Samsung DVD-C621 5-Disc DVD Player
Nice system, terrible support
I bought this component to replace my aging CD changer (it's also my first DVD player). My old changer lacked a remote and would skip at the slightest vibration. So when I set up my system with the C621, I threw in Van Halen \\"Hot For Teacher\\", cranked up the subwoofer for the drum solo, and hit Play. Nothing happened. It wasn't even trying to read the disk. Hmm. So I look over the remote and try to find a button that might help. I hit \\"Disk Skip\\", \\"Menu\\" and nothing worked. So of course I start hitting random buttons and voila! The CD loads up and starts to play. At the time, I wasn't sure what made it work, but I didn't care because the drum solo sounded great. In spite of rattling the windows and vibrating glasses right off the coffee table, the C621 didn't miss a beat. It kept right on playing even with the subwoofer turned up to 11 (my old player would skip at about 4). <br />However, the next time I tried to play a CD, the same problem happened, it wouldn't load the CD, didn't even try. I called up Samsung tech support and the guy didn't know what was wrong. <BR>\\"Did you try another CD?\\" <BR>\\"No, but it eventually plays it if I mash on random buttons on the remote. Do you know which button is making it play?\\" <BR>\\"Sounds like it might need a repair, you better ship it to our repair center in New Jersey.\\"<BR>\\"What?!?!?\\"<BR>\\"Yeah, or try some other disks, maybe they'll work better.\\"<BR>\\"Thanks buddy, bu-bye.\\"<br />So now I try contacting Samsung through their tech support webpage form to see if they know what button to hit. I describe the telephone support guy's ineptitude and suggest maybe I should return the system and get a model that works. The six word reply I get from Dario at Samsung is: \\"If they will take it back.\\" Nice customer service: dumb AND rude.<br />Later that day I purchased a couple of DVDs. When I put in a DVD and turn on the TV, there is an initialization menu waiting for me on the screen. Apparently, the first time you use the C621, you needto select the default language by selecting the corresponding number on the key pad 1-5 (Dario, are you reading this?). THEN the C621 loads the first disk. THAT was probably the problem I was having with playing CDs. But because the TV wasn't turned on, I couldn't see the language initialization menu waiting for a number response. It either timed out and loaded the disk, or when I mashed on the remote I happened to select a language and it proceeded.<br />I haven't had any problems with the C621 since that episode. Overall, I'm satisfied with the component. The joystick on the remote feels a little cheesy, like it might eventually break. But it works fine for now. And for [the money], you can't beat the price.