Panasonic PV-VS4820 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR
Several problems and a bad user interface
I've been using this VCR for about six months.  So far, it is <BR>decent, but not great.  <br />There are a few things about it that I really don't like. <br />1)  As other reviewers have mentioned, it's very loud.  <BR>Rewinding a tape sounds like an airplane preparing for takeoff.  <br />2)  When programming the VCR for manual recording, you cannot <BR>enter the channels numerically (by pressing the number keys). <BR>Instead, you must cursor down from the channel to which the VCR <BR>is currently set.  It's very annoying if the VCR is on channel <BR>49, and you want to record channel 2.  <br />3)  The remote control and user interface really is confusing <BR>and inconsistent.  VCR UI design seems to have gotten much <BR>worse over the past few years.  <br />4)  However, the worst thing about it is that after it finishes <BR>recording, the VCR display still says it is set to record <BR>additional programs.  When you set the VCR to record, the <BR>display says TIMER in big letters, indicating that the timer <BR>is set to record programs.  When the VCR is not set to record, <BR>the display shows a clock.  After the VCR finishes recording, <BR>the display _should_ default to the clock (this is how other <BR>VCRs work.)  Unfortunately, the display still says TIMER, which <BR>is awfully confusing.  If you turn the VCR on and off again <BR>after it has finished recording, the TIMER indicator disappears <BR>and is replaced by the clock.  <br />I just couldn't believe anybody would design a VCR this way on <BR>purpose, so I called customer service about this (twice), and <BR>emailed once.  The first representative insisted that I was <BR>wrong, and that the VCR didn't work that way.  The second told <BR>me that it was supposed to work that way, and that I didn't <BR>need a display indicator at all because &quot;after all, YOU were <BR>the one who programmed the VCR in the first place!&quot;  I didn't <BR>receive any response to my email.  <br />On the positive side, the rewind really is very fast.  I haven't <BR>actually used the commercial advance feature, but it seems like <BR>quite a useful feature.  <br />I can't say I have noticed the improved picture quality either, <BR>but I haven't been looking for it.  I have noticed that tapes <BR>I record on this VCR don't play on other VCRs, and this might <BR>be the reason.  (There may be a way to turn this feature off, <BR>but I haven't found it yet.)  <br />If I had it to do over again, I would not buy this VCR (or any <BR>other Panasonic VCR, most likely).  I always liked the Sony VCRs <BR>I had in the past, so I would probably start looking there.