Old-hat as they may seem in today's increasingly digital world, VCRs still offer a serviceable way to record your own TV programs, as well as to play back prerecorded tapes or to transfer home camcorder movies onto a convenient viewing format.

Both the recorders themselves and blank tapes are inexpensive, and they have the advantages of familiarity and universal compatibility--no format wars here, as you'll find with DVD recordings.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Panasonic, Philips Magnavox, RCA, and Sony are among the biggest-selling brands. Most low-end models are VHS; some higher-priced units can record higher-resolution super-VHS, or S-VHS, as well. Hi-fi sound is a common feature, and a desirable one for a home theater setup. Price range: $80 and up for hi-fi models; $45 and up for S-VHS units.

Some TV sets come with built-in VCRs, offering a handy one-stop solution for recording and viewing. VCRs are also being paired with DVD players and DVRs to offer several viewing and recording options in one box.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

VCR Plus, available in several versions, eases the process of programming time-shift recording (taping a program for later viewing) by letting you enter numerical codes from TV listings instead of the program's date, time, duration, and channel.

Index search fast-forwards or rewinds the tape to a specific index point set by the machine at the start of a recorded segment. Automatic commercial advance lets the VCR bypass commercials during playback by fast-forwarding past such cues as fade-to-black and changes in sound level. An onscreen menu uses the TV to display setup and programming choices. Some models can automatically switch tapes from SP to EP speed, a feature called auto speed-switching, to extend recording time and help ensure that you don't miss a climactic scene because you ran out of tape.

HOW TO CHOOSE

We haven't found many performance differences among VCRs. Most models, even inexpensive ones, are capable of good picture quality. Base your decision more on price and features geared to your needs.

For use in a home-theater, stick with a hi-fi model. These are much better for larger TVs with stereo sound or for connection to a receiver. They can also play surround-sound movies if used with a receiver that decodes the surround-sound information.

For easy programming, look for an onscreen menu and VCR plus. They'll make setting up timed recordings much easier, letting you avoid fiddling with small buttons and squinting at a tiny display.

Think twice about paying extra for S-VHS. Inexpensive Super VHS models are not much better than common VHS models, but the more expensive models offer a definite improvement in picture quality when playing back S-VHS tapes recorded on the same machine. No S-VHS model will improve picture quality on commercial VHS tapes. If you'll be hooking the recorder up to an S-VHS-C, Hi-8, or digital camcorder, you'll also get some benefit.

If you want to edit recordings, get a model with editing features. Shuttle and jog controls let you scan large segments or move forward or backward a frame at a time to find a precise spot. Audio dub lets you add music or narration. A flying erase head lets you insert a segment without noticeable video glitches.

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