Samsung DVD-VR357 Tunerless DVD Recorder and VCR Combo
By: Samsung Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 84
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 On: 2008-05-05
This product is great and the refurbed unit purchased was perfect. No cosmetic problems, worked 100%. Seller was outstanding as well. $100 delivered is an outstanding deal. Up-convert and optical sound connections to a 1080P plasma and 7.1 sound system make SD DVDs work very very well. I purchased this unit to archive old camcorder VHS and 8mm tapes. This process is flawless and simple. Insert media, push one button, finalize disk and do the next one. Use DVD-R disks for the easiest approach. Some reviewers have left negative comments regarding the title creation capabilities of this machine. They need to be reminded that this is not a full-up editing program for a Mac or PC. It has no keyboard! IF you want to do serious editing, buy an analog converter ($150), a burner and the right software for your computer. If you want to save those old camcorder tapes to DVD for your grand kids, this is your choice. It will also do dual layer DVDs as a bonus. Others have commented on the remote. Give me a break. Its the same remote that comes with Samsungs high end Plasmas. If you want a great up-convert DVD player/burner with every known interface that also plays and records VHS tapes and dubs tape to DVD (or the DVD to Tape) with a single button push, buy this unit now - before the referbed units are all gone.
 On: 2008-04-26
Can you push a button? Thats all you have to do to copy a VCR tape to DVD. Different options/features on this unit work with different DVD formats. You MUST read the manual and note the DVD format symbols located against each feature. Theres a "Rec Speed" button on the remote that lets you choose 4 different DVD record "Speeds" - 1 hr, 2 hrs, 4 hrs or 6 hrs... set this before you press the "Copy VCR > DVD" button.
The S Video Input must be selected in the settings menu if you want to use it. I bought a Reconditioned unit here on Amazon for less than 100 bucks and it was virtually brand new.
Copies all Tivo content even copy protected downloads (AmazonUnBox).
Highly recommended!
On: 2008-04-26
Heres how you copy a VCR tape to DVD -R.
1. Put the VCR tape in and get it (stopped) at your starting position.
2. Put a blank DVD in the machine.
3. Press the "View DVD" button (at top of remote)
4. Select "Rec Speed" button at bottom of remote (1hr, 2hrs, 4hrs or 6hrs)
5. IMPORTANT: Press "View VCR" button (at top of remote)
6. Press the red "To DVD" button
7. VCR starts to play and DVD recording begins - (Note: You will not see any record light).
8. When you get to ending point Press STOP
9. Wait a few seconds for processing to end (see on screen Wait message)
10. Press the "View DVD" button (at top of remote)
11. Press Remotes "MENU" button
12. Select DISC MANAGER Press ENTER
13. Select DISC FINALIZE Press ENTER
Thats it - youre done!
S - VIDEO INPUT
The S Video Input must be set in the settings menu if you want to use it.
AUTO CHAPTER
Contrary to other reports here, the Auto Chapter option DOES work - it creates "Chapters" every 5 minutes. However, it does not create any kind of Chapter Menu - the DVD simply responds to the Next/Previous Chapter buttons on any DVD players remote.
RECONDITIONED UNITS
I bought one of the Reconditioned units here on Amazon for less than 85 bucks and it looked brand new.
EXCELLENT QUALITY...
DVD results look even better than the original tape - dont ask me how they do it(!)
Highly recommended!
 On: 2008-04-23
I purchased the Samsung DVD-VR357 so that I could transfer old video tapes to DVDs. The first thing that I noticed when I received the unit is that they dont recommend using DVD+R disks. They recommend DVD-R. My old DVD players work best with DVD+R disks.
I would have lived with that, however, when I connected the Samsung unit to my new Phillips 42" LCD flat screen TV via the HDMI port, it did not work. They provide a component interface which worked find, but I want my components connected via one of the 3 HDMI ports that Phillips provides. So I returned the unit and purchased a Toshiba D-VR610KU. It worked well.
One key difference between the Samsung unit and the Toshiba unit is that the Samsung unit upconverts to 1080i. The Toshiba unit upconverts to 1080p. I know that normally the Phillips LCD handles both 1080i and 1080p. I use Verizon FIOS cable service and their high definition signal is 1080i. Therefore, I deduced that the Samsung was the culprit of the incompatibility.
On: 2008-04-20
For people who would like to record from those TV stations that normally will not allow a recording (you know the ones - HBO, Starz, Cinemax etc) this is the DVD recorder for you.
Whether it is live or from my DVR this recorder will burn programs from those stations that other recorders will not without a problem. I had a Philips DVD Recorder for about 24 hours until I found that it would not record from Cinemax or Starz. So, I returned it and went with this one and have not looked back. So far I have made a number of recordings and its still going strong.
The playback works fine, espacilly using the HDMI cables to my HDTV. The XP quality of the programs it very close to the original High definition broadcast and SP is nothing to sniff at either.
On: 2008-04-16
Have had this machine for a couple of months and had good experience with recording from our cable DVR and in copying from old VHS tapes. However, the main problem was in learning what DVD blank discs are compatible. I tried DVD-Rs, which worked but didnt suit our separate player. DVD+Rs did, so that was OK. But a package of 16X discs I bought was rejected by the recorder with an instanteously flashed message that was unreadable. Samsung support said use 8X or less. Tried 8X. Also rejected. Back to 4X and they continue to work OK. However, can only find DVD+RWs in 4X. No DVD+Rs apparently anywhere. Samsung said the 1-16Xs now available should work. Not so. Rejected also. Apparently newer speeds not provided for on this machine
On: 2008-04-16
Samsung DVD-VR357 Tunerless DVD Recorder and VCR Combo
Easy to hook-up, Everything works as advertised. The Samsung VR357 Copies HD movies and other HD programing from my DirectTV High Definition DVR with a slightly noticable loss but with true 16:1 picture size. Playback quality is terrific considering the recorder has to upgrade the 480 S-video duplicate image back to 1080i via the units HDMI output. The unit also plays jpeg and MP3 disk files. Only downside observed is the very spongy buttons on the remote and/or its apparent weak RF signal output, I have replaced the batteries with new resulting in same annoying weak/aiming remote performance action. The Title Menu creations are difficult and cumbersom due to the remotes apparent design weaknesses. Overall a great recorder.
On: 2008-04-15
Received product fast and so far so good with regards to functionality. I havent tried burning anything yet but Ill review that soon. Do wish it had a built-in tuner though. I kept my other Samsung DVD/VCR connected so I could tape shows on TV because it has a tuner. I chose this method versus buying optional cable and configuring unit to work with my cable box. I may connect it solo in the future but now its fine with the two connected together.
 On: 2008-04-11
I purchased one of these DVD recorders in December, then received another as a Christmas gift.
In less than a month, BOTH had developed the same problem - they would reject ANY type of disc I tried to use.
I called Samsung, who actually argued with me about the types of discs the unit could read. They went so far as having me fax them a copy of the Users Manual, to prove that the recorder would record on DVD+RW discs (my choice of recording media).
I took it a step further, and also faxed them copies of the recorder specs that were currently, and still are, on their own web page, showing that the recorder would record on, among others, DVD+RW discs. (Note to Samsung Support - if you are going to support your products, at least know the basics of how they work!!!)
They finally decided to fix the units. I shipped both to their NJ repair center and waited...and waited...and waited...because "parts were on order". I finally called and asking exactly when the units would be repaired. They then told me that the parts, required to fix the units, were no longer in stock (my guess....I was not the only person with this problem).
They decided to ship me replacements, from their REFURBISHED stock, to replace the NEW recorders I had purchased in December. In essence, they replaced my NEW units with USED ones.
I am not holding out hope that these USED units will work any better than the NEW ones I shipped in for repair.
So, my suggestion....find another recorder, and skip the headaches with this one.
 On: 2008-04-10
This Samsung has great features: DVD to VHS or VHS to DVD and upconversion included were all wonderful to have in this item. After receiving the item, I could record VHS and play DVDs and VHS without problems.
My problem came in recording on DVD Ram or DVD +RW. Whenever you put in one of these disc it would want to format or initialize them. I kept getting errors and it would spit out the DVD. The error flashed by so fast I had to get my video camera to record the TV screen so I could replay it to see what it actually said.
Basically, I had to call Samsung and try upgrading the firmware. Although we did upgrade it, it did not fix the problem. I had to send it within 2 weeks of purchasing from Amazon to Samsung tech to fix. They ordered the part (new laser) but it was taking too long. I got an approval to just exchange it for a brand new VR357. Then that product was not available, or it wasnt being made anymore so that updgraded the exchange to the VR 375.
Havent gotten it yet, but I sure hope when I do, that the newer model will perform better than this one.
