Panasonic PV-V4611 VHS VCR
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- VCR Type: VHS
- Number of Video Heads: 4
- Audio: Hi-Fi Stereo
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Panasonic PV-V4611 4-Head Hi-Fi Stereo VCR With VCR+
Pros
Picture and sound quality, ease of use, price, reliability
Cons
You can get the same features less VCR+ from the Panasonic V4521 for $10-15 less
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
As other Panasonic VHS VCRs, the PV-V4611 is an excellent choice with excellent picture and sound quality, reliability and ease of use.
The Panasonic PV-V4611 is a 4-head Hi-Fi VCR ? a medium-featured model in the current Panasonic?s VHS lineup. It adds VCR+ to the impressive list of function V4521 has and, as a result, costs $10-15 more.
Front Panel
It has an A/V input (to connect your camcorder) as well as buttons to control basic functions. The component width allows you to stack the V4611 and other stereo components.
Back Panel
The back panel has video in and out, audio L in and out, audio R in and out. It also has RF/cable in and out, power cord (of course) and a switch that allows you to choose channel 3 or 4 if you were to use the RF out to send VCR?s signal to TV (not a good idea, the composite video out will provide you with better quality, and is easier to use).
Connections
So you get 2 A/V inputs (front and rear), A/V out, RF in and out. Between two ways to connect the VCR to 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 with less video noise and less NTSC artifacts with composite video.
Setup
The setup is a no-brainer and almost completely automatic. You push a couple of buttons and the V4611 scans for available channels and determines the current time and date automatically (?Auto Clock Set?). After power outages, it also automatically sets the date and time. The VCR uses radio signals to set the date and time, and here it does work properly, unlike my JVC HR-S3600U where it doesn?t.
Programming
The V4611 is very easy to use and program, which is not necessary the case with other brands of VCRs. You can use the remote control to navigate onscreen menus to program the recording. The front panel does not have buttons to control menus or program VCR, just basic buttons and 3 RCA jacks ? composite video in, audio left and audio right channels, which are helpful for recording from camcorders and other devices. You can also use VCR+ to program the VCR.
VCR+
VCR+ allows you to program the VCR by entering a code ? a combination of digits instead of entering a date, time and channel. The codes are printed by the program name in TV Guide and similar publications. I never use it, since it is very easy to program this VCR even without using VCR+.
Reliability
Although VCRs don?t cost much anymore, having a reliable VCR is still a priority (nobody wants to lose even $100 and/or spend time getting a new VCR or having the VCR repaired). The VCRs from Panasonic have very high ratings for reliability, according to "Consumer Reports" magazine - first place in ?Consumer Reports? Magazine reliability survey.
Having used Panasonic VCRs for more than 15 years, I can attest that my experience agrees with this - I never had any problems with Panasonic VCRs.
Features
Some other manufacturers (notably Sony) brag about ?Reality Regenerators?, ?Adaptive Picture Controls?, ?Digital Auto Tracking?, etc. Toshiba in its brochure says that they invented helical scanning system (although I have read that it was invented by RCA) and only they have VCRs of the same width as audio components (which is not true, as you see).
Panasonic doesn?t rely on [unfair] marketing this much. And having dealt with majority of brands of VCRs, I truly believe that Panasonic VCRs are the best. And for some reason, Panasonic VCRs (PV-9662, then PV-4660) continue to be best in picture quality, features and ease of use, according to ?Consumer Reports?.
The V4611 has four video heads that allow you to have noiseless slow motion and still modes, and be able to use three speeds: SP ? standard play (fits 2 hours of recording on a standard T-120 tape), LP ? long play (4 hours) and SLP/EP ? super long play/extended play (6 hours). As the amount of time you can fit on one tape increases, the image quality decreases (the picture becomes more noisy), so use SLP for programs that do not require the best possible quality.
Although majority of VCRs on the market do not support the recording in the ?medium? LP speed (only playback), Panasonic VCRs do ? a definite plus. You have more flexibility ? instead of having to choice between 2 or 6 hours you also have the ability to record 4 hours on a T-120 tape. And the picture quality in EP speed is better even than in VCRs that brag that they have 19-micron heads.
