I would give this unit 5 stars if it were not for the fact that the standard Video 8 backwards compatibility is only marginal. Hi8 signals look as good as you would expect. Video 8 signals do not look nearly as good as they should. If you are planning on playing back standard Video 8 format, I would look elsewhere. Purchase a Video 8 player (not Hi8) Even better, purchase a Digital 8 player like the Sony GV-D200, which plays Video 8 format as good or better than a Video 8 only player. The Teac Aviation model apparently was designed strictly for Hi8 usage. The machine handles the tape beautifully, tracking perfectly. I have 4 machines and they all are real work horses. I haven't had a single problem other than the video 8 issues.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This looks and feels like a really solid deck, but for whatever reason, my Hi8 tapes look more like Video-8 when I play them on this machine. I looked everywhere for a sharpness control but couldn't find one. The same tapes played on any old camera look much sharper.
Verified purchase: No