On: 2008-04-10
THE DVD RECORDER / VCR COMBO WAS A PIEC OF JUNK AFYER A WEEK OF USING IT THE DVD PLAYER STARTED MAKING ODD NOISES AND WOULD HAVE SKIPPING IN THE PLAYBACK. IT DID THIS WITH BOTH RECORDED DVDS AND REGULAR MOVIES. THE ONLY GOOD THING IS THAT AMAZON HAD NO PROBLEM WITH ME RETURNING IT AND GETTING MY MONEY BACK. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE
On: 2008-04-10
I have had this unit since since Sept 07 and have had good results from it.I have recorded over 150 dvds and the unit still works well.Having used only DCD+R and DVD-R I have found that DVD-R is the way to go if you want "automatic chapter creation" to work. If you look in the manual it says as much on pg. 34.(check tiny icons along edge of page).Transferring VHS to DVD is easy using the VHS to DVD button on remote,but dont look for the red record light on the unit to come on while doing this because it seems to come on only when using the other record button.Also,I dont know if chapter creation works when using VHS to DVD because when I did this on my home movies I was using my 1st purchase of 100 DVD+R .I have not tried to use RW discs on this recorder so I cannot speak to the whole V/VR issue,but it seems discs recorded in VR can never be played on another DVD player so the mode would not be useful to someone copying programs from a DVR to use in a portable player.I get excellent results copying from a Scientific Atlanta Explorer standard def. DVR by S video and Sony and JVC camcorders by the front firewire input.
On: 2008-04-08
So Far, so good.
I was able to complete all tasks on this product. I am not finish yet all of it, but I highly recommend this item.
On: 2008-04-05
Have had product a little over a month and so far so good. Has alot of features and is easy to use and setup. Upconverts to 1080i and seems to make all those old vhs tapes look alot better. The fact that is does not have a tuner is not a factor for me. I would recommend this product!
On: 2008-04-03
The advertising says this unit will work with all types of DVD, but I found problems recording to DVD+R disks. Called Samsung USA Tech Support, got someone (in Calcutta?) who said that they recommended using DVD-R disks. Started using DVD-Rs and that seems to work OK.
Recorded several hours of programs from my DVR (tivo) to a DVD-R disk, carried it to my computer to make a copy (as Id done many times successfully with my Go-Video DVD Recorder), started the DVD-Copy process with Nero, and received a "Copy Error" message. It appears that I cant make copies of DVDs burned on the Samsung unless the DVD was burned in 2-hour mode. Bummer.
Its been more than 30 days since I bought it at Amazon, so they wont refund all of my purchase price. If I had bought it locally, at least Id have some recourse.
One reason I chose the Samsung was that Consumer Reports rated it a Best Buy -- I certainly wouldnt agree.
Now if only I could find a Samsung office in the USA where I could communicate in English, maybe I could get some resolution.
On: 2008-04-01
Works well except the system has some noise when it is running. It was very easy to install.
On: 2008-03-30
I recently purchased this DVD-VCR combo. I did a lot of research for a relatively inexpensive combo that can perform. I wanted something to back up my DVR recordings onto DVDs. This is perfect for performance and price. Also, you can transfer the home videos that you never watch onto DVDs. This machine is simple to hook up and simple to use. It will even make arbitrary chapter marks, which are not accurate, but makes it simpler to navigate. You can name the disc, and you can record in sections and name them also. The only irritating drawback is that the machine is noisy. It hums when the power is on. Im not used to that, as my former Sony was very quiet. Overall, Im very happy with it.
On: 2008-03-26
This DVD/VCR recorder does a good job of transferring formats back and forth. One big problem: we just want to change our kids old Disney VHS into DVDs and it wont permit it. "Copy protected"
Other than that, a really great value.
On: 2008-03-25
I bought this with much trepidation after reading about all the troubles people have had with DVD recorders. Maybe it helped that were using this with a Samsung 4669 46" LCD TV, but I found it a snap to set up and start recording with it. Ive only gotten one coaster, and while I cant recreate the circumstances that produced it, I have a hunch it was my fault--that I tried to make it do two things at once that I shouldnt have. Other than that one time its just worked. I have an older, low end DVD player that couldnt read the disks, but all the newer DVD players Ive tried do fine. Even my cheapo $500 Toshiba laptop recognizes the DVDs and plays them as well as it plays any DVDs (it lacks dedicated Video RAM so it cant play movies smoothly).
Ive read complaints about the manual, but it worked well enough for me. However, Im a computer journalist whos been using/building/troublshooting computer systems since 1981, so what seems easy and obvious to me might be more opaque to a civilian.
It also makes it easier if you have a DVR. We have one from Comcast that came with the digital TV service. So 99% of the time were recording from that and not from the TV directly. Normally I blip ads by just fast-forwarding through them while the Samsung continues to record, but you can stop/restart the recording at each juncture to eliminate the ads. This creates a lot of files but they play in sequence automatically.
Heres how you record a program off a DVR like Comcasts box:
1. stick a disk in the Samsung. If its new a dialog box will pop up asking if you want to initialize the disk. Hit Enter on your remote. Initializing takes a few seconds.
1. pick your recording speed (its the button on the remote labeled "rec speed"). As you toggle through the speeds, an onscreen display tells you how many minutes you have available at each speed. I generally use SP for standard programs, XP for HD ones (though Im still not sure XP is necesssary), LP for longer shows I want to fit on one disk, and EP for talking heads programs (CSPAN, PBS etc.) where the lower resolution isnt a problem).
2. push the red "rec" button to start recording. If you push it again, it times the recording for 30 minutes, then stops. Hit this button again and it records for 60 minutes, and so forth.
3. If you arent doing a timed recording, hit the "Stop" button to stop the recording. If you want to stop a timed recording, hit the "stop" button twice.
4. Label the track you just recorded by hitting the "title list disc menu" button. You can label tracks by highlighting the track you want to label, using the up/down arrow buttons, hit "Enter," then choose "Rename." Youll get an onscreen keyboard on which you can move the cursor around to select letters/symbols. If you move past the edge of the keyboard the cursor reappears on the opposite side. This makes typing labels a lot faster. Hit the onscreen button "Save" to save your entry. You can erase any/all of what you wrote, now or even after youve saved it.
5. When youve recorded everything you want on this disk, hit the "Menu" button, then choose "finalize." After a minute or so the disk is done and ready to be played on other DVD players.
That doesnt sound hard, does it?
Then for playback, you have various menu options to experiment with to get the best image on the screen you have. With the right options a DVD movie looks amazingly good on a good monitor like our Samsung 46" 120Hz TV--you can wait to get a Blu-Ray player until the prices come down (assuming they do). Weve watched the BBC "Planet Earth" series this way--and thats used as a demo disk in its Blu Ray version--and it looks fantastic.
So. All in all this DVD recorder is easy to use, easy to set up, relatively cheap, and integrates well with Samsung TVs especially. And even when you do get an HD player it wont be able to record DVDs, so youll still need this.
And if you do get one, please dont write a review griping that it doesnt have a tuner. Its clearly labeled as such, and anyway you dont need one if your have a TV with a tuner--and nearly everyone does--and/or cable/satellite.
Thus far I really have no complaints. It works, the remote works--and its clear to me--and I dont get coasters. I havent tried the VCR part yet but expect the same there.
And Amazon had about a $40 lower price than local stores (figuring in tax)--and I live in Silicon Valley, where stores are forced to compete a bit more than out in the boonies. And the Amazon shipment arrived in a timely manner.
I also ordered a 100-disk stack of Verbatim DVD+R disks with the recorder. They arrived in good shape and worked perfectly, as have a stack of Fuji DVD+R disks Ive also burned. As I recall this machine requires +R disks, which if fine with me because theyre superior anyway.
On: 2008-03-25
After a month, it lost the color from its video output, both composite and S-vid. Sent it back to Samsung (my shipping $$), but they returned it to me with same problem, unfixed--said it performed properly. So I returned it to Amazon and got another one--works OK so far. No other brand has the feature set I want for this good a price, so I thought Id chance it again. To be fair, Samsung did offer to look at it a second time, and to pay for the second shipping to them. Too late, and too much trouble.
On: 2008-03-21
After approximately six months of use, my Samsung DVD-VR330 began having problems reading blank DVD-R media, ejecting them several times before finally detecting them. Soon thereafter, it failed to read blank media as well as all the DVD-Rs I had recorded and finalized on that same recorder. When I called Samsung, the Customer Representative suggested I send the VR330 to Samsungs Repair Center, which would cost $65 in Labor plus the cost of shipping.
Because the discs I had already burned were not perfectly compatible with other DVD brands, I needed a Samsung DVD player, but the cost of repairing the VR330 was over half the cost of the new Samsung DVD-VR357. So I decided to give Samsung another chance and bought the VR357, which had all good reviews at the time. Seven months later, the VR357 started failing in exactly the same way as the VR330. When I again called Customer Service, the rep again denied knowing anything about the problem. In fact, he had the temerity to claim that Samsung had "no known problems whatsoever" with their DVD recorders. Again, the only option was to send the recorder in for "repair" with little hope of solving the actual problem.
