I plan to convert 30-40 old VHS tapes directly to quicktime movies using an h.264 encoder. I have the computer side of things solved but need to know which VHS VCR to buy for playing the old tapes.

These tapes have sat un-played for 20 or more years and have thermally cycled a lot, basically they have been abused. I know that I am going to find some degradation and want the best player for under $250 to read the information off of them and not snap the tape reels.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

I did something similar last year. I used a JVC DVHS deck (forget the model...something like 5U) connected to my PC via firewire. It worked rather well.

I have used several different models of the JVC D-VHS tape decks. They work very well but the gap on the head is very small. You need to clean the head a lot if you use VHS tapes. Get a good non-abrasive head cleaning tape. That is type of cleaning tape that requires you to apply a couple drops of head cleaning fluid to the tape. Keep the head clean and it will do a great job for this application.

Send me a PM if you are looking for a used JVC D-VHS deck.

Randy