Samsung DVD-VR325 DVD/VCR Recorder
Samsung DVD-VR325 (S/N: 61AY502281V)
Regarding Design: <br />HDMI-page 19, use HDMI for \\"best quality images and sounds.\\" \\"Set the audio output to PCM. See p. 29.\\" (Does this screw-up audio-out using component instead of HDMI? See below.) <br /> <br />Page 31, Using SETUP screen, change resolution from 480p to 720p to 1080i.  <br />Or, \\"press the P.SCAN button while the unit is in Stop mode to select HDMI resolution as follows: 480i>480p>720p>1080i.\\" Note: \\"HDMI/DVI does not support 480i. Video with 480i resolution can only be viewed through the analog inputs (Composite/S-Video/Component).\\" Catch that? Only the P.Scan button, not the setup screen, can get you back to 480i, and then the HDMI is unusable. <br /> <br />Page 63, \\"copy function is not allowed in progressive scan mode.\\" Another gotcha: if you set any progressive mode, required in order to use HDMI, you cannot copy. <br /> <br />Page 64, \\"copy function from VCR to DVD does not operate if resolution is set to 1080i using HDMI or DVI.\\" <br /> <br />Regarding Quality: <br />First unit returned due to audio drop-outs while using HDMI-no further testing, only one evening use. This second unit has dropouts every 4 to 6 seconds at 480p, every 10 to 15 seconds at 720p, and every 20 to 30 seconds at 1080i <br /> <br />Audio from DVD of very poor quality; TV required setting volume at max to hear at all, and background noise excessive. However, the audio was still set to PCM as required for HDMI, even though now using S-video + audio (3 cables in lieu of one HDMI.) <br /> <br />Playback of VCR, either for direct viewing or for copying, has VERY low resolution, and excessive contrast. Full blacks, and full whites visible, but no details visible in hair, grass, trees, etc.-all look black. Black Level was adjusted, as on p 30, but both settings were bad-just different. Audio useable, but seemed to be of a low level. <br /> <br />Recording from external VCR to a DVD-R on the DVD-VR325, unit stopped recording when stop button on remote pressed, but DVD notfinalized. When playback was attempted, only low-quality audio was output, no video. Tried recording again on same disc for 10 seconds, stop button caused finalization to take place. Of course, this ruined the remainder of the disk. (ten-year-old VCR has better audio and video than this new DVD-VR325.) <br /> <br />Three Cassettes were copied onto DVD-R with no further loss of quality than that apparent on VCR playback-poor as this was, may not be a valid indicator of quality of recording. <br />