Samsung DVD-AR650 DVD Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this unit and have been using it for about 3 days now. Everything seems to be working well! I have it set up with my Samsung 32 inch LCD HDTV (780P) using the HDMI output. I also have standard cable with no cable box just coaxial coming in from the wall. (thus the need for the built in tuner) So far I've recorded from TV (using DVD-RW) and also watched a DVD.
Positives-Easy set up and use, great picture and sound, excellent menus for set up and programming, cool design.
Negatives-Low level hum at all times even when power is off, Digital stations take a long time to scan (50 min although it does warn you of that in the manual) EPG only works with Digital stations, which I don't use anyway.
Overall, I love this unit! The purpose was to replace the old VCR/DVD combo and get an upconversion DVD player. Both tasks have been accomplished very nicely. It runs very quiet, although it is all the time. I assume it is the built-in fan. Picture quality and sound are great. I definitely would recommend this unit. I give it 4 1/2 stars.
Other info-I ordered it through Amazon from J&R music world ($209) and it arrived in 3 days no problems. I also bought the HDMI cable through Amazon from Eforcity ($3.30 + shipping $8.00 total) It works great as well, and you can't beat the price.

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Samsung's DVD-AR650 Recorder with a built-in ATSC tuner which allows the reception of digital TV signals broadcast over-the-air by TV stations is the perfect way to join the digital revolution. The ±R dual layer recording and front DV input features let you record TV shows and add home video to a DVD disc for more than 14 hours of programming. Favorite shows can be captured immediately with the 1 sec. EZ record feature. Playback is amazingly clear with true color reproduction, thanks to Samsung's EVQ (Enhanced Video Quality) and Progressive scan output features.

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Toshiba DR410 1080p Upconverting Tunerless DVD Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We have had the recorder about three weeks. I am over 50 and completely new to video recording although considered the techno-twit in the family. The main reason we bought a recorder is because we have about a hundred Hi8 two hour tapes of our family adventures around the world some of which are 20 years old, and I needed to transfer them before they turned to dust! The reason we picked this unit were the price and the reviews on several websites. I had bought computer software and hardware back in 2000 and found it quirky,unreliable, poor quality and agonizingly slow to render. I gave up for a few years and decided to wait for the right standalone recorder. I had considered sending them off to be transferred, but that was rather expensive and might disappoint.Setup and playback:
Set up with the HDMI cable to my 52" 1080p LCD TV was a breeze. Upconverting to 1080p with regular DVDs is superb! A very noticeable improvement over my regular player. Subtle details and colors we never noticed before seemed to jump out at us. The manual and menus were about what I expected with a new technology to learn. The manual is adequate, better than Sony manuals. The menus were confusing until I experimented a bit and looked up some terms online. I am still learning them.
Recording:
I set up my old Sony Hi8 camcorder to it with the S-video and audio RCA cables. We have a Sony Hi8 standalone VCR that needs repair thus using the camcorder for tape playback. I setup my first DVD+r recording for two hour SP mode and nothing! A coaster! But it showed by the color change on the back that it recorded , just no video on it. After reading the reviews that said they got nothing but coasters I began to hope that it was just a beginners mistake and read the manual again. After playing with the menus I realized that I might have not selected the right input. Got it set and tried again. Voila! It not only recorded but the combination of the superior Hi8 source, and this recorder and the image and sound quality were fantastic! Hi8 records in PCM sound so the audio was perfect!
I immediately tried it in my Sony dvd player because I read several reviews that said it produced DVDs that were only playable in that machine. Sure enough it would not play in it. So I tried it in all three of my computers in my home network, two desktops and a laptop. It only played back in one of them.
I double checked the menus on the recorder and I sure enough had it set to auto finalize when full or with the timer??????
So I hit the manual again and it dawned on me that perhaps it only would auto finalize when the DVD could hold no more, or when a timer was set. It has been my experience with CDr data and music recording that once you remove the media nothing more can be done to it. But just to try I took the recorded DVD and popped it back into the recorder and manually finalized it. It worked!!!!! I learned that I have to finalize every DVD, it would only finalize automatically, under those two specific conditions, full or on timer.
Now the same DVD that I took out and would not play in but one other computer played perfectly in the Sony player and all computers I tried it on. I even took it to work and played it on our five workstations and the network server I administer, and perfect playback on all!
I suspect the folks producing coasters and incompatible DVDs did not RTFD (Read The Freakin' Directions!)
Last week Office Depot had a sale on 100 pack Memorex DVD spindles for 24 bucks. I bought one to experiment with the features I am still not clear on. It appears that even with a DVD-r or +r I can pause and resume without losing the recording thus being able to edit out manually in real time things I don't want to keep. I haven't even gotten into title and chapters, I just set it to auto set chapters every ten minutes, so I can easily find specific items to view quickly. I have a catalogue of every tape and they are numbered, and I just have to revise the content from feet of tape to chapters as I transfer them in the word document I have them listed in as the numbers will remain the same for each DVD.
I give it 5 stars because all technology manuals are terrible and adequate is the best I can expect. As well, the menus will take some experimenting just like the first time using any new technology or software.
This is an excellent recorder with lots of hidden features and capabilities. If you RTFD and play with it.

