zenith VRD530HF VCR
 

I now this is pretty rare VCR and the are not known to be reliable but to some collector this would be very neat find. The link will be removed once the item is gone.





link removed

Looks like the control door is missing.

Oh my god, I've wanted one of these for ages! I'm heartbroken they don't ship to Canada.

This is the first time I've seen this form factor. Do you know anything about the reasons for it? Also, is it VHS?

They had a console TV with a pocket on the side that housed it.

It's a regular VHS VCR. As dishdude mentioned, Zenith had a console TV that this slid into (see attached ad)

What makes it unique is not only does it accept the tape sideways (similar to the Zenith VR-1825, VR-2300, VR-3300 and JVC HR-D470U of the previous year) but the entire VCR is also turned on its side to be vertical. I've heard that this vertical orientation affected the reliability of the mechanism, but the cool factor is why I want it.

As far as I know, there was only 2 VCRs ever made like this. This VRD-530HF and the VRD-230 (same but no Hi-Fi...probably an even rarer model). Like the other Zenith VCRs of this time period they were made by JVC.

I have Zenith VR-1825 VCR wich aslo came with the the original remote. The remote takes 7k67 battery. I got the VCR from shop goodwill for about $35 including shipping. I did nothing to VCR it just worked. Need to get idler if I can because the one in it that does work is starting to crack. The other rubber parts like the pinch roller and belts are in very good shape. Electronically the VCR is in great condition. I did remove the super capacitor so it doesn't leak. The VCR is a lot better then funai VCR from the early 2000s and funai VCR had one of the worst performing VCR I have heard in terms audio and picture quality. The VCR was like that new. I do now funai stuff after 1990 is pretty junk and I don't go after them but this one was like new and it was given to me free.

It shame the don't ship to Canada. It would be nice if someone one in from USA could receive the item then send it on to you. The cost would probably be expensive though.

Nice! I have a Zenith VR-2300 and besides the novelty of the tape loading sideways, it has fantastic picture! Mine just had a voltage supply issue for the VFD, but once that was fixed it works great! JVC VCRs from that time seem to be the gold standard for VHS picture quality.

Yeah, the shipping from US to Canada is definitely not cheap. Still tempting for something like this.

...also this model was named the "Sidekick" which fits perfectly.

The HQ standard had 3 or 4 different picture improving components, however after pushback from other manufacturer they reduced it to 2. JVC kept the full original standard on their machines.

That would explain a lot. Most of the VCRs I experienced growing up were made by Panasonic/Matsushita and while they were generally pretty solid and reliable, I am blown away by the quality difference of the JVC units from the same era.

I had a VCR like that once that someone that I used to go to church with gave me, I believe it was the HI-FI Stereo Version of that VCR.

The issue was that the loading mechanism started acting up on mine and so I had to get rid of it, which sucked because it had a really nice quality picture and audio.