Price Paid:  $160.00 from A&B Sound in Alberta

Summary:
I bought this Toshiba vcr mainly because of Toshiba's reputation and the fact that my previous vcr was a Toshiba and I had been quite happy with it (till it broke down after some 5 years) However after only less than 2 years the W603 wouldn't power up, it would just flash the display and sometimes it would be hours before it would decide to work again. Meaning that I could not use the program in order to set the timer to record a program. This rendered the machine useless expect for watching videos only. Real disappointment. And this happened just after the warranty expired. I would never again buy a Toshiba vcr. I am so very disappointed that I spent the money on this brand and it lasted for so few months. I would rather walk into a Walmart and buy the cheapest vcr there is instead of spending the extra money on a Toshiba knowing that it will likely stop working after a few months. At least a cheap one is easy to justify. Very disappointed at Toshiba. They seem to be heading the same direction as Sony, where their products are made to last only a few months and then expect you go buy a new one (like my Sony car cd player, that stopped working after 2 years).›

Strengths:
Image was fine, front rca input a plus.

Weaknesses:
It's a Toshiba vcr. Need I say more?´

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba vcr - can't remember the model.

Price Paid:  $80.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
I purchased this VCR from Best Buy so I could move my old Zenith to the bedroom. This VCR has good playback quality, the audio is exceptional, and the record quality in SP mode is very high. I've been very happy with the performance of this player.

Strengths:
High Fi Sound, Fast Rewind, Good record quality on SP mode.

Weaknesses:
Counter stays on after starting up which is very annoying. Menus for setup are not very clear, and input modes can be confusing.

Similar Products Used:
Zenith HI-FI VCR

Price Paid:  $2.00 from Thrift Store

Summary:
I picked up this item for, yes, $2.14 (w/tax) used at a thrift store. There was no manual, but there was remote and vcr was in mint-looking condition, so I bought it... I bought it Today (5/1/2003) and I can already tell that it's a bad design. It is crazy to design a VCR where you manually have to turn off the on-screen display every time you turn on the VCR!!! WHAT THE HECK WERE THE DESIGNERS THINKING!?!?!!! I wonder why this working and handsome VCR sold for $2 in a thrift store!?

Strengths:
The price, but mostly my bragging rights to my friends :)

Weaknesses:
The way that it's programmed with the on screen display always on unless you manually turn it off.

Similar Products Used:
stereo Hi-Fi vcrs made by RCA and Proscan. (these 2 companies as well as GE are in bed together, meaning that they are made in the same factory and are all compatable)

Price Paid:  $95.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
The Toshiba W603 has played 60% to 70% of prerecorded videos decently for me. The rest are not watchable because of tracking problems. The tracking display pops up but it cannot make the proper adjustments. The adjustments cannot be made successfully manually either. The poor tracking capabilities of the W603 overshadows its positive qualities. It might be ok as a second vcr since it can play many of the video from the rental stores.

Strengths:
The W603 is a quiet player. It has a fast rewinder.

Weaknesses:
Video tracking is bad. Final straw was when I ordered the Mambo Kings (starring Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas)from Amazon and it was not watchable because of the jittery video. I returned the video as defective and got a replacement. Same problem! I then bought an inexpensive Sharp vcr and put the Mambo Kings in and it plays without a problem. The W603 displays status information to the screen when a video is started and keeps it displayed until the remote is pressed to clear it. This is inconvenient.

Similar Products Used:
I have purchased a Sharp and a MGA vcr in the past. These eventually failed after more than 10 years due to problems with the tape rewind and playback mechanisms. But I was very satisfied with these u

Price Paid:  $160.00 from Future Shop

Summary:
I have 3 words to describe the Toshiba W-603: Piece of S___! Like the other reviewers, I purchased this unit on the strength of Toshiba's reputation for quality TVs and DVD players. Barely two years and not much use later, the tracking went haywire. I tried cleaning the heads, but the problem did not go away. Anyhow, this unit and the reviews I've read have turned me completely off Toshiba VCRs 4ever. Similarly, when it comes to purchasing my next TV or DVD player, I will give the competition the edge, all else being equal, as payback for being sold a piece of crap. My advice to anyone looking for a VCR is to stay away from Toshiba, as their VCR quality is highly questionable.

Strengths:
front A/V inputs blue display

Weaknesses:
poor build quality!!! lousy remote average playback quality

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba M660 (vastly superior older model), Zenith