Because over 75 percent of homes have at least one VCR, we've come to take the VCR for granted and rarely think about it. Except, of course, when we're searching for the remote. VCRs, a tried and true technology most of us have grown up or grown old with, are reliable and rarely fail. But what happens when they do or when you decide you'd like more from your VCR? Would you know what to look for in a new one?

If you haven't bought a VCR since the days of the raging VHS/Beta debate, or indeed have never bought one, and are wondering what's available now, you may want to start by searching the Web. Sites such as http://www.whatsthebest-vcr.com/ have tips to help you decide which VCR best fits your needs and, once you know what you want, you can buy it online, at Radio Shack, Future Shop and Sears. You can even shop in French at Soho Diffusion. The Brick doesn't offer online shopping - you have to call in your order - but it does offer tons of product information and "Web" specials. At A&B Sound you can find thousands of movies to put in your new VCR. Some strong brand names to look for are Hitachi, JVC, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba.

Quality is key

As with any electronic product, the most important thing to consider is its quality. It's worth spending the few extra bucks for a brand name VCR instead of slightly cheaper knock-offs, says Alex Chow, a salesman in the electronics division of Vancouver's A&B Sound. "You won't make a mistake with any of the major brand names," he says. Such machines have similar technology and prices and can be counted on to perform well.

Fraser McAulay, store manager at a Radio Shack in Burnaby, B.C., agrees. "You get what you pay for," he says. "If you buy a $100 VCR, you can expect it to act like a $100 VCR - that is, to chew your tapes and to chew your rental tapes. It won't last as long as higher priced products, because its components wear out quickly. What determines the price of a VCR is the quality of its components."

Picture and sound quality

Before considering the fancy features of VCRs, look for one that will bring you strong picture quality and sound quality. But remember: Your home entertainment setup is only as good as its weakest piece of equipment. A great VCR can't do anything about a poor television or crackling speakers, so don't expect miracles. If you can't purchase all the good products at once, just build your setup piece by piece.

Good picture quality

There are 2 things to look for when considering picture quality: the format the machine records in and the number of heads it has. Most VCRs record in VHS (Video Home System) format, but some record in Super VHS, a higher quality version of VHS with better picture quality. The Super VHS machines, which will play regular VHS tapes as well, are expensive. Plus, they don't improve the quality of a movie that was recorded in regular VHS format. If you're just going to use your VCR to rent movies, save your cash. If you will be doing a lot of your own recording, you may want to spend the extra money. Look for a VCR with at least 4 heads. Heads are what the VCR uses to read information off tapes. A 4 head machine will give you better recording and playback quality. Any additional heads above 4 are used only for "special effects," such as cleaner picture quality when the video is paused or playing in slow motion.

Good sound quality

Hi-fi VCRs record their audio tracks in stereo, instead of lower quality mono. The resulting sound is almost CD quality, and the machines are usually only a few dollars more than mono machines. They're worth serious consideration, especially because mono machines can't give you Dolby Surround Sound.

The extras

Because the technology in VCRs is quite similar across products, companies today try to sell a VCR based on its features. And there are many, from ultra-chic, see-through cases to energy-efficient models to trilingual screen display. They don't pop the popcorn for you, but today's machines do just about everything else.

VCR manufacturers now make it very easy for you to record a show. With many, you just enter the 4 digit code of the program you want to record (printed in your TV guide) and the machine does the rest. This technology is called VCR Plus. Some VCRs will "mark" the ads when recording from television, so that when you are playing back the program, you can skip past the commercials automatically or with one push of a button. This feature is often called Commercial Advance. Many VCRs also allow you to skip the previews that appear before a rented movie with a feature called Movie Advance. The days of the flashing 12:00 are gone. Many of today's VCRs will set the time for you automatically. And some VCRs have the A/V inputs at the front, making it much easier to dub from a second VCR or video recorder.

Combination TV-VCRs

A combination TV-VCR can be very convenient because you don't have to worry about compatibility problems and annoying cables. Combination sets are usually small and therefore handy. Picture it on the kitchen counter, playing a recorded Iron Chef episode as inspiration while you get dinner ready. Of course, you lose your television if the VCR breaks, because you must take in the whole machine to be fixed.

It's a given that these features are going to cost you money. But since a VCR is a long-term purchase, you may as well get what you want. And because VCRs are reasonably priced - usually between $100 and $300 - you can pay for the extras and still have money left over to go rent a few movies.

The future

VCRs still have a few good years in them. But, as with everything else, the future is digital. People who are very serious about their home entertainment setup may wish to consider a DVD player instead of a VCR. Right now, the price of recordable DVD players is out of the realm of most consumers. But with time, the price should drop.

Glossary

NTSC stands for National Television Standards Committee, the committee that established the standards for the television system in North America. It's the video format used in Canada and the United States.

PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line. It's the video format used in Western Europe and Australia.

Quirks

It was a war of the stars; one in which Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia beat out ET, the Extra Terrestrial. The 1999 Guinness Book of World Records reports that the reissued Star Wars Trilogy http://www.starwars.com/ is the world's most rented video, having made $270.9 million US in video rentals so far. The light-sabre swashing trio knocked ET out of the top spot, where it had been for 14 years. Time to phone home, little fella.