GROUP TEST
NICAM VCRS
INTRO
Unless you happen to be one of the
unfortunate 5% of the population who still cannot receive NICAM digital stereo TV sound, or have only one working
ear, then you’ve almost no excuse for not getting a stereo VCR, when the time
comes to replace your existing machine. The price differential between mono and
stereo VCRs is negligible, in fact the cheapest models now sell for less than
£350, not much more than budget mono VCRs a couple of years ago.
Of course, a stereo VCR is not much good on
its own, it helps to have a stereo TV to plug it in to, but it’s certainly not
essential. Just connect the VCR’s audio output to the ‘aux’ input of any handy
hi-fi, and place the speakers a couple of feet either side of the TV screen.
With this sort of arrangement you can record, replay and even watch programmes
with glorious digital stereo, and it is good, especially on movies and musical
programmes! Ironically the stereo effect using, a hi-fi system, can be a lot
better than a NICAM TV, where small fixed speakers, mounted in narrow
enclosures either side of the screen, often produce a disappointingly shallow
stereo soundstage.
There’s now more than 30 NICAM video
recorders on the market, we’ve put together a representative sample of ten budget
and mid-range machines to help you pick your way through the stereo VCR jungle.
Oh, and by the way, in case you were wondering NICAM stands for ‘near instantaneously
companded audio matrix’; worth remembering only if you habitually seek to bore
or try and impress people at parties....
GOLDSTAR R-C705i
On the face of it the Goldstar R-C705i looks
like a remarkably well specified machine, a bit of a Jack-of-all-Trades, but we
all know what his problem was. Goldstar have also been a bit crafty with the
styling; the front panel flap, which covers the whole of the fascia, and the
display panel which is in the middle, conspire to make it look like a mid-mount
machine. However, with the cover open all is revealed, a thoroughly
conventional layout, with some eighties kitsch thrown in for good measure in
the form of pointy transport buttons
There’s plenty to interest camcorder owners,
it has front-mounted AV sockets, audio dub, a syncro-start socket and it’s the
only machine in this roundup to have a title generator. That’s especially
useful when it comes to copying or editing tapes, and can give a home-made
video movie a really professional look. Goldstar get more Brownie points for
having not one, but two manual recording level controls, one for each channel,
now that is unusual, though we’re still not quite sure what they’re good for,
at least not in the context of a budget hi-fi VCR like this one. Points are
deducted for the single SCART socket, which can make life difficult for those
planning to use this machine with other AV components.
The 705 only just manages to pass muster in
the picture department. Our sample turned in a rather ordinary 230 lines
horizontal resolution, noise levels were acceptable, but nothing special.
Picture quality is okay for replaying movies and recording TV programmes but it
would be pushing it to use it for copying or editing video movies. The biggest
problem, though, was the still frame, which was anything but. It’s the noisiest
one we’ve seen in years, and evidence of some critical cost-cutting in and
around the deck mechanism and video processing circuitry. We checked to see if
it was a fault but the instructions warn that still frame performance is going
to be poor. Sound quality is satisfactory, a little noisy on the hi-fi
soundtracks perhaps, but nothing excessive, and the NICAM decoder is fine. The
705 started out with a lot of promise and the specification is very appealing,
but as we said earlier Jacks of all trades can do a lot of different things,
but they’re often not very good at the
ones that really matter.
GRUNDIG GV-450
You get the impression that if Grundig could
have figured out a way to fit a kitchen sink to the GV-450 they would, it’s got
just about everything else! The place to start is the front panel, with it’s
trendy centre-mounted deck. Below that there’s a fancy display panel, with
cleverly designed recording level bargraphs. It’s loaded with features, some of
them quite useful -- especially if you’ve got a camcorder -- like insert edit,
audio dubbing, front-mounted AV sockets and a jog/shuttle dial on the remote
handset. The rest include more mundane things, like index search, advanced tape
search facilities, parental lock, continuous play and record.
