 "Not made for heavy use" | 2009-10-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1FZI6198H9O6J |
| I purchased this unit to copy vhs tapes to dvd. For the most part it worked well, with occasional disc errors, etc., but the errors overtime do become more frequent until the unit is no longer reliable, and you're wasting a lot of dvds. All in all, I got about 2 years out of it, which isn't that bad for the price. I'm still looking for a really well built and reliable dvd recorder, and from all the reviews I've read about various models and manufacturers they all have their quirks. Even the high end models have bad reviews. |
| |
 "Not a long-lasting system" | 2009-05-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3KQWBHDCH8JYQ |
| I purchased this item along with a new HDTV, both Samsung, about one year ago for my house in the mountains. After about six months, the VCR side suddenly "ate" a tape and would not let it out. I was finally able to "coax" the tape out of the unit, but then the DVR side began to go. Suddenly DVDs that used to play were "ejected" without loading. It often took over twenty tries to finally get the machine to read a DVD. Sometimes it would "load" but not play. Also, although I was originally able to record a DVD from a Video tape, I was never able to go the other way. At first I figured I would never need this option, but then one day I tried to record a DVD of my daughter's choral concert for my Mom onto a video (she does not own a DVD machine) but it would not copy. Now neither side of the unit works. It has only been a little over a year and it is a piece of garbage. Meanwhile, a Sony unit with similar features that I use all the time is still going strong after three years. Although I love my Samsung TV, I would never buy another Samsung DVD/Video machine. |
| |
| "Samsung Should Be Ashamed!" | 2009-03-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A104LF21S4DPJ5 |
I purchased a Samsung DVD-VR330 on November 24, 2006. It would never recognize and record on DVD+R or DVD+RW media that I tried from the get go. DVD-R media 4X seemed to work the best. However after a few months it started having a hard time reading blank DVD-R and even ones that had been recorded on in the DVD-VR330 itself. I would put the discs in and have the unit eject them several times before finally detecting them. I had pretty much given up on using it as a DVD recorder using it only as a player to play movies which it has continued to do fairly well.
Recently I tried recording again on DVD's using some TDK Brand DVD-RW 4X media, that I have had for a couple of years, with success. The disks are P/N DVD-RW47CCB25, 25 Pack. I have recorded TV programs, used recorder to cut out commercial segments, replayed them, erased them, and recorded again on the same disks with no problems. I once again tried DVD-R's, DVD+R's and DVD+RW's all of which it still will not recognize. The problem with my unit appears to be a media/firmware compatibility problem or possibly corrupted original firmware. I have found that DVD-RW 4X media is getting harder to find and if you do you can not trust that it is actually DVD-RW or even manufactured the same as the media bought 2 years ago. I have read reviews on TDK Brand DVD-RW media that the consumers actually discovered was DVD+R media labeled incorrectly as DVD-R when they put it into their recorders.
The manual for this unit indicates "Not all brands of discs will be compatible with this unit." However Samsung will not provide media brand recommendations. They want the consumer to spend all kinds of money buying and trying different media until they find something that works. The manual also indicates "The latest firmware upgrade to improve recording & playback quality can be downloaded from our web site." Samsung has never posted any firmware updates on their web site for the DVD-VR330. Apparently Samsung never planned on providing firmware updates, which is required to keep up with the rapid changes in available media. They want you to buy their products, throw them away and buy new when they become obsolete which is just after a few months.
This was my first Samsung product and I will never buy another. In fact I have since bought two LG Brand LCD computer monitors, one Panasonic Brand 50" plasma TV, One Sony Brand Blu-Ray Player and LG Brand Clothes Washer and Dryer which I am very happy with. My new Sony Blu-Ray player is connected to the internet and its firmware is easily updated which has been done twice, once at first installation and once about a month and a half later. Samsung, you should be ashamed of putting out such an unreliable product. However, it's your loss! |
| |
| "Do Not Buy!" | 2009-01-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: AVUX4JN8KAYUP |
| I have owed this unit for over a year now. I bought it at Target and I have had problems from day one. The unit rejects most blank DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-DLs when trying to record. It is so frusterating! One out of 10 attempts it will finally work. Maybe I have a lemon but from reading the other reviews it seems this unit should be retired to the ash heap! |
| |
| "Don't buy!!!" | 2008-12-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2BWMQZBW1CK2W |
| I have to agree with all the other 1 star reviews. I purchased this player exactly 2 years ago and now it is nothing more than a piece of junk!! It won't recognize any dvd I burned on it and it won't even play store bought dvd's anymore. It just says the dvd is loading forever and then kicks the dvd out. It will play a dvd sporatically but good luck getting it to work. The recording capabilities were good and easy to use but what is the point if you can't watch these dvd's just 2 years later from a crappy product! Don't buy it, I hope to spare someone else $200 and buy a quality product instead. |
| |
| "Unreliable DVD player and recorder" | 2008-10-06 |
| - Reviewed By kel_zo |
I think just at a year it stopped working entirely for the DVD playing/recording side. It gives a disc initialization error, it malfunctions when playing a DVD. This model is now only good for playing mp3 and music CDs and VHS tapes, neither function is what I bought this for. I got probably 5 DVD recordings before this function stopped working.
This unit lasted less than a year with moderate use and I most likely will stay away from Samsung electronics from now on. |
| |
