Panasonic PV-V4520 VHS VCR
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- VCR Type: VHS
- Number of Video Heads: 4
- Audio: Hi-Fi Stereo
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This Review is on the newest version of PV4520
Pros
Inexpensive with great features and good video performance
Cons
None for a unit in this price range
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The PV4520 or PV4521are a truly great buy for the money!
The Panasonic PV4520 has a successor, the PV4521. This new unit has most of the same great features and general operation of the highly rated PV4520. The main difference of the latest unit is the addition of front panel inputs for a second VCR, DVD or camcorder. The remote control is no longer illuminated but that's a very minor item. The rest of the unit is still the same.
This is an amazing value. It's four heads and HiFi and loaded with some very nice features - all for less than $100!
Features:
Index Search - allows user to find begin/end of recorded programs.
Tape Position - like a gas gauge on an auto, this graphically displays the position of the tape currently loaded in the machine.
Auto Tracking - works beautifully to "tune" the tape for the best tape image.
Programming - on-screen and very easy to use with large graphics and intuitive process; easy to edit and add or delete program segments.
Commercial Skip - each press of the button skips 30 seconds, very handy to avoid commercials.
Setup - comes out of the box with presets that makes it almost ready to use; only time and channel search commands are needed to put the unit into normal operation.
Auto Time Set - works just fine; sets its own time, automatically using broadcast information; can also be manually set.
Performance:
The video is all three speed modes was excellent. The audio is just fine. The mechanics of FF or Rewind and Play are smooth and quiet. This unit does not have "instant" start/stop so there is no loud "thunk" as the tape comes to an abrupt stop during FF/RW or from Stop to Play as it goes into instant play mode. There is a slight lag before the image comes on the screen when put into the Play mode. And, it does not have flying erase heads so there is some brief color distortion at the start of a program when going from old to new recorded material. Pause mode works fine and the resulting still video image is great - no jitters and no noise bars on the screen.
Additional Comments:
Panasonic (and brand mate Quasar) has an enviable reputation for reliability and durability of its VCRs. The unit is very quiet in operation and appears to be, like all other Panasonics, well engineered.
This unit is not a full rack width case. It is relatively small and compact.The unit is quite light in weight. The housing is plastic and I suspect the base board and frame are not metal. However, all the units in this price range and even more expensive units are all made this way in todays competitive consumer electronics market.
This makes an excellent interim unit for recording TV programs until reasonably priced consumer recordable DVD machines become available or Hard Drive Recorders like the Tivo come down in price.
Summary:
This is a great machine for the price!
This is an amazing value. It's four heads and HiFi and loaded with some very nice features - all for less than $100!
Features:
Index Search - allows user to find begin/end of recorded programs.
Tape Position - like a gas gauge on an auto, this graphically displays the position of the tape currently loaded in the machine.
Auto Tracking - works beautifully to "tune" the tape for the best tape image.
Programming - on-screen and very easy to use with large graphics and intuitive process; easy to edit and add or delete program segments.
Commercial Skip - each press of the button skips 30 seconds, very handy to avoid commercials.
Setup - comes out of the box with presets that makes it almost ready to use; only time and channel search commands are needed to put the unit into normal operation.
Auto Time Set - works just fine; sets its own time, automatically using broadcast information; can also be manually set.
Performance:
The video is all three speed modes was excellent. The audio is just fine. The mechanics of FF or Rewind and Play are smooth and quiet. This unit does not have "instant" start/stop so there is no loud "thunk" as the tape comes to an abrupt stop during FF/RW or from Stop to Play as it goes into instant play mode. There is a slight lag before the image comes on the screen when put into the Play mode. And, it does not have flying erase heads so there is some brief color distortion at the start of a program when going from old to new recorded material. Pause mode works fine and the resulting still video image is great - no jitters and no noise bars on the screen.
Additional Comments:
Panasonic (and brand mate Quasar) has an enviable reputation for reliability and durability of its VCRs. The unit is very quiet in operation and appears to be, like all other Panasonics, well engineered.
This unit is not a full rack width case. It is relatively small and compact.The unit is quite light in weight. The housing is plastic and I suspect the base board and frame are not metal. However, all the units in this price range and even more expensive units are all made this way in todays competitive consumer electronics market.
This makes an excellent interim unit for recording TV programs until reasonably priced consumer recordable DVD machines become available or Hard Drive Recorders like the Tivo come down in price.
Summary:
This is a great machine for the price!