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DVD Recorder with 1080p Upconversion

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Samsung DVD-HD850 Up-Converting DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First, let me say that I actually have a DVD-HD850 connected to a Sharp LC-32D5U (which I also reviewed). My brother has the same DVD player plugged into his Samsung HLN507W (50 inch DLP). I've noticed many reviews (in general) are from people who haven't bought or even seen what they're reviewing. Rest assured; I've been playing with my DVD payer for four days and I've tried everything there is to try.
The Good... HDMI looks great. I played The Matrix simultaneously on my old DVD player and the HD850. All five people who watched thought the HDMI picture looked better. The digital signal gives a noticeably clearer picture. I changed the display when people weren't looking and everyone was able to identify analog vs. digital.
The Bad... All the upconversion stuff is hype. First, I was annoyed by the false advertising of 768p. It turns out to be 1024x768 for using a 4:3 computer monitor, not a 1366x768 16:9 TV like my Sharp. I played The Matrix and toggled all three modes: 480p, 720p and 1080i. They all looked exactly the same. All the gains come from the digital signal, not the upconversion.
As for all the other complaints about the remote and other issues listed in the other reviews... I haven't noticed any of them. I hooked the HDMI cable from the HD850 to my Sharp TV and everything worked from the start. One of the other guys said there were problems with dark scenes. That is probably his TV, not the HD850. My Sharp has the same problem. I ran a THX Optimizer and I can only see 7 of the 10 shades of black. The darkest shades all blend into one color regardless of the color settings on the TV. The Samsung's manual talks about RGB color pallet. It has a selection for full range (0-255), so if you don't see it all on the TV, it's not the DVD player's fault. You could use the analog component video output and get all 10 shades of black (but you'll lose the advantage of the digital output).
A minor problem is that you have to stop the DVD player in order to change modes (component vs. HDMI or different color settings for HDMI). It would be nice to do it on the fly so you can directly compare different modes back to back.
The case does look nice, but I'd prefer black (not enough to pay an extra $50 for the DVD HD950) and I hate the bright blue light that surrounds the power button when the DVD player is turned off.

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Samsung's DVD-HD850 single-disc, progressive scan DVD player enhances video performance by increasing the video resolution of ordinary DVD titles and up-converting them to HDTV compliant formats (720p/768p/1080i), enabling you to enjoy an HDTV compliant picture-roughly twice the resolution of progressive scan DVD players.
It's compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, and SVCD, as well as MP3, WMA, and JPEG file formats. Compression rates supported for MP3 are from 128-192 kbps and for WMA from 64-192 kbps. JPEG files can be seen in a slide show with intervals of 6, 12, or 18 seconds between images; and you can zoom in (2x or 4x) on an image or rotate it 90-degrees clockwise.
The bookmark function lets you mark and store up to three scenes at a time for easy recall. Instant replay shows you the previous 10 seconds of the movie again--in case you missed something important. Instant skip jumps ahead 10 seconds--in case you want to miss something. And parental control lets you set a password that must be given before a password-protected disc can be viewed.
The 720p/768p/1080i DVD Players greatly enhance video performance by increasing the video resolution of ordinary DVD titles and up-converting them to HDTV compliant formats. A normal DVD player outputs 480i (interlaced) video. Progressive Scan DVD players can roughly double that resolution by outputting 480p video. the HD players enable you to enjoy an HDTV compliant picture-roughly twice the resolution of progressive scan DVD players. It is not High Definition DVD, so it is not a new format and works with existing discs.
It features the following video and audio connections (which includes HDMI for uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface between the TV and any HDMI-equipped audio/video component):
Composite AV Out (RCA): 1
S-Video Out: 1
Component Video Out: 1
HDMI Out: 1
Coaxial Digital Audio Out: 1
Optical Digital Audio Out: 1

What's in the Box Samsung DVD-HD850, remote control, AAA battery, HDMI cable, AV cable, printed instructions

