Toshiba W603 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR

by Toshiba

Product Details

Product Manual [11.66mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00004RG7J
• Item model number: W603
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,520 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #46 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > VCRs
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

With the W603, Toshiba makes a strong argument for not spending big bucks on a VCR. Unlike the typically tiny players that dominate the entry-level market, the W603 is a full-sized machine that looks at home in a rack full of fine equipment. The handsome, dark gray faceplate has its controls laid out symmetrically around a fluorescent display, which makes it intuitive and easy to operate.

For starters, a small hinged door in the lower left-hand corner swings down to reveal a second set of gold-plated audio-video connections for easy hookup of a camcorder, video game or other entertainment device. There's also a round button that allows convenient one-touch recording. When these features are not in use, returning the door to its upright position restores the W603's simple, elegant appearance.

Still more impressive are the W603's technical credentials. Compared to similarly priced two-head machines, this four-head deck offers superior fast-, slow-, and still-frame performance.

We were impressed with the W603's rich color capability and clean, noise-free picture quality. However, images were a bit too reddish with our television's picture controls set to their normal position. Reducing color and tint levels yielded a more natural color balance. It should also be noted that some--though certainly not all--higher-priced models offer better image detail and color performance.

Sound hounds will also find the W603 a supremely satisfying home theater companion. The entire frequency range came through with crystal clarity and effortless dynamic impact on rental tapes, as well as through the Toshiba's unusually good television tuner. Bass was deep and powerful, while vocals were crisp and perfectly articulate. For consumers who either own a Dolby Pro Logic receiver or are planning to upgrade in the future, this VCR represents a great investment.

Toshiba has outfitted the W603 with a "universal" remote control that is preprogrammed to operate most TV brands. Unfortunately, the remote includes 39 keys, all of which are of identical size, shape, and color, making it almost impossible to operate without looking directly at the remote. The omission of a backlight makes operating the remote in the dark an excruciating experience.

Although there are a few areas in which other VCRs outperform the W603, those products all carry significantly higher price tags. Given its low cost, competent performance and abundant features, this Toshiba VCR clearly qualifies as a "best buy."--Anthony Chiarella

Pros:

• Sound and image quality rival more expensive models
• Abundance of features for an entry-level product
• Attractive front panel offers intuitive control layout

Cons:

• Remote control is difficult to master

Amazon.com Product Description

The Toshiba W603 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR offers an MTS/SAP audio tuner, a 181-channel TV tuner, digital auto tracking with channel memory, and front and rear audio-video inputs. Convenience features of this model include auto setup, auto clock set, and one-touch recording. It also features high-speed (180x) fast-forward and reverse. The W603 features standard-size dimensions for fitting in your cabinet, and it includes a remote control with batteries. This unit is Energy Star compliant and comes with a warranty for a year on parts, 90 days on labor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, April 14, 2000

By 

J. Decker "Soul City" (Oklahoma City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba W603 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR (Electronics)

First off, ordering and service from Amazon was impeccable. What I've come to expect.

On to the machine. I bought the machine based on price and brand name. I thought Toshiba would provide a quality product. I was wrong.

I have cable straight into the TV - no box - very primitive.

I hooked up the VCR - no problem. The auto timer function never synced with the cable input. I go to manual set up.

When you go to manual to set up the time and other functions - turn the volume down, or else you'll get very loud static.

I set the switch on the back of the VCR to channel 3. When going to play a tape you have to have the TV set on channel 3 - AND - that still won't work. Once the tape starts playing you get static - you have to dial the TV up or down one channel, then go to channel 3 - the tape then plays fine.

When stopping the tape, the VCR makes a lot of "gear" noise. Extremely noisy when rewinding, and ejecting.

No remote eject - only manual. The remote seems extremely cheap.

All in all a very poor piece of equipment.

I would recommend that you look around at other reviews and find a better machine, consider paying a little more.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A steal, July 26, 2000

By 

Nadia Malik - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba W603 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR (Electronics)

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.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Product, May 22, 2000

By 

Robert Grimes (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba W603 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR (Electronics)

The product does everything I could ask for a mid price machine. The product has little or no noise in operation, extreamly fast rewind and fast forward. The still frame mode is clear, and steps one frame at a time for those hard to catch moments. The auto tracking works well and the picture is clear. I am very happy with this product.