GoVideo DVR5100 Progressive Scan DVD-VCR Combo
Nice Features, But Poor VHS Quality
I did a lot of research for a DVD/VCR combo unit when my bedroom VCR was fried in a power outtage.  Most of the units seem to spread the wealth of features in the DVD rather than VCR direction, which is not good for me since I still tape a lot of what I watch from broadcast television.  The one VHS feature I had to have was Commercial Advance, in which the unit marks commercials after recording and then fast forwards through them during playback. Not only does this really work most of the time and save time when watching, but I must admit that it is fun to snicker as the junk that the advertisers throw at us goes flying by without me being a captive audience.  The GoVideo DVR5100 seemed to fit the bill, as it is almost unheard of to have Commercial Advance in a combo unit. Even though there were some mixed reviews on the quality of the unit, and it had some features like progressive scan that I could not take advantage of now, I decided to take a chance at $(...).<br />Unfortunately, the VHS picture quality was terrible. I was shocked that at this point in the evolution of the VCR, even in a combo unit, there could exist such poor quality. I was only able to use the RF cable connections going to my older analog TV, but I expected better. Whether watching broadcast cable TV channels through the VCR, taped shows, or even pre-recorded VHS tapes, there were thin white lines, sometimes straight, sometimes wavy, all over the screen, especially visible on dark or black pictures.  I only tried the DVD portion once. It seemed to work OK, but it was a bit noisy. <br />Given that the VHS problems were not the result of poor cable signal (the television alone worked as fine as it always did) or poor tapes, I could not see bringing this brand new unit into an authorized repair center. It just does not seem like the type of problem to be fixed easily, if at all. So I returned the unit to Amazon(.com) and will probably go with the Zenith XBV243 or the new JVC HR-XVC20U and hope for the best.