VIDEO : TV/VCR ‘Combos’ Make Headway

Last January was generally a slow month for the sale of video products, with one exception--color TV/VCR combination units. Sales to dealers skyrocketed 222.7% over the previous January, to 44,838, according to figures released recently by the Electronic Industries Assn.

Last year, 440,000 of these “combos”--box-like hybrids with the VCR affixed above or below the TV--were sold to dealers.

The area is growing so fast that the Electronic Industries Assn. has decided to give TV/VCR combos their own category for tracking sales. Previously, figures for these units, both table models and battery-operated portables, were included with sales statistics for standard TV sets (as opposed to big-screen projection TVs).

The primary reason for increased sales is more expensive marketing campaigns targeted at certain consumers--specifically those looking to buy a second or third TV or VCR, as well as those who simply like the convenience of a TV and VCR in one unit.

“We go after people who aren’t technically savvy, a big chunk of the population,” said Gary Frisch, a spokesman for Panasonic, which markets a full line of combos. “You take it out of the box, plug it in, put in the tape and that’s it.”

Consumers like the fact that there are no extra cables to plug in and that both the TV and the VCR can be operated by one remote control unit.

Discount prices for table-model combos range from about $500 on up, beginning with a basic unit that has a 19- or 20-inch screen. For luxury units, by companies such as Panasonic, Bang & Olufsen and Ten-Lab, prices range from $1,000 to $4,100.

Combos have been sold since the late ‘80s, first by manufacturers such as Goldstar that specialize in low-priced products. But major companies have followed, looking for new ways to sell VCRs now that sales growth of those machines has slowed dramatically.

If you’re thinking of buying a combo unit, here are a few things to remember:

* Don’t assume that all models have two tuners. Some have only one, which means you can’t record a program while watching another. Combos with two tuners are more convenient--and more expensive.

* Check for the number of VCR heads. On the less expensive combos, the VCRs have only two heads--eliminating special effects such as stop action. If you want the full range of special effects, you’ll need a combo whose VCR has four heads. Again, that means spending more money.

* Programming isn’t particularly easier with these units, which some consumers mistakenly assume. Make sure the combo has on-screen programming--the screen menu that guides you through the programming steps. Though nearly all regular VCRs are equipped with this feature, it’s not standard on combos. Also, to avoid headaches, make sure the programming controls are on the remote rather than on the console only.