# Any ideas where to buy a new VCR? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743 "2011-08-23T03:08:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/1 "2011-08-23T03:08:36Z")
Seriously, I just want to buy a new VCR. One that will play tapes I own, and record shows off the TV. And I mean a VCR, not a VCR/DVD combo unit. Seems like a few years ago you could buy one for $20, now they don’t exist. Yes, I have tried to buy used ones at garage sales but they never work and eat tapes. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/2 "2011-08-23T03:12:03Z")
[This](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=3&gs_id=a&xhr=t&q=vcr&gs_upl=&um=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1152&bih=745&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=18228084957029131705&sa=X&ei=8RlTTpaEE-fk0QGU0PHTBQ&ved=0CIwBEPMCMAM) can function as a simple VCR, but will also convert. Oh wait: will not tape off TV. never mind. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/3 "2011-08-23T03:40:12Z")
There are some on Amazon. They’re expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/4 "2011-08-23T09:20:40Z")
I’m really curious: Why would you want a VCR? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/5 "2011-08-23T11:32:17Z")
Are you PSXer’s famous “friend?” ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/6 "2011-08-23T12:26:32Z")
What you are looking for is no longer made. You will have to buy a combo or roll the dice on a used one. Try eBay or craigslist. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/7 "2011-08-23T14:52:39Z")
Google Shopping has a Magnavox DVD/VCR combo that records on the VCR side for $36 (plus shipping). Yeah, you’ll have a DVD player in it but it does everything a VCR should do including recording your TV shows. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/8 "2011-08-23T15:07:53Z")
I’ve had plenty of luck getting them at thrift stores. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/9 "2011-08-23T15:26:58Z")
New might be tough. I’d hit yard sales. I bet you can get five of 'em for 25 bucks, and have a good chance that at least one would work perfectly. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/10 "2011-08-23T15:37:57Z")
Why would you want to record new stuff to tape? Recordable discs are cheaper, and playback hardware for tapes is just going to get scarcer in years to come. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/11 "2011-08-23T15:41:57Z")
On eBay are some stores that sell refurbished VCRs with limited warranties. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/12 "2011-08-23T16:10:00Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Why would you want to record new stuff to tape? Recordable discs are cheaper, and playback hardware for tapes is just going to get scarcer in years to come. My guess is to record a LOT of hi-fi audio. Back in the day (and I suspect now), you could rather easily record 6 hours of CD or near-CD quality sound on a videotape set on EP. Strangely, the sound recording format and the quality of the cheapest tapes far exceeded what was necessary for very high quality sound, and you could tape for the length of the tape. Granted nowadays, 6 hours of cd quality audio ought to fit on a DVD-R, so maybe I’m wrong… ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/13 "2011-08-23T16:11:46Z")
I’ve stocked up a few for transfer purposes. People have given me truly excellent VCRs for free, like Mitsubishi S-VHS decks. Even if you never record on S-VHS tape, the Time Base Correctors built into them will play back tapes better than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/14 "2011-08-23T16:13:57Z")
> [@bump](#): > > My guess is to record a LOT of hi-fi audio. > > Back in the day (and I suspect now), you could rather easily record 6 hours of CD or near-CD quality sound on a videotape set on EP. …and do it on a timer. We used to record my wife’s radio show on a VHS deck. It would very happily record from the timer input, and we could get three of her two hour shows on one tape. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/15 "2011-08-23T16:35:33Z")
I have a Sony Betamax packed away somewhere … ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/16 "2011-08-23T22:50:31Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > [This](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=3&gs_id=a&xhr=t&q=vcr&gs_upl=&um=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1152&bih=745&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=18228084957029131705&sa=X&ei=8RlTTpaEE-fk0QGU0PHTBQ&ved=0CIwBEPMCMAM) can function as a simple VCR, but will also convert. > > Oh wait: will not tape off TV. never mind. None of them are gonna tape off TV anymore, thanks to “so much better” switch to digital. Best you can hope for is connecting a digital tuner to it via RCA (composite) cables. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/17 "2011-08-23T22:55:36Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > None of them are gonna tape off TV anymore, thanks to “so much better” switch to digital. Best you can hope for is connecting a digital tuner to it via RCA (composite) cables. That actually works wonderfully well. Analog output of a digital converter box is dramatically better than the pure analog tuners in any VCR. Also, any VCR made will tape the analog channels on cable just fine. They just won’t handle digital over-the-air. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/18 "2011-08-23T23:27:42Z")
My “new” VCR tapes off of cable just fine. I also have Blu-ray and streaming Netflix. “new” to me. Got it refurbished from an eBay store. Yeah, I used to use my hi-fi VCR for music, too. JVC HRD-470. Awesome little machine. Amazing reproduction of the live music from our improvised studio in the spare bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/19 "2011-08-24T01:15:02Z")
I still see brand-new VCR’s at Wal-Mart. The manufacturers have responded to the change to digital by yanking out the tuners entirely, so the only way you can record TV is either off a digital converter or cable/satellite box. The downside to this is that the VCR can’t change channels, so if you’re leaving the house and you want to record Channel A at 8:00 and Channel B at 9:00, you’re out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/20 "2011-08-24T01:33:38Z")
Personally I liked the quality of the picture from a VCR tape better than the squares you get with DVD playback. You didn’t have compression artifacts. I prefer the storage space and seek of DVD format. Old VCRs always have a inch and a half plastic wheel that goes bad which drives the reel mechanism. Whenever a VCR started to eat tapes it was this wheel in every model that wouldn’t rotate freely anymore. This is why I wouldn’t buy a used VCR if you find one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743.md?page=2)