Samsung SV-5000W Worldwide VHS Format VCR
Less Than Sterling Audio Performance
I noted with interest that of 34 reviews of this product as of 19 Sep 04, 15 were negative, 12 were positive, and 6 were neutral or just providing information.  I wish I had read them before making my purchase.  I have had this product for less than 3 months, and am fairly content with the video conversion features and quality.  That's about what I expected.  I am, after a day of serious experimenting, quite disappointed in the quality of the hifi stereo recording.  In an A/B listening comparison, recording an old laser disc music video to the same tape with both the Samsung and an alternate machine, the Samsung stereo soundtrack is decidely noisy....pops, crackles, rice krispies.  Some results are so bad you just have to switch to mono audio to make it listenable.  However, it is a complicated machine, so I am hoping that there is just a bit of \\"operator error\\" here, and I've got a peculiar audio setting not quite right.  For example, if you are getting no sound at all, or no dialogue at all in a recording, make sure your source isn't a DTS/Dolby Digital machine that is routing just the left/right channels in surround mode.  You may have to go to stereo mode to get the sound \\"mixed\\".  Operator errors aside, I still have a firm example that, using the same audito source, on the same audio tape, on another hifi stereo machine...that result was flawless.  Don't buy this machine if you are into opera, music videos, or FM simulcast. <br /> <br />