# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/21 "2011-08-24T01:33:57Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I have a Sony Betamax packed away somewhere … I’ll see your Betamax and raise you with the RCA Video Disc Player. I got one from a close friend of mine as a birthday gift about ten years ago. It was the best gag gift I’ve ever gotten. We hooked it up, watched [Gator](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074564/) (One of the few movies he could find for it) and laughed and laughed and laughed. It’s movies on records!!! Who thought that would be a good idea. I still have it and a couple of movies but they’re packed up in a closet. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bekfDV23rGM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/22 "2011-08-24T02:40:53Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > 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. I heard that you can make a better copy of a VHS tape to DVD if you use a S-VHS deck and S-Video cables. They said it works better than a regular VHS deck with composite cables. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/23 "2011-08-24T04:28:21Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I heard that you can make a better copy of a VHS tape to DVD if you use a S-VHS deck and S-Video cables. They said it works better than a regular VHS deck with composite cables. Is this true? It depends on the VCR. If there is a Faroudja circuit in the unit, then yes (look for the sticker on the back). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/24 "2011-08-24T04:47:14Z")
Professionally, I stopped buying most base end equipment anywhere but Amazon a year and a half ago. It’s cheap, the shipping is usually free, and it will get the job done until your tapes wear out. ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/25 "2011-08-24T09:40:46Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > 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. I have a couple of digital TV tuners [in the UK] that allow you to set timers such that they change channel automatically so you can record the SCART output to tape in this way. OK, a bit more complicated as you’ll end up setting timers on both the receiver and the VCR but it can be done. ---
**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 24, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/26 "2011-08-24T10:11:26Z")
Anyone else wonder where the OP went? ---
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743/27 "2011-08-25T00:44:15Z")
I went back in time to find a damned VCR. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-where-to-buy-a-new-vcr/593743.md?page=1)