In addition to still, variable slomo and fast
play it can also handle NTSC and S-VHS coded tapes, though resolution is only
slightly up on normal VHS resolution, and NTSC tapes we’ve tried have all
appeared in black and white, so it probably only works on multi-standard TVs.
It’s one of a small number of machines to have a manual recording level
facility, though it’s not especially easy to use and defaults back to automatic
after the machine has been switched off.
That’s just one example of this machine’s relatively unfriendly nature.
The instructions are not very helpful, and even if you find what you want, it
can be difficult and long-winded doing it. Picture stability and manual
tracking controls are a case in point. In both cases it’s necessary to slide
out a hidden control panel on the remote handset, press a button marked code,
enter a highly forgettable sequence of four digits on the numerical
keypad, press the OK button, then use
the program up/down buttons to steady the picture. That’s around eight actions
to do something most other manufacturers manage to accomplish using just two
buttons.
Picture quality is okay, the 250-line res
figure looks fine on paper but picture
noise is a little above average, and colours are not as sharp as they could be.
No problems with the audio, though, and the stereo hi-fi tracks sound very
crisp. NICAM too comes through cleanly, and in spite of the awkward manual
recording level controls, it gives a good account of itself with audio-only
recordings. This is not the sort of VCR you would want to give to your old mum
for Christmas; it’s a bit of a tricky customer, difficult to get to know and
not very easy to use, even for everyday operations. On the other hand, if
you’re into video movie-making it has a lot to offer, and it won’t disgrace
itself as a AV component.
HITACHI VT-F350
Hitachi have never been great innovators in
VCR technology but their machines are invariably solid, dependable designs, and
what’s more, they usually work well too. To be honest Hitachi VCRs have tended
to be a tad dull, but that’s definitely
not true of the VT-350. It’s small and compact, only 380mm wide, but
Hitachi have not skimped on the features list, in addition to NICAM sound and
Video Plus+ timer programming it has a menu-driven on-screen display and a
shuttle dial on the remote handset, for controlling replay speed and direction.
The handset also features volume, channel-change, mute and on/standby controls
for around 20 different brands of TV, these are held in a microchip memory, and
accessed by entering a simple two-digit code.
It’s a reasonably camcorder-friendly machine,
there’s a front-mounted AV terminal, with sockets for audio and video, plus one
for external synch. This can be used with camcorders that have syncro-start
facilities, for simple editing and copying. It doesn’t have separate audio line
output sockets, which is a nuisance as, in the absence of a stereo TV, it means one of the two SCARTs will have to
be used for the audio hook-up to a hi-fi system; that leaves only one for
connecting the VCR to the TV, or a satellite receiver.
The design is very straightforward; there’s no hidden controls on the front
panel, though there are plenty on the remote handset, but in the main they’re
for seldom-used functions and initial set-up. Everything else is accessed from
the on-screen display, and that includes special functions, like endless play,
and rental play. This is switchable and only works on pre-recorded tapes, when,
a few seconds after the recording has finished, the tape is automatically
rewound and ejected.
Picture quality is excellent, samples we’ve
tried managed to resolve a full 250-lines, which is about as good as it gets on
mid-market machines. There was very little noise in the picture, and colours
were natural-looking, and sharply defined. Still frame and the variable slomo
replay features were both very stable, with barely any picture jitter. The
NICAM decoder and stereo hi-fi recording system were both on top form, with
negligible background hiss, and a clean, uncoloured response. Aside from the
lack of audio line output sockets this is a real gem of a machine, appealing
both as a home-cinema component and video movie-making tool. Not the cheapest
stereo mid-ranger by a long way, but if performance and flexibility are
important, it’s money well spent.
