Review on 🎥 Sony SLV-M20HF Hi-Fi S-VHS VCR: True High-Fidelity Video Recording at its Finest by Bryan Gallardo

Old audio/video components that still work have something to say. My wife and I bought this VCR around 1997 or 1998 (ha! - Revane says "first appeared in 1973", funny) and it has been in constant use ever since. The Guidestar channel guide stopped working for a short period of time. I believe in the SF Bay Area the guide information is coming on channel 9 and there was a transition or possibly expropriation of this service but after a few weeks it started working again. This way our program guide is constantly updated with reliable information about the programs and we rarely have to manually enter the start and end times (or the VCR+ codes they published in the newspaper). Smart file tags are something to watch out for. I don't think any of the original 4 or 5 that came with the unit gave us one bit of trouble. I don't remember if we had additional shortcuts; If I remember correctly, there was a coupon for extras with the VCR that we shipped. The real problem with labels is that they stick to the cartridge and over time the tapes wear out, tear, stretch and so on. So we're trying to record the entire tape from start to finish before rewinding and re-recording from the beginning. During that time we've thrown away a few cassettes and the ones we use are already outdated. Whatever it was, it kept us from switching to Tivo or DVR. Another great feature of this VCR was the commercial skip button, which was actually nothing more than fast forward with a second or two of rewind. It may not be that impressive in the digital age, but it's used every time we watch a show we've recorded. I have no idea what I'm going to replace this VCR with. It's been such a big part of our TV viewing that, to be honest, I'm a little sentimental about letting it go. But we have to, and picture and sound don't even come close to today's television and cinema. Thank you Sony for an absolutely wonderful and underrated product.