Picked this up today at Mal-Wart: Retail just under $220.

They had about 5 boxes, each with 1-day air labels (I tracked the package and it just arrived on 4/2/07).

So far I've hooked it up and set up my OTA channels. The menus are quick.

The tuner is decent, I'm getting locals and most of the distant stations (just missing CBS in HD).
<i>*just found out on the Richmond thread they are off the air now</i>

The Samsung passes 5.1 audio!

I don't have an HD display, so I can't comment on HD passthrough.

The box just says "HDMI output (up to 1080i)"

This unit turns on fast, in under 3 seconds, even with a disc in. There is a setting which keeps the unit "on" so a disc doesn't have to initialize each time you turn on the unit. (you can change this setting)

My initial observations are:

This unit is very cool, it has a blue light surrounding the power button, like the set-top 260 unit. There are many front panel buttons for convienience (channel, input, play, record, stop.

The clock is displayed except when changing channels.

It says in the manual the timer records when the time is reached (wheter the power is on or off).

You can record from the Electronic Program Guide.

I'll post more throughout the weekend when the Masters isn't on.

April 2008 Update
This unit was discontinued, Samsung annouced a DVD-R175, but no word on if it has a digital tuner.

I returned my original unit last year, and a few weeks ago I decided to buy a used one for $60 (with shipping), my main complaint was discs not usable, recordings lost with the unit. Since others posted the same issues, but resolved them with certain manufacturers discs I decided to try this again.

Do not use Imation DVD-RW's, I've had to reset the unit 5 times in 2 weeks from using these discs, it does't like them. The reset is to hold down the up and down channel button on the unit with the power on.

I am using this for OTA only, and one other item that some people find important, you cannot rescan and pick up channels from a different antenna heading, the memory is completely cleared with a rescan. For me, all channels are received with one antenna position.

I've had this hooked up side by side to the zenith CECB, and the tuner was just as sensitive.

So, for $60 it's a keeper. I think the clearance price at wally world was $129.

January 2009 Update:
My unit is still working well. I bought a new TV in December, and this tuner was better than the internal TV tuner! I returned that TV and bought a Vizio which seems to be similar in tuning channels.

I am now using the HDMI output, and 4:3 content is stretched to fill the screen with HDMI.

When I watch a DVD I get a message that HDMI Audio is not supported, but if I switch to HDMI 2, and then back to HDMI 1 the audio is there through the TV. I'm not sure if this is a quirk of my TV or the Samsung.

A few months ago I wasn't able to listen to audio CD's or MP3 CD's anymore. I just get an error message on all CD's, pre-recorded or burned.

I plan on burning some MP3's onto a DVD to see if it will read them.

Two questions:

1. How is the DivX playback? Any freezing, AV/Sync issues not seen on other DivX capable players?

2. Can you record 16:9 conent as such? As in, not letterboxed? If so, what's the quality of the recordings (screenshots maybe)?

I'm not sure about DivX, and I won't have a way to check.

I'll do some recording later and post my findings.

I'm not sure about DivX, and I won't have a way to check.

I'll do some recording later and post my findings.


Glad to hear that it passes 5.1 audio when watching live TV... the manual didn't say much about that.

Does it let allow for simultaneous record/play with a DVD-RAM disc? How does it handle wide screen recording?

One quirk about the unit so far: when watching digital channels there is no on screen display when changing channels, yet there is an on screen display when changing channels analog.
Also, you can go to ananlog stations by pressing the channel number , "dash 0", but to go back to digital stations you have to press the input button, (counter intuitive to me).

Unlike previous samsung set top boxes, you can only get to the channel by typing in the mapped channel, i.e. 8-1, 12-1, 12-2, etc. On the SIRT451 and DHTB260F you could type the actual RF frequency and it would go to the mapped channel automatically.

