JVC HR-XVC1U DVD-VCR Combo
Does what it says it will
This is a nice combo DVD/VCR.  I've had it for a couple of years now and have had no problems.  That's really why I'm writing; I want to let people know the ones with problems are probably the exception rather than the rule.<br />The only disadvantages to this product for me:<BR>1) On the VCR, you can't FF by time (a panasonic feature; FF a given number of minutes)<br />2) Once you set the VCR program, you must hit TIMER (not just power off) to get it to use the program.  Okay, hitting TIMER will turn the power off, but let's say you want to record something later in the week.  You will turn your deck on and off several times in that period.  Do you want to hit TIMER every time?  And by the way, hitting TIMER doesn't just turn the deck off, it switches to DVD mode.  In theory, this is nice so you can still use your DVD player while recording a show.  In practice you just end up turning off two things (VCR via TIMER, DVD via power) most of the time.<br />3) No S-video input.  I had to buy a S-video to composite video adapter to record something from my PC video card.  By the way, don't do this; the quality is pretty low.<br />Little advantages to this product for me:<br />1) Front panel inputs; I use this to dub from my video camera very often<br />2) Comprehensive remote; for me, the more buttons the better.  I hate on-screen menus.  How can I see what the picture looks like when I adjust the tracking if 88% of the screen is the tracking menu?<br />3) Many flavors of A/V OUTPUT: digital audio (coax and optical), composite video (of course), component video (nice for home theater), S video.<br />Bottom line: A good combo deck for the money.