JVC HR-J610
If JVC can’t get it right who can? The J610
is a real cracker of a VCR, more appealing to movie-watchers than movie-makers
perhaps, but still a fine little machine. The headline features include a
centre-mounted deck mechanism, jog/shuttle dial on the front panel for varying
replay speed and direction, hyper bass, for bumping up low frequencies on the
soundtrack, a multi-brand remote handset, for controlling the basic functions
on a wide range of non JVC televisions, and a clever new feature called
‘review’. JVC probably got the idea from telephone answering machines; after
the machine has made a time-shift recording an illuminated button on the front
panel starts winking. When you return home press the button and the VCR
automatically switches back on, rewinds the tape to the start of the recording
and begins playback.
Other items that might be of interest include
repeat playback, that will replay a tape 20 times, MEC (master edit control)
compatibility with JVC camcorders, and a PDC (program delivery Control) option,
which, if fitted, will self-correct timer programmed recordings. JVC have tried
hard to simplify the initial set-up but it lacks an on-screen display and can
be quite hard going. Nevertheless, they deserve a small pat on the back for the
clarity and design of the instruction book.
The J610’s unique pedigree is clearly
apparent during playback. Horizontal resolution is a shade over 250-lines, and
noise levels are well below average. Colours are vibrant and pin-sharp but it’s
the remarkable trick-frame facilities that really set this machine apart. Apart
from being very steady, at all speeds, the tape transport mechanism is
unusually agile, changes of speed and direction take place rapidly, without the
usual clicking and clunking. This makes it particularly useful for sports fans,
who can use it to analyse detail and movement with ease. Sound quality is very
good too, very low levels of hiss on the stereo hi-fi soundtracks and from the
NICAM decoder. We’re still not sure about the hyper bass facility, sure it
boosts the bass, but the effect probably suits only a limited range of material
-- some music videos and possibly one or two movies -- otherwise it just makes
the sound muffled. In any case NICAM TVs and hi-fi systems have tone control
facilities of their own, why bother on the VCR? That’s about the worst thing we
can think of to say about the J610, it’s a fine machine that should be at or
near the top of any NICAM shortlist.
NOKIA VCR-3784
You may notice a number of similarities in the
layout and design of this machine with the Sanyo VHR-774 and the Thorn VR-204, that’s because they’re all
built by Sanyo in their German plant, but the fact that this machine is the most
expensive of the three suggests there should be more to it than meets the eye.
There is, the 3784 has a number of important extras, including a picture
enhancement facility called ASO or active sideband optimum which appears to
give a number of small but worthwhile improvements in picture quality, as we
shall see in a moment. It may just be a coincidence but this machine also seems
to have better LP recording quality than the Sanyo or Thorn models. The 3784 has
audio dub and widescreen compatibility, a facility that automatically records and
plays back 16:9 formatted pictures, on widescreen TVs. though there’s little
you can use it with in the UK at the moment.
The 3784 has an unusually helpful, not to say
pushy on-screen display system that is activated from the moment it’s switched
on. It invites the owner to follow a sequence of commands, starting with one
that tests their ability to comprehend English, and just in case they can’t, there’s
the facility to be patronised in eight other European languages and Urdu. No,
that’s not being fair, it is very easy to follow and ideal for first-timers or
those frightened off by VCRs that look as though they belong on the flight deck
of the Space Shuttle. It’s fully wired for AV use with twin SCARTs and line
audio in/out sockets.
ASO is switchable, probably so dealers can
demonstrate it’s effectiveness, otherwise there seems little justification in
keeping it switched off. The effect is quite noticeable with a small increase
in detail and a very slight reduction in noise, making the picture look noticeably
sharper. It doesn’t have a big impact on resolution, that remains at just under
250-lines, and colour accuracy is unaffected, but that’s not a problem as it’s
good to begin with. Noise levels on the stereo hi-fi and NICAM soundtracks is
average to good, though the treble response is a little muted. The 3784 is
good, but not outstanding, and to be honest the Sanyo 774 or Thorn 204 are arguably
better deals, unless 16:9 compatibility and audio dubbing are absolute
necessities.
