- Hi-Def Conversion DVD/VCR Combo Recorder
- 720P/768P/1080i Hi-Def Conversion
- Single Hook-Up Connectivity for DVD and VCR
- Cable HDMI to HDMI
- Front DV-Input and Front AV-Input Composite
Performance of this ubit so far has been exceptional, Great upconversion through the DVI output. It showed significant inprovement over the TV's built in upconversion for the VDD and incredible improvement over my exixting 6 head toshiba VCR.
One thing that was nice that they don't mention in the literature is that the VCR is SVHS compatible so you can take advantage of the higher image quality. Basically this unit exceds my performance standards that I was looking for picture and sound wise.
Now for the issues:
#1 You cant really stack anything on top of it or it fouls the loading mechanism of the VCR. I placed my LCD TV (23" Samsung 21lbs) on top of it and the top bowed enough so that the loading mechanism would get caught on the case. I fixed this myself with a little inginuity but it could cause others issue.
#2 The Second issue which is a little more irritating is with the recorder. If you wish to record from VCR-DVD or visa-versa you MUST turn off the Progressive scanning. This is not an issue if you use the normal component video out however, if you use the DVI you cannot get a picture on your monitor (I had to connect a second line to my TV to get recording to work). The other issue is that no where n the directions do they tell you this, I had to figure it out on my own. The DVD recording quality is very good though once you get it figured out.
Other than that this unit is worth the money to me.. Though the manual could be much better and of course the stacking issue, but that is a minor thing.
Buy Samsung DVD-VR325 DVD/VCR Recorder Now
It is a terrific player/recorder. The VCR's quality outmatches just about any VCR. The VCR to DVD works without a hitch and without heat buildup on the case. It's just terrific.My one complaint is that it won't play VCD's or SVCD's. This is probably unimportant to most people but before there were DVD's there were VCD's and alot of my children's video's are on VCD.
Samsung has a convenient port on the front of the device to hook up an external device to record from. So I have to hook up my old DVD player (that supported VCD) and transfer everything over to DVD-R.
You'll not be dissappointed by either the functionality or the picture quality. It is worth it if you have DVD's and a high def TV or you need to tranfer your VCR tapes and old home movies to DVD.
Read Best Reviews of Samsung DVD-VR325 DVD/VCR Recorder Here
I bought the VR325 because my old VCR was no longer working well, I wanted to copy some videocassettes to DVD, and I wanted a DVD player capable of playing CDs and displaying photo JPGs on my TV. This machine satisfies me on all counts, though not without some minor annoyance.DVD movies look even better with this machine than they did with my old DVD player. I notice no difference between the HDMI interface and S-video; both produce gorgeous results for movies. There is a difference when I look at photo JPGs: When I used the HDMI interface, I had to adjust the aspect ratio on my TV to 4:3 so that the pictures wouldn't be cropped; with S-video they display properly at 4:3 or 16:9. Since photo quality is the same, I've opted to stick with S-video. The machine comes with an HDMI cable, and I'm sure I'll find a use for it someday.
It's very easy to record to DVD from VHS, though as a previous reviewer noted, you need to turn off the progressive scan feature and there's nothing in the manual about that. VHS output is excellent; our videocassettes look much better than they did on our old VCR.
What don't I like about this machine? First, it takes it several seconds to load a DVD; my Sony loaded DVDs almost immediately. It also takes it several seconds to load a CD. I assume part of the delay is due to the machine deciding what kind of disc is loaded, but it seems rather long anyway.
Second, the remote isn't very responsive (and I've used a couple of sets of new batteries to make sure it isn't due to low batteries). I have to hit the open/close button a couple of times to get the DVD tray to come out (it works right away when I hit the button on the machine), and I have to aim the remote much more accurately than I did with my old machine.
Third, the menus illustrated in the manual don't look much like the menus I get on my TV screen. I haven't been able to find a couple of things in the manual at all, and some things discussed in the manual don't seem to correspond to anything I can find on the machine or on the menus. The manual is definitely a one-star item; it's incomplete and misleading. It's pathetic.
Overall I think Samsung has come up with a pretty good product in this machine. For the basic tasks of playing DVDs, CDs, and VHS cassettes it's superb. It's nicely styled. It makes recording from VHS to DVD easy. Startup is slow, the remote is annoying, and the manual is crummy. Those are things that should be easily and cheaply fixed. If they are, this will be a five-star product.
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I made the mistake of ignoring all the warnings regarding the poor HDMI audio . . cuts in and out constantly . . I bought this unit from Circuit City and to my shagrin, the audio went in and out from the get-go. . Really frustrating trying to watch a movie!! I will say though that the video on my Panasonic 50" Plasma HDTV looked great, the upconverting IS the way to go, but just not with THIS unit or THIS (Samsung) brand! Also, contrary to what Samsung claims, there really is no appreciable upconverting the signal for VHS tapes that I could see, they actually looked worse!!. In short, DON"T BUY THIS UNIT, it has a widely experienced defect. Shame on Samsung for releasing a product with known defects in the HDMI audio without a recall or warning to consumers. This thing cost over $350 bucks! I've lost all trust in Samsung and will avoid this brand from now on . . You would be wise to do the same given the number of reviews like this one . . .
By itself the HDMI does not support multichannel audio, only PCM (stereo). Those wanting Dolby 5.1 must use the separate digital audio output connected directly to a receiver. But when HDMI is connected, audible static is present from the digital audio out whenever the unit is paused or stopped, and the sound drops out every couple of minutes during playback. All this makes the HDMI feature basically unusable for typical home theater setups. I've tried two units with the latest manufacturing dates and they behave exactly the same, it's a design flaw. Digital audio only works properly using a component video connection, which delivers a mediocre picture. Samsung tech support is aware of the problem, but there is no fix, and no apparent urgency in developing one or even responding to customers.
This is the only model currently available from any manufacturer that has DVD recording, VCR and HDMI, and there's probably a reason why. It appears to have been rushed onto the market prematurely.
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