Quasar VHS VCR - built like a tank

[Snade]

The local thrift has a Quasar VCR, I did not write down the model number.

It's big, about 5 inches high and deep, silver / gray color, tape loads from the top, it has VHF / UHF tuner knobs in front and all kinds of buttons and dials. No remote, I think it was designed with no remote. Looks really solid, almost like a studio video taper player.

May be a good match with my early 80's Trinitron.

Did Quasar make good VCRs back in the day ? I'm guessing it's early 80's but not sure.

Cheers, Snade

[andy]

Quasar was just a Panasonic brand at that point, so that's actually a Panasonic VCR. They weren't bad, but those early top loading VCRs tended to have too many belts and other rubber parts. They were also sluggish and lacked a lot of features. Panasonic VCRs were much more reliable in the 1984-1986 time frame. Their only problem was bad caps in the switching power supply.

[mhardy6647]

Quasar was just a Panasonic brand at that point

Quasar = Panasonic =Technics= Matsushita. The former three were all brand names used by the latter. They also used the name "National" at one point, not to be confused with US National (who made some nice 'boatanchor' radios).

[MRX37]

I've never come across a top loading VCR that worked right. Admittedly, I've only come across three of them, but I think they switched to the other design for a reason.

Every top loading VCR I found though had a perfect tuner section.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Before you buy it, make sure it is a VHS-format machine, with the VHS logo typically on the tape-loading slot cover. If the tape slot appears to accept the cassette with the reels "front-to-back" as opposed to "side-by-side" like modern VCRs, then it is not a VHS machine but rather Quasar's "Great Time Machine", model VR1000, an orphan format from 1976-77.

[Whirled One]

Huh. I've generally had OK luck with Matsushita top-load VHS machines. The main problem is the high number of rubber belts and wheels in those things-- you'll quite likely end up having to replace them all at this point. Also, I've found at least 2 or 3 Matsushita top-loaders with worn-out heads. Oh, another common mechanical issue I've seen with early Matsushita VCRs is that the "brake pads" on the tape reel brakes are often falling off/missing-- you can just glue them back on (if they're still there) or replace the "pads" with a scrap of cloth cut to size. These VCRs do seem to be quite sound from an electronic standpoint though-- the problems I see are almost always mechanical/wear things.

Fortunately, Matsushita-made machines are certainly the most common top-load VHS decks, so it's easy enough to find another machine to cannabalize parts from if necessary. In addition to selling their own VCRs under the Panasonic and Quasar names in the USA, Matsushita made a lot of machines for various other companies on an OEM basis-- they made all GE and most RCA VCRs (RCA VCRs made from about 1982 - 1985 were made by Hitachi though), as well as many N.A.P. brands like Magnavox, Sylvania, and Philco, as well as a variety of department store house brands. Long ago, when used VCRs were still fairly vaulable, I had obtained two well-used broken top-load VHS decks for the then-bargain price of five bucks apiece-- an RCA and a Quasar. Both had identical chassis-- they differed only in the shapes of the control buttons, cabinet colors, and some trim pieces. I swapped around the 'bad' parts of each and made one nice working "frankenstein" VCR out of the two. Since the cassette lid was cracked on the Quasar deck I was using as the main host, I put the RCA lid in its place-- which resulted in the front of the machine having the "Quasar" logo, but if you looked at it from the top, you'd think it was an RCA.

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by Snade

The local thrift has a Quasar VCR, I did not write down the model number.

It's big, about 5 inches high and deep, silver / gray color, tape loads from the top, it has VHF / UHF tuner knobs in front and all kinds of buttons and dials. No remote, I think it was designed with no remote. Looks really solid, almost like a studio video taper player.

May be a good match with my early 80's Trinitron.

Did Quasar make good VCRs back in the day ? I'm guessing it's early 80's but not sure.

Cheers, Snade

Definitely Matsushita, including Quasar, made the best VCRs back then. Their rubber parts lasted longer than any other brands. Your unit sounds like it was made in 1982. Don't get excited, but your Quasar is actually one of the lowest-end. It's a 2-head mono. The highest-end model by Matsushita in 1982 was the Panasonic PV-1780. It had 4-head Dolby stereo, wireless remote, fewer belts, and feather-touch buttons. I have it. But it's extremely hard to find used, since not many were made.

[radiotvnut]

We had about an '85 or '86 vintage Magnavox VCR that was made by Panasonic. Just a 2 head with wireless remote and 14 channel positions. That thing lasted for years and then the audio was very noisy (static) on a tape that was recorded on that machine. It was really noisy at the start of the tape but would get better. Dad finally got fed up with the repair shop giving him the runaround and he told them on the phone that he would be by in one hour and it had better be put back together. We continued to use that VCR for several more years as a player only without any problems. It would still play a tape fine when I got rid of it in the late '90's.

I'd love to find one of those mid '80's Panasonic made VCR's. I consider them to be good quality and I still have many VHS tapes.

[zenith2134]

A while back I posted about a Panasonic pro vcr from about 1980, with vu meters, all sorts of knobs and switches etc that I found in the trash. I was gonna find some new belts and use it, but no one here seemed interested in it and I eventually threw it back out.