Sony SLV-N81 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR
Sony isn't what they used to be.
I liked this VCR until I had to get it fixed.  It was a minor thing, though, so I wasn't worried.  I was, though, ticked off when I was told (essentially) \\"Buy a new VCR!!  We don't want to fix it!!  It's too much of a hassle, and it just costs too much!!!\\" I found this odd.  Especially since the VCR was (at that point) barely a couple of months old, and was under a warranty.  I almost had to drag them kicking & screaming into their repair shop just to get them to do what they were supposed to.  In the end, it didn't even cost me anything ... except my loyalty to their company.  This sort of thing occurred anytime I went to down to Sony's repair shop.  In short, it was all part of a strategy to \\"convince\\" people to ditch VCR's and go for their new (and more expensive) DVD recorders.  I guess they figured that'd happen if they made it a pain in the butt for people like me just to get a simple adjustment made on a brand new VCR ... which I find totally disgusting.    This VCR was the most expensive that Sony had for sale at the time (I paid around $[...]).  Unfortunately, all the high tech stuff that I was used to seeing in their VCR's was nowhere to be found.  There were two features, though, that made it stand out from the rest:    1) A wheel/knob thingy on the front that allows you to set the time & set programmed recording events without having to turn the TV on.    2) Adaptive Picture Control (APC): It allows the VCR to customize recordings to each video tape, allowing great quality.    Unfortunately, though, the 2nd feature has been taken out of Sony VCR's since then, so the picture quality isn't that great anymore.  Of course, they could've come up with something else.  But if they have, I haven't heard about it.  And even if they did, big deal.  If they're going to do everything they can not to fix your VCR, and force you to buy a new one the minute something goes wrong, what's the point in buying a Sony VCR?  The next time you're in the market for a VCR, I'dgo for a TiVo.  Or a DVD recorder.  Or both.  And if you really have to get a VCR, don't get a Sony.  You don't need the hassle.