As virtually all Hi-Fi stereo VCRs, the V4611 produces CD quality sound. All Hi-Fi stereo VCRs use 2 audio heads that rotate along with video heads, providing high relative tape speed and the higher the speed, the better the sound.
Unlike some JVC and SONY VCRs I had experience with, the auto tracking works as it should. Four heads help to create stable and crisp still and slow motion modes. The VCR has a V-Lock buttons on the remote to adjust the V-Lock settings and remove unwanted image shaking during the still and slow motion modes, you can use the channel up/down buttons on the front panel.
The T-120 tape rewinds for less than a minute. The V4611 has an onscreen ?Tape Position Display? that shows you where on the tape you currently are with no need to remove the tape from the VCR. The graph looks nice and you can also see the estimated remaining time on the tape.
Index Search
The VCR has both index search recording/search capability and also "timestamp" - it records the time and channel when you start recording. When you start playback of this segment, this information appears on the screen for about 3 seconds (if you want to, you can disable this feature). This information is not superimposed on the picture during recording, but rather stored separately.
There are two modes of index search. One allows you specify the number of index "marks" to skip (for example you can skip to the beginning of the previous recording by pressing "Index", "2", "Rewind"). JVC VCRs (HR3600, for example) make you use dedicated buttons on the remote and press them several times.
If you performed timer recording, you can search for the beginning of the program you recorded using the menu. You choose the program to search for from the menu and the VCR will rewind (or FF) to the beginning of that program (make sure you don't eject the tape before searching this way, it will not search after that since VCR doesn't know what tape you insert; the regular index search will work though).
Remote Control
The illuminated remote control has intuitive button layout and is easy to operate, unlike some other brands there is no need to point it directly to VCR. The up/down/left/right buttons for menu control and other functions are located in an intuitive manner and are quite large. The remote?s illuminated buttons are useful when you want to control your devices in the dark.
The remote also allows you to control TVs, cable boxes and DVD players of almost any manufacturers (and unlike JVC?s remotes, you don?t have to press two buttons at the same time to do that). However, the functionality is limited ? for example, the ?menu? button does not work with TVs and there is no buttons to control speed during a DVD playback.
As other Panasonic VHS VCRs, the PV-V4611 is an excellent choice with excellent picture and sound quality, reliability and ease of use... If you don?t need its VCR+, you can save $10-15 by getting the cheaper V4521. For all bells and whistles, you can get silver V4621 with VCR+ Silver and satellite controller.
Front Panel
It has an A/V input (to connect your camcorder) as well as buttons to control basic functions. The component width allows you to stack the V4611 and other stereo components.
Back Panel
The back panel has video in and out, audio L in and out, audio R in and out. It also has RF/cable in and out, power cord (of course) and a switch that allows you to choose channel 3 or 4 if you were to use the RF out to send VCR?s signal to TV (not a good idea, the composite video out will provide you with better quality, and is easier to use).
Connections
So you get 2 A/V inputs (front and rear), A/V out, RF in and out. Between two ways to connect the VCR to 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 with less video noise and less NTSC artifacts with composite video.
Setup
The setup is a no-brainer and almost completely automatic. You push a couple of buttons and the V4611 scans for available channels and determines the current time and date automatically (?Auto Clock Set?). After power outages, it also automatically sets the date and time. The VCR uses radio signals to set the date and time, and here it does work properly, unlike my JVC HR-S3600U where it doesn?t.
Programming
The V4611 is very easy to use and program, which is not necessary the case with other brands of VCRs. You can use the remote control to navigate onscreen menus to program the recording. The front panel does not have buttons to control menus or program VCR, just basic buttons and 3 RCA jacks ? composite video in, audio left and audio right channels, which are helpful for recording from camcorders and other devices. You can also use VCR+ to program the VCR.
VCR+
VCR+ allows you to program the VCR by entering a code ? a combination of digits instead of entering a date, time and channel. The codes are printed by the program name in TV Guide and similar publications. I never use it, since it is very easy to program this VCR even without using VCR+.