As I told the second Samsung rep, I will NEVER buy another product from Samsung. Neither should you.
On: 2008-03-20
So I order the unit from Amazon because its a fairly good price; after a week though, I get another email saying its delayed for another 10days. Since it hadnt been shipped yet, I assumed it hadnt been, well shipped yet. But alas, when I went to cancel it (I found it elsewhere for less, and delivery was expected with 4-5 days), Amazon reported it was in the shipping "process" whatever that means and cant be canceled. Bummer. I wrote Amazon and they indicated I could simply refuse delivery (which I did) by using the Amazon RETURN web interface. UPS came and picked it up.
Amazingly, however, later that very SAME day, I got an email from Amazon stating it had SHIPPED and would arrive in about 3 days (instead of nearly 10).
What ho? Forsooth!@!#!
Well ... It got returned even though it arrived the day before the other one that I did keep arrived. Not bad.
The unit (which is being rated) is fine ... copies are easy from vcr to dvd ... menu is intuitive, no obvious flaws or major issues there.
Quality seems fine. I have another DVD recorder with a tuner that I route thru this via the svideo in so I can record from my cable source.
Would recommend.
And if Amazon seems to send you a major delay email, complain.
On: 2008-03-17
a great recorder to transfer vcr tapes to dvd especially home video easy to use one touch recording
On: 2008-03-08
This is a great product. Very easy to use and works better than my last DVD/VCR Combo
On: 2008-03-03
We bought this as a replacement for our old one that the tape part had died. So far so good
On: 2008-03-03
It wont play several of my DVDs. I didnt realize it at first because the first few DVDs that I happened to choose to play worked fine. It was only a few months after I purchased it that I saw that it wouldnt play many of my other DVDs including many from Disney.
The fact that is also tunerless led to some complications in my multiple TV household since I have DishTV (satellite). One receiver controls two TVs, so I can only attach this to the TV that connected directly to the receiver. It also means that many advanced features are not available, like recording one source while watching another and PIP. I am very, very disappointed with this product.
On: 2008-03-03
Product is very good. Instructions not as good or clear - or easy to follow.
On: 2008-02-23
I have had this recorder for over a month and had absolutely no problems. Picture and sound quality are great. I can tell a big difference with the 1080i upconversion, especially on older movies.
I have used the machine to record DVDs from my Tivo box and from VHS tapes. The record quality is very good, especially in XP mode (one hour per DVD).
The owners manual was not confusing to me and I had the machine hooked up in minutes. Many problems can be solved by taking the time to go through all the setup menus first (such as automatic chapter creation).
On: 2008-02-19
Took me several ruined DVDs to figure out what the manual should have said but did not: when recording VHS to DVD, make sure the unit is in VHS mode and leave it there. Otherwise you will get a short bit of what you wanted, and then it will start recording off the back panel inputs. Problem for me was no indication it was recording when in the VHS mode. Could see the tape counter going, but the red REC indicator was not lit. Switch over to DVD, and the REC lights up, figured that was the correct thing to do, but you just screwed up your recording. You dont know it until the time is up either. Leave it on VHS and all is well, but the manual says nothing on which way to set it.
The remote works fine if you are right in front. What confuses is some buttons become non-functional depending on what mode the box is in or what you are doing. No indication what the problem is, just dead buttons you think should work. More learning..........
Errors in the manual abound, like it saying you cannot watch the VHS playback while recording to DVD using component cables. You can. Hints would have been great, such as when using the "Copylist" setting up a copy from VHS, stop the tape and do a fast rewind back to the start time. Otherwise the unit will start playing the tape and very slowly start reverse play back to the start. I am sure I will find more mistakes and unmentioned required steps.
The DVD-VR357 works perfectly so far with DVR+R discs copying VHS, and from a cable box. Some commercial VHS tapes pop up as uncopyable, some copy fine. Have not explored how much (HBO, Showtime, PPV etc.) is copyable from the cable box yet.
Be ready to learn for yourself and consider the manual as a source of sketchy and erroneous data. This is NOT a VCR, far more complex in operation. Too bad there is not a "users group" forum for it, that would help get people going. I think a lot of the negative stuff in the reviews is from difficulty understanding how to run the thing, not bad units.
On: 2008-02-18
The remote control is terrible: tiny buttons that are very unresponsive, and no ergonomic layout at all. In this day, with great remotes like the TiVo remote to serve as examples, putting out a lousy remote like this one is just plain lazy.
But that alone isnt why I hate the machine.
It is frustratingly complicated to use. Very UNintuitive and the manual is not a lot of help. The same amount of thought went into writing the manual that went into designing the remote, which is to say, not dang much.
But that also isnt why I hate it.
I hate it because if you lovingly record an old VHS tape or two, editing carefully, and then neglect to finalize the disc before ejecting it, this machine will now refuse to recognize the disc it just created! Which means, youre screwed! After a couple of these incidents, I decided to pitch this machine in the trash. I wouldnt even wish it upon someone at a yard sale...those people know where you live and they might come back seeking revenge after this machine has driven them insane.
Buy something else. Anything else. Or go look for mine in the landfill.
On: 2008-02-16
Easy to attach to the TV, easy to set up and easy to use. Have had no problems with it since purchase (1 month ago).
On: 2008-02-16
I bought this unit to copy my VHS collection to DVDs (with automatically generated chapters, how cool!) that could then subsequently be played on any DVD player. Duh, what else would anyone buy it for? However, this unit will not perform the task I just described above and will only even partially do it at all under an extremely narrow set of circumstances.
First off, the DVD+R/DVD-R/DVD+RW/DVD-RW/VR-Mode/V-Mode debacle. It took me three sets of blank purchases to come to the realization that if you want these DVDs to be finalized so they can be recognized in an everyday DVD player you MUST have DVD-R or DVD-RW ONLY (DVD+R wont record at all and DVD+RW wont finalize) and that DVD-RW is a waste of money because you cant unfinalize a finalized video made in V-Mode anyway. Did I mention that the unit automatically initializes a blank disc in VR Mode, which is incompatible with everyday DVD players, forcing you to re-initialize it? Yeah, if you choose "no" on the "do you want to initialize this blank dvd" screen it pops the dvd out of the drive. Awesome! Are you confused yet?
Well dont worry, at least you have a completely incomprehensible poorly written manual to help you out! Obviously written by someone whose first language is not English, the manual explains absolutely NOTHING, so it took me a couple dozen shots in the dark to come to what murky conclusions I have been able to come to. I mean it, not a single term in this manual is defined. They just assume you know what a "title list," a "playlist, a "scene" and a "chapter" are. Those words are simple enough and you would think that you would know but trust me - in the context of this manual none of them make a lot of sense. Oh and be careful to look for the little icons in the upper right corner of every paragraph that let you know that the paragraph you are reading is utter bollocks for any format other than DVD-RW!
Oh hey - about that cool "automatic chapter generation" thing youre hearing so much about? Yeah, that doesnt work. Well, it does, but only if youre recording from the television. I am not entirely sure, but I THINK you can sort of make chapters manually except that the instructions use the terms "chapter," "playlist" and "scene" sort of interchangeably. Maybe. I cant tell honestly. I still have a couple dozen tests to perform before Ill have that all worked out, but one thing I am sure of - automatic 5 or 15-minute chapters are a pipe dream when copying from VHS to DVD with this unit.
This unit gets two stars because of the quick copy buttons on the front panel. If you set your VHS to where you want it to start copying, put in a blank dvd, initialize it in VR mode (grr) re-initialize it in V mode, press the "To DVD" button on the front panel, wait for VHS to run its course, finalize the DVD and eject - you have a reasonably pain-free DVD copy of your VHS tape, just as long as you dont mind the fact that there is only one "chapter," and therefore only one way to navigate your DVD - just like you navigate your VHS tapes. FF and RW. Glorious. Buyer be warned.
On: 2008-02-13
Fast delivery of chosen product, which is exactly what it was said to be.
Another good buy and perfect delivery from Amazon.
On: 2008-02-12
Bought the 357 a week ago and have not been able to figure out why it wont allow recording tv shows. We can watch movies, and we can transfer vhs to dvd but we cannot record anything from tv on to dvd. WE have hd cables one going from tv to cable box and one going from tv to dvd player. 357 does not have coaxil connection to connect to cable box so what other cable should we have to make proper connections? If its not a connection problem might we be making the wrong choices on the programmed menu? Thanks for any input. We want to love it - but not there yet.
On: 2008-02-05
I bought this unit even though there had been negative reviews. Most of them were obviously because people just dont read instructions or are just pinheads. The problems they say are problems arent; like someone complaining about the unit being tunerless. Yeah...its tunerless. A little reading would have revealed this. There are other things that people complain about that arent problems; but the problems people have regarding the quality of physical workings of the unit are probably correct.
