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Reviews (7)
06 Nov, 2010
Good For Dubbing--No TV Channel Tuner!
4 of 4 found this helpful I've only just received this so can't comment on durability, but have immediately used it to dub about 6 hours of VHS tape to DVD. Works great for that purpose. Quality as good as the VHS tapes.
If you read the manual, it's easy enough to use, though not as easy as some I would imagine. This remote has A LOT of buttons, but it's not too hard once you try everything out. Pretty easy to remember or find everything again.
My biggest gripe about this unit (which I didn't even know there were units like this--so it was a HUGE surprise) is that it has no kind of TV channel tuner whatsoever. There's no cable-ready screw-on thinger-ma-jig (That's technical! lol) on the back if you normally plug your cable right into your VCR. There are no channel up-down buttons on the remote because you CAN'T change channels on the unit!
You have to have an external source (other VCR or DVD unit, or I've heard there's some kind of external tuner just for changing channels--will have to research further) to go through first and use the audio/video RCA connections then to run to this unit while cable signal gets routed on to the TV (which you also need to see menus and what you're doing on this). Right now, my source for changing channels is my other VCR that I had planned on moving to another room to another TV when I got this one. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a 2nd unit (except for, as mentioned, the purpose of dubbing VHS to DVD). So now I'm going to have to do some homework and see if there's some kind of cheap external tuner I can buy at Wal-Mart or Radio Shack before I can move my first VCR into the other room and still use this to record television shows.
Only other "complaint," which isn't really a complaint as long as it keeps working, is that it makes some pretty loud clunking noises while it running, or at least on the DVD side, at least while it's recording. It worried me since this is a refurbish--thought something was wrong with my unit, but after reading other reviews, others say it makes noise for them, too. So as long as it works, I don't really care. I guess that's just normal noise it makes during use.
Anyway, if you have a lot of important stuff on VHS you don't want to lose, then this is WELL worth it just to transfer those things to DVD. The price is definitely right!
However, if you want to use this specifically for programming and recording TV shows while you're gone, be warned that you'll either have to buy a separate device to get channels or keep that old VCR around that perhaps doesn't record anymore but still turns on and gets channels so you can run the cable through that first AND know that you CAN'T program multiple channels for multiple shows while you're gone. You need the external tuner set to whatever channel you want to record before you leave. You can just set this unit to come on and record at a specific time or daily, weekly, etc., BUT without setting any channel. Just records whatever signal it's receiving.
28 Apr, 2019
A lil extra work but does an excellent job.
3 of 3 found this helpful I haven't tried other brands so can't speak as to the comparison, though I've read other brands don't leak as bad, but Laundry Alternative's isn't too bad. When the drum is pressurizing, it does seem to push some of the water out around the locking device of the lid so could make a mess on your counter without a good towel put down underneath it. However, I use it in the bathtub so not a problem (except for my back, leaning over--maybe I should try it on a counter with a towel underneath).
Anyway, this little thing does get the clothes very clean if you use very hot water--that's the key. That's what pressurizes it and forces the soapy water in between the fibers of the fabric. I turn it slowly so you can hear the clothes slosh from one end to the other and I count each revolution (2 sloshes each--upside down, then right-side up). I do alternate to more closely imitate a washing machine's agitation--crank forward and then back, forward and then back, forward and then back--I do 100 turns, then let the clothes soak without opening it or relieving the pressure for 12-13 min, then do another 100 back and forth turns.
Finally, I do 2 rinses, each only 30 turns back and forth, a hot rinse so that the fibers will still be opened up on the hot rinse, and then a cold one because I've always heard cold rinses better, another 30 turns, to be sure and get all the dirty soapy water out of the clothes. Plus, I use a little mini spinner I got from the Laundry Alternative, which gets them almost dry. I do a full 5-min spin, and I think my clothes are cleaner from these lil power-house machines than from washing in a full-size automatic washing machine!
I do wish the base was more stable, little pieces that go over the holes where the base pieces fit together are always popping out, but so far it has stayed together, and I just pop the little cover pieces back in place. It creaks and bends and shifts a lot, though, while cranking drum full of water and clothes. Hope it lasts. So far so good, and I have done a couple dozen little loads at least.
However, I have since ordered a more automated unbranded machine with built-in spinner, so if that works good, I might be willing to sell this lil guy at a discounted rate.
09 Aug, 2021
Great product
Works great, was inexpensive, and gives peace of mind being able to monitor my health multiple times a day every day whenever I want or need, and easy to use, too!