JVC HR-XVC1U DVD-VCR Combo
Good DVD Average VCR
Usually anyone purchasing a combination DVD/VCR player has particular criteria they are meeting in order to get both forms of video into their television. Space, convenience, budget among other reasons comes to mind.  That aside, looking at an actual unit the person is most likely more interested about the VCR. DVD reproduction at this level looks so good that it is almost a given fact that it will perform up to someone's expectations. The VCR is another matter. For my own needs I am concerned about the playback of pre-recorded tapes and playback of home VHS recordings that I made. How the DVD/VCR player records in VHS is also important but to a lesser degree. JVC brand VCRs are an interesting and confusing animal when it comes to playback of tapes. I own two JVC S-VHS recorders with flying erase heads. I also own several SONY and older RCA VCRs from the good old days. The problem with JVC is that they play certain tapes back beautifully and others dreadfully. I took several samples of video tape recordings and demonstrated playback on this unit just to see for myself. (I know salesmen at a local electronics store in the area and they always let me try out equipment. They just love low-end technology guys like me.) Pre-recorded movies looked acceptable and I really mean no better than acceptable. Recordings I made on my JVC units in SP and EP modes looked excellent on this unit. Recordings I made on my other SONY units in the SP mode look very good. RCA recordings in SP look average. Recordings I made on my other SONY units in the EP mode looked horrible. They looked like blurred images without any trace of definition. Recordings I made on my other RCA units in LP and EP modes again looked blurred without any trace of definition. However, I made an actual recording on this unit from a satellite broadcast and the playback looked excellent. The bottom line on this unit is that the DVD side looked very good and the VCR performed just about the same as my stand-alone units which I own. There were really no surprises. When I make recordings at home I indicate which VCR the recording was made on just for the very reasons I mentioned above. After many years I have found that a recording usually looks best when played back on the unit it was made from. The reality today is that VHS is an outdated but necessary technology because many of us have a monetary and/or sentimental investment in tape recordings. I think this JVC unit is good but I rate it based upon how I would be using it relative to my library of VHS recordings and how they are going to look.its which I own. There were really no surprises. When I make recordings at home I indicate which VCR the recording was made on just for the very reasons I mentioned above. After many years I have found that a recording usually looks best when played back on the unit it was made from. The reality today is that VHS is an outdated but necessary technology because many of us have a monetary and/or sentimental investment in tape recordings. I think this JVC unit is good but I rate it based upon how I would be using it relative to my library of VHS recordings and how they are going to look.