Product Description

Why bother with lesser known brands when you can get a fine VHS VCR by Panasonic? The Panasonic PV-V4520 is an excellent performer loaded with features that make it fun and easy to use.The double-azimuth 4-Head video system produces superior, jitter-free special effects for a clear and stable picture during still/pause, slow motion, and forward/reverse search. Digital Auto Tracking Allows playing of most VHS tapes without the need for manual tracking adjustment by continuously adjusting the tape's tracking across the video heads during playback. Receive and record stereo sound from MTS (multi-channel television sound) stereo TV broadcasts, where available. The VCR Plus+ System simplifies VCR programming by reducing programming entries. Program the VCR by entering PlusCode programming numbers that can be found in most newspapers and TV listing magazines.This VCR provides stunning sonic performance, with dynamic range approaching CD levels of quality. With today's incredible sound effects in movies, Hi-Fi Stereo is an essential part of any home theater. Illuminated Universal Remote Control allows you full TV control in the dark. Besides providing total control of the TV, it also controls key features on most brands of VCRs and Cable Boxes. Additional features include Trilingual On-Screen Display for on-screen programming instructions in English, Spanish or French and Auto Clock Set with 24-hour Back-up that automatically sets the current time and date and updates the clock in the event of a power failure. Index Search is included for simplified access to various programs on a tape. Program End Search function will let you find the end of a recorded program, while Tape Position Display identifies your current position on a tape with an indication of remaining tape length.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6477 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: PV-V4520

Features

• Advanced recording features
• VCR Plus+ onscreen programming guide
• Onscreen trilingual display
• Standup illuminated remote control
• Auto rewind, eject, and shutoff

Amazon.com Review
If you've spent the past 15 years accumulating a collection of homemade VHS tapes, and you're searching for a new videocassette recorder, Panasonic's PV-V4520 should serve you well. This affordable, reliable, and easy-to-use four-head hi-fi model offers plenty of recording features; its straightforward onscreen guide helps you take advantage of those features without having to read the owner's manual.

Although connecting the PV-V4520 was very routine, we found the coaxial cable TV inputs and outputs to be difficult to access with our fingers, making it hard to tighten down the cable company's painstaking CATV terminals. There are no front-panel audio-video inputs on this VCR. Since it's a hi-fi model, however, the PV-V4520 does provide a pair of standard audio input and output jacks on the rear, along with a composite-video in and out. Once you connect the VCR to your TV, you simply turn it on and automatically enter the setup mode. If you need to reset the VCR, the owner's manual gives clear instructions on how to proceed using the onscreen guide and remote control. In less than five minutes, you can manually reset the clock and the language for the onscreen text, as well as the TV output channel (3 or 4), antenna, and automatic channel tuning.

The remote control is intelligently designed to stand up on a tabletop or shelf. It has a backlight button that enables you to see the most important keys (Play, Stop, Rewind, and Fast-Forward) in the dark. Since the remote accepts codes from multibrand TVs, cable set-top boxes, and satellite receivers, you'll definitely want to program it to operate the channel and volume control functions. The remote's buttons are intuitively laid out and simple to use, with the exception of the channel and volume keys, which are rather small.

Most of the PV-V4520's features are geared toward recording, beginning with the VCR Plus+ guide, which, if set up properly, makes it relatively simple to command the VCR to tape programs while you're gone. After configuring the VCR setup for TV only, satellite receiver, or cable set-top box, you must look up the VCR Plus+ two-digit codes in your local TV listings and assign them to their respective channels using the remote control and onscreen menu. This is a rather cumbersome process when compared with today's hard drive TV recorders; however, Panasonic's PV-V4520 VCR is considerably less expensive and you don't have to worry about memory management.

The PV-V4520 has a number of advanced recording features that used to be found only in more expensive S-VHS models. Program End Search places an invisible index mark at the end of each recording on a tape, making it easier to find multiple shows you've recorded. This VCR also has a Zero Search tape counter locator, which enables you to find the location of a specific segment on a tape.

We did not care for the Commercial Skip feature. Contrary to its name, Commercial Skip does not automatically sense the beginning and end of advertisements. It's basically an automatic fast-forwarding device that works in 1-, 2-, and 3-minute increments. We found that 30-second increments would be more useful, since commercial breaks often run shorter or longer than one or two minutes.

We did like the auto start, rewind, tape eject, and power off features, which are great for lazy, late-night movie sessions because they make it easy to crawl off to bed without rewinding the tape and shutting off the VCR.

If you're primarily interested in a hi-fi VCR that simply plays back VHS cassettes, the PV-V4520 probably isn't for you. If you're hooked on VHS "time shifting," however, this is an ideal deck for recording new tapes and watching old ones. The PV-V4520 is a solid performer from a reliable VCR manufacturer with one of the best customer satisfaction ratings in the business. --Eric Gill

Pros:

• Easy to program
• Great remote
• Good build quality
• Lots of useful features

Cons:

• No front-panel audio-video inputs

Amazon.com Product Description
The Panasonic PV-V4520 VCR is part of Panasonic's latest line of VCRs designed for the year 2000 and beyond. This four-head VCR combines hi-fi audio capabilities with a host of convenience features. It is equipped with a 181-channel TV/CATV tuner and an illuminated, universal, stand-up Light Tower remote control. Commercial Skip may be used during playback of a tape to rapidly advance 30 seconds, 60 seconds, or two minutes with each successive push of a button on the remote.

A notable feature made standard in Panasonic's latest line of VCRs is the VCR Plus+ feature, which lets users program the VCR by entering the PlusCode numerical codes that are found in many newspapers' television listings and TV Guide.

Other features include Auto Clock Set with 24-hour backup and a trilingual onscreen display (French, English, and Spanish). Auto Clock Set, featured on every Panasonic VCR, takes advantage of the Extended Data Service signal from the user's local PBS channel to automatically set and update the time and date. In the event of a power outage, the time and date will automatically be reset within 24 hours. This model also features index search and a tape position display.

The Panasonic PV-V4520 is Energy Star compliant, so it will draw significantly less power in the standby mode than noncompliant VCRs. Panasonic backs this model with a warranty of one year on parts, 90 days on labor.

Customer Reviews

Solid VCR
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.

Inexpensive, a bit noisy, but worth it
I've owned 6 Panasonic VCRs, each one better than its predecessor. I am not sure that the same holds for this one, though the price is certainly too good to pass on.

If you've owned a Panasonic VCR before then you expect reliability and ease of use. This unit delivers on that...while including 4 heads, commercial skip, a lighted remote (finally!), and the entire bevy of features now standard on every VCR.

The real negative is that it is much noiser than the model it replaces; particularly when it is rewinding. We are talking a good bit noise, enough that it makes me want to turn up the TV volume while it is rewinding.

I actually went out and purchased a JVC VCR to consider as an alternative, but returned that one and kept the Panasonic becaese the JVC was way too confusing to program.

So why did I keep this one? It is very inexpensive, I like the features, and I can live with the added noise. I think this one is a keeper unless the noise will drive you crazy.

Quality unit
This is a solid performer. Its features are very average for this generation of VCR. However, it is a joy to operate. I loved the remote(although it did take some getting used to). The major drawback is the lack of 19-micron heads(also called enhanced EP). 19-micron heads improve EP record and playback. It is rare to find a unit in this price range without them. If you do a lot of EP stuff, find a unit with 19-micron heads. Otherwise, this is a fine mid-range unit