# Where to find a new, good, small TV-VCR? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831 "2010-03-18T01:31:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/1 "2010-03-18T01:31:18Z")
Seems VHS-format videocassette recorders are going the way of the dodo and the eight-track tape, but… I want to get a new, small, good-quality combined one-unit TV-VCR with no more than a few square feet “footprint” for atop my bedroom dresser. Any suggestions? If the vendor can ship to NE Ohio, so much the better. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Shroud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@The\_Shroud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Shroud)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/2 "2010-03-18T01:46:53Z")
I think the “new” part will be the problem. As far as I can tell, the only VCRs currently being made are combined with DVD recorders, but not TVs. Amazon turns up a used 13-inch one for $229; for that price you could get a new 22-inch LCD and scrounge up an old VCR somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/3 "2010-03-18T02:57:31Z")
I suspect you’re right, but I gotta ask. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/4 "2010-03-18T03:11:58Z")
The problem is VCRs have to have a digital tuner in them to be sold. You can get a video cassette _player_ easier because they don’t need a tuner ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/5 "2010-03-18T03:23:37Z")
Any reason it has to be new? [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1648091579.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1648091579.html) [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1647742711.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1647742711.html) [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/for/1646122075.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/for/1646122075.html) [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1642014965.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1642014965.html) [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1639719773.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1639719773.html) [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1639376414.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1639376414.html) [http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1639369016.html](http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/1639369016.html) Etc… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/6 "2010-03-18T13:39:40Z")
Well, I’d prefer new, just to be sure I wasn’t being sold some shoddy used ol’ gadget, but thanks for the Craigslist entries. That’s good to know. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/7 "2010-03-18T14:54:54Z")
Ah, I dig. But then again, for $20-40 a pop vs. $229 for something new, you should be able to find at least one that works well before having wasted money! I like buying outdated technology. I get the sense that it’s most likely not going to be broken - just un-used. We got our Atari 2600 when the NES came out, and ended up with a perfectly good machine for very cheap. People were getting rid of them just because they’d bought something new. I’m sure the same goes for older iPods, Walkmans, VCRs and TVs. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/8 "2010-03-18T15:09:59Z")
You could also try thrift shops. I got a few VCRs from them a while back for $10 each. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/9 "2010-03-18T19:09:35Z")
I’d advise against the combos. They work and they’re in neat little package, but the problem is the VCR is going to die _long_ before the TV or DVD player. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-a-new-good-small-tv-vcr/532831/10 "2010-03-18T20:33:18Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I’d advise against the combos. They work and they’re in neat little package, but the problem is the VCR is going to die _long_ before the TV or DVD player. Definitely! Never buy any display that incorporates any mechanical media playback, VCR or DVD. That goes double for “Home Theater In A Box” devices that combine the receiver with a DVD player. The mechanical always fails first.