Great pics! Looks like you got a very well-preserved HS-U80. Very attractive VCR: thanks for sharing!
The old Mitsubishi HS-U80 is a fun "antique" toy to play with, because of the superficial high build quality and obviously high original retail price. But as a VHS player, it was/is average at best and not in the same league as the JVC models you are comparing it to (because it lacks the internal TBC and DNR circuits that distinguish the high-end JVCs and Panasonic AG1980). In 1988, many VCRs sported a "noise reduction licensed by Faroudja" label on their back panels, but it is deceptive: that 'noise reduction' was of minimal impact and simply part of the early "VHS HQ" and "SVHS" specs.
I impulsively spent a large sum of money ($400!!!) in 2003 to acquire a second-hand "medical grade" Mitsubishi BV-1000, which was the basis for the consumer HS-U80 (they are identical aside from the prettier black lacquer and rosewood cosmetics on the HS-U80 version). At the time, this big beast of a Mitsubishi seemed a bargain compared to the $600-$900 people were still asking for a "classic" JVC DigiPure or Panasonic AG1980. But I soon learned the Mitsubishi was not comparable at all: it is an average-quality VCR in a heavy-duty cabinet. Nothing more, nothing less. Worse, I also discovered it used some custom circuitry in its failing power supply that was/is very expensive to replace ($150 for a rebuilt PSU + labor). Ouch.
My misadventure with that Mitsu proved the first (and last) time I was ever suckered badly by an eBay seller: it taught me to do better research on any item (and seller) before bidding. Looks can be deceiving: several VCRs of the late 80s-90s give the appearance of being far more capable than they actually are, particularly the Mitsu HS-U80 and the Sony SL-VR1000 / 2000 twins. Most consumer VCRs sold after 1996 had approx the same mediocre playback performance, so there is no point in overpaying for a fancy cabinet today unless you enjoy displaying it in your rack.
The only VCRs with notable playback advantages were the JVC SVHS and DVHS with "DigiPure" TBC/DNR, the Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U DVHS (which copied the JVC DigiPure system), and the Panasonic AG1980 / AG5710 twins which employ their own variation of TBC/DNR. Depending on overall condition, these VCRs can work wonders with some poorly recorded VHS (esp color noise). But age has caught up with them: the Panasonics are horrendously expensive to repair/restore, and the JVCs can be dismally unreliable. The heyday of these VCRs has long since passed: caveat emptor. Don't spend more than you can afford to lose, esp if you live far from any VCR repair techs (shipping cost for the 30-lb HS-U80 can be astronomical).