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Samsung DVD-HD960 Up-Converting DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am continually amazed at how often people blame new technology rather than their own shortcomings of knowledge regarding HD television. To the reviewer with the JVC 61" 1080P television who is "unsure about the upconverting technology" on this player...your JVC tv is a 1080P upscaler and does not have a direct 1080P input. Many people fail to realize that there is a difference between the two when buying their 1080P tv. They see 1080P and assume it's all the same. Most Sony & Samsung 1080P televisions have DIRECT 1080P signal capability built in through the HDMI inputs. Most 1080P sets by JVC and Toshiba, while "compatible" with 1080P, must perform a separate upconversion to achieve 1080P format imaging. I guarantee if you connect this 1080P upscaling player to a Samsung or Sony tv with 1080P direct connectivity, you WILL no longer question the value of the upconverting technology. Right now 1080P upscaling players for regular DVD discs is the way to go. Think of this Samsung player as a bridge to the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD players. You can get a significantly improved picture from this player that takes advantage of your 1080P display unit. This will allow consumers to bide their time until prices drop on the Blu-ray/HD-DVD players, more HD DVD titles become available for purchase, and allow one format or the other to win out.

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Enjoy your favorite DVD movies in high definition without having to wait for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players with the affordable Samsung DVD-HD960 single-disc, progressive scan DVD player--the perfect partner to your HD-capable LCD or plasma TV. Where standard DVD players (even progressive scan models) provide just 480 lines of resolution, the DVD-HD860 will "upconvert" the picture up to 1080p (as well as 720p and 1080i)--taking full advantage of your HD television's sparkling resolution. This elegantly slim unit can also play a wide range of disc and file formats and offers a number of playback convenience features, including bookmarking, multiple camera angles, and folder accessibility on MP3/WMA-formatted discs.
The DVD-HD960 upconverts a standard DVD's native resolution (480p) to output close to high-definition formats (720p/1080i/1080p). To achieve that higher resolution, the player fills in additional image data by assessing existing pixels and intelligently predicting what the surrounding pixels should look like. Because the upconversion process occurs in the digital domain, no data is lost (compared with analog conversion) and the resulting image is close to pristine. To produce an upconverted picture, your high-def TV must have an HDMI connection (and HDCP support)--the 720p/1080i/1080p choice is only available when using the HDMI cable (which is not included). Also note that the DVD-HD960 is not a high-definition DVD player (i.e., not to be confused with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players, which play specially formatted high definition discs), so it will work with your existing DVD library.
This player also features DCDi (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) upconversion via the Faroudja FLI-2310 chip, which substantially eliminates jagged edges that appear when standard interlaced video is viewed on progressive-scan displays.
This player is compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, and SVCD, as well as MP3, WMA, and JPEG file formats. Compression rates supported for MP3 are from 128-192 kbps and for WMA from 64-192 kbps. JPEG files can be seen in a slide show with intervals of 6, 12, or 18 seconds between images; and you can zoom in (2x or 4x) on an image or rotate it 90-degrees clockwise.
The bookmark function lets you mark and store up to three scenes at a time for easy recall. Instant replay shows you the previous 10 seconds of the movie again--in case you missed something important. Instant skip jumps ahead 10 seconds--in case you want to miss something. And parental control lets you set a password that must be given before a password-protected disc can be viewed.
It features the following video and audio connections:
Composite AV Out (RCA): 1
S-Video Out: 1
Component video Out: 1
HDMI AV Out: 1
Coaxial digital audio Out: 1
Optical digital audio Out: 1

Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a system for protecting DVD content outputted via DVI/HDMI from being copied. It provides a secure digital link between a video source (PC, DVD. etc) and a display device (TV, projector, etc). Content is encrypted at the source device to prevent unauthorized copies from being made.
High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time. The 1080i format displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels, and the "i" means that it is interlaced (the old-school way of presenting video where the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines). The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 720 lines.
What's in the Box Upconverting DVD player, remote control (with batteries), AV cable, printed operating instructions
Warranty 1 year parts, 90 days labor

