cheapo vcr wanted

[weirdami]

Can someone recommend to me an inexpensive VCR machine and which store in the USA to go to to get it? I'm talkin less than $30.

Also, is there a really cheap device thing that I can connect to my TV to get all the cable channels I'm supposed to get on my basic cable but don't because my TV and VCR only get 2-35 and 98-99? I'm interested in 36-97 because the Scifi channel and Cartoon Network are in there and I'm dyin' out here. :-)

[Ilwrath]

Can someone recommend to me an inexpensive VCR machine and which store in the USA to go to to get it? I'm talkin less than $30.

I might recommend Toshiba as a brand to check out.  I have a low-to-mid end 4-Head Hi-Fi model that cost about $60, and my dad has the budget $30 model.  They seem to share a lot of components to help keep costs down, and both have performed much better than you'd expect from such a cheap price.  The only downside is a bit of a cryptic remote control.

Best Buy used to carry these, but I'm not sure if they do anymore.  

ABC Warehouse is also the master of the slightly dinged "price is flexible" models.  ;-)

[Debaser]

I doubt you'll find one that cheap.. Im just thinking of the cost to mfg. it wouldn't be that low to the public. I think $49.99 is where its at now. Furthermore, a vcr with a "cable tuner" or "cable ready" feature will cure your Scifi/Toon jones. You will take the cable into the vcr and then out to the tv. The vcr will be needed to change channels via its remote..and will always have to be on.

-Debaser

[Floid]

weirdami wrote:
Can someone recommend to me an inexpensive VCR machine and which store in the USA to go to to get it? I'm talkin less than $30.

Also, is there a really cheap device thing that I can connect to my TV to get all the cable channels I'm supposed to get on my basic cable but don't because my TV and VCR only get 2-35 and 98-99? I'm interested in 36-97 because the Scifi channel and Cartoon Network are in there and I'm dyin' out here. :-)

Go to a 'dirt mall' ("flea market"), and you should be able to find a reasonably recent one for under $30 -- aim for anything with stereo output, or "'90s styling."  Even if the tape movement is broken (unlikely, though it might want a cleaning tape), it should serve fine as a cable box, supporting all the currently-standard channels... unless you've got a realllly weird cable system in your area.

Or you could, er, try to find a cable box.

You can get something decent enough at K-Mart for like $40 these days, if you want to buy new.  I'm a little gun-shy of Wal-Mart, because where K-Mart (and lately, Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City, pretty much anywhere) will have cheap Chinese stuff at various degrees of markup, Wal-Mart will have cheap Chinese stuff, with or without an "American" brand slapped on it, usually missing a few features (like stereo, or component input on a TV) to shave $3 off the wholesale price.

[weirdami]

Or you could, er, try to find a cable box.

I figure if I'm going to spend that much money, it should at least play tapes or something besides just flipping channels. Then I could finally keep circulating the tapes. :-D

[Floid]

weirdami wrote:

Or you could, er, try to find a cable box.

I figure if I'm going to spend that much money, it should at least play tapes or something besides just flipping channels. Then I could finally keep circulating the tapes. :-D

Well, I was, again, talking a used one.  I actually have one sitting here that miiight work; it dates from 1980-something and looks like it was made in 1950-something, but was in use by a relative until about 3 years ago...  Want to pay shipping on it?

Seriously though, nearly any old broken-or-not VCR should do it.  Or you could consider a TV/Composite -> VGA tuner box, most of which include cable-ready tuners, and probably run $40 now on eBay or Pricewatch... could come in handy if you want to hook up your C64 to one CRT through a KVM.

No VCR-laden Goodwill around?  (Just make sure you can match up the remote...)

[weirdami]

No VCR-laden Goodwill around? (Just make sure you can match up the remote...)

I actually just found one. I spent two hours trying to get someone at stupid BestBuy to answer the phone and nobody ever did. Customer service would only keep transfering me to the home electronics department. They sure didn't want to talk to me. I guess they forgot the "service" part of their job description. Arg! So, I tried pawn shops and found a Goodwill that had one (just one) for $12-13. I'll see if it's ok to buy tomorrow. I asked on the phone how old it was. The girl didn't know so I asked her if there were any play/stop/etc buttons on the front. I figure that's a good judge of it being more recent a VCR. :-) There weren't, so good chance it's not too old for cable. I'll just have the remember about the remote control. I wonder what the return policy is at Goodwill.