I tried recording with the display set to 4:3 letterbox, and 16:9. I then finalized the disc, and played it on my computer. Both recordings played letterbox on the computer and on the tv (I did return the display to 4:3), although there was a slight difference. I recorded on a low quality, and there was a visible "line" at the bottom of the 4:3 letterbox image. With the 16:9 recording, the line was at the bottom of the tv image, between the image and the black bar of the letterbox.

I will try to post screen captures later when HD programming is on.

Glad to hear that it passes 5.1 audio when watching live TV... the manual didn't say much about that.
To me, that is worth the extra money compared to the Phillips/Magnavox, and it is cheaper than the LG.

Does it let allow for simultaneous record/play with a DVD-RAM disc? How does it handle wide screen recording?
The manual says DVD-RAM is supported, but it doesn't mention "chasing" playback. I couldn't find any DVD-RAM's at Best Buy or Staples yesterday, so I don't have one to try it.

I've got a 4:3 standard TV and have been looking mainly for a decent ATSC tuner for it. I would consider DVD recording with time slip a welcome bonus. For this how would you rank this unit against the other options out there that you've tried? I've been considering the DTB-H260F and Hisense DB-2010 tuners and the DVD-AR650 recorder. Right now I'm thinking that either the DVD-AR650 or a cheap Hisense DB-2010 off ebay makes the most sense for my situation.

I tried the DTB-H260F, mainly to see what reception I would get before buying an HD display. The reception was great, better with multi-path interference than the Samsung SIR-T451.

For $30 more compared to the 260, you get a DVD recorder, and lose true HD output (I beleive), if you ever want to use this as a HD tuner.

If you only have a 4:3 display, this is probably the best thing going.

So far the DVD-AR650 has been great with reception, I will need to have it longer to tell for sure. With the SIR-T451 I got better reception with snow on the ground (why? who knows), and there is snow on the ground today.

I haven't seen (or heard of) the Hisense.

Thanks for the feedback. The Hisense is a linux based HDTV" tuner that I read about elsewhere in these forums. They are 4th gen tuners that currently run <$75 on ebay. They are well spoken of for standard 4:3 TV's. Supposedly they zoom in on pillarboxed 4:3 broadcast better than the samsung tuners. The comment has been that the samsung tuners have trouble zooming in without either cropping or distorting the image somewhat.

Have you had a chance to check the zoom feature on the AR650? Any sign of cropping or distortion? I'm hoping Samsung has fixed this in their DVD recorder.

I remember now, the samsung 260 didn't display properly unless you used component or HDMI.

The DVD-AR650 displays all images properly, there is no stretching or overscanning.

The choices for display are 4:3 letterbox, 4:3 pan&scan, and 16:9.

I keep it on 4:3. I did switch to pan & scan and it didn't do anything i.e. a 4:3 broadcast is still pilliarboxed.

Just a note, the boxes are black, not grey like the SIR-T451.

My darn luck! I just tried three Walmarts, before I finally found the Samsung. Then bring it home and it's totally broken - the whole front panel was pulled out from the body of the recorder and the power button was missing. Now I have to fight the crowds at the stupid Walmart again to exchange it.

My darn luck! I just tried three Walmarts, before I finally found the Samsung. Then bring it home and it's totally broken - the whole front panel was pulled out from the body of the recorder and the power button was missing. Now I have to fight the crowds at the stupid Walmart again to exchange it.Where part of the country? I called four stores in south east phoenix and none of them had them.

Kinda weird that Walmarts are getting these shipped to the store next day air - why?

Seeing as this is the only DVDr so far to pass 5.1 audio I have a feeling it will also pass real HD. I assume in typical Samsung fashion it doesn't have a QAM tuner? The tuning section is probably straight out of the 260 STB.

Kinda weird that Walmarts are getting these shipped to the store next day air - why?Some companies decide that the cost difference is little and the pluses are plenty for next day air, such as mine. Since few of the walmart's have them in stock, perhaps their computer says to ship it next day air.

The sammy has QAM as do all atsc recorders released so far, I believe.

I wonder if this unit is the guts of the 260 STB with a DVD added to it - you're basically getting the 260 STB with a DVD added for $40.