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Samsung BD-P2550 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was sold on the LG BD300 since I first heard about it a year ago and have been waiting for it ever since. I was planning on getting it until I heard about the Samsung BD-P2500 and figured I should at least research it a little before buying the LG, and boy am I glad I did!! That's when I found out Samsung made a sister model to the 2500, the BD-P2550. The 2500 and 2550 are identical except except for one feature, the 2550 adds Pandora Internet Radio. A small difference, you might think, but Pandora takes the purchase to a whole other level of enjoyment! As you can deduce, I ended up buying the Samsung 2550 and absolutely LOVE it! But since the 2500 and 2550 are so similar, and I've encountered a lot of people trying to decide between Samsung 2500/2550 and LGBD300, I figured I'd add my 2cents.
The main things that turned me off LG and onto Samsung were:
1- Samsung BD-P2550 has Pandora. I wasn't sure if I'd use this service or not so went to the website to check it out. I have to say, I really like the service and have been making good use of it via the Samsung. Sure, you can listen to Pandora on your computer, and maybe even hook up your computer to your home stereo system. But having it there and ready to go on the Samsung has been great! I really love it and love that I can listen on my home theater setup. I also have TVersity streaming to my home theater setup via my DirecTV receiver, and its possible TVersity can pick up Pandora too, but it would be lacking the same interface available on the Samsung BD-P2550, and the menus look great on my plasma TV. The Pandora feature alone beats the LG BD300 in my opinion, and the little extra money for the Samsung is more than worth it to me.
2- LG has NO internal flash memory while the Samsung has 1gb flash. This is useful for BD Live features and makes the experience easier and more enjoyable.
3-Samsung's video upscaling of regular DVDs is SUPERB! I'm very picky about video quality and I thought the picture looked spectacular. This is due to the superior chipset inside the Samsung, which LG is lacking. And naturally, Blu Ray disks look awesome too.
I admit, I never tried the LG so I'm not making a true test-drive comparison here. All I can say is I was totally sold on the LG and waiting a year for its release, but in the end, I'm glad I picked Samsung BD-P2550 at the last minute.
A word about Firmware updates:
Updates are easiest if you hook up your player to the internet via the network port on the back. This is also the only way to get BD Live content, so you may want to hook it up that way if you can. The player automatically configures the network settings and connects to the internet automatically. My player did need a firmware update, but the process was very simple. Just select the upgrade from the player's setup menu and it takes care of the installation by itself. The upgrade only took about 20min, then the player rebooted and I was good to go. No issues. No hassle. No sweat.
I have to give the Samsung BD-P2550 Blu-Ray player top marks. It's truly awesome and I'm glad I got it. I bought a Toshiba HD player last year before the bottom fell out on HD-DVD and then returned to Amazon for a full refund. I didn't mind returning it since most the disks I tried playing locked up and wouldn't play. But I was disappointed HD-DVD died. But in the end, everything worked out for the best and I'm very happy with this Samsung. And no disk lockups as with the HD-DVD I tried last year.
Incidentally, Netflix streaming actually looks pretty good considering it's not HD. And soon they'll be streaming HD quality, so that'll be cool to try. Maybe I won't even need to rent disks anymore and will just stream everything. Also, the player's menus and interface are clean and easy to use and it was a breeze to setup the player with my Harmony 1000 remote.
So between Netflix, Pandora, superior DVD upscaling and superb Blu-Ray picture, it's hard to beat the Samsung BD-P2550. It's a giant leap into future technology and will remain cutting edge for years to come. It's awesome!! Go for it!!!!

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Experience thrilling high-definition from Blu-ray Discs and even convert your standard DVDs to high-definition with this 1080p Blu-ray disc player. Ethernet and USB 2.0 interfaces allow you to access firmware upgrades. Also this Samsung BD-2550 Blu-ray disc player is NetFlix Internet streaming service capable, so you can stay home and enjoy movies at your fingertip.

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OPPO DV-970HD Up-Converting Universal DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This machine played all regions right out of the box for six months until I put in a Chinese movie. Then a Hongkong Region 3 did not work but a Korean Region 3 did work. I had to find the hack from a review for the 971 model also sold by Amazon.
It took less than a minute and Oppo's record is back to perfect. Here is the relevant information from the other review:
There is also a multi region hack on videohelp which is:
Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page
* Enter 9210 on the remote
* A secret menu will pop up
* Select 0 to 6 in region code. 0 is multi region
* Press Setup on remote again to exit

