Panasonic PV-VS4821 S-VHS VCR
Out of stock |
Similar in VCRs
- VCR Type: S-VHS
- Number of Video Heads: 4
- Audio: Hi-Fi Stereo
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Looking For A Top VCR?...not quite the answer
Pros
Excellent picture quality in S-VHS mode at SP speed
Cons
Picture quality in lower quality modes is lousy and build quality is suspect
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
OK S-VHS VCR for everyday time shifters, but there are much better S-VHS decks available.
The Panasonic PV-VS4821 is a low-end S-VHS VCR that compares favorably to other VCRs made today, however it was very disappointing to me mainly because I just had higher expectations of a "Super" VHS VCR.
What you think of this VCR depends most on how you will use it. If you simply want to tape DBS and HDTV shows in something approximating their full resolution, this VCR is a good choice. It has excellent picture quality in the S-VHS mode (at SP speed). The picture is very sharp and with noticably better color than standard VHS. In fact, the picture quality in S-VHS SP is comparable to a DVD. At SLP speed, the S-VHS picture becomes considerably worse, with much grain and an almost pixellated appearance. The S-VHS ET mode looks awful in all tape speeds. There are quite a few blips and "dropouts" in the picture that make it look like you used a very worn-out tape even if you used a brand new one. In VHS mode this VCR is about equal to all my other VHS VCRs in SP, LP and SLP speeds. For optimum picture quality with this one you want to use S-VHS SP.
The VCR is pretty easy to use. There were some hitches with the initial setup. The auto clock set didn't work right so I had to use the manual set. I also couldn't get VCRplus GOLD to work. Fortunately the manual clock setting and manual timer programming on this VCR are very intuitive. Auto channel setup also took a few runs to find all of the local UHF channels.
The VCR has some nice features. Among them are 4-head noise-free still, slow motion and picture search. However the special effects don't work as well on S-VHS recorded tapes as they do on VHS recorded tapes. On S-VHS tapes there is always some grain embedded in the still or search picture that is not there when engaging special playback modes on VHS recorded tapes. Another handy feature is Commercial Advance, which REALLY is nice to have. Unfortunately it only works right on tapes recorded off DBS and not on tapes recorded off over-the-air stations. The VCR also features OTR, a quasi-timer recording mode where you start recording manually and set a timer for when the VCR will stop (in 1/2 hr, 1hr, 1 1/2 hr, etc).
This VCR does lack a couple of features that would be nice. It does not have an on-unit tape counter. The tape counter can be viewed only on the TV screen through the OSD. It also has no front S-Video Input. Its front A/V jacks are for composite video only, so to connect my Hi8 camcorder via its S-video output (the main reason I got an S-VHS VCR), I have to drag the VCR out of the TV cabinet and disconnect the DBS box.
Like I said, this VCR is fine for normal-time shifters, and it offers picture quality several notches above standard VHS (provided you are willing to spend extra for S-VHS tape).
However, this VCR was very disappointing to me because I wanted an S-VHS VCR for home video editing, something which this VCR quite frankly sucks at. At the time I got it I didn't know about Ebay and internet order, and thought I had to go with what was in the electronics superstores. A few factors add up to the PV-VS4821 being a nightmare to edit with, not the least of which being the lack of a front S-Video input and an easy-to-find tape counter. It has no flying erase head, so there is an ugly purple streak dancing across the screen for a few seconds at every edit point, and no jog/shuttle, so cuing up the tape at the exact frame you want is more than a little tough. In my opinion, a VCR should not be allowed to carry the S-VHS label unless it has these high-end features. My standard of comparison for a truly "Super" VCR is now the Sony SLV-R5UC prosumer S-VHS I got on Ebay.
So again I stress, if you are looking for a high-end S-VHS VCR this is not the way to go. In fact, you can't find ANY high-end, industrial quality editing VCRs in the stores anymore, which sucks.