Seeing as this is the only DVDr so far to pass 5.1 audio I have a feeling it will also pass real HD.

I -- and others, I'm sure -- would really be interested in knowing the answer to that question. I have confidence in the readers of this board to provide the answer very soon now. Shoot, if my HDTV didn't weigh 120 pounds (CRT Sony) I'd take it down to my neighbor DrBri99 there in Afton and beg to plug it in to find out. :D

Got mine at Walmart today, so far I like it, I'm located around 54 miles from my local broadcasters and the AR-650 picks up all of my available digital stations, I do have a large outside antenna w/amp. It does pass 1080i thru hdmi while viewing, I haven't tried to record anything yet as I have it temporarily set up on my kitchen tv.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung015.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung004.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung017.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung016.jpg


http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung025.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung007.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/P1030642.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/Samsung009.jpg

Texas Inst chip TVP 9000 66Z4729E1

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l6/davinleeds/DSC00766.jpg

The Samsung is just to tempting I am going to go get one today and take back the Philips one I got there, I want to also see what it can do with DVD-Ram... if it can time slip that is almost as good as a HDD model for me.

It does pass 1080i thru hdmi while viewing, I haven't tried to record anything yet as I have it temporarily set up on my kitchen tv.The other DVD recorders so far down grade the signal then upscale it. Do you know if Sammy really passes thru the native signal? Can't read the IC markings. Wondering if you could take some where we could read the IC markings. No big deal. I couldn't find much on the TVP9000. http://focus.tij.co.jp/jp/lit/ds/symlink/tvp9900.pdf

Thanks for the pics!!! :D

Texas Inst chip TVP 9000 66Z4729E1

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l6/davinleeds/DSC00766.jpgNot a whole lot in the box there. Looks like a nice chunk of space on the left for say, a HDD maybe?

Not a whole lot in the box there. Looks like a nice chunk of space on the left for say, a HDD maybe?Yeah, hopefully it will arrive before 2008.

OK, finally got one. I am in Columbia, SC, for those who asked. I tried 3 Walmarts, only one had 4 of them, the first one was broken physically out of the box.

Just finished setting it up - took about an hour. The digital tuner is painfully slow. It does have a QAM tuner, just doesn't say so. There is e separate menu selection for antenna or cable, choosing one or the other scans both analog and digital signals.

The OTA tuner found all channels that the Philips did, but has a lot of drop outs and stutter, I know a better or at least real antenna might fix that, but the Philips works better for me with OTA.

The QAM tuner also found the same channels. It took an hour to scan, but once it did, switching from one channel to another takes about a second, compared to about 10 on the Philips.

Discovery HD looks amazing, but so did on the Philips. I only have component input on my projector and the best the Samsung outputs over component is 480p. It still looks great and of course the 5.1 sound makes a huge difference.

Channels are kept separate - digital in one list, analog in a nother, and switching is not the best, it's done through the input button, which also cycles through the various inputs, so to go from digital to anlog channels you have to first go through AV1, AV2, DV, and then you get there.

Haven't played or recorded anything yet, been basically just playing with the tuner so far. Goind to try and see if it will remember the channel maps if I switch from cable to antenna without rescanning.

The other DVD recorders so far down grade the signal then upscale it. Do you know if Sammy really passes thru the native signal? Can't read the IC markings. Wondering if you could take some where we could read the IC markings. No big deal. I couldn't find much on the TVP9000. http://focus.tij.co.jp/jp/lit/ds/symlink/tvp9900.pdf

Thanks for the pics!!! :D

Switching between a true HD source (a STB or TV's internal ATSC tuner) and the Sammy should tell us if the Sammy is internally down converting to 480 and back up to 720/1080i when watching live TV.

I'm glad to hear that there is a good, 5th gen ATSC tuner in this unit.

The Panny appears to properly record 16:9 only when DVD-RAM is used. Can anyone comment on how the Sammy handles this?

