JVC HR-XVC20U Hi-Fi DVD-VCR Combo , Black
By: JVC Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 19
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 On: 2005-11-13
I bought THREE of these things over the last two years ... at least two of them from Amazon. They worked fine at first, but after a while, DVDs started freezing up on them. Oddly, I have absolutely NO trouble playing music CDs in the very same drives.
DVD freezing has has happened on all of them, but it is worse on the unit I have used most. It seems to do it less when the machine or the DVD has cooled down. Anyway, thanks to JVC I have several hundred dollars worth of DVD players that dont play DVDs ... and considering the other reviews here suggest there not a chance JVC will make good on them.
I have had, in the past, good luck with JVC TVs and car stereo units, and I try to stay loyal to brands, suppliers and what not. But I seriously doubt I will be making any other JVC purchases due to these things. I suppose JVC doesnt place much value on their brand or image or they wouldnt have dumped this stuff into the marketplace.
It seems to be getting harder and harder to find companies that bother to make products that are actually worth what you pay for them. I suppose companies that rip-off customers and laugh their way to the bank must be part of the "new economy" I keep hearing about.
 On: 2004-11-13
Although some models of a certain product may have numerous defects, Im happy to say that my JVC VCR/DVD combo has had no problems. I have recorded numerous times with the VCR section (with the picture still looking the same as the first day), I played all my DVDs (they havent frozen), and have copied a DVD to a VHS. If you dont already have it, get it!! Please.
On: 2004-10-13
After about six months, had the same problems as other buyers - DVD player freezes. Sometimes restarts, sometimes doesnt. Emailed their customer service, but only got a line that my warrenty was up. There must be some systemic problem with how JVC is putting these together - I cant believe they dont know this. In either case, I have given up on using it as a DVD player and Im in the market for a new one. Of course, I will never again be purchasing anything JVC.
On: 2004-10-12
After about six months, had the same problems as other buyers - DVD player freezes. Sometimes restarts, sometimes doesnt. Emailed their customer service, but only got a line that my warrenty was up. There must be some systemic problem with how JVC is putting these together - I cant believe they dont know this. In either case, I have given up on using it as a DVD player and Im in the market for a new one. Of course, I will never again be purchasing anything JVC.
On: 2004-07-07
Is the worse buy in my life. The DVD does not work and to get a new one is cheaper than repair. JVC Colombia unable to fix it.
On: 2004-05-28
I would not buy this product again. After about 6 months (and perhaps 20 hours of use) the DVD player started freezing images or playing too slow. Took it to a local shop and had the DVD unit replaced as some expense to me (JVC agreed to pay about half and I had to pay the rest, about $60, as the warrenty had expired). Now a couple of months later the DVD player is starting to do the same thing again and I have to decide if I want to go through the repair thing again. Probably not. I am disgusted! The VHS unit has worked great and has seen a lot more hours of use.
On: 2004-05-26
I used the DVD player twice, and it no longer will recognize any disc. After going in circles with tech support, I was finally told I need to (take time off from work to) bring it down to the service center and pay $70 for them to fix it (since its 8 months old, more than the 3 months warranty on LABOR). Since I could buy a new DVD unit for $50, I cant see the point. Im VERY disappointed and unhappy with their product and with their committment to service (or lack thereof).
On: 2004-05-22
So far Im pretty disgusted with this unit. I think I played one DVD on it. It did sit for a few months without use, and when I came back, the unit will no longer recognize any disc at all. JVC web site is completely useless. Now I have to waste time bringing the unit to a service center. Well see if theyll cover the warranty. Since its longer than three months, Im sure theyll charge me labor. What a scam!! Dont waste your money!
 On: 2004-05-05
Weve had this device for five months now, and have not had any problems with it. It plays all of our videotapes, CDs, and DVDs, including home-made CD-Rs and DVD+Rs. The VCR accepts and ejects tapes smoothly with no hang-ups. My only complaint is that the remote is a bit of a headscratcher sometimes. I think it could have been laid out a little better, and thats the only thing that keeps me from giving it 5 stars. But the machine itself functions fine. We arent electronic experts or anything, but we rent a lot of DVDs, and this machine has suited our needs perfectly.
On: 2004-04-04
Wow I spent 250 dollars on something that would only last for 5 months [ problems started in march ] This is just how the world works these days. More money to be made with products that deteriorate easily faster. JVC is just another greedy company designing products to last much less than they could last if they wanted them to. Dont waste your money. This is the worst vcr. Cant get the jumping to stop on numerous brand new tapes when taping off of television or a dvd. Refuses to play properly and has only auto-tracking. You cant adjust it and it does a lousy job doing it itself. I had a vcr that worked under heavy use for nearly ten years. A 2 head! Guess that kind of good service and workmanship is dead now. Along with honor and Consumer concern. Every stereo and dvd player and car and tv and microwave and so on will be built to last long enough for you to save up enough money to buy them over again. Welcome to the beginning of the end for consumer quality. I am going to try again to contact customer service for this item and if I get any satisfaction whatsoever I will change my review.
On: 2004-04-01
I would avoid purchasing this unit and spend a little more money on a more reliable (and expensive) brand. You get what you pay for so do not by on price alone. I have had nothing but problems with this unit from the word go. Sure it worked great for the first month but after I really started to put it to work and try all of the DVD functions is when the problems started. First, when I Fast-Forward a DVD at the highest speed during playback, hit Pause and then Play, the audio and video are completely out of sync. If I hit Stop once and then Play all is normal. This happens with every DVD I have tried. Second, I started getting an "Incorrect Disc" message intermittently when I would insert a DVD. I would unplug the unit to reset it and it would work for a day or two with no problems (except the audio and video sync) but it got to the point where resetting the unit did not help. I had it sent in for "repair" under Warranty and got it back in a week. Some parts were supposedly replaced in the DVD player and the optics were adjusted. I get it home and it worked great...for about 15 minutes! The screen froze, the audio and video sync problem was still there (when I could get it to play at all) and when I tried a different DVD, I got the dreaded "Incorrect Disc" message again. Fantastic! This unit is going back to the local retailer for a refund. Thanks JVC!