PANASONIC NV-HD90
We have to say right away that the HD90 is
not what you might call an exciting machine, in fact downright dull would be a
better description but let’s be fair, there’s nothing wrong with being dull...
This VCR does what its told, when its told to do so. It has no unpleasant or
irritating habits, produces a crisp, clean picture, good sound and is very easy
to use. What’s more it costs £430; no, they’re not exactly giving them away,
but that’s a fair price for a very fair machine, the Mr Nice Guy of the VCR
world in fact.
What we’ve got here is a well designed
machine with all of the most useful features readily accessible from the
handful of exposed front-panel controls, and the remote handset. Even the nine
buttons hidden away behind the front panel flap are large and clearly labelled.
Around the back there’s a single SCART connectors and a set of three phono
sockets for AV output, that’s not really enough for a full-blown AV set-up ,
but it’s liveable. The set-up routines are reasonably easy to follow, though
the lack of an on-screen display means the front panel readout has to work
quite hard. It’s difficult to go wrong with the remote, the important buttons
are large and well spaced, the not so important ones live out of the way, under
a flap. There’s hardly any gadgets to play around with, unless you get your kicks from things like a power-save
feature which turns the display off, index search or NTSC replay in black and
white.
The good news about the HD90 just keeps on
coming. Horizontal resolution on our sample easily topped 240-lines, that’s not
going to break any records but combined with lower than average noise levels
produce a good-looking picture with bright, lifelike colours, still frame and
the variable-speed slomo are both rock-solid.
Audio response was flat, with no detectable colouration, manual
recording levels controls would have been useful but the ALC system does a
pretty good job. Panasonic are also to be congratulated for leaving off the
traditional bargraph level display, in this case -- like so many others -- it
would have been a pointless cosmetic frippery. The SD90’s only problem is that
it’s bit boring, especially for a company like Panasonic who have produced some stonkingly good machines in
their time, but if you like your VCRs to be safe, predictable and
unthreatening, get down to your nearest Panasonic dealer...
SAMSUNG VI-395
In case you hadn’t noticed, the Koreans are
coming. Samsung, like their compatriots Goldstar are now making significant
inroads into the middle of the VCR market and it’s becoming increasingly
difficult to tell their machines apart from the top Japanese and European
brands. The 395 is closely related to the VI-375, which was launched at the
back end of 1993, and is now on its way out. The main, in fact the only
significant difference is the addition of a Video Plus+ timer, otherwise the
two machines are almost identical. It has a surprisingly good range of
facilities, many of them targeted at camcorder owners, like front-mounted AV
sockets, audio dub, and a shuttle dial. It has all the usual tape search
facilities, including index search and intro scan, plus a full set of
trick-play options.
The styling is reasonably up to date, though
the Koreans have still to catch up with the fad for mid-mounted deck
mechanisms, but give them time. While they’re at it they might also like to do something
about the rather substantial remote handset, it could do with slimming down a
bit. The 395 has a single SCART AV connector on the back, which would have been
a major drawback but for the fact it also has a set of AV phono sockets
carrying composite video and stereo line audio outputs; it’s still a socket
short of a home cinema system, but it will do. Operationally it’s a very
straightforward design, the deck is fast and responsive, the only small gripe
concerns the shuttle dial, which could do with some kind of centre-stop
function as in addition to controlling picture search it also engages fast
wind, but there’s no means of stopping the tape from the shuttle dial. It
sounds more complicated that it is but if you get the chance try it, you’ll see
what we mean.
Samsung have clearly little to learn about
picture quality, resolution was just under 250-lines, colour accuracy was good
and picture noise levels were about average. No problems either with the
trick-play modes, the picture remained reasonably steady at all speeds, and
still frame was virtually jitter free. There was hardly any background hiss from
the NICAM decoder and the hi-fi soundtracks were very clean too, so all in all
a pretty good set of results. Samsung VCRs are coming on in leaps and bounds
and this one is definitely worth shortlisting.