Oh well.... it doesn't remember the channel maps if you switch from cable to OTA without rescanning. That really schmucks for me.

Yeah, hopefully it will arrive before 2008.I'm thinking that if LG has already put out an HDD model, Samsung can't be far behind and are probably looking to trump them. I just hope it's not crap, because going forward this may be the best we'll do.

Can one of you kind beta-testers please tell me: if you are channel surfing the digital channels OTA on the 650, what is the time lag when switching channels. I kind of like the instantaneous response you get with analog and was a bit distressed by some previous accounts of other models that indicated the time lag was ~10 seconds.

Can one of you kind beta-testers please tell me: if you are channel surfing the digital channels OTA on the 650, what is the time lag when switching channels. I kind of like the instantaneous response you get with analog and was a bit distressed by some previous accounts of other models that indicated the time lag was ~10 seconds.

It's fast, about a second at most.

It's fast, about a second at most.Oh, that's nice. Things may be looking up after all.

It does pass 1080i thru hdmi while viewing, I haven't tried to record anything yet as I have it temporarily set up on my kitchen tv.

Thanks for the pics...however, I'm hoping that it is just your digital camera on the shot of screen image as that screen shot doesn't look HD at all. Is there any mention in the manual that it passes true HD?

Might go see if I can pick one up tonight and hook it up to my 100" screen :D

Thanks for the pics...however, I'm hoping that it is just your digital camera on the shot of screen image as that screen shot doesn't look HD at all. Is there any mention in the manual that it passes true HD?

Might go see if I can pick one up tonight and hook it up to my 100" screen :D

After doing some comparisons between the Sammy vs my Sony I now believe I was wrong and that its up-converting the signal to 1080i, I'll try to get some better pictures and post them.

I am seriously worried about quality with the this Samsung, as always with that company. First one unit had its front panel completely pulled off from the base, now this second one works, but already skipping on commercial DVDs (my own, in perfect condition), the sound with DVDs is stuttering, and I heard a buzzing from the tuner, just like the buzzing from the tuner in the Samsung DVD-R135. It was only on two of the PBS channels, so I am hoping it's just those channels and not the tuner. The unit in my opinion looks much better in pictures. The real thing is a lot larger than last year's models, not nearly as attractive, and feels poorly constructed. The remote control smells like really cheap plastic.

I don't know something about it just doesn't quite click. I like that the remote is very responsive and doesn't need to be pointed at the unit. I also like the speed when loading discs or changing channels, and I like that the clock is on the front panel in anything but disc playback. Even better, when you press the info button it shows both the time and the date.

But for some reason when I am looking at the picture, both from DVD and the tuner, I didn't quite go "ah" the same way as when I saw the Philips picture. As with other Samsung players and recorders the picture is quite dark. I had to raise the brightness on my projector by about 10 points compared to the Philips, and that always makes the contrast suffer.

Also, although it is very fast changing the channels, it has by far the slowest scan of digital cable of any recorder I've tried. This might be a huger problem for me since I am obviously going to have to switch between cable and OTA for the time being.

The program guide looks nice at first, but then... for the 4 channels that it actually shows... I don't know how much help that is. Would've been nicer if it worked on cable channels too, but maybe that's something that the cable operators block, I don't know.

Luckily Walmart's return policy is 90 days, so I don't have to decide today, but I am not sure I'd keep it given that it's $50 more than the Philips, and the picture is just not quite there.

Has anyone tried the Magnavox? It's $20 less than the Philips, but doesn't seem to have a front display at all, and I hate that.

The built-in tuner on my Sony definitely has a better picture vs the Samsung, here's what the Sammy manual says,

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ttundraman/P1030820.jpg

So I went out and got the Samsung and already I have some "issues" with my TV (standard 4:3) the image only shows up in the center of the screen no matter what option I pick in the video menue. The Phillips does not have this issue picking Pan and Scan makes it fill the full screen... anyone have any ideas?

