Panasonic PV-V4520 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR

This is basically a good VCR for general recording and play back and offers some nice features: a remote that can be VERY easily programmed to control your TV and cable converters channel and volume functions; easy switching to SAP (Spanish), stereo or mono; fairly good slow motion for frame to frame viewing; a commercial skip function to fast forward thru your tape 60 seconds at a time (not 30 seconds like one review states); easy on screen programming and setup; a cool indexing and searching feature to help scan the tapes in your library once marked; and if your cable service supports it, the VCR can automatically program all the channels and time/date with a couple of button pushes.

However the unit isn't perfect. Although the remote will back light some keys it only does the biggest, easiest ones to figure out in the dark (play, stop, rew, ff, vcr, tv, dss cable) and ignores the rest. The manual for this VCR is somewhat poorly written and should be read at least once before plugging in the unit to avoid any problems. The layout for the buttons on the remote can be annoying especially having the record and tape speed buttons right next to the channel up and down buttons. The unit also only displays the tape counter on your television screen and not on the unit itself. When forwarding through a tape looking for a specific time, the counter disappears making it difficult know exact where you are on the tape, until you return to play mode or stop the tape. The plug was also shorter then my old unit by about two feet, requiring an extension cord to reach the outlet in the location the unit was being used.

I can't recommend this VCR. The sound of the VCR's motor is very loud and is annoying. Also, it can not record in the LP mode. LP delivers a much better picture than the EP mode.

When my 10 year old Panasonic VCR finally died, I went looking for another one. Having been extremely pleased with the quality of my old Panasonic VCR, I decided to puchase the same brand. Boy was I disappointed! The setup instructions were confusing, the buttons on the remote control are too small, and the unit is tooooo noisy!!!!! Needless to say, I returned the unit. I guess the old saying still stands, "You get what you pay for".

I consider myself to be a video junkie and consider the ownership of a good VCR a sacred thing. My 9 year old Mitsubishi which I loved and cherished for being an excellent VCR for so long started to die so this is why I went shopping for the best VCR under $140.00 US. I initially purchased the Sony SLV-N50 and returned it, then moved on to trying an Hitachi VT-FX6510A both of which are in the same price range of the Panasonic. I have since returned the Hitachi and have found a new love with this Panasonic PV-V4520. It's not the top of the line but it sure beats the other 2 I tried first and foremost in recorded picture quality. The PV-V4520 is comparable to the Sony SLV-N50 when you record in SP, but the PV-V4520 kills the Sony SLV-N50 when recording in EP/SLP. The Sony SLV-N50 fell apart in EP mode where the EP of the PV-V4520 was amazing! The Sony SLV-N50 also falls short on features when compared to the PV-V4520. The PV-V4520 offers VCR+, and the ever crucial Index Search function which the Sony does not. You need to upgrade to the Sony SLV-N70 to get that feature. The Hitachi VT-FX6510A has pretty much the same features but also does not compare with the PV-V4520 when recording in SP or EP. The Hitachi has the worst recording quality of the 3 in all speeds.

The PV-V4520 offers a rare LP record speed and that is nice when you want to tape up a 3.5 hour movie on 1 tape with the Panasonic's excellent picture quality in LP... It's worth every dime and then some. The PV-V4520 is made in Japan making it even more attractive to buy because you know it will last longer than one that is not.

On a last note, the Sony SLV-N50 and the Hitachi VT-FX6510 both come equipped with the so-called 19 micro head technology to give better recording and playback in EP. After seeing the PV-V4520 record and playback BETTER than the others you tend to wonder if this micron head business is a marketing stunt and nothing more.

What more can I say, Panasonic has the quality in sound, picture and the best reliability in the business. So the choice should be easy for you!

PS: I don't work for Panasonic and this is my first Panasonic piece of equipment.

This is a very solid VCR. It does a good job at recording as well as playback. Programming is very, very easy--I didn't even need the manual to figure it out, there are on screen directions which are real easy to follow. The only weak part of this unit is the remote. The channel and volume buttons are really small, so it is a little difficult to use at first, especially in the dark. This isn't a real big deal to me, but it would be nice if these buttons were bigger. It is also nice that you can use all the functions of the VCR without the remote, which is nice for those of use who have the tendency to lose the remote.