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OPPO Digital's DV-970HD was developed following the success of the OPDV971H, the award-winning upconverting DVD player which scored the highest against hundreds of brands and models in independent DVD player benchmark tests. With experience garnered from the OPDV971H and insightful input from the A/V enthusiast community, OPPO packs the DV-970HD with high performance and enthusiast grade features, all at an incredible value. Today's traditional DVDs and DVD players are intended for low resolution, standard definition televisions. The DV-970HD, designed for every HDTV owner, up-converts standard DVD to high-definition signal, producing clearer, smoother, and crisper video on HDTV and projectors. Its HDMI output ensures a pure, straight digital path for video and audio. In addition to its up-conversion feature, the DV-970HD can output a native 480i/576i resolution over HDMI, making it an incredible digital transport for use with high-end video processors or scalers. Featuring a stylish, slim, and modern design, the DV-970HD includes an integrated 4-in-1 flash memory card reader to allow viewers to enjoy their digital pictures and music. It also offers a USB interface for expanded connectivity. The DV-970HD is one of the most versatile players on the market, providing support for DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), DVD+/-RW and CD-R/RW. It is also compatible with DivX(R) video, XviD, Audio CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD, WMA and other digital audio and video media formats. The DV-970HD supports NTSC or PAL disc and television systems. As video is only part of the equation, the DV-970HD also features excellent audio with Dolby Digital surround sound and Pro Logic II decoding. A high-quality certified HDMI cable with gold-plated connectors is included, adding even more value to the already feature-packed product. The OPPO DV-970HD provides most of the performance of the highest-rated OPDV971H, but at a lower price and includes even more features.

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Sony DVP-NS710H/B 1080p Upscaling DVD Player, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This DVD player does an excellent job of upconverting in my opinion. I also have a far more expensive Oppo DVD player and I would say they are on par.
One 'feature' I dislike about these DVD players is in the manufacturer's quest to make the box look sleek and simple, there are only a couple of buttons: open/close, play and stop (aside from the power button). Why, oh why, do manufacturers not put skip or fast-forward buttons on the box? Is this to force us to buy new remote controls when the kids make them disappear? I just don't like the idea that a piece of equipment become less functional without the sometimes elusive remote control.
Still, it does provide a beautiful picture, very sharp and one I believe almost maximizes the contrast, color and clarity provided by our expensive plasma tv.
A very good value when considering the quality for the price point.

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The Sony DVP-NS710H breathes new life into your DVD collection by upscaling your existing DVDs to 1080p near HD resolution via an HDMI connection. It includes other high-end A/V features such as BRAVIA Sync, which gives you one-remote access and control of your DVD player and other BRAVIA Sync-compatible devices.

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Samsung DVD-P241 Progressive-Scan DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)i was looking for a good, but cheap DVD player that i could use in my young son's room. There are a lot of no-name DVD players out there for a bit cheaper price but I guess I am still leery of buying anything with a name I don't recognize.
This Samsung player seems to be just the ticket. It's got a few more bells and whistles than you'd think in a player for around $50 bucks indlucing the EZ view letter box eliminator for small screen TVs, distortion reduction, and can play MP3's and Kodak picture CDs.
But I mainly got it because it's easy to use and cheap so if my young one does anything to it it's easily replaceable. Not a machine for your high-end TV but certainly capable of doing the job.

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Samsung's DVD-P241 features high-end progressive-scan component-video outputs, built-in MP3 decoding for your home-brewed CD compilations, and even compatibility with JPEG image CDs and Kodak Picture CDs. Now you can enjoy a slideshow of your digital pictures right on your television.Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVD-P241 stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.The DVD-P241 also performs 3:2 pulldown. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24-frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. Another handy feature is the player's EZ View letterbox eliminator, which lets you enjoy full-screen pictures on 4:3 aspect-ratio TVs--even when you're watching widescreen DVDs.A set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio output for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.What's in the Box DVD player, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, and warranty information.

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Samsung DVD-HD841 Up-Converting DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I very rarely write a negative review, but this player is so bad, I felt compelled to write this. I just don't want anyone else to waste their money on this unit like I did.
I have 4 DVD players (accumulated over several years) in addition to the Samsung DVD-HD841: a Sony DVP-NS700 (old, but great progressive scan), Pioneer DVD-563A (universal SACD/DVD-A, prog. scan), and the Toshiba SD-5970 (HDMI, 720P/1080i upconversion), an XBox with the DVD dongle (480i only).
I'm not joking when I say the Samsung is by far the worst player (in every way) that I have ever owned. Here's why:
1. DVI output (any resolution) is terrible. No shadow detail regardless of the brightness setting on my high-def front projector (projecting onto 92" screen). Horribly soft picture which results in very little detail, like looking at the image through a steamed up lens. The DVI output is actually the worst video connection on this unit, and yet most people will buy this unit (as I did) to experience the 720p/1080i upconversion. The Toshiba unit's HDMI video output is wonderful and shows how upconversion should be handled!
2. The Samsung keeps skipping audio when playing DTS soundtracks. I thought it was a dirty disc at first, but this happens with every single disc, regardless of how I clean them, and none of my other players have this issue.
3. Really bad response to the remote control, and limited angle of control. It's tough operating this player as it is slow to respond to its remote control and you really have to point it at the unit.
4. Forgettable sound quality with SACDs and DVD-As - the Pioneer is much better (and it's cheaper too!).
5. As documented by several Amazon.com reviewers (and elsewhere on the internet), the Samsung forgets its settings each time it's turned off, so you have to re-configure its DVI, Dolby and DTS settings all over again. Such a pain.
My advice to you is please do not buy this unit, and save yourself the money! If you're looking for DVI or HDMI 720p/1080i video upconversion, go with one of the other players with this feature that have great reviews (e.g. the Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony, Denon). If you're looking for a DVD player which plays SACDs and DVD-As, there are now many low-cost alternatives too.
I can't believe Samsung could release such a poor product.

