Panasonic PV-V4522 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR
Reliable? No way.
The reviews of people who have owned this brand for less than 6 months are as good as first impressions go.  I had a misfortune of owning this brand beyond its warranty and lo and behold it broke soon thereafter (The tape eject/pull mechanism stopped working).  So I took a peek inside.  I saw an incredibly flimsy looking plastic wheels, pulleys, and levers.  It is no wonder the thing broke.  Planned obsolescence is king with consumer electronics nowadays (I own a Sylvania VCR that is 13 years old, yes it's noisy but it still works!)<BR>If you want a VCR that will last beyond its warranty period, look elsewhere.