Panasonic PV-V4521 VHS VCR
Out of stock |
Similar in VCRs
- VCR Type: VHS
- Number of Video Heads: 4
- Audio: Hi-Fi Stereo
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Panasonic PV-V4521 4-Head Hi-Fi Stereo VCR With Auto Clock Set
Pros
Inexpensive, excellent picture and sound, features and reliability
Cons
No VCR+ (but who cares?)
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you need an inexpensive, reliable, easy to use 4-head 3-speed Hi-Fi VCR, the Panasonic PV-V4521 is an excellent choice
The Panasonic PV-V4521 is another great 4-head Hi-Fi VCR from Panasonic. At $85 it is inexpensive and has all features one might need, including Hi-Fi stereo sound, three speeds, lighted multibrand remote, auto clock set and even front A/V inputs.
The VCR is compact and lightweight (5 lbs 8 oz). Most other manufacturer?s VCRs allow you to record in SP and EP speeds only, Panasonic VCRs allow you to record and play back at 3 speeds ? SP, LP and SLP (EP), giving you more flexibility.
Picture and Sound
The picture quality is excellent and the sound is of CD quality. The VCR has four video heads that allow you to have noiseless slow motion and crisp still modes. The VCR also has Index search and Commercial Skip.
Reliability
I cannot stress enough my respect for the reliability of Panasonic?s VCRs. Having used Panasonic VCRs for more than fifteen years, I never had any problems. For several years I have heavily used my Panasonic SD-11 for video replication and it survived this kind of abuse. But don?t take my word for it.
VCRs from Panasonic have very high ratings for reliability, according to "Consumer Reports" magazine. Reliability wise they hold top position among other brands. I mean first place ? Panasonic and Quasar brands of Matsusita Electric hold two top spots in ?Consumer Reports? Magazine reliability survey.
Inputs
The VCR has 2 A/V inputs (composite video and analog audio ? left and right channels ? 3 RCA-type jacks total ? one set on the rear panel and one on the front panel, so you can easily connect your camcorder) and 1 A/V output ? all on the rear panel. There is also an RF in and out
Among two ways to connect the VCR to your TV: RF (you connect it to your TV?s RF input and select channel 3 or 4 on the TV) and composite video (Video RCA jack, you connect it to your TV?s composite video input and push tv/vcr button on TV), the latter is better in terms of picture quality.
Setup
The automatic clock set works in this model as expected ? it set the time and date automatically, in contrast with JVC HR3600, where I couldn?t make the ?Plug?n?Play? feature work properly. The channel setup is also easy and completely automatic.
Tape Position Display
The FF and rewind are very fast. The VCR has a tape position display that shows you a graph on the screen indicating the position of the tape. This graph looks much better than my JVC HR3600?s. My Panasonic 8661 doesn?t have this feature at all.
Remote Control
The remote is very good ? it is more compact than my 3.5-year old Panasonic NV-PV8661 remote and also has backlit buttons. Unlike some other remotes that just slightly glow in the dark, this one has a button that activates the backlight for several seconds.
The remote also works when not directly pointed towards the VCR. Button layout is intuitive and you can control almost all functions from it. You can also control different brands of TVs and cable boxes from it.
Overall, this VCR is much easier to use than JVC and other brands of VCRs.
If you need an inexpensive, reliable, easy to use 4-head 3-speed Hi-Fi VCR with all features you might want, the Panasonic PV-V4521 is an excellent choice. It combines great reliability, picture quality and ease of use with a very affordable price.
The VCR is compact and lightweight (5 lbs 8 oz). Most other manufacturer?s VCRs allow you to record in SP and EP speeds only, Panasonic VCRs allow you to record and play back at 3 speeds ? SP, LP and SLP (EP), giving you more flexibility.
Picture and Sound
The picture quality is excellent and the sound is of CD quality. The VCR has four video heads that allow you to have noiseless slow motion and crisp still modes. The VCR also has Index search and Commercial Skip.
Reliability
I cannot stress enough my respect for the reliability of Panasonic?s VCRs. Having used Panasonic VCRs for more than fifteen years, I never had any problems. For several years I have heavily used my Panasonic SD-11 for video replication and it survived this kind of abuse. But don?t take my word for it.
VCRs from Panasonic have very high ratings for reliability, according to "Consumer Reports" magazine. Reliability wise they hold top position among other brands. I mean first place ? Panasonic and Quasar brands of Matsusita Electric hold two top spots in ?Consumer Reports? Magazine reliability survey.
Inputs
The VCR has 2 A/V inputs (composite video and analog audio ? left and right channels ? 3 RCA-type jacks total ? one set on the rear panel and one on the front panel, so you can easily connect your camcorder) and 1 A/V output ? all on the rear panel. There is also an RF in and out
Among two ways to connect the VCR to your TV: RF (you connect it to your TV?s RF input and select channel 3 or 4 on the TV) and composite video (Video RCA jack, you connect it to your TV?s composite video input and push tv/vcr button on TV), the latter is better in terms of picture quality.
Setup
The automatic clock set works in this model as expected ? it set the time and date automatically, in contrast with JVC HR3600, where I couldn?t make the ?Plug?n?Play? feature work properly. The channel setup is also easy and completely automatic.
Tape Position Display
The FF and rewind are very fast. The VCR has a tape position display that shows you a graph on the screen indicating the position of the tape. This graph looks much better than my JVC HR3600?s. My Panasonic 8661 doesn?t have this feature at all.
Remote Control
The remote is very good ? it is more compact than my 3.5-year old Panasonic NV-PV8661 remote and also has backlit buttons. Unlike some other remotes that just slightly glow in the dark, this one has a button that activates the backlight for several seconds.
The remote also works when not directly pointed towards the VCR. Button layout is intuitive and you can control almost all functions from it. You can also control different brands of TVs and cable boxes from it.
Overall, this VCR is much easier to use than JVC and other brands of VCRs.
If you need an inexpensive, reliable, easy to use 4-head 3-speed Hi-Fi VCR with all features you might want, the Panasonic PV-V4521 is an excellent choice. It combines great reliability, picture quality and ease of use with a very affordable price.