Anyway if you get this unit to tape VHS to DVD (why else would you get it?), be prepared to have your patience and blank dvd supply severely tested. The first time I tried to record from tape, the unit rewound my tape right off the spool! I had to open up the VHS tape and repair/ respool it. Anyway...
After being able to copy tapes for a week or so, the thing is now giving me fits. I set up a record list off a tape (which can take forever if you have a lot of video on the tape) and after investing tons of time, the unit will rewind to the first title and proceed to record only 5 seconds and then stop and then start recording whatever is coming from the cable box. FRUSTRATING! I have to stop the unit which loses the title list...which means do it all again. Like I said, Ive been doing this for awhile successfully, but now it just doesnt want to do it but maybe 25% of the time. The other times it records a few seconds from tape and then decides to record from the set top box. I have updated the firmware from Samsung, but to no avail. I cant detect a pattern on why it does this.
As of this writing, Im 3-1/2 hours into trying to tape 2 hours of video. I had to start over because the unit just wouldnt stop taping 5-10 seconds from the tape before rolling over to recording from the cable STB. Be prepared to waste dvds. Right now Im blowing through Verbatim Dual Layer DVD+Rs. Not cheap.
On: 2008-02-01
Seems like every DVD recorder I try theres an issue, and sure enough this ones got a few. DVD-Rs arent compatible with my other standard players, and all DVD-Rs recorded on this unit auto-play on other players. Ive tried different media on this and other recorders and they dont have the problem with compatibility, and dont have the auto-play problem. It has very good video, and has a nice front panel display (like flashing when in pause mode). One great thing I do like about this unit is its responsiveness in pausing the recording process (for editing out commercials), its very fast. Tried the flash updater, it didnt fix the problem. Had to call Samsung as their instructions are wrong, you have to unplug the unit to get the flash update to work (the symptom is the remote doesnt work). Have to give kudos to Samsungs support line, it took no time to get to a human and they were very helpful and willing to help.
This unit would be a keeper if it werent for the annoying auto-play which you cant get rid of. If it werent for that, Id give it a 5-star.
On: 2008-01-28
I have been using this for little over a month with both DVD-Rs and DVW-RWs from Memorex. I have had absolutely no problems with recording or formatting. It took about 5 mintues to hook up and it was running perfect the first time I tried. The directions were easy to follow. I would highly recommend this unit and would buy again.
On: 2008-01-28
I have been using this for little over a month with both DVD-Rs and DVW-RWs from Memorex. I have had absolutely no problems with recording or formatting. It took about 5 mintues to hook up and it was running perfect the first time I tried. The directions were easy to follow. I would highly recommend this unit and would buy again.
After using for several months, I have found one issue when using Memorex DVD-RWs. After recording on a DVD-RW and then formatting to use again, there was an issue with the DVD-RW being ruined by the recorder. Not sure if this is an issue with the media or the writing to the disc or the software. However, the thing has eaten two DVD-RWs to date.
On: 2008-01-22
This device has worked for me pretty much as expected. I have recorded only onto DVD-R media, from programs recorded by a DirecTivo and from VHS tapes. I purchased a movie (Ratatouille) from DirecTv and recorded it from the Tivo onto DVD. The machine did this correctly, no DRM problems. When recording normal programs from Tivo, you can use the pause/play button on the recorders remote to effectively edit out commercials or other material. I have checked the finalized DVDs by playing them back in a different DVD player (Denon) and in a Macbook laptop.
If you buy this machine here are a couple of usage hints. Buried in the manual is the fact that you can adjust the VHS tracking using the remote. Look very carefully for a tiny gray label "tracking." This can make a huge difference in the quality of recording from VHS. Each time you are recording and press Stop, the DVR creates a video segment it calls a "title." When you finalize the DVD, it creates a DVD "Top Menu" which lists each Title in sequence, with a thumbnail made from its opening frame. You can turn on a "chapter creator" and when you end a long (15+ minute) Title, the DVR creates chapter markers at equal 5-minute intervals through that segment. When you finalize the DVD, it creates a Menu (not the Top) menu listing each chapter with a thumbnail.
I am only giving 3 stars because of two shortcomings. First is the cheesy remote, which has rubber keys that you have to mash unmercifully to get a result. This is made worse in that sometimes the DVR responds slowly, or if it is in the wrong "mode," not at all, to a remote command. So you mash and grind on the flimsy rubber button until you get a response or give up.
The second problem is an awkward, poorly designed user interface that shows up in two places: recording from VHS and editing names of Titles. To record from VHS you are given a "copy list" menu that shows the VHS tape in a small window. You use the VHS play/ff/stop/rew controls (the pause doesnt work for some reason) to cue up the start of the segment you want, and press Enter. The starting tape position is noted. Then you have to locate the end point and press enter. When you tell it to copy this segment, the DVR rewinds (slowly) to the start point, plays and records one Title, and exits the menu completely.
The stupid thing is that the copy list menu has positions for up to 6 start/stop segments. I thought, "Great, a job-list!" However, you can only use one of them. As soon as you tell it to copy one segment, it does and completely forgets any other start/stop points you have tediously entered. It looks as if the interface was shipped half-finished, or they cut back on device memory at the last minute, or something.
The other interface issue is in renaming the Disk or any of the Titles. You do this with an on-screen virtual keyboard that is horrible to use, especially when the remote is so balky and uncomfortable. But if you dont name the Titles, they have default names of the date and time, meaningless. You can name the Disk as well. However this name only appears on the Top Menu. If you put the finalized disk in a PC, its volume name is generic, not the disk name you tediously entered.
In short, this device works but the remote and on-screen interface make it somewhat painful to use.
On: 2008-01-18
My Go Video unit finally gave out, and since they are essentially out of business (and the cost of a repair was more than a new one would cost), I decided to give this one a try. It not only cost far less than the other one, but seems to work better. Its a bit tricky trying to figure out how to work it -- the auto copy doesnt seem to work as well as setting it up onscreen -- but overall, I am delighted with it.
On: 2008-01-18
I had two drawer fulls of VHS-C tapes that were 15-20 years old and wanted to get them on DVD before they were unplayable. I bought this unit based on price and reported video quality. I am very pleased with this unit except that if I use some brands of a DVD+R, the unit throws up a "System Error" message, writes nonsense on the DVD disk and powers off. The FAQ says that this unit does not support +R, but the box and the instruction book says that it does. So, use a -R DVD and you will be satisfied. I had some DVD+Rs work, but others do not.
One minor issue. I had a few tapes that had quite a bit of video "noise" when played on this unit and the two other VCRs I had in my house. A friend has the Sony VHS/DVD recorder and it did a much better job of playing the tapes. Oddly, I think the Samsungs video quality is noticably better than the Sonys. However, for a badly worn (not sure if due to playing or just age) tape, the Sony does much better. Only 1 or 2 of my oldest tapes had this problem - but I was really glad to be able to recover them on the Sony.
On: 2008-01-18
First time I inserted a disc ( DVD +R) and tried to initialize, machine shut off. Tried it again, same thing only now its locked up. Had to unplug the power cord to reset. Called Samsung and was told to try a DVD -R. One reason I bought it was the fact that it used ALL formats. A friend suggested I go to the Samsung site and download firmware updates. I figured, I pay that much for something, it should work right out of the box. Sent it back next day. No problems there, thanks, Amazon.
On: 2008-01-11
Samsung DVD-VR357 Tunerless DVD Recorder and VCR Combo I bought this to covert my home movie VHS tapes to DVDs, and it is really easy to do with this. Insert the tape and a blank DVD and hit one button. For the price you cant beat it.
Chuck Davis
On: 2008-01-09
This product does what it supposed to do. Easy set up, well organized menu at a great price.
On: 2008-01-08
This product does what it supposed to do. Easy set up, well organized menu at a great price.
On: 2008-01-06
This product has all the features that one might hope for in a tunerless DVD/VCR combo. If all of them worked properly, this would be an excellent deal. I probably should have returned this item, but after spending a half an hour on the phone with the service people, I concluded this item would never perform properly. I decided to keep it as there are work arounds that I find acceptable. But I recommend those who purchase this because of the HDMI output, look elsewhere. It only works in low resolution mode, and the service people admitted that this is a common problem. They said I could send it to them for repair, but I wouldnt see the unit for a month.
Programming this unit is a highly frustrating experience. And any assumption that the manual might provide some guidance is flawed. The manual covers about half of what this thing can do, and the other half is up to you to figure out. The DVD quality is good, but the VCR quality is poor. And the damn thing wont let you copy purchased VCRs- they all appear to be copy protected. This is the kind of garbage that I would have expected from SONY, but Samsungs are supposed to be more flexible. But not this unit!
On: 2008-01-06
The machine came and looked nice. Went through the set up and the DVD IS BROKEN. VHS works fine. Calls to a fairly arrogant customer service told me that the unit needs a lens cleaner. Amazing! Right out of the box and clean and they have the nerve to say its dirty. And that if I didnt like it to just return it!