On: 2004-02-27
Dont believe the technical specs Amazon provides - most recorded DVDs wont playback. Ive even had problems with some CDRs. If you buy a CD with extra stuff like JPEGs or MPEGs on it youll have to copy the extras to another disc to view them. This unit ignores all other content if there is any CD audio on a disc. Using the programming function on the VCR is tricky. You have to remember to engage timer mode or else it will ignore the programs youve entered. But if its in timer mode you cant use the VCR/tuner side of the unit. The user interface is a nightmare. When you want to move up or down through the menus you use the left and right buttons. DVD functions on the remote are marked in tiny pale-yellow-on-a-shiny-metallic-background letters above the buttons. Plan on doing a lot of squinting until you have the locations memorized. Loading a tape into the VCR is scary - it loads in a very twitchy way. I have a feeling the VCR wont last very long. I am quite certain it wont be missed.
 On: 2004-01-23
At first I was so happy with the unit. I found no problem with set up or using the remote. Playing regular store bought DVDs worked good. On one older DVD it freezed in the middle of a DVD but only 1/2 of the time and the VHS was flawless. Then my daughter was in a dance performance and we got a copy made from a recording company on DVD. First it would play a couple mins then freeze. After trying a few times it wouldnt even read the DVD and would just say error. After calling JVC he tried to walk me through resetting the machine but it wouldnt reset so I sent it back.
On: 2003-12-18
The item seems to work great we set it up today. Problem is it was a Christmas gift and these idiots sent the package unwrapped... So if youre looking to buy this for a gift, have it sent to another address. Something I sure wish I would have been told before I purchased it...
On: 2003-10-22
We were not looking to push the limits of the home entertainment frontier. We just wanted a reliable combo player due to our limited space. This player has worked out very well. Nothing has fallen off or started rattling since we purchased it several months ago, contrary to another review Ive read. Not to mention, it has received much use (more Teletubbies than any human should have to endure). This has been a very affordable and reliable player for us.
On: 2003-09-12
I was very hesitant to purchase this item due to the reviewer that only gave this product 1 star. Although, I am VERY happy with my purchase. The unit was easy to install & is very easy to use. Not to mention, the great price & free shipping. This product exceeds my expectations.
On: 2003-08-19
This DVD/VCR Combo is Very Quiet in Both DVD and VCR modes. The Playback of VHS Tapes is very Crisp and Clean. Controls are easy once you Figure them out. My only Complaint is that threr is No VCR Eject Button on the Remote. An Excellent Buy
 On: 2003-08-14
Ill start off with the good points -- Playback is uniformly excellent, and Ive had absolutely zero problems with playing DVDs, VCDs, even SVCD on CD-RW. The remote took over most of the functions of my TV remote after extremely minimal setup. The system itself looks nice, and is generally well laid-out, with a few carefully chosen controls on the front panel. The MP3 playback mode is a particularly nice feature. Ive owned this for several months now, and so far its been perfectly reliable.Now the disappointments. The remote is frequently a pain to use -- the labels on most of the option buttons are tiny, confusing, and occasionally misleading, and there seems to be no logical order to them. The most forehead-slapping example would have to be the buttons which choose subtitles and audio tracks -- theyre *miles* from each other, and neither one is clearly labeled as to its purpose... Audio switching is done by repeatedly pressing "A. Monitor", for example, and subtitle switching is the alternate function of a button whose primary function I dont remember since Ive never used it. Glow-in-the-dark buttons would also have been a nice feature for those of us who like to watch movies with the lights out. DVD+/-R is iffy at best, with some sound problems, and some discs completely refused. If playing home-burned movies is a priority, look elsewhere. One more thing I wish Id known -- I had been hoping that with the S-VHS emulation mode, that Id be able to play the VCR through the S-Video port. As it turns out, this is impossible. This made wiring this thing to my TV and stereo a serious logistical challenge. Effectively this is two seperate appliances sharing the same case and a few of the same outputs -- it will save you some room in your entertainment center, but it wont save you any wiring. This is the case with most, if not all, of these VCR/DVD combos, though, so its not exactly a strike against it, Id just like to know why its apparently so difficult to handle S-Video gracefully on these things. This is probably not a good choice for anybody serious about home theatre, but is certainly a good performer for folks who just want a reliable, up-to-date replacement for an aging VCR, say.
On: 2003-08-07
I have had this unit for 2 months now. I love love love it! No problems. Works like a top and it has been used almost 24 hours a day during that time. Bought a Magnovox similar unit and hate it. I like this one some much Im online buying another for my bedroom to replace the Magnovox.This unit plays ANYTHING! that spec that made me buy it in the first place. Check before buying because many units are limited in what they will read on the DVD side. The second reason is the JVC name. The person that had the bad DVD door, so sorry. Any manfacturer can have a lemon. Dont blame all of this model.
On: 2003-07-09
After using this product gently for about one week, the DVD door stopped working properly. Sometimes it opens, closes, opens, closes, etc. Sometimes it just wiggles slightly instead of closing. Sometimes the laser tries to read the disc while the door is open. I purchased it from another online vendor that does not accept returns, so I am going to try to get help from JVC. What an annoyance!
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