Samsung DVD-R145 DVD Recorder
Disappointed and returning #2
This is an update to my previous review from 10/19/06.  I'm returning the second one now.  The picture freezes completely during regular playback of DVD-RAM discs.  You press fast forward and it just freezes.  You stop and play again and the picture is jagged.  Very disappointing because the features are excellent.  The previous unit froze during chase playback.    I am on my second Samsung DVD-R145 in two months.  First, the things I like:  great picture quality, excellent user interface, and I especially like the MP3 playback (specifically, the ability to create a playlist and to play tracks in random order, not all DVD recorders provide those functions).  Second, the minor annoyances that may just become major:  during \\"chase playback\\" (using DVD-RAM discs, watching the program currently being recorded), after fast-forwarding and then pressing play, the picture jitters consistently.  You have to press STOP and then press PLAY again in order to stop the jittering.  Then there's the bigger issue of synchronization of sound and picture.  Many programs that I've recorded, when played back, do not have the picture and sound synchronized - and they can be off pretty badly, too, not just milliseconds.  The first unit did that and I ignored it most of the time but now that the second unit does it, I am losing my patience.  Add to that the fact that when I contacted Samsung about it, after finally getting a response to my e-mail (8 days), the recommendation was to record at \\"a better speed.\\" I record at LP.  Not the end of the world, and I've never had this synchronization problem with any other DVD recorder (Panasonic, Toshiba).  So that's not helping.  I will wait and see but I suspect I'll return this one too and go with yet another brand (I can't seem to find the right combination of quality and features).