The LAST SAMSUNG product I will ever buy! My $39 Coby progressive scan works better.
On: 2008-01-05
Works perfectly, excellent video and with name brand DL-DVDs records excellent quality from DirecTv HR-21. The Dual-Layer capability is important if you want to record longer than 1 hour at highest quality. DLs will record over 2 hours. Dups VCRs to DVD w/o a hitch. Note no tuner in this model. (I have a DVD-VR330 that is basically the same, but has no HDMI output and includes a tuner.) I installed this and a DirecTv HR-21 in a bedroom, connected to a Yamaha YSP-4000 which upscales to 1080i. Even VHS tapes look nice w/upscaling.
For this install it is a very cost effective machine if you want:
-one box for DVD & VCR
-recording ability from DircTv or similar to DVD or VCR
-Ability to record on Dual-Layer(DL) DVDs
-HDMI output
-Dont need the tuner
On: 2008-01-05
This product has all the features that one might hope for in a tunerless DVD/VCR combo. If all of them worked properly, this would be an excellent deal. I probably should have returned this item, but after spending a half an hour on the phone with the service people, I concluded this item would never perform properly. I decided to keep it as there are work arounds that I find acceptable. But I recommend those who purchase this because of the HDMI output, look elsewhere. It only works in low resolution mode, and the service people admitted that this is a common problem. They said I could send it to them for repair, but I wouldnt see the unit for a month.
Programming this unit is a highly frustrating experience. And any assumption that the manual might provide some guidance is flawed. The manual covers about half of what this thing can do, and the other half is up to you to figure out. The DVD quality is good, but the VCR quality is poor. And the damn thing wont let you copy purchased VCRs- they all appear to be copy protected. This is the kind of garbage that I would have expected from SONY, but Samsungs are supposed to be more flexible. But not this unit!
On: 2007-12-28
I wont comment on the features here, as many others have done a great job. Just to mention that Ive had significant quality problems with this product. The first one I received from Amazon stopped opening/closing the disc tray all together after 1 day. The second one I received worked ok for 2 months, and then all the buttons on the unit itself stopped working (now I can only control the unit from the remote.) Also, when copying VCR to DVD, all my copies have significant distortion on the lower 3-5% of the screen. This might be workable if I were just trying to watch the DVD ... but since I bought this unit to allow me to transfer VHS to DVDs and get rid of my old tapes ... Im not willing to have my best memories stored with 5% distortion.
On: 2007-12-27
I was very happy with this recorder for the first 3 weeks I owned it. It was easy for me to use, and the DVDs I recorded and played were lovely. But then the DVD froze while playing a disc, and would not play anything thereafter. Amazon was wonderful about making an exchange, and the replacement unit came lightning fast. However, the DVD component in the replacement was DOA - wouldnt play a thing! I always thought of Samsung as a quality product, and the Consumer Reports review convinced me to buy this one, but two lemons? I hope this is unusual, but will wait awhile before trying again.
On: 2007-12-26
excellent product i have purchased samsung products befor would reccomend to anyone used to record from vhs to dvd.
On: 2007-12-25
Bought refurbished by Samsung for $112! Cant be happier. If the unit had any problems, Samsung fixed them.The VHS transfer went flawlessly.
I have TimeWarner in NYC. Recommend that you use S video for connection between cable box and unit. Not supplied. Cheap 4 ft av cables came with unit No batteries either. Manual was Xerox copy not original.
This unit records everything that you can see on your screen.
There is one potential problem,not with the unit. You must read the manual to install properly as one has to change settings and imputs etc.
If you dont know the difference between an HDMI cable and a component cable , have someone install it for you.
My brother saw mine and the price, he is going to order one today.
On: 2007-12-24
Ill be brief. Easy to use. Good quality. Everything works. Excellent value. Copying all my old home movies to dvd etc.
On: 2007-12-19
Ive had this combo player for a month now, and overall its a good unit. The recoding in VCR mode is good, and the DVD recordings are excellent. Playback in both modes is fine except for a problem with the HDMI output that I still havent resolved. I can get the HDMI video to work just fine while displaying the setup menu, but every time I try to play a DVD, the screen goes black (the sound works fine). My workaround was to hook up the component outputs instead--the video looks quite good this way, but may have been slightly better using HDMI.
On: 2007-12-17
I was able to connect the DVD player quite easily and it works well. However, the remote control is very difficult to read and use. The buttons are very small and they are all the same color. It is not something you can use in a dim light. I feel it could have easily been made more consumer friendly.
On: 2007-12-14
Purchased this Samsung unit after checking reviews as well as being impressed with our new Samsung LCD TV. Already have a Panasonic DVD/VHS (and two at my job in technical support); yes, also good units, but a little unwieldy (especially menuwise), so I decided to give Samsung a try. I havent done lots of fancy things with the unit yet, but very impressed with recording and playing quality, good menus (like the TV), and easy to use. As an aside, in my job I have found DVDs/CDs burned on other units can ALWAYS be a problem (usually a disc/finalize/operator error, not the unit, ahem...) This Samsung seems fine with everything Ive played on it. One reviewer mentioned electrical smells, burning, etc? Had no problem there either. As advice, Id say any unit that has vents, give it some breathing room top/bottom/back - makes it happier. I have the Samsung at the top of my stack of video gear for convenience anyway. No worries. About the tuner-less option: as the tuners on other units dont let you time record the higher number cable stations (HBO etc), I dont miss the tuner. Saves $$$ too. People here seem dismayed it has no tuner. Advertising clearly says it doesnt have a tuner. If you dont have a cable box or separate tuner dont buy this version! Again: this unit does not have a tuner! Nuff said. I highly recommend the Samsung DVD-VR357.
On: 2007-12-13
I am very happy with this unit. The picture quality on both DVD and VCR is supurb, even with the old style picture tube Toshiba that it is hooked up to. It is also user friendly, and with a great price, I wouldnt hesitate to highly recommend this product.
On: 2007-12-12
I am very happy with this unit. The picture quality on both DVD and VCR is supurb, even with the old style picture tube Toshiba that it is hooked up to. It is also user friendly, and with a great price, I wouldnt hesitate to highly recommend this product.
On: 2007-12-06
I have used this unit to record saved shows on my cable box DVR and taped shows on VCR tape. It does a flawless job. Installation was easy and quick.
The manual is very explicit in its instructions how to record the DVD itself and from VCR tapes to a DVD disc. Using the VCR to DVD Copy was effortless. I recommend this unit.
On: 2007-11-24
I work in media and have found this a useful device. Like many people, I use it to transfer old VHS tapes to DVD, as well as to record television programs and commercials. I also use it as a quick way to dub other tape formats (such as MiniDV via the firewire input) to preserve the footage in another format. Before this, if I wanted an entire MiniDV tape on DVD, Id have to capture the entire thing, compress it, and author the DVD. It might take the entire day. Now a one-hour tape takes... one hour. And the highest quality compression looks very nice.
My primary complaint with the device is that the menus are so ugly. Usually I just turn the menu feature off (so the video plays immediately on insertion), but if I have multiple items I will usually create the DVD then transfer the files to my Mac laptop, do some converting (from .VOB to .M2V and .AC3) and then re-author the DVD (with decent menus this time) in a separate DVD-Authoring application. Still, for any media that originates anywhere other than on a DVD (VHS, MiniDV, Beta) this is a quick and inexpensive solution for getting it onto DVD.
On: 2007-11-22
I had this unit through about one-half of my wifes new DVD. After entering our den and smelling the aroma of cooking electronics wafting gently through the air, I discovered the source to be this unit! Ive heard of "DVD burners," but this was not quite what I had in mind!! I packaged it up and had it back to the store I purchased it from within the hour. Just ordered a Samsung V9700 from Amazon -- theres no DVD recorder with that unit -- repeat, NO DVD RECORDER -- but Im really only interested in an upconverting DVD player and any ol type of VHS player. With fingers crossed, i await Amazons delivery.
On: 2007-11-21
I had this unit through about one-half of my wifes new DVD. After entering our den and smelling the aroma of cooking electronics wafting gently through the air, I discovered the source to be this unit! Ive heard of "DVD burners," but this was not quite what I had in mind!! I packaged it up and had it back to the store I purchased it from within the hour. Just ordered a Samsung V9700 from Amazon -- theres no DVD recorder with that unit -- repeat, NO DVD RECORDER -- but Im really only interested in an upconverting DVD player and any ol type of VHS player. With fingers crossed, i await Amazons delivery.
On: 2007-11-15
I have had this model for five months. Actually, I have had it for three months because it has been sent back to be repaired twice. The VCR has stopped recording and playing both times. Hopefully, they will get it fixed or replace it this time. I would not make this purchase again.
