Entered CNET Catalog: 10/27/2004
SKU: 0046838015274
Manufacturer: JVC America
Manufacturer description
The HM-DH5U defines the home theater performance. With its HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connect to newest HDTV and hi-res projector systems. It enables full enjoyment of prerecorded D-Theater movies, and keeps you in touch with the analog video library you've built over the years. So go beyond video. Experience High Definition Video for the age of HDTV.Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 02/18/2005
Upside: Until Blu-ray and HD-DVD recorders hit the market, D-VHS remains the only removable media on which consumers can record and store HD broadcasts at their full resolution. The special D-VHS cassettes (you can't use standard VHS tapes) can hold 4 hours of HD content or up to 24 hours of DVD-quality standard-definition video. The HM-DH5U records and plays back all of the standard resolutions (480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i) and can display high-def video from its component outputs, its HDMI interface, or its FireWire port. There's even a handful of prerecorded high-def D-VHS tapes you can buy. And yes, this über-VCR is fully compatible with all your old VHS and S-VHS tapes.
Downside: Unlike the step-up HM-DT100U, the DH5U doesn't have a built-in HD tuner. More important is the HD video input: it's limited to a single FireWire connection, so you'll need to make sure your set-top box or HDTV is similarly equipped and that it works with a D-VHS VCR (some FireWire-equipped devices won't work with this deck). But the bigger issue may be the DH5U's videocassette heritage. Yes, this may be one of the most advanced VCRs ever made, but it's still susceptible to many of the same pitfalls as those tape-based products you grew up with: dirty heads, stretched and snapped tapes, and linear-only access ("be kind, rewind").
Outlook: If you want the ability to archive HD content and you're not willing to wait for Blu-ray/HD-DVD, JVC's HM-DH5U is a viable option. Sure, it lacks the sexiness of disc-based media, but it's still all-digital--and online pricing options below $500 make it all the more tempting.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 3 user reviews
It's a piece of crap
Pros: It works, sometimes
Cons: Poor analog performance, high failure rate
Review: I can't speak for the HD or digital performance of this machine, since I never even got as far as using them. I got this machine with the intention of using it as an analog VHS machine and taking advantage of the digital capabilities later on. I figured that such an expensive machine would have good analog performance. It's exactly the opposite. The analog performance is extremely poor. My cheap $80 Panasonic machines are far better. But what disappoints me most about this machine is its chronic processor failures. 6 months after I got it, it got stuck in a mode where it would power itself off whenever you tried to do anything, including eject the tape. I had to have it repaired. They had to replace the processor. 6 months later, it's doing the same thing again. JVC may have invented VHS, but now it seems as if they're trying to kill it. I chose this machine specifically because I was impressed with JVC's older machines. Now I'm disinclined to buy anything with the JVC brand on it. This machine is a very expensive piece of crap and JVC owes me $500.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 3 user reviews
Great product
Pros: The 5u is a nice advance from the 30k and 40. It offers HDMI output, and does not crush blacks or whites over component like previous models.
Cons: HDMI can be flaky and requires an HDCP-compliant device.
Review:
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 3 user reviews
great for ota hdtv
Pros: stunning picture, easy to use, great sound, has firewire and hdmi connections
Cons: hard to find tape, can only record from firewire equiped hdtv converter, relatively expensive
Review:
