New VCR player - why so expensive?
 

My 11 year old Sanyo VCR has just given up the ghost :cry: so have had a quick look about and was surprised by how expensive vcr players are in comparison to dvd players. You can pick up a basic dvd player for £19.99 in a supermarket yet the cheapest vcr players seem to be about £45. Is this simply due to the mechanical components used in a vcr which keep their price higher and the fact dvd players must be one of the most mass produced items globally?

VCR may be old and out dated but when you have a large number of films on video then my dvd player isn't much use!

I would put it down to supply and demand.

I'm no economist but every man and his dog are buying DVD players so that is going to drive the price down.

I wouldn't imagine that many people are buying VCR's these days so the price may be a bit steeper.

:)

I think if you took the lid off a VCR and a DVD player, you'd see quite a difference.
The VCR needs a mechanism to load the tape, and needs a tape transport system to pull the tape against the heads and move it from reel to reel in the cassette - there is no way of avoiding this mechanical necessity.
The DVD player will have a motor to spin the disc, and the laser mounted on a small track.
I would imagine this is where the main differences in cost come from.

I've seen MONO VCRs very cheap ....

Remember that a VCR has more parts than a DVD payer .... and, now, they sell very few.

Pete

why not get a combi DVD VCR jobbie?. Burn your VHS vids to dvd while you are at it.

That is probably the best idea :thumb: Any recomendations on models with price being a major factor for me - ie as cheap as possible but good quality!