On: 2007-11-11
The unit would not record or play DVDs. Samsumg determined that it needed a firmware update. It took 3 weeks to get the disk to do the update - and that didnt work! Damsung wouldnt replace the unit but offered to repair it - meaning I would have to take it to a repair center a wait to get a repaired unit rather than a new unit. Fortunately Amazon agreed to replace it and the new one is OK. But Im not happy for having to go through the agrivation I went through.
On: 2007-11-11
Firstly the "Consumer Alert" about pending obsolescence is utter and total nonsense, it was posted by an idiot. This device does not have a tuner, it does have both analog and digital inputs and outputs so it is compatible with the old TV standard ( current NTSC standard circa 1939 ) and the new digital standard starting in February 2009 ( ATSC digital TV ). Pushed by the failure of the family VCR I was faced by the need to replace a 10 year old VCR. We own a large collection of Tape and DVD media. This single box solution replaced not one, but two boxes on our media shelf, and outperformed both. We are very happy, as it is not very expensive. The only warning I have is that this runs a bit hotter than the DVD and VCR it replaced make certain you dont block the air vent, I add two small sticks under the unit to aid ventilation. It is very easy to dub old VHS tapes the DVD with the push of a single button. We like the thing.
On: 2007-11-10
The unit would not record or play DVDs. Samsumg determined that it needed a firmware update. It took 3 weeks to get the disk to do the update - and that didnt work! Damsung wouldnt replace the unit but offered to repair it - meaning I would have to take it to a repair center a wait to get a repaired unit rather than a new unit. Fortunately Amazon agreed to replace it and the new one is OK. But Im not happy for having to go through the agrivation I went through.
On: 2007-11-04
So far its been doing pretty much everything I expected. I am new to DVD recording though and I find all the different formats confusing e.g. DVD-R versus DVD+R
On: 2007-11-01
I have done some recording to dvd from vcr tapes and am happy with the results. However I am still unable to record from tv in either mode (vcr or dvd). This unit is like all other units on the market, a bear to hook up properly. With corp. greed they dont want to make it easy to be able to copy and keep what you can do on a low level. It would be so nice to have instructions for fast and one time hookup. Today will be about the sixth attempt to hook it up properly. Pull the tv etc. out of the display cab., restring wires etc. What a pain. Wish me luck, Roger. Oh by the way this is a fine unit and other than hookup it is great, would advise purchase.
On: 2007-10-24
I purchased this machine primarily to copy home movies on tape to a longer lasting media, i.e. dics, and as a general purpose reader. Overall a very good value. It has been working very well and reliably so far. A couple of things, though. One, the manual section for the installation goes through the method of setting up the IR blaster, which is complicated and kind of kludgy...and really unnecessary since you only need that to control the TV via the DVD remote, or vice versa. Problem is the manual does not tell you that, implying that this is a required step. Furthermore, one has to be aware of the imcompatibilies between DVD formats and various brands. For example, I put together a slide show of photos using an HP software, and do you know what? The Samsung unit could not read it and would eject the disc when attempting to play it. I had to buy a simple Sony DVD reader ($40) to be able to play this slide show. I still do not understand why this happened with a brand new machine, apparently capable of playing just about anything under the sun. I also wish the manual would give the user a better description of the type of discs to be used in which circumstances.
On: 2007-10-21
I got this unit to compact many different segments of video tapes made over the years into DVDs. The goal was to produce a DVD with specific chapter titles to easily find the segments. The unit has done quite well in this regard but first an alert to anyone else doing this: Do not toss out your old VHS unit. More below.
I quickly found that for VHS tapes recorded in the 6 hour mode, the 6 hour mode of the DVD recording produced about the same quality. As others have discovered the type of DVD you record on makes a tremendous difference as to whether you can recover lost space once recorded on, divide a long segment into sub-chapters (both require +RW), etc.
Each time you hit the STOP button on the unit while recording a new chapter title is created with date and time as content of the title. You can rename the title using the remote which brings up a full alpha-numeric display on screen that you choose one letter at a time. Tedious but gets the job done. Only complaint here is that the titles take up too much space on screen. Only about 7-8 fit per screen so if you have lots of info you have to go through a somewhat cumbersome selection process to get to your title. Single line titles would have been more efficient but this is a minor concern.
The one caution about not tossing your old VHS unit is this: This unit will COPY a tape at the push of a button. But you cannot tell it what speed to copy on the disk. It goes to high speed. You cannot tell it to copy for a specific length of time. I have found it best to use my old VHS as a source of the video and plug this into the front RCA jacks on the Samsung. This way I can choose the recording speed on the Samsung and also use the half hour increments one touch recording on the Samsung which works in the DVD recording mode as well as VHS. You can mix recording speeds on the DVD disk for different quality VHS recordings.
All said, this unit basically does what it is designed for and does it well.
On: 2007-10-17
Outstanding addition to the SAMSUNG LN-S4051D HD LCD tv that I purchased from Amazon.com. Very easy to setup and operate. The encluded remote operates my HD tv and A/V equipment. No more clutter and switching remotes.
One touch operation makes it very easy to record shows from cable tv using the cable set top cable box.
Very easy to record cable shows with the built in time record feature. This SAMSUNG DVD-VR357 will turn on the cable box automaticly with the included IR Blaster Cable. NOTE: You must have a Cable Box or Satellite Receiver to record TV content with this unit because it does not include a TV tuner. You cannot record fron an antenna over the air either. Also for this reason you cannot record and watch another TV channel. Most new DVD and DVD/VCR recorders do not include a TV Tuner because of copy protection laws.
With one touch you can transfer VCR and Video Cam tapes to DVD with this unit. However, you cannot copy "Copy Protected" VCR Tapes of movies and etc. to DVD with this unit.
Includes all of the input / output jacks you will require. Including HDMI. NOTE: does not include the HDMI cable (most units dont)
With the HDMI cable hookup between the HDTV and this SAMSUNG DVD-VR357 combo recorder the standard DVDs and VCR tapes will blow you away. I cant see much difference between Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs played on the same HD-LCD tv that I have. This unit will not play Blu-Ray or HD-DVD disks.
Excellent addition for the price!!!
On: 2007-10-16
I have found many glitches with this unit. Mostly it works fine, great even, but sometimes it refuses to play a disk for no good reason, or it will give only audio output. I have seen a few error messages on-screen that were bothersome also.
I like it, when it works.
On: 2007-10-16
Following is my first review, I am forced to amend it.
THE THING PLAYS NO DISKS!! A DVD PLAYER THAT WONT PLAY DISKS IS JUNK! There has been no abuse and only moderate use.
I have found many glitches with this unit. Mostly it works fine, great even, but sometimes it refuses to play a disk for no good reason, or it will give only audio output. I have seen a few error messages on-screen that were bothersome also.
I like it, when it works.
On: 2007-10-11
Ive been using this unit for about a week. Record quality from VHS (non copyguarded of course) is great...cannot tell difference from original. DVDs recorded from my DirecTV Tivo are also of excellent quality. The only problem I have with the unit is the upconverting capability. The upconverted 720p and 1080i image adds stair-stepping artifacts that arent present on the plain vanilla 480p image. At 1080i or 720p the unit performs worse than outputting 480p. 480p looks great. Still, 480p over HDMI looks fantastic on my Sharp LC-52D92U 52" LCD. Letting my Sharp LCD upcovert to 1080p (as it must as that is its native resolution) works better than letting the DVD-VR357 to the job. My previous DVD player was a Zenith 1080i upconverting player only that had a Faroudja upconverting chip in it and Id say that did an excellent job of upconversion. However, the Samsungs 480p output is so good I doubt Im missing anything going from the Zenith to the Samsung. I still highly recommend this unit. Oh, almost forgot to mention: this Sammy plays DivX/Xvid files quite well. Yes, there are the few xvids it wont play (probably using some off standard codec) but it plays most files...probably the next best thing to having a PC hooked up to your TV for Divx/Xvid.
On: 2007-09-29
Easy to use and relatively easy to set up. Only had to call support twice to set up all my equipment. TV, home theater, DVR and the DVD recorder. Manual isnt real clear on the "ins" and "outs" for setting up all this equipment.
On: 2007-09-26
Product works as advertised. Manual is a bit cryptic, but decipherable. I am very satisfied with the product.
On: 2007-09-26
I purchased this item primarily to back-up my DishDVR which was quickly filling up. Having read about many problems other brand owners were experiencing while connected to a satellite box, I decided to give Samsung a try. So far, all of my (mostly live sporting events) programs have recorded without a hitch.
The remote control works well with both the DVR and my Phillips SDTV, althought the DVR control is of course limited. However it changes the volume and channels just fine. It does require you to set up the included IR blaster for the remote to work on certain devices (the DishDVR in my case.)
I am definitely glad I decided on the combo unit as it allowed me to get rid of a remote control and a component (my old VCR) from my home theater.
One less remote to deal with.
The owners manual is well written in English and quite detailed. The unit has been relatively simple to learn how to use and set up.
