Panasonic PV-D4743 DVD Player / VCR Combo

Pros: A Panny, very reliable, plays mp3's, great picture
Cons: Seems like a hodge podge of functions and will not serve a media pirate well.

While looking for a DVD/VCR combo, this is a great buy at only a $150. It is really easy to use and installs easily. However, I found it hard to do the following things: 1> Record from DVD to VCR - There is no option 2> The fact that it can play ...

Pros: None
Cons: Very shoddy design and engineering. Advertised on the box as something it isn't.

I bought this on the day after superbowll when Best Buy had nothing else left. The VCR portion of this player is poorly designed and will send a horrible unbalanced buzz into your TV set if you use the component video jacks on the front or rear without ...

Pros: Lots o features.
Cons: Too bad they don't work.

RCA, or any other brand would be better. Panasonic is really lacking lately, especially in the warranty dept.

I have owned this unit for awhile now and after getting around the other problems previously reviewed something new pops up.

The unit is skipping chapters on every DVD. The disks are clean too.

The newer units have troubles too, be careful with Panasonic. A name I used to trust.

Pros: Good picture quality, easy to use
Cons: VCR durability

We purchased this product based on positive professional and user reviews. For the first year or so, we were quite happy with it. It had good picture quality, was easy to use for VCR taping and playback and for DVDs. However, after a bit more than a year (soon after the warranty expired), the VCR playback function simply broke. Now, all we have is a picture of gray fuzz and no sound. Panasonic's customer service line was of no assistance and the price of repair is likely to be comparable to the price of replacing it. Certainly won't be looking to Panasonic for a replacement.

Pros: Excellent VCR section, looks like solidly built
Cons: Unbelievable, horrendous remote, poor console display

I own this unit for half a year now. It works flawlessly so far, but there are some design elements that make this Panasonic a source of constant irritation.
On the positive side, both DVD and VCR sections have solid build feel, operate smoothly; tape transport, in particular, is very fast.
Remote control has tiny buttons that are all alike. If I am watching a movie in the dark, there is NO WAY I can find the pause or stop button. I have to position my fingers on the buttons beforehand, and hold the remote control at all times while watching. Only then I can pause, stop, skip commercial etc.
Console display is very, very poor. It does not display the counter for VCR or DVD (only on-screen at a press of a tiny and well-hidden button). In fact, during playback, it displays nothing but PLAY. It does display the timer for instant time recording, which is nice, JVC and Toshiba combos do not have this.
I kept this thing, because there is no clearly dominating alternative among VCR/DVD combos.

Pros: It does play DVDs and VHS tapes.
Cons: No internal dubbing. S-Video output only for the DVD player, not VCR.

Sure, it plays DVDs. Sure, it plays a VHS tape.
Will it record from DVD to tape? HELL NO!
That is what it should say on the box! That is one of the main reasons for buying a DVD/VCR combo, to be able to tape from once source to the other, homemade DVDs are legal to dub to tape ya know. Also, I cannot believe that the S-Video out ONLY works for the DVD not the VCR...one of the main reasons for buying a DVD/VCR combo is to use only one inputs of a monitor or projector.

Pros: Price
Cons: Remote, display

You'll want to buy a different remote to use this product. Panasonic's remote (model LSSQ0375) is a throwback to the days when manufacturers confused quantity and quality.

This remote has 51 buttons, but no mute. Little thought seems to have gone into layout. For example, TV button is nowhere near VCR and DVD buttons, no prominence is given to volume or channel buttons. Most prominent are four arrow buttons that are rarely needed.

Also, the VCR doesn't readily display a tape timer.