Philips VR 550 > Reviews (1)

If you want a good, simple, value-for-money video recorder then this might just be the one for you.

It won't win any prizes for state of the art technology or superior quality, but it has all the functions that your average user needs: play and record videos, 8 event program timer over 12 months, clock display, SP/LP mode, one touch recording, on screen display, 2 scarts, etc.

It's very easy to install and setup, all necessary cables and batteries etc. were included, although I have to say that the instruction manual is not that clear and at times makes it sound much more complicated than it really is. Just be sure to connect the scart cables correctly - they are clearly marked TV and Decoder on the back of the video. The auto setup and tuning functions also help to save a lot of time tuning the TV channels manually.

It looks stylish and is very reliable, as you would expect from any Philips product. The only thing to note is that it is a 'midi' design, meaning that it is slightly more compact that your average VCR or DVD machine (approx. 360x226x92 mm) - something to consider if you are going to place several devices together.

The VCR comes with 4 video heads, Nicam Stereo and an Auto Head Cleaner, all of which help to improve the picture and sound quality of recorded programs. It can also play videos from NTSC region (e.g. USA).

It also has a Turbo Drive function which enables very fast rewinding and forwarding of video tapes as well as an on screen display which tells you how much tape has been used and how much is remaining - very useful if you are thinking of squeezing another program on the end of that tape but aren't sure if there is enough space!

The only disadvantages I can think of are the slightly complicated instruction manual (very unusual for Philips) and the fact that the machine is slightly noisier than other video recorders I have owned - there is a constant low humming noise when the machine is playing/recording a tape.

Overall it is a very good buy, particularly for children or people who don't have advanced needs. It's cheap, easy to use, stylish and reliable.

Shop around for the best deal as prices can vary. As far as I can see, Argos is currently offering the best price...