The build quality of this VCR is cheap plastic-like all the others. Mine had a problem right out of the box-one of the RCA jacks on the back has a loose connection, so the right speaker on the TV keeps dropping out, and I have to reach around and wiggle the cable to get it to come back. I've checked and the TV's input jack and the connecting cable are both fine.
The "5" rating under picture quality applies only to the S-VHS SP picture. VHS mode recordings get a 4, S-VHS SLP recordings a 1, and S-VHS ET all speeds a 1.
What you think of this VCR depends most on how you will use it. If you simply want to tape DBS and HDTV shows in something approximating their full resolution, this VCR is a good choice. It has excellent picture quality in the S-VHS mode (at SP speed). The picture is very sharp and with noticably better color than standard VHS. In fact, the picture quality in S-VHS SP is comparable to a DVD. At SLP speed, the S-VHS picture becomes considerably worse, with much grain and an almost pixellated appearance. The S-VHS ET mode looks awful in all tape speeds. There are quite a few blips and "dropouts" in the picture that make it look like you used a very worn-out tape even if you used a brand new one. In VHS mode this VCR is about equal to all my other VHS VCRs in SP, LP and SLP speeds. For optimum picture quality with this one you want to use S-VHS SP.
The VCR is pretty easy to use. There were some hitches with the initial setup. The auto clock set didn't work right so I had to use the manual set. I also couldn't get VCRplus GOLD to work. Fortunately the manual clock setting and manual timer programming on this VCR are very intuitive. Auto channel setup also took a few runs to find all of the local UHF channels.
The VCR has some nice features. Among them are 4-head noise-free still, slow motion and picture search. However the special effects don't work as well on S-VHS recorded tapes as they do on VHS recorded tapes. On S-VHS tapes there is always some grain embedded in the still or search picture that is not there when engaging special playback modes on VHS recorded tapes. Another handy feature is Commercial Advance, which REALLY is nice to have. Unfortunately it only works right on tapes recorded off DBS and not on tapes recorded off over-the-air stations. The VCR also features OTR, a quasi-timer recording mode where you start recording manually and set a timer for when the VCR will stop (in 1/2 hr, 1hr, 1 1/2 hr, etc).
This VCR does lack a couple of features that would be nice. It does not have an on-unit tape counter. The tape counter can be viewed only on the TV screen through the OSD. It also has no front S-Video Input. Its front A/V jacks are for composite video only, so to connect my Hi8 camcorder via its S-video output (the main reason I got an S-VHS VCR), I have to drag the VCR out of the TV cabinet and disconnect the DBS box.
Like I said, this VCR is fine for normal-time shifters, and it offers picture quality several notches above standard VHS (provided you are willing to spend extra for S-VHS tape).
However, this VCR was very disappointing to me because I wanted an S-VHS VCR for home video editing, something which this VCR quite frankly sucks at. At the time I got it I didn't know about Ebay and internet order, and thought I had to go with what was in the electronics superstores. A few factors add up to the PV-VS4821 being a nightmare to edit with, not the least of which being the lack of a front S-Video input and an easy-to-find tape counter. It has no flying erase head, so there is an ugly purple streak dancing across the screen for a few seconds at every edit point, and no jog/shuttle, so cuing up the tape at the exact frame you want is more than a little tough. In my opinion, a VCR should not be allowed to carry the S-VHS label unless it has these high-end features. My standard of comparison for a truly "Super" VCR is now the Sony SLV-R5UC prosumer S-VHS I got on Ebay.
So again I stress, if you are looking for a high-end S-VHS VCR this is not the way to go. In fact, you can't find ANY high-end, industrial quality editing VCRs in the stores anymore, which sucks.
The build quality of this VCR is cheap plastic-like all the others. Mine had a problem right out of the box-one of the RCA jacks on the back has a loose connection, so the right speaker on the TV keeps dropping out, and I have to reach around and wiggle the cable to get it to come back. I've checked and the TV's input jack and the connecting cable are both fine.
The "5" rating under picture quality applies only to the S-VHS SP picture. VHS mode recordings get a 4, S-VHS SLP recordings a 1, and S-VHS ET all speeds a 1.
