Bush DVHS1

My Bush DVHS1 never really worked properly and had first model replaced. had major problems finding dvd,s to work and my machine now refuses to record out of warranty and judged not worth repairing. As above a very disappointing purchase. Would not recommend to anyone else.

Good. Not had much trouble with my Bush DVHS1 its been quite good had it now for about 6 years and its still going.

I had bought Bush as a budget choice before and been impressed so when I looked for a cheap DVD/VCR combi for my bedroom and saw this Bush DVHS1 VCR/DVD reduced to £130 in Argos I thought I'd give it a go.

I'm glad that I did. This system, in spite of it's cheap price, doesn't comprimise on either function. The VCR is a 4-head type, and gives crisp recording quality with good tapes. It's an easy system to set recording schedule with, though it lacks videoplus, but then I've never found that too reliable anyway.

The unit sets itself up easily and switching between AV and TV is easy via the remote, as is switching between DVD and VCR, which are seemless. The system set-up for clock etc. is accessed only when in VCR mode.

The DVD is full-functioned, the menu allows for all the usual changes to audio output etc. and can be accessed when there is no DVD in the system. During playback there are many other options, including a decent zoom and detailed playback details which can be superimposed over the action.

The system has 2 scart sockets, crucial in my opinion, for if you want to record from your Sky digibox, for instance. There is also optical and digital output for your Home Cinema speakers if you have them (recommended) and the unit is a Dolby Digital system. All the other outputs are present, there has been no skimping here.

The unit is somewhat large, it's not that much narrower than my 21" television above it, and it's quite deep as well, so it won't fit in a small corner. However, it is very well built and has a nice solidity about it. The display is green LEDs complemented by red record indicator and other info, that glow brightly during playback and dim enough for the bedroom when the system is on standby and the 12/24hr clock displayed. It can be a bit noisy during both video and dvd playback, and more so when recording, though my positioning of it on an echoey shelf didn't help in my case. You will not hear it above the sound of the TV though unless on very low volume. The buttons are solid, firm and clunky.

The remote control is good, some of the buttons are a little small and closely spaced though, and it can be hard to remember which is which or to easily press the wrong one if the room is dark. All the features are on there, though, which I like.

I would go so far as to say this unit has a superior build quality to some Sony products I have owned, and is far, far cheaper.

Overall I would recommend this unit without hesitation to anyone looking to spend up to £150 on a DVD/VCR combi.