Reliability
Although VCRs don?t cost much anymore, having a reliable VCR is still a priority (nobody wants to lose even $100 and/or spend time getting a new VCR or having the VCR repaired). The VCRs from Panasonic have very high ratings for reliability, according to "Consumer Reports" magazine - first place in ?Consumer Reports? Magazine reliability survey.
Having used Panasonic VCRs for more than 15 years, I can attest that my experience agrees with this - I never had any problems with Panasonic VCRs.
Features
Some other manufacturers (notably Sony) brag about ?Reality Regenerators?, ?Adaptive Picture Controls?, ?Digital Auto Tracking?, etc. Toshiba in its brochure says that they invented helical scanning system (although I have read that it was invented by RCA) and only they have VCRs of the same width as audio components (which is not true, as you see).
Panasonic doesn?t rely on [unfair] marketing this much. And having dealt with majority of brands of VCRs, I truly believe that Panasonic VCRs are the best. And for some reason, Panasonic VCRs (PV-9662, then PV-4660) continue to be best in picture quality, features and ease of use, according to ?Consumer Reports?.
The V4611 has four video heads that allow you to have noiseless slow motion and still modes, and be able to use three speeds: SP ? standard play (fits 2 hours of recording on a standard T-120 tape), LP ? long play (4 hours) and SLP/EP ? super long play/extended play (6 hours). As the amount of time you can fit on one tape increases, the image quality decreases (the picture becomes more noisy), so use SLP for programs that do not require the best possible quality.
Although majority of VCRs on the market do not support the recording in the ?medium? LP speed (only playback), Panasonic VCRs do ? a definite plus. You have more flexibility ? instead of having to choice between 2 or 6 hours you also have the ability to record 4 hours on a T-120 tape. And the picture quality in EP speed is better even than in VCRs that brag that they have 19-micron heads.
As virtually all Hi-Fi stereo VCRs, the V4611 produces CD quality sound. All Hi-Fi stereo VCRs use 2 audio heads that rotate along with video heads, providing high relative tape speed and the higher the speed, the better the sound.
Unlike some JVC and SONY VCRs I had experience with, the auto tracking works as it should. Four heads help to create stable and crisp still and slow motion modes. The VCR has a V-Lock buttons on the remote to adjust the V-Lock settings and remove unwanted image shaking during the still and slow motion modes, you can use the channel up/down buttons on the front panel.
The T-120 tape rewinds for less than a minute. The V4611 has an onscreen ?Tape Position Display? that shows you where on the tape you currently are with no need to remove the tape from the VCR. The graph looks nice and you can also see the estimated remaining time on the tape.
Index Search
The VCR has both index search recording/search capability and also "timestamp" - it records the time and channel when you start recording. When you start playback of this segment, this information appears on the screen for about 3 seconds (if you want to, you can disable this feature). This information is not superimposed on the picture during recording, but rather stored separately.
There are two modes of index search. One allows you specify the number of index "marks" to skip (for example you can skip to the beginning of the previous recording by pressing "Index", "2", "Rewind"). JVC VCRs (HR3600, for example) make you use dedicated buttons on the remote and press them several times.
If you performed timer recording, you can search for the beginning of the program you recorded using the menu. You choose the program to search for from the menu and the VCR will rewind (or FF) to the beginning of that program (make sure you don't eject the tape before searching this way, it will not search after that since VCR doesn't know what tape you insert; the regular index search will work though).
Remote Control
The illuminated remote control has intuitive button layout and is easy to operate, unlike some other brands there is no need to point it directly to VCR. The up/down/left/right buttons for menu control and other functions are located in an intuitive manner and are quite large. The remote?s illuminated buttons are useful when you want to control your devices in the dark.
The remote also allows you to control TVs, cable boxes and DVD players of almost any manufacturers (and unlike JVC?s remotes, you don?t have to press two buttons at the same time to do that). However, the functionality is limited ? for example, the ?menu? button does not work with TVs and there is no buttons to control speed during a DVD playback.
As other Panasonic VHS VCRs, the PV-V4611 is an excellent choice with excellent picture and sound quality, reliability and ease of use... If you don?t need its VCR+, you can save $10-15 by getting the cheaper V4521. For all bells and whistles, you can get silver V4621 with VCR+ Silver and satellite controller.