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Samsung's DVD-HD841 delivers scintillating video and audio performance at an eye-popping price. Between the unit's progressive-scan component-video and DVI digital-video outputs, sophisticated high-definition upconversion (from 480i/p DVD-Video to 720p, 768p, or 1080i, depending on your HDTV), and processing abilities for the audio-only SACD (Super Audio CD) and DVD-Audio formats, this player quite nearly does it all.
Samsung's video upconversion technology eliminates visible scan lines and artifacts arising from interlaced video and the 3:2 pulldown process required to render film-based movies as NTSC video. The result: higher resolution from conventional sources and sharper images with few motion artifacts. The player's DVI digital-video output may be used for lossless video transmission between the player and compatible TVs and computer monitors.
Superior Sound SACD and DVD-Audio media both offer super-high-fidelity sound. DVD-Audio discs provide 192 kHz/24-bit multichannel and stereo sound, high storage capacity, and unique bonus materials not available on regular audio CDs. These discs often have compressed Dolby Digital soundtracks for listening on standard DVD players, but true DVD-A decoding is required for full sonic appreciation. Depending on the disc, Sony's proprietary SACD format provides multichannel and/or stereo sound, often presented in a dual-layer format compatible with both standard CD players (at standard resolution) and SACD-equipped players like the DVD-HD841 (for full-resolution playback).
As an antipiracy measure, the DVD-HD841 performs its own decoding of both DVD-Audio and SACD signals, passing high-resolution analog, not digital, audio to your integrated amplifier or surround receiver. This means you'll need an audio/video receiver with multichannel analog-audio inputs to appreciate multichannel DVD-A and SACD releases.
A set of stereo and a set of multichannel analog-audio outputs route audio from DVD-A/SACD media as well as from Dolby Digital- and DTS-encoded DVDs to your AV receiver. If you're not planning to use the DVD-A/SACD capability for multichannel programming, both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for simpler connection with your receiver.
Another handy feature is the player's EZ View letterbox eliminator, which lets you enjoy full-screen pictures on 4:3 aspect-ratio TVs--even when you're watching widescreen DVDs. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.
What's in the Box DVD player, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, DVI digital video interconnect, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, and warranty information.

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Samsung DVD-V9700 Tunerless 1080i Upconverting DVD VHS Combo Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Wanted an HDMI upper for DVD's but also needed to be able to show legacy VHS. Price was same as Sony up converting player, (which I have for another TV) but has the the VCR. Sounded good. I am connecting to Samsung TV, so why not? First player was DOA. Wouldn't recognize a DVD. Amazon immediately shipped a replacement (They have really done right by me in customer service). Machine delivers a very nice image through HDMI output and the VCR transport seems to be fine. All's well that ends well.

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This versatile unit plays both DVD discs and VHS tapes, delivering crisp pictures and high-quality sound. Samsung's DVDV9700 includes a 4-head Hi-Fi VCR with the added visual clarity of Progressive scan output, and allows MP3, JPEG and WMA playback.

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Toshiba SD-5000 1080i Upconverting DivX Certified DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I tried this model out with my Sony HDTV using the HDMI connection. Watched a recent movie with quite a few dark scenes and was surprised at how bad the picture was. It almost looked like a cartoon. At one point the playback slowed, became very blocky and froze! It was so bad I had to stop the movie and try the disk in our Sony Playstation 2. The picture from the PS2 showing the same scenes was fantastic and it doesn't do up-conversion of course. On the positive side the Dolby and DTS sound from the Toshiba was great. I returned the Toshiba and purchased the Sony DVPNS75H and now am very pleased. The picture quality on the Sony is far superior - much brighter and sharper.