I will however note that this particular setup is not HD and that this review does not take that into consideration.
On: 2007-09-17
My chief complaint is that in only 2 weeks I have had to reset this DVD/Video Player/Recorder several times already by pulling the plug out and then replugging. I find it hard to use. The buttons on the remote were sized for a small child. Usually technology gets friendlier as we go along, but not this.
On: 2007-09-16
My chief complaint is that in only 2 weeks I have had to reset this DVD/Video Player/Recorder several times already by pulling the plug out and then replugging. I find it hard to use. The buttons on the remote were sized for a small child. Usually technology gets friendlier as we go along, but not this.
On: 2007-08-21
Having had three combos in the last 5 years I decided to try a number of them at the same time and then return the worst of them - because as many would agree, what I actually want is just not available.
In comparison to Toshiba 650, LG 797, Sony 555 (these are the ones I have tried so far), this one is the cheapest, by a significant amount of money and better than all of the others in one way or another. The LG797 is best but it is so sensitive to copyright there are TV shows (Mad Men on AMC), even cartoons (Stuart Little), Sometimes even Lifetime Movies that it will not record from a DVR or straight from Satellite. Samsung is not sensitive.
Samsung has three drawbacks that are almost dealbreakers - except that the other combos are so much worse in so many areas- not enough connections and it is slower than the others in editing features. It records RAM but not Double Layer discs. I have never had a combo that records RAM or DL until now so I would like it to record both like the LG does.
If you research all of your components and maybe even get an adapter when needed, the hookups is no problem. The speed for deleting a portion of a dvd or dividing, is slower than the others. Since I do lots of dividing and deleting on my +RWs, this would normally be enough to send it back. But it beats the others in so many other areas, its still close to the best.
I have been transferring 24 hours a day from VHS to DVD or DVR to DVD and it has only frozen once (the others have several times). It is not sensitive to copyright so I can tape a movie and watch it later. I only make dvds for myself to watch and I pay for the tv stations so I should be able to watch them and Samsung gives me that opportunity at my convenience.
The video quality from VHS to DVD or DVR to DVD is ridiculously better than the Toshiba and the Sony (Both over $240 each). It records every format it claims to record (unlike Panasonic which has great difficulty with +R and +RW). I am a +RW fan - if you havent tried it because you think it is no different than -RW - you are sorely mistaken. Not having to finalize and "make compatible" or unfinalize to add something saves time and the discs still play on all of my DVD players. Not to mention more editing ability and reusing the beginning of the disc while there are shows still on the end (I have not figured this out on the Samsung yet - my previous LiteOns did this quite easily and from all the features with +RW Samsung allows, I think it will do this also). I have used 8 different brands of DVDs (and have tried +R/+RW/-R/-RW/RAM and every single one has recorded and played back without a problem. From high end discs down to office depot generics. This is rare. In +RW mode it has the lovely feature called "Divide" also available on Sony and LG (not Toshiba). If you are transferring or recording and you let it run long or fall asleep you can divide at the end of your show and delete the part you dont want. You can do this with all the commercials also if you wanted to take the time. You get to use variable recording speed so if you are recording in SP but the last show you are adding to the disc is a bit longer, you can record the last show in LP so it fits. When you press Record mode to set SP SLP etc, it shows on the screen how much time you would have left on the disc for recording if you used that speed. So you dont have to open up the title list or figure it out yourself. There is much more and as I continue to use the Samsung, if there is anything important, I will add to my review. This combo is not perfect - there are more things I would change if the DVD makers would let me creat my own machine with every feature I want but so far this is surprisingly better than the Sony or Toshiba and beats the LG if you tend to record show or movies to watch on DVD later. I need two combos and this is good enough that if I cant find something that has the LG797 positives and the Samsungs positives - I will actually buy another one. I am very picky with my media and especially because the combos out there generally do not do what they say they do and thats heartbreaking when you are spending anywhere from $170 - $400. My three others were Liteons and JVC and all three broke in less than 3 years.
IF you have right hookups and this combo has the features you are looking for, I can certainly say, it is excellent compared to the others I have tried.
On: 2007-08-03
Were very happy with viewing DVDs or VHS tapes and Ive copied DVD to VHS but still havent figured out how to record off the TV. Im sure it will be find when I have time to study the instructions more.
On: 2007-08-01
So far the Recorder works as specified. It is easy to use and was no problem connecting and putting into service. How reliable the unit is has yet to be determined.
On: 2007-07-30
Researched a bunch; all I wanted to do was get some old family vcr tapes burned to dvd, which was easy as pie to do with this machine. I dont care that it doesnt have a built-in tuner (as it clearly says on the box) because I have cable anyway. The upconvert playback of the dvds is impressive. Onscreen menus are easy and complete and intuitive. Looks nice and has plenty of inputs and outputs for my needs; hdmi, component and rca (composite) s-video; whatevery you need. Optical and digital audio too. Plenty. But about the remote; I hate it. It feels little, and flimsy to me. Could just be my preference; Im used to big heavy clunky remotes with big lit buttons, etc. And, you have to be close and have a good aim when using the remote. My entertainment center has glass shelves and I suspect the signal bounces crazy off the glass which could explain the touchiness of getting the remote to work easily, maybe. Anyway, for less than $200 you cant beat it. It upconverts people. Nuf said.
On: 2007-07-11
I thought it would be convenient to have a DVD player, DVD recorder, and VHS all in one cheap machine so I could save space in my house and not have to buy multiple machines. Turns out I STILL have to get another DVD player because this dumb thing doesnt recognize a number of DVDs still. I have a lot of Region 0 DVDs that dont work at all on this machine. Usually any DVD player should be able to play a Region 0 DVD release. VCDs (which usually every DVD player can play, even my old one did) do not work at all on this machine either. The VHS to DVD copying is the only thing it has a practical use for, cause its one lousy DVD player.
On: 2007-07-10
I thought it would be convenient to have a DVD player, DVD recorder, and VHS all in one cheap machine so I could save space in my house and not have to buy multiple machines. Turns out I STILL have to get another DVD player because this dumb thing doesnt recognize a number of DVDs still. I have a lot of Region 0 DVDs that dont work at all on this machine. Usually any DVD player should be able to play a Region 0 DVD release. VCDs (which usually every DVD player can play, even my old one did) do not work at all on this machine either. The VHS to DVD copying is the only thing it has a practical use for, cause its one lousy DVD player.
On: 2007-07-09
I bought and returned one. I could see how in some situations this would be a good buy, especially if on special, but for me it didnt work out. The dealbreaker was that either my cable settop box S-Video output (from which I intended to record) or the Samsung S-Video input (Im not sure which) didnt work, and I wasnt happy with using the RCA jack because the video quality suffers. If it worked, Id probably still have the unit, but like I said, it could be my cable box.
The other issues I had, that I could live with if not for the S-Video problem, were that the fan was a little noisy in the smaller room my (open-air) entertainment center is in, and when a video tape is in the drive it gets even noisier, to the point of distraction. If I were only going to copy tapes to DVD-R, it wouldnt matter, but we have a large collection of kids videos that they still watch. Also, there was no input selector or channel up/down buttons on the front of the unit. The remote is pretty good, but if you cant find it...
Overall, the feature set is good for the price - it has plenty of in/out options, the settop box IR extender is helpful, and the quality is good. If your situation is different than mine, this could be a good value purchase.
On: 2007-06-20
This machine is exceptionally easy to hook up and use. It reduces both component and cable clutter, combining two quality machines into one. I was able to navigate the menus and create a disc with little or no references to the manual, so its quite intuitive. I have not tried the editing features yet (yes, I did eventually glance through the manual) but they seem straightforward and complete, especially for a unit in this price range.
The lack of a tuner is a valid point, although since I have satellite TV this actually simplifies the process for me and virtually eliminates ever recording from the wrong source.
I was especially impressed with the machines speed in recording and, yes, even finalizing a DVD. Its quite impressive and creates DVDs that play in every machine I have tried.
As is somewhat uncommon in relatively inexpensive electronics, the build quality is also excellent. It feels solid. If I were using the remote on a regular basis I would probably find fault there -- I have a universal remote. I am still configuring some of the settings there but it works well.
Regarding remote usage - the IR receiver seems VERY directional on this unit. At times it seems unresponsive, both with the in-box remote and the universal (Harmony). Keep this in mind if youre going to install it where your normal sitting position is not in a direct line of sight from the unit. (I suppose this could be unique to my unit, but I dont know...)
On: 2007-06-10
Despite the notation in the Amazon page describing it, this device does not have a tuner, analog or digital. Good machine, though, if you have cable or sattelite. Easy to use.
On: 2007-06-08
This item is good, but it has no direct cable connector, so I have to use my old VCR to connect to the cable and use that old VCR output as DVD-VR357s input.
Otherwise, it works fine.
On: 2007-06-07
This item is good, but it has no direct cable connector, so I have to use my old VCR to connect to the cable and use that old VCR output as DVD-VR357s input.