So I went out and got the Samsung and already I have some "issues" with my TV (standard 4:3) the image only shows up in the center of the screen no matter what option I pick in the video menue. The Phillips does not have this issue picking Pan and Scan makes it fill the full screen... anyone have any ideas?


Now that you mention it, I noticed the same thing on mine. On top of that, programs that are 4:3 shrunk in a small window appear in a trapezoid rather than a square.

So I went out and got the Samsung and already I have some "issues" with my TV (standard 4:3) the image only shows up in the center of the screen no matter what option I pick in the video menue. The Phillips does not have this issue picking Pan and Scan makes it fill the full screen... anyone have any ideas?

It sounds like you're watching a non-anamorphic DVD. Try a DVD that says "anamorphic" or enhanced for HDTV's. I'm assuming that you have it hooked up HDMI? Component may also solve this problem.

Now that you mention it, I noticed the same thing on mine. On top of that, programs that are 4:3 shrunk in a small window appear in a trapezoid rather than a square.

So the samsung has no "crop" option? I have the LG tuner / DVD player combo and when watching on my 4:3 TV, I have set the aspect to "cropped" to see SD programing full screen.

The digital stations broadcast a digital signal that is 16:9 (1080i/720p). So to keep SD programming from stretching they add pillars (pillarbox) to each side of the image. Your recorder sees the signal, recognizes a widescreen source and displays the bars at the top and bottom (it doesn't know that the station added the pillars on the sides). Therefore, you see the image window boxed (black bars on all 4 sides).

If the Samsung really doesn't have a way to change that, that sounds like a major design flaw / oversight. :confused:

I'll avoid this one for my grandparents, that wouldn't work at all since they have a 4:3 TV and plan to only watch OTA digital channels...I'm leaning toward the Philips with the HDD for them right now.

It sounds like you're watching a non-anamorphic DVD. Try a DVD that says "anamorphic" or enhanced for HDTV's. I'm assuming that you have it hooked up HDMI? Component may also solve this problem.

It’s hooked up using component video… I have not yet tried a DVD, all of my observations are from OTA DTV channels. Some of them show up strange like this some are ok, but like I said the Philips does not do this at all.

So the samsung has no "crop" option? I have the LG tuner / DVD player combo and when watching on my 4:3 TV, I have set the aspect to "cropped" to see SD programing full screen.

The digital stations broadcast a digital signal that is 16:9 (1080i/720p). So to keep SD programming from stretching they add pillars (pillarbox) to each side of the image. Your recorder sees the signal, recognizes a widescreen source and displays the bars at the top and bottom (it doesn't know that the station added the pillars on the sides). Therefore, you see the image window boxed (black bars on all 4 sides).

If the Samsung really doesn't have a way to change that, that sounds like a major design flaw / oversight. :confused:

I'll avoid this one for my grandparents, that wouldn't work at all since they have a 4:3 TV and plan to only watch OTA digital channels...I'm leaning toward the Philips with the HDD for them right now.

Well it does have an option called "pan and scan" that the manual says will crop the image yet it does not seem to work... if I tell it my TV is a 16:9 (even though it is not) then it gets rid of the bars on top and bottom but leaves them on the 2 sides :mad:

I am seriously worried about quality with the this Samsung, as always with that company. bobbyslav, can you give me your opinion on the quality of the analog OTA tuner.

Well it does have an option called "pan and scan" that the manual says will crop the image yet it does not seem to work...

I was looking at the manual online for this. It was a little confusing if the 4:3 P&S setting was only for DVD's or if that also applied to the Digital Tuner. Try with a current DVD (full screen if you have one) and see what it does.

All fine here. Comparing to DTB 260, Component 480 output same, on dig channels they both react the same, full screen, letter boxed and pillar, depending on feed. Not connected via HDMI yet as have to take apart current setup to intregrate, though I highly doubt pass through. Timer function is active for tonights Immunity Syndrome. Tuner setup could have been easier. With less than 6 hrs use, preliminary is it will suffice,but a DTB260 with a DVDR157 would be prefered. More when hdmi connected.

on dig channels they both react the same, full screen, letter boxed and pillar, depending on feed.