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TOSHIBA SD-5000 1080i Upconverting DVD Player. Video Upconversion displays a pure digital signal at 720p or 1080i, matching the resolution of the HD display and thus eliminating signal degrading A/D D/A conversion. HDMI is a convenient, single cable connection. This cable transfers uncompressed digital video and multi channel audio to home theater components and high definition televisions. Multiformat playback capability now includes DVD minus/plus R, DVD minus/plus RW, VCD, SVCD, DivX, CD R, CD RW, MP3 and WMA playback for flexible playback options. HD JPEG provides the ability to view megapixel images in their enhanced resolution when using HDMI and an HD display device. New Super Slim/ 40mm chassis height is combined with a high gloss black acrylic panel with attractive silver accents and a bright front display to complement the latest TV designs.

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Samsung DVD-1080P7 Up-Converting 1080p DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have this unit plugged into a 55" Sony projection TV with an HDMI cable.
The up-converted picture is great; episodes of House are much sharper than with a progressive scan DVD player, Star Wars looks terrific, etc. No complaints on the picture quality at all. The unit is small and looks attractive. Some people have complained about a buggy firmware in these reviews, but I haven't noticed any bugs.
The best feature, besides the picture quality, is that you can turn off the unit while a DVD is playing, turn it back on later, and the player remembers where it was--no more pausing for hours or days (or dealing with the frustration of trying to "rewind" or "fast-forward" to where you were).
There are some drawbacks though. The number one issue is that the player is slow to respond to the remote commands. Pressing "power" on the remote takes a few seconds to turn off, and so I often press it again--which eventually turns the player back on. Menu, play, pause, etc. also lag just enough to make me wonder if the player got the command or not.
This wouldn't be so bad, except the remote/player combination is finicky about the angle of the remote to send a command successfully. I find I have to hold the remote at just the right angle (not directly pointing at the player!) for it to work. I guess the idea is that users want to hold the remote so that they can read the buttons, not aiming it at the player--neat, but I am using to aiming. This is extremely aggravating, so I am docking 2 stars for this.
Another annoyance is that when the player switches between layers on the DVD, there is a huge and obvious glitch in the video playback. My ancient JVC player didn't do this, nor have I seen this on el cheapo Zenith players.
But this player is cheap, small, and is a good value for passing the time until the HD-DVD/BluRay thing is resolved.

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The Samsung DVD-HD1080P7 Hi-Def Conversion DVD Player is designed for those who accept nothing less than HDTV quality. Now you can enjoy enhanced resolution from your conventional DVDs - the player upconverts them to 720p/1080i/1080p, giving them amazing clarity. You'll be impressed by the dramatically improved sharpness, color and detail Samsung's HDMI output and DivX (MPEG-4) playback add, even on large-screen displays. Samsung's EVQ (Enhanced Video Quality) and Progressive scan output give you true color reproduction. And at 1.8" in height, it fits neatly into any home theater system. Simply connect your DVD Player to your Home Theater System with a single cable for the high quality pictures and sound.Picture CD/JPEG disc viewer Plays MP3 and WMA filesEZ View Letter Box Eliminator 14-bit/108MHz video D/A converter 24-bit/192KHz audio D/A converter Instant replay & skipMoving zoom and Super scan playback Video Outputs -HDMI, Composite, S-Video, Component Audio Outputs -Coaxial, Optical, L/RIncludes remote control. Dimensions -16.9 x 1.8 x 9.8 Weight -4.6 lbs.

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Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the price point, this is a feature rich player. What you get:
- a very sleek looking player that loads fast. Compared to the Phillips I bought at a big box store for the same price a year ago, it is greased lightning.
- a functional remote that is comfortable and easy to use.
- a USB port on the front of the player to play .mpg and picture files or to rip music to a flash drive or MP3 player from a CD or DVD.
- easy to navigate controls on the front panel. This is essential for me because my employees, who will not have the instruction manual available, will also be using the machine.
- an HDMI output, as well as the regular RCA type jacks.
- a ton of other features I will not use in my particular application.
Setup was a snap, even without so much as a glance at the instructions. I was even able to do a picture slide show from a flash drive without instructions, it is that intuitive. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars:
- If you want to connect an old school coaxial cable (the one that you screw on - with the little wire in the middle of the cable), you are out of luck
- I don't see any instructions on how to get it to control the volume on my TV (and it does not do it on it's own) even though the remote indicates it has the capability.

