I Can't Believe This Thing Is Still Working! (Updated)

If you want a simple, reliable, inexpensive VCR, then this Hitachi will meet all your needs. I have used this VCR for at least an hour a day (and often much more) every day for the past 4 years, and this little $130 purchase is still working like the day I bought it.

When I bought this VCR, I was looking for something cheap ($100-$150) that met once simple criterion: it needed to be simple to find places on a tape. For those who remember old VCRs, where the counters worked through simply counting, rather than registering the time that has passed on the tape, these can be very annoying to work with. I wanted to the type of VCR with which I could ask it to rewind 30 minutes or an hour, to easily get to the beginning of the show I had taped. This is what the product blurb means when it says the VCR has “index searching.” While most VCRs now have this feature, many of the cheaper ones don’t; I highly recommend seeking out this feature if you use your VCR to tape and watch programs from TV. (If you only use it to watch rented movies, you don’t need this feature.)

So as I said above, I’ve had this Hitachi for 4 years, using it everyday to automatically tape my soap (1 hour), as well as an evening show or two during the week, as well as playing all of these back and watching a couple of rented movies per month. This is a large amount of work for one VCR, especially a cheap one, and I really can’t believe that it has lasted this long. But I have had no problems with its functioning; it has needed no service (not even cleaning the heads!) and continues to work perfectly to date. This is even more astonishing since it has been jostled around quite a bit, being moved in and out of dorms and apartments twice a year the whole time I have had it. [Update 6/2001: I've now had this VCR, continuing with the same level of use, for 5 years. Still no need for service, not even to clean the heads. There is one slight change in performance; sometimes while it's playing, the VCR emits some squeaking, somewhat like a kitten meowing in the next room. However, this has not appeared to correspond to any performance problems, and doesn't really bother me.]

The only downside to the VCR is the way they have set up the controls. When you set something up to tape (entering date, time, and channel, for instance) or when you use the index search (asking it to rewind an hour, for example), you have to simply use an up/down arrow button and wait for the numbers to scroll to the right point. In other words, you have to hold down the up button for it to scroll to 1 hour, like setting a digital clock. Some other VCRs let you just use the number pad on the remote to type in the time you want; this is much more convenient.

The other annoying aspect of setup is that when you are setting up a show to tape, the VCR doesn’t give you very long to make your choices. Thus if you pause in scrolling through the channels or date to look at your watch or the TV listings, the VCR assumes that you have made your choice and moves you to the next slot in the setup. Then you have to go through the setup again to make the right selection. This is an annoyance, but you get used to it.

In short, this VCR is an excellent investment. With heavy use, mine has lasted 4 years [now 5] and is still going with no maintenance, and there are few negative features in the way the machine works. I found it for only $130. What are you waiting for? :)

[Note: I should let readers know of a slight discrepancy. The model of my VCR is VTMX411A/C; you’ll note that the last digit (the A or C) is different from the model number I am reviewing. However, since the rest of the model number is the same, and the features listed are the same as the features listed for my VCR when I bought it, I think that this is just an updated model number and outer appearance for the same machine. So I feel that my review will apply to your purchase of the model number Epinions has listed. But if anyone knows differently, please let me know and I can remove my review.]