Is your TV 4:3? If so, what settings did you use? If it is a 16:9 TV, full screen for HD programs (that are 16:9) is expected and pillar box on SD programs upconverted by the broadcaster is expected.

I was looking at the manual online for this. It was a little confusing if the 4:3 P&S setting was only for DVD's or if that also applied to the Digital Tuner. Try with a current DVD (full screen if you have one) and see what it does.

Ok I tried it with The Simpsons first season (only full screen DVD's I have) and in the 4:3 mode everything looks fine, in 4:3 P&S everything looks exactly the same. I then tried it with a wide screen movie and in 4:3 mode it is letterboxed (fine) in 4:3 P&S it is also letter boxed (makes no difference).

It seems like the 4:3 P&S option is broken... could it be an oversight?

16:9, Both receivers reacted exactly the same. For golf on CBS today same. Full. On CW for SG Atlantis, bars all around as not HD. Before that E.L. Raymond, pillar. SD from av connection of dish receiver is better than previous dvdrecorder. P of The Apes on History. In a minute will go to free preview of Sopranos to see how Tony's doin'.

bobbyslav, can you give me your opinion on the quality of the analog OTA tuner.


I've barely looked at the analog tuner, mostly because anything hardly shows up at all. It's by far the worst analog tuner I've tried, but I've never got great reception with analog tuner.

The situation with the Pan&Scan is definitely not normal. Every other recorder I tried worked properly.

So far I am truly disappointed by this Samsung (what's new?). Most notably though I was expecting to be much more into the design of the machine, but I am not even liking that. The program guide hardly shows any information, most channels show "no information available".

Let's see - I like the fast scan, the 5.1 out, the response to the remote, and the clock. Not thrilled with the picture, the super slow scan, the price..., the built quality.

I am very strongly leaning towards keeping the Philips.

I -- and others, I'm sure -- would really be interested in knowing the answer to that question. I have confidence in the readers of this board to provide the answer very soon now. Shoot, if my HDTV didn't weigh 120 pounds (CRT Sony) I'd take it down to my neighbor DrBri99 there in Afton and beg to plug it in to find out. :D

I think it would be easier if I brought this to you. (Stop by if you are in the area though, see if you can spot the CM 4228 on my roof)

I picked mine up at the Waynesboro Mal-Wart.

Another little quirk about the unit. You cannot add a channel manually, you can only delete.

WVTR-DT was off the air last night when I plugged the unit in and scanned. It is now on the air (I checked with the magnavox I still have), I tried entering the RF frequency, and then going to the add/delete menu and typing the RF frequency, and still no response.

In summary, you have to do a channel scan to add digital channels. (you can add analog manually though).

And now since I'm receiving WVTR, I can say the tuner is just slightly better than the Phillips/ Magnavox. I'm getting pixelation on the Magnavox, and a clear picture on the Samsung.

I've barely looked at the analog tuner, mostly because anything hardly shows up at all. It's by far the worst analog tuner I've tried, but I've never got great reception with analog tuner.

The situation with the Pan&Scan is definitely not normal. Every other recorder I tried worked properly.

So far I am truly disappointed by this Samsung (what's new?). Most notably though I was expecting to be much more into the design of the machine, but I am not even liking that. The program guide hardly shows any information, most channels show "no information available".

Let's see - I like the fast scan, the 5.1 out, the response to the remote, and the clock. Not thrilled with the picture, the super slow scan, the price..., the built quality.

I am very strongly leaning towards keeping the Philips.

I am in the same boat as you except the analog tuner seems to work better in the Samsung than the Philips.

Samsung AR650

PRO:
Fast Scan (when channel surfing)
5.1 Audio Output
Remote Response

CON:
Price
EPG only shows data after you visit the channel
4:3 P&S is broken

Philips DVDR3505

PRO:
Picture just seems sharper to me
Cheaper

CON:
Slow channel change (5-7 seconds to change channel)
No EPG

I've barely looked at the analog tuner, mostly because anything hardly shows up at all. It's by far the worst analog tuner I've tried, but I've never got great reception with analog tuner.