Otherwise, it works fine.
On: 2007-05-21
I too have a Philips plasma and when using the HDMI connection, I get snow, a Green screen, then a black screen. Then the picture returns for 10 seconds then the same again. I tried searching Samsungs site and the web, but couldnt find anyone else with this problem until I saw it here. I tried calling Samsung and they said to use 720p. Not! I guess I could use the component connections, but I dont know if you still get the upconversion feature through that type of connection.
Its too bad because this deck has the right features and connections: It burns to DVD+RL, does upconversion, S-video in/out on back, Optical Digital out, HDMI, and Firewire. Sony, Toshiba all either are short of connections and/or dont burn to Double Layer disks, and/or have the connections in the wrong place. Some foolishly place the S-video IN only on the front panel. If you constantly keep your Tivo connected to your DVD recorder to record things you would have to look at the ugly video wires sticking out of the front of the unit at all time.
There is a incompatibility issue with all of the current model Samsung players/recorders and Philips plasmas when using HDMI. I also tried the VR157.
On: 2007-05-20
I too have a Philips plasma and when using the HDMI connection, I get snow, a Green screen, then a black screen. Then the picture returns for 10 seconds then the same again. I tried searching Samsungs site and the web, but couldnt find anyone else with this problem until I saw it here. I tried calling Samsung and they said to use 720p. Not! I guess I could use the component connections, but I dont know if you still get the upconversion feature through that type of connection.
Its too bad because this deck has the right features and connections: It burns to DVD+RL, does upconversion, S-video in/out on back, Optical Digital out, HDMI, and Firewire. Sony, Toshiba all either are short of connections and/or dont burn to Double Layer disks, and/or have the connections in the wrong place. Some foolishly place the S-video IN only on the front panel. If you constantly keep your Tivo connected to your DVD recorder to record things you would have to look at the ugly video wires sticking out of the front of the unit at all time.
There is a incompatibility issue with all of the current model Samsung players/recorders and Philips plasmas when using HDMI. I also tried the VR157.
On: 2007-05-13
I had purchased this through BB to replace the other Samsung combo unit that was NOT a recorder, as the VCR would "eat" the tapes (until you FFed past about a 10-minute mark).
Not compatible with my Philips 32" flat. When watching DVDs, it intermittently flashes snow, blue screen, and black screen when using HDMI connection. I checked cables and the usual troubleshooting, and it was not happy at any point. Will be returning it.
On: 2007-05-12
I went through decent checks including the review here, the product
specs listed here, the specs listed at Best Buy, and bought this
sucker only to discover that it is TUNERLESS. If you do straight cable
or antenna connections, ferget it!
Pain in the rear! Tunerless status is in fine print on the carton - I
didnt see it.
On: 2007-05-12
This unit appears to work very well, but it is not compatible with my Magnavox 32" LCD flat screen for the 720p or 1080i DVD upconversion part. It does appear to be compatible with Panasonic Plasma TVs however. The lesson here is you should test for compatibility between your video products before you purchase them. Apparently, different manufacturers comply with the latest high definition industry standards; however, a TV and HD DVD player of different brands will not necessarily be fully compatible.
On: 2007-05-12
The title says it all. System errors consistently kill any convenience in recording DVDs and render partially recorded DVD disks unusable and unreadable. This unit is a waste of time. Dont buy it.
On: 2007-05-12
but I would not buy it again. It is not easy to use and the remote control handset has a very limited range. Overall, I really like Toshiba products better
On: 2007-04-28
We delayed several years buying a DVD-R because so many models had mixed good/bad reviews. Finally when our DVD player died we moved up to this DVD/VHS double recorder. It doesnt have a tuner - it expects some form of cable/dish tv input - but we havent used an antenna in 10-15 years, so that didnt matter to us at all.
1) Ease of use. There are multiple types of DVD (DVD+R, -R, -RW, +RW etc). There are extra steps with most, to "initialize" the disk and to "finalize" the disk. But the VR357 will do most of these steps automatically if you want to. It will also make automatic chapter titles every 5 minutes.
2) Works with hard disk recorder. We have a hard disk recorder with our cable system and Ive heard some DVD-R are extremely finicky about recorder. This one seems to record anything so far that is on the hard disk recorder of the cable system.
3) Compatibility with older equipment. Weve tried both DVD+R and -R and they have always played on our DVD-PC, and most have played on a four year old plain DVD player in the house. Apparently no recorder generates a home DVD disk that plays on every machine always. This one seems pretty good.
4. Advantages of DVD-R. Obviously, the DVDs are vastly smaller than VHS and you can use them in portable players, laptops on airplanes, etc. There are four record fidelities. 1 HR, 2 HR, 4 HR, and 6or8 HR. (Double each if you use more expensive double layer DVDs). We have a routine old TV set, and the 1 HR and 2 HR modes are visually the same. 4 HR is a little fuzzy, and 6/8 HR is noticeably fuzzy, but better than 6 hr VHS for sure. At best its probably not quite as good as commercial DVDs but neither were home recorded VHS tapes. It does take a while to recognize any DVD (commercial or home-made, maybe 20-30 seconds; apparently it has more to "think" about than a regular old dvd player).
5. In/Out cables. It has a wide array of input/output cable types, including HD cable output (but it is *not* an HD recorder).
6. Bells and whistles. When you are finishing a disk, for example, it will have 2 one hour shows on it. The DVD will open with two little pictures of the first image of each show. You can get into a menu with 26 letters and scroll around and pick out a title for each track, if you want. Tedious but possible. There is one-button copy between DVD and VHS, assuming it is not a commercial and copy protected DVD or tape source.
7. Disappointment. The box says "plays MP4" and the manual "plays .AVI video." We could not get any home videos in these formats to play. Would be great to solidify this feature in a later model. Does play standard audio CDs and MP3s-on-CD.
7. Summary. The world of DVD-R is a little more complicated than VHS recording but this model automates most of the options if you want it to, like auto-initialize and auto-finalize. DVD-Rs are compact, take on airplane etc, and cost as little as a quarter for blanks if you buy a large spindle. Were quite happy with the visual quality but we have a routine old tv and routine cables, we are not video experts or HD people.
On: 2007-04-27
We delayed several years buying a DVD-R because so many models had mixed good/bad reviews. Finally when our DVD player died we moved up to this DVD/VHS double recorder. It doesnt have a tuner - it expects some form of cable/dish tv input - but we havent used an antenna in 10-15 years, so that didnt matter to us at all.
1) Ease of use. There are multiple types of DVD (DVD+R, -R, -RW, +RW etc). There are extra steps with most, to "initialize" the disk and to "finalize" the disk. But the VR357 will do most of these steps automatically if you want to. It will also make automatic chapter titles every 5 minutes.
2) Works with hard disk recorder. We have a hard disk recorder with our cable system and Ive heard some DVD-R are extremely finicky about recorder. This one seems to record anything so far that is on the hard disk recorder of the cable system.
3) Compatibility with older equipment. Weve tried both DVD+R and -R and they have always played on our DVD-PC, and most have played on a four year old plain DVD player in the house. Apparently no recorder generates a home DVD disk that plays on every machine always. This one seems pretty good.
4. Advantages of DVD-R. Obviously, the DVDs are vastly smaller than VHS and you can use them in portable players, laptops on airplanes, etc. There are four record fidelities. 1 HR, 2 HR, 4 HR, and 6or8 HR. (Double each if you use more expensive double layer DVDs). We have a routine old TV set, and the 1 HR and 2 HR modes are visually the same. 4 HR is a little fuzzy, and 6/8 HR is noticeably fuzzy, but better than 6 hr VHS for sure. At best its probably not quite as good as commercial DVDs but neither were home recorded VHS tapes. It does take a while to recognize any DVD (commercial or home-made, maybe 20-30 seconds; apparently it has more to "think" about than a regular old dvd player).
5. In/Out cables. It has a wide array of input/output cable types, including HD cable output (but it is *not* an HD recorder).
6. Bells and whistles. When you are finishing a disk, for example, it will have 2 one hour shows on it. The DVD will open with two little pictures of the first image of each show. You can get into a menu with 26 letters and scroll around and pick out a title for each track, if you want. Tedious but possible. There is one-button copy between DVD and VHS, assuming it is not a commercial and copy protected DVD or tape source.
7. Disappointment. The box says "plays MP4" and the manual "plays .AVI video." We could not get any home videos in these formats to play. Would be great to solidify this feature in a later model. Does play standard audio CDs and MP3s-on-CD.
7. Summary. The world of DVD-R is a little more complicated than VHS recording but this model automates most of the options if you want it to, like auto-initialize and auto-finalize. DVD-Rs are compact, take on airplane etc, and cost as little as a quarter for blanks if you buy a large spindle. Were quite happy with the visual quality but we have a routine old tv and routine cables, we are not video experts or HD people.
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