SANYO VHR-774
Sanyo have to be one of the most prolific VCR
manufacturers around at the moment and they’re responsible for two other machines
in this roundup (Nokia and Thorn), so they must be doing something right. Like
the other two models this is compact but fairly routine mid-mount design, not especially good looking,
though it’s obvious Sanyo saved the best front panel for themselves. Feature-wise
the 774 slots in between the Nokia and Thorn models, though, to be frank there’s
not a lot of difference between the specifications of this one and the 204, at
least nothing we could point to from the outside that might justify a £70 price
differential.
The initial set-up is identical to the other
two with a firm but friendly multi-lingual on-screen display that bids the user
to perform a series of tasks. Most actions depend on the using four direction
buttons to move a hand-shaped cursor around the screen, when it points at the required
option, press the ‘OK’ button. It’s all very simple and should take most people
only a few minutes to tune the TV into the VCR, set the clock and channels.
Overall it’s an easy machine to live with, and the provision of two SCARTs plus
a set of line audio inputs and outputs means it can fit in easily with almost AV
system or home cinema set-up.
Although these three machines share a number
of common components there are differences when it comes to AV performance.
Once again this one comes out in the middle. Horizontal resolution is a little
over 240-lines, noise levels were a little down on the Nokia machine, which
almost certainly has something to do with its ASO feature; colour accuracy was
about the same though, and trick-frame performance (still and slomo) is very
stable. Like the Thorn 204 it’s main weakness is a very average LP recording
quality, resolution is barely 200-lines, with lots of noise, you would have to
be fairly desperate to want to use it for anything other than an emergency.
Sound quality is good, almost a repeat performance of the other two with clean
NICAM and stereo hi-fi sound. Apart from a few minor cosmetic differences the
774 has little to offer over and above what you can get from the Thorn machine,
which costs a good deal less.
SHARP VC-H88
The current low price of NICAM VCRs owes a
lot to Sharp’s pioneering efforts three years ago when they were one of the
first companies to break ranks and sell a hi-fi stereo machine costing under
£400. It may be that they’ve become complacent but subsequent VCR have failed
to generate the same excitement; sadly the H88 doesn’t exactly get the juices
flowing either. It’s a reasonably good-looking mid mount design and from the
outside, with only two buttons on show, it appears fairly approachable.
However, drop the front-panel flap next to the display panel and it’s another
story, there’s a dozen or so buttons, all the same size and poorly labelled
(green on grey lettering...?). Our advice, if you buy one of these, is to take
very good care of the remote control handset, loose it and you could be big
trouble!
The features list is brief and to the point;
there’s fast play and variable speed slomo, multi-brand remote handset
(controls on/standby, channel change, volume and mute on 20 or so different
makes of TV), index search and intro scan, plus random repeat, which endlessly
replays a specified segment of tape. It has twin SCART connectors, and, we’re
pleased to say, a full set of audio line input and output sockets. The display
panel is the same as the one used on the slightly better specified H90 but
we’re glad they’ve disabled the bargraph level display. Initial set-up is a
mixed bag, the clock/calendar is straightforward enough but the tuning system
is somewhat sluggish.
Horizontal resolution is nothing special at
just under 240-lines, and it’s one of the few machines on the market not to
have any LP facilities, which is probably just as well as noise on SP replay is
almost at the same level as LP replay on some other machines. This makes the
picture look a little ragged around the edges, colour accuracy is satisfactory,
though, and trick play stability isn’t too bad. The stereo soundtracks have a
little background hiss, nothing too serious but it’s another debit point. In the end the H88 fails to excite, the
features are not very well targeted at any particular segment of the market and
performance is very mediocre. It might have looked a bit more interesting had
it been given a lower price but as it stands it’s up against some very stiff
competition and it looses out on just about every count.