The analog tuner behaves as if there is a built in amplifier, when I had an amp, channel 27 locally was unwatchable because of interference from a distant channel 27. Without the amp it is fine on my TV, and VCR's tuner. With the Samsung DVD-AR650 WAHU 27 (analog) is unwatchable.

So if you are in a place where amplification makes your picture worse, then you won't like the analog tuner. Otherwise it seems to be adequate.

Timer did not fuction but unit was on - this should be a no brainer-it should record if instructed. For me analog tuner is lacking, Autumn GT analog is better. EPG is better than 260. At one time I had add/delete of channels but can't reproduce-only delete now. Menu/setup annoying. No signal level!

Philips DVDR3505
CON:
Slow channel change (5-7 seconds to change channel)
Did you know there is a version one and a version two of this recorder? If you download the latest zip file for the manual you will see that. I'm wondering if they fixed the slow channel change with version two.

Did you know there is a version one and a version two of this recorder? If you download the latest zip file for the manual you will see that. I'm wondering if they fixed the slow channel change with version two.

I did notice that... if they fixed the slow channel change in version two that would be great! Now how to find a version 2 model to test it...

EDIT:

Page 29 of the second edition manual says "it may take up to 5 to 7 seconds to switch the digital TV channels."

4:3 P&S is broken


Probably not. My panasonics (player and recorder) only do a true P&S when you play back a recorded DVD RAM. Try recording a 16:9 program to DVD-RAM (or maybe an -RW in VR mode) and see if the P&S setting works, I bet it will. Something about pressed discs that won't allow P&S (maybe someone here knows the technical details?)

16:9, Both receivers reacted exactly the same. For golf on CBS today same. Full. On CW for SG Atlantis, bars all around as not HD. Before that E.L. Raymond, pillar. SD from av connection of dish receiver is better than previous dvdrecorder. P of The Apes on History. In a minute will go to free preview of Sopranos to see how Tony's doin'.

That is expected and typical of any 16:9 TV / Tuner. SGA films in widescreen, but I haven't seen an HD broadcast, so the SD will have the black bars added (letterbox) as part of the image. Most OTA stations right now can not play back an HD feed, so if the show doesn't get passed through when the network is broadcasting it, it will be broadcast as an SD feed, sometimes in letterbox if the program shoots outside the 4:3 safe zone (I.e. ER, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, etc).

Page 29 of the second edition manual says "it may take up to 5 to 7 seconds to switch the digital TV channels."
What a piece of poo poo. I can't believe they would release a product like that. Hopefully they will have improved this with the HDD model.

Probably not. My panasonics (player and recorder) only do a true P&S when you play back a recorded DVD RAM. Try recording a 16:9 program to DVD-RAM (or maybe an -RW in VR mode) and see if the P&S setting works, I bet it will. Something about pressed discs that won't allow P&S (maybe someone here knows the technical details?)

Just recorded a few minutes of SNL in 16:9, then played back in P&S, and it zoomed. So, It works correctly.

Just recorded a few minutes of SNL in 16:9, then played back in P&S, and it zoomed. So, It works correctly.

But it still wont to 4:3 P&S with the tuner while the Philips has no problem doing this.

What a piece of poo poo. I can't believe they would release a product like that. Hopefully they will have improved this with the HDD model.

It is not as slow as the Phillips/Magnavox, but it is about 2-3 seconds.

They released the DHTB-260F and you can't view the menus unless you have component or HDMI...so they have a track record of "unfinished" products.

Mine has a manufacture date of 3/2007

Does anyone else find the blue power light disproportionately large? On the DVD-R135 it seemed cool and fun, on this one it looks... like a cyclops.

Has anyone been able to see if the AR650 can timeslip playback from DVD-RAM while recording?

Not sure which is worse for my 4:3 std. TV -- no live 4:3 zoom on the AR650 or the 5-7 channel change delay on the Philips.

