Rating: 
Summary: Good Deal
Review: This VCR has an excellent picture and nice auto tracking feature that was not present on my last VCR. It rewinds tapes in a jiffy and has a pretty good still image. The hidden front A/V inputs are a nice addition. The remote is rather small with hard to read buttons. The major problem I encountered was when I tried to hook it up to my magnavox DVD player via RCA plugs, the picture faded in and out with a red tint.
Rating:
Summary: A steal
Review: This VCR is pretty much a steal for only one hundred dollars. It has features that are absent from other VCRs in this price range.This Hi-Fi stereo VCR, at only 99 dollars, incorporates features useful for home theater. It has the standard width of 17 inches, so you can easily stack it with home theater components. It has front styling that doesn't attract attention. It blends in very well. The picture and sound quality are very good for the price. However, the pause picture was worse than I had expected. It has front inputs, a feature that is absent from most VCRs in this price range. Furthermore, a faceplate covers the inputs so they remain hidden when you are not using them. One bad thing about this VCR is the playback noise. It generates a lot of noise at normal playback that can easily be heard when there is only dialogue during a movie, and you are sitting about 10 feet away. The biggest fault, however, was the remote. It is absolutely ridiculous. First of all, it is very small. Second, the buttons are all indentical in size and shape. Third, the buttons are not placed very logically. You cannot operate the remote without having to look at it. I would reccomend just buying a generic remote for this VCR and throwing the old one away. Overall, however, I find the pros, esepecially the price, to outweigh the cons. I would recommend buying this if you do not want to sped a lot of money on a good VCR. But if you are willing to pay at 150 dollars or more, then you can get a much better VCR.
Rating: 
Summary: Functional VCR, not much more
Review: With the Toshiba W-603 you get what you pay for; an inexpensive VCR that will play and record. It performs these functions ably, but when its drawbacks are taken into account, the consumer may well decide to spend a little more money and purchase a better product. I purchased this VCR three months ago and have found it serviceable at best. The drawbacks: 1)The remote control is a joke. It's very small and gets lost easily. It's more complicated than most remotes, cramming nearly forty buttons into a three-inch-long area. Most egregious however is the lack of a volume control. You need two remote controls, a TV and a VCR remote, or you need to purchase a Universal Remote to operate this VCR. 2)The VCR emits a whining noise during playback. It's not as pronounced as other reviewers have noted, but still noticeable. 3)The machine's fastforward and rewing functions are subpar. It's difficult to stop the video at a precise place, often requiring the viewer to rewind the video to watch something that's been missed. 4)The automated timer will eventually work, occasionaly setting the time for inaccurate time zones (though in fairness this may be related to my media configuration and not the VCR). The length of time it takes for the timer to set is ridiculously long. It would be easier to set the clock manually. 5)The VCR LCD display is unnaturally bright. It doesn't have a nighttime dimmer function as other VCR's do. This is particularly annoying for me because the VCR is directly in my line of sight at night. I'm forced to unplug the machine every night. I'm satisfied with this VCR's playback ability. In buying it, I was looking for a cheap machine that would play my videos. I have not been disappointed. I would recommend it to others looking for a cheap secondary VCR. If you want a quality unit, you'll need to look elsewhere. This is an inferior unit.
Rating:
Summary: Functional VCR, not much more
Review: With the Toshiba W-603 you get what you pay for; an inexpensive VCR that will play and record. It performs these functions ably, but when its drawbacks are taken into account, the consumer may well decide to spend a little more money and purchase a better product. I purchased this VCR three months ago and have found it serviceable at best. The drawbacks: 1)The remote control is a joke. It's very small and gets lost easily. It's more complicated than most remotes, cramming nearly forty buttons into a three-inch-long area. Most egregious however is the lack of a volume control. You need two remote controls, a TV and a VCR remote, or you need to purchase a Universal Remote to operate this VCR. 2)The VCR emits a whining noise during playback. It's not as pronounced as other reviewers have noted, but still noticeable. 3)The machine's fastforward and rewing functions are subpar. It's difficult to stop the video at a precise place, often requiring the viewer to rewind the video to watch something that's been missed. 4)The automated timer will eventually work, occasionaly setting the time for inaccurate time zones (though in fairness this may be related to my media configuration and not the VCR). The length of time it takes for the timer to set is ridiculously long. It would be easier to set the clock manually. 5)The VCR LCD display is unnaturally bright. It doesn't have a nighttime dimmer function as other VCR's do. This is particularly annoying for me because the VCR is directly in my line of sight at night. I'm forced to unplug the machine every night. I'm satisfied with this VCR's playback ability. In buying it, I was looking for a cheap machine that would play my videos. I have not been disappointed. I would recommend it to others looking for a cheap secondary VCR. If you want a quality unit, you'll need to look elsewhere. This is an inferior unit.
Rating:
Summary: Great second dubbing deck
Review: Yes,Im an audiophile with over 15,000 dollars invested in audio-video components...No,this is not a component that screams top of the line features.....However,what you do get is a great second hifi deck for dubbing vhs movies or dual recording of different cable programs..The fact is folks,VHS recording technology is about as good as its going to get,unless you go superVHS..This Toshiba,though only four heads still gives you great resolution,about the max capable(240 lines),of this format..I have it mated with a top-tier Toshiba vcr that cost 349.99...And dub-edit, shows,sporting events,and home movies..The reason decks like this can be so cheap is not "poor quality",but rather,market saturation...So,even if your just starting a home theater system,this is a great simple machine that should meet most of your needs...Also,it looks pretty darn good for its price!!..Check out some of those "ICKY" looking machines from Panasonic,sharp and a few others and you"ll see what I mean....In closing,a great value and solid performer for its price...
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