Toshiba W522 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR
Leaves something to be desired
This VCR is a good entry-level VCR for someone who wants to watch Dolby Pro Logic videos and otherwise use a VCR in their home theater setup. For experienced electronics users and entertainment technology buffs, this VCR will leave the impression that there is not much to the deck. The digital display is suspiciously similar to the Sony SLV-N77, even though the two decks are different in features. The digital display is a point of issue, simply because there are four indicators and a four-digit multipurpose clock. The counter is displayed in hours and minutes; for seconds you must turn on the on-screen counter. The deck's operation noise is reasonable, although it is not amazingly quiet it does not bother you if you have your volume at a moderate level. The Auto Set Up works well, but it takes a long time (over ten minutes). The deck allows for unattended search (e.g. ff/rew) and if you press play more than once when coming out of this mode you will inadvertently activate double-speed playback. The Hi-Fi sound also takes a bit too long to return after a special effect is performed (e.g. pause, ff/rew, slow). The deck's main problem lies simply in the lack of things it can do. It gives the impression of a budget deck. As a final note, its tape transport mechanism is maddeningly slow to respond to remote commands and front-panel buttons, making it easy to miss the end of the commericals. Of course, the commerical skip does not work at all, often starting play again in less than thirty seconds after activation.