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My old Panasonic AG-1830 video faded into oblivion because of the electrolytic capacitors in the video module among others I am sure, I gave up on it (I have a brand-new upper drum in the package, thinking it would last forever when I ordered that from Panasonic about $90 at the time...) , I have a Mitsubishi HS-430U I keep going because it will play my few years accumulation of old linear stereo tapes I recorded on a Panasonic PV-1780 I think it was, one generation before Hi-Fi audio and MTS Stereo, when simulcast stereo was popular on cable and with TV and FM stations. Had JVC HR-S5800 and HR-S6700 VCRs in the system for a while but they can get unreliable from little use. Then I bought a Mitsubishi HS-U770 which the mechanism plastic FL guides cracked and failed, and I had to put in a whole new updated mechanism, so it still works, that's one still in operation today. I picked up a JVC HR-S5900U for less than $100 that is so simple mechanically is has little to fail and makes a very nice pic. Cheap but effective. Works every time. I have lots of S-VHS tapes I've recorded off of C-band satellite and OTA since '89 when I bought the AG-1830. Have about 75 Beta tapes but I have no Beta machine to play them on any more. I repaired VCRs for a living, most all brands in and out of warranty for almost 25 years.
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