Samsung DVD-V1000 DVD-VCR Combo
Excellent value and extraordinary features.
The Samsung V1000 comes with the rarest of features - a well written manual.  While most features are intuitive, it's nice to be able to refer to the manual for some of the advanced features like setting DVD bookmarks, dynamic compression, and programmed playback.  <br />The V1000 flawlessly detected my home-burned CD's and MP3's and switched automatically without fuss to any and all commercial media.  The front and rear panel aux video/audio inputs are nice for camcorder connections and multiple video/audio sources. Two digital audio outs and S Video along with all the standard outputs seems pretty remarkable for a combo unit at this price.<br />The remote is laid out well and programmed itself for compatibility with my TV with just 3 button pushes.<br />There was one mechanical problem - the display circuit board had popped out during shipping so that the top half of the display couldn't be seen.  The case and front panel came off easily and I just pushed the circuit board back into place.  However, since this display board has no mechanical restraint (i.e. screws or clips) I suspect this is a fairly common problem.  The fix only took 3 or 4 minutes but might be daunting for someone unfamiliar with a phillips screwdriver. Internally, the unit is cleanly laid out. The V1000 uses a ROM based operating system.  The unit I purchased was manufactured 5/01 and had a ROM that appeared to be marked version 2.  That probably means they've found most of the bugs.