THORN VR-204
Thorn EMI used
own Ferguson back in the days when we had a TV industry, now Thorn UK own Rumbelows and market their own
brand VCRs through their chain of high-street shops; as a matter of interest
this particular model is made for them by Sanyo. It’s not going to win any
beauty contests but then again it’s not going to frighten anyone off. It’s
compact, with just a handful of front-panel buttons on show, and no hidey
holes, flaps or trapdoors. Considering the price it has a fair assortment of
features, they include index search and intro scan, still and slomo replay and
a rather bossy on-screen display, which insists you carry out the set-up
routine when its switched on for the first time, and no arguments! In common
with a lot of machines these days it has an automatic head cleaning system,
which gives the recording head drum a quick wipe over every time a cassette is
inserted.
Around the back
there’s twin SCART connectors and a set of line-audio sockets. The remote
handset is another example of clean and simple design, this is the kind of
machine dyed in the wool technophobes should look at first, a real throwback to
the early days of video, when you didn’t need to look at the instruction
book...
Performance is good for a machine costing
under £350, in fact it’s better than some machines selling for £100 more,
though it has to be said the LP recording mode is a waste of space, and quite
frankly they needn’t have bothered. Fortunately SP picture quality is good,
resolution was just over 240 lines on the sample we tested, and noise levels
were comparatively low. Colour fidelity was about average, so nothing wrong
with that. It’s a similar story with the stereo hi-fi recording system and NICAM
decoder, a good middle of the road sound, noise levels were well with
acceptable limits and no discernible colouration. The automatic level control
is reasonably efficient, though it struggles a bit with detailed musical
passages, chopping around when there are sudden and deliberate changes in
volume. The VR-204 has to be one of the better deals at the budget end of the
market, where AV performance is frequently compromised in order top keep the
price down. That’s not the case with the 204, corners have been cut, but
they’ve mostly been at the expense of superfluous features and fancy styling.
Definitely worth considering if you’re on a very tight budget.
CONCLUSION
Two machines stand out from the crowd, they’re
the Hitachi VT-F350 and the JVC HT-610. They both cost around £430 and there’s
barely a whisker between them when it comes to audio and video performance. In
the end such differences as there are cancelled themselves out so we’re taking
the cowards way out and recommending them both. The Samsung VI-395 is a very
close runner up, performance is good, and we’re very impressed with the level
of specification on a VCR costing only £380. However, the value for money winner
has to be the Thorn VR-204, it’s not particularly well appointed but picture
and sound quality are comparable with, and in some cases better than VCRs
costing £100 more, it’s a shame Sanyo, who make the 204 pitch their own version
at a higher price point, and although the Nokia 3784 has a few extra facilities,
and slightly better on-screen performance, we’re not sure it’s worth an extra
£120 over and above the VR-204. The Panasonic and Sharp machines both worked reasonably
well but sadly failed to excite. Grundig’s GV-450 also performed well but fell
down on user-friendliness. That leaves only the Goldstar C705i, which is very
well equipped but picture quality is very average.
MAKE/MODEL ££s Timer AV LP AD
Goldstar R-C705i 350 VP/8/365 S,F * *
Grundig GV-450 460 VP/8/365 2S,F * *
Hitachi VT-F350 430 VP/8/365 2S,F * -
JVC HR-J610 430 VP/8/365 2S * -
Nokia VCR-3784 450 VP/6/365 2S * *
Panasonic NV-HD90 430 VP/8/31 S * -
Samsung VI-395 380 VP/4/31 S,F * *
Sanyo VHR-774 400 VP/6/35 2S * -
Sharp VC-H88 380 VP/8/365 2S - *
Thorn VR-204 330 VP/6/365 2S * -
Key: Timer -- VP = Video Plus+/number of events/days;
AV = audio video connections, S = SCART socket, F = front mounted AV terminal;
LP = LP or half-speed recording mode; AD = audio dub
---end---
Ó R. Maybury 1994 15 07
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