Toshiba W727 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR
Only Works With Analog Cable Systems
We thought this would be an ideal VCR. It has commercial skip, auto clock set, very fast rewind ... and it sets the cable box. This was the crucial feature for us -- program the VCR and it controls the cable and sets the channel as needed.<br />But there's a very major gotcha -- it only works with old fashioned cable boxes that expect two-digit channel numbers. If your system expects a three digit channel (003 rather than 03) you're out of luck. We were able to get the VCR to control the cable box, but you can see it sending only the first two digits. The cable box accepts them, but then when the third digit doesn't appear, it returns to the channel it was on. This was confirmed by the Toshiba technical supervisor we spoke to.<br />It's getting harder and harder to purchase the right piece of gear. All we really wanted was that these two pieces of gear (VCR and Cable box) work together. But that simple need just isn't so simple. This VCR was recommended by Consumer Reports, which indicated that it controls the cable box. They left out a small fact.<br />And more to the point, how can Toshiba sell something that is so modern in other respects and yet so thick-headed and old fashioned in this one critical area? What planet are they living on? Our whole cable system is being upgraded to digital. They won't even sell you analog anymore.<br />It came out of the box an hour ago. It's going back to the store today.<br />Aargh!