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Samsung DVD-1080P9 Upscaling DVD Player DVD-1080P9 DVD Players

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Samsung HT-Z310T 5.1-Channel Home Theater Surround Sound System (Set of Seven, Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this surround sound system with my Samsung LCD 46in 750 series HDTV.
This is a great surround sound system for the price. I was not looking to spend a crazy amount of $ for a surround sound system. Some go for over $1000.
I am overall extremely satisfied with this product. Setup was easy, but the manual is somewhat confusing.
Sound is great. I use an optical digital audio cable (NOT included--about $30-$50 depending on length) from this system to HDTV. This is the best way for me, as I then don't have to connect anything else to the surround system. Any device that I use (Cable, Wii, XBOX 360), gets connected to the TV & the sound goes from the TV to the system via the optical audio cable.
Also, has anynet+. Which means that any other Samsung device's remote with anynet+ can operate the system (& vice versa) without programming.
Had built in up-converting DVD player. Is not an HD-DVD, but will up-convert any DVD to a better digital looking & sounding DVD. The built in DVD player gives you one less device in your home theater
Issues that could be better (therefore 4 star):
Wires for rear speakers could be longer. They are only about 30ft. Need to be at least 50 feet, or maybe even longer, to adequately run the wires over doors so they don't run across the room
Also, the speaker wires that connect to the samsung system itself are attached to a special connector. Therefore, you can't just run your own speaker wire from the system. You need to "splice" additional wire to the wires provided (Samsung doesn't sell longer wires, I called them).
The wires that do come with the system are not great in terms of gauge (samsung doesn't even known what gauge they are--level 2 support had no idea), but based on the size, I'm guessing about 18, maybe even 20 gauge)
You can go wireless for the rear speakers, but that's an additional $100 for a wireless receiver. ALSO, BE AWARE, that with any wireless speaker device, it WILL INTERFERE with wireless internet (you will get bumped off router if using in same room when receiver is on), certain cordless phones & certain microwaves. For this reason, I didn't purchase the wireless receiver.
Others have mentioned issues with mounting, as the mounts cannot be turned towards a specified direction. This is NOT an issue for me, as my speakers are not mounted, so I can't comment
OVERALL, This is a great sounding system for an unbelievable price!!
If you are an audiophile, this is NOT for you. Spend over $1000 for something else. If you want great sound at a great price, then this is for you

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The Samsung HT-Z310T 5.1-channel single disc home theater surround sound system is high performance and high style. Now there are more ways to enjoy your home theater system. Got an iPod? It also has a dock so you can listen to music from your iPod whenever you want. This home theater system is also wireless ready, so there's no need to hide wires or trip over them. Hear the amazing sound, enjoy more capabilities with the SAMSUNG HT-Z310T.

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Samsung DVD-C500 HDMI Multi All Region Code Zone Free PAL/NTSC DVD Player. Plays DVDs from Region 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. DIVX XVID AVI, WORK ON PAL & NTSC TVS FULL HD CONVERSION Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had been looking at the reviews for similar products and there had always been unhappy buyers. This is a new product and I took a chance. Well, it came in just two days as announced, and took about two minutes to instal. Zone 1 and 2, PAL and NTSC played beautifully without any settings necessary, and even a self burnt DVD (NTSC Zone 1) that kept stalling on my previous player played without a hitch on this one ! So this amazingly small, amazingly light little machine meets all my expectations and beyond.
One might only regret it's not for use with 220 volt /50 hz current in case one might want to use it abroad (it's so lightweight !).
I highly recommend it (keeping fingers crossed for possible mishaps in the future).

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Plays DVDs from Region 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PAL/NTSC RCE REE. The Samsung DVD-C500 comes equipped with Anynet, which helps all components communicate and share information via HDMI-CEC (Anynet+). An impressive, sleek 37mm design also houses 1080p up-conversion, delivering crisp, distinct pictures and high-quality sound

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Samsung DVD-C350 DVD Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This newly developed Samsung DVD is an unbelievably great DVD for only $35.00 including taxes and delivery. I was looking for the newest DVD players at a good price. My problem was there was not one review on this DVD player.
Great upconverting picture, sound, fast loading, reads and plays really bad discs that would skip or freeze on my old dvd/vcr player. Plays burned DVDs with no problems. Very easy to set up and hook up.
I bought this as a replacement for a refurbished Toshiba DVD player that only lasted 15 mos. I have used this DVD player for 1 day. The only problem is an incredibly small remote which is hard to read if you need reading glasses and no hdmi port.

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The Samsung DVD-C350 allows you to enjoy a widescreen view without having to see black letterbox bars. EZView eliminates them on 4:3 TV screens with the push of a button on your remote. Multi-format playback ensures compatibility whether you’re watching a DVD, DVD+-, DVD+-RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA, JPEG or MPEG-4.

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