AM
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UPDATE: I downgraded Akai's VCR reliability rating from #5 to #8 (based on estimation only), because the carriage cassette loading gear had a much higher failure rate than I anticipated, especially the 1988-1990 models. The idler tire was also very troublesome in 1985-1986 models that inserts tape at the right side. Also, I've decided to add Fisher at #5 for models 1988 models and newer, because they were identical with same mechanism to Sanyo brand, after intense reesarch.
The only credit on the Akai was that the loading motor used a nylon-teeth polystyrene belt instead of rubber belt in 1986-1987 models, with tape inserted at the left side (called MBK-19 mechanism), so, overall, I think Akai was still one-point better on reliability than Sharp, based on my most accurate judgment and repair experience. Overall, 1986-1987 Akai VCR models with MBK-19 mechanism was the most-reliable and best-seller, but had a sometimes problem with the plastic gear arm breaking (to open top cover of VHS tape) on the tape-insert mechanism. But the plastic gear arm lasted a little longer than Sharp's MBK-15 idler tire for the first 10 years. Last edited by waltchan; 10-27-2020 at 11:04 PM.
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