Getting the Overall Picture On Portable TV/VCR Models

Portable TV/VCRs, some the size of a notebook and weighing about three pounds, are intriguing but are out of reach to most consumers because of the price: a whopping $1,200 to $1,500.

With the camcorder market booming in the last few years, the portable TV/VCR is on many wish lists. After shooting outside, you can comfortably watch the tape on one of these units instead of waiting until you get home to your standard VCR, or instead of relying on the camcorder’s tiny video screen. When traveling, you can also use it to record a TV show to watch later.

Casio’s VF-7500 ($1,290), Panasonic’s PV-M429 ($1,300) and Magnavox’s CRL104 ($1,500) are among the portable machines on the market. These are VHS units and are relatively large--approximately 8 inches by 10 inches, and weighing about 5 or 6 pounds--because the size of the VHS cassette limits miniaturization.

Since 8-millimeter tapes are smaller, the 8mm portable TV/VCRs are smaller than their VHS counterparts. Sony, which introduced the portable TV/VCR in 1988--the GV-8 (with a 3-inch screen and mono sound)--has cornered the market on the 8mm TV/VCR. Its units are called Video Walkmans.

Sony’s most impressive unit--and arguably the best of the portable TV/VCRs--is GV-300 ($1,400), combining a TV with a 4-inch liquid crystal display screen with an 8mm VCR. Though it came out at the end of last year, it’s just beginning to gather steam in the marketplace, according to Yuki Nozoe, senior vice president of Sony’s personal video division.

In a market dominated by mono units, the GV-300 is stereo. It also offers other impressive features, including lots of jacks, a 99-channel, cable-ready tuner and an automatic head cleaner--something that even many fancy new standard VCRs don’t have. Unlike most other portable TV/VCRs, it has a flying erase head for static-free editing, and exceptional special effects (fast-forward, reverse, etc).

This Video Walkman, though, does suffer many of the limitations of miniaturization. Because the speakers are necessarily small, the sound is best when using headphones. Without them, the sound is unimpressive. Also, as with all 3- and 4-inch TVs, the picture reception is spotty because those tiny antennas are so limited.

Defending the GV-300, Sony’s Nozoe said: “Most people aren’t buying these units to use as a conventional TV, so limits on the TV reception aren’t as important as other positive factors. They’re mainly interested in the playback capabilities. There the picture quality is fine.”

In at least one way, the GV-300 is less impressive than the earlier GV-8: the 3-inch screen offers a sharper picture than the 4-inch. Another problem with the GV-300 is battery life. The rechargeable battery pack it comes with provides less than two hours of playing time.