Has anyone been able to see if the AR650 can timeslip playback from DVD-RAM while recording?

Not sure which is worse for my 4:3 std. TV -- no live 4:3 zoom on the AR650 or the 5-7 channel change delay on the Philips.

Haven't really tried anything with RAM discs, but given there is no button on the remote to activate a time slip feature, and it is not documented in the manual, I don't think it can do that.

When you're debating about the Samsung or Philips, don't forget that the Samsung outputs 5.1 DD, while the Philips only does PCM.

Why not just get both, try them, and return the one you don't like. Then of course you run the risk that I am facing now - wanting to keep both.

When I turned it on this morning, no signal, no channels, frozen remote and front panel. Unplug, had to rescan 3 times, finally working, Timer record works, last night timer through epg did not. While recording from AV input you can't watch tuner. Compared channel lock and it's almost as good as 260, but doesnt relock as quick when signal lost. Quicker to change channel then back. If this happens again, it's not a keeper. And add/delete channel function still not as manual shows-only has delete icon.

But it still wont to 4:3 P&S with the tuner while the Philips has no problem doing this.

Sounds like a no-go for anyone that may ever want to use this on a 4:3 TV....thanks for the reports, I have ruled this one out for my grandparents (who, on a limited income, will probably have their 4:3 TV for many years to come).

Sounds like a no-go for anyone that may ever want to use this on a 4:3 TV....thanks for the reports, I have ruled this one out for my grandparents (who, on a limited income, will probably have their 4:3 TV for many years to come).


Why don't you get them a new TV? .....

Looks like our last hope for this year is the Toshiba now. One more thing I don't think anyone has mentioned about the Samsung, although it's probably less significant. Only -R/RW support.

Why don't you get them a new TV? .....

Let's see:

DVD Recorder = ~$300 or less

Their current "entertainment center" barely holds their 25" TV and it took some hard looking to find it about 5 years ago. So, if I bought them a new TV (even a tube with ATSC Tuner) that would require me to buy a new entertainment center, too (or a small LCD that would fit...the width is the problem). Then they would still have a VCR and no way to record anything after Feb 2009, so I'd be buying a DVD recorder then.

So, I figure get them a DVD recorder and they can use it as a tuner (to watch OTA ATSC) and a way to record better quality than they are now. My cousin and I are splitting the cost, so it won't be that bad. They have no access to cable where they are, only satellite which they don't want to pay the monthly fees (or can't afford, rather).

Has anyone been able to see if the AR650 can timeslip playback from DVD-RAM while recording?

Not sure which is worse for my 4:3 std. TV -- no live 4:3 zoom on the AR650 or the 5-7 channel change delay on the Philips.

I am wondering the same thing right now...

No 4:3 P&S for my 6 year old TV, but fast ~1 second channel delay :confused:

or

Good 4:3 P&S, but 5-7 second channel delay :confused:

I am leaning toward just taking them both back and waiting for the Toshiba D-R550 to come out (hoping for something better there) at least we know it will have time slip (including - Pause Live TV!) and even a bit cheaper than the Samsung. I could do without the HDD if the time slip features work well in this unit.

About a year ago I almost bought a Samsung because it could use DVD-RAM, but then found out it did not do "time slip". So I bought a Panny and am happy with it. There may be others that allow "time slip" or "chase play", but so far Panny is the only one I have found. Supporting RAM discs does not guarantee this function, but appears to be part of the equation. A Panny engineer told me the "time slip" or "chase play" relied on RAM memory to hold the picture info. IOW there has to be a sizable memory buffer to hold some video. I don't know how large this memory is, but the "chase play" sure works seamlessly.

DrBri99 (and to other posters to this and similar threads),
Thanks for your info and testing on the different recorder units. I'm researching DVD and/or HDD recorders with an ATSC tuner (for OTA) before making the plunge for a HDTV. Since I only watch 10% of my shows at broadcast time, a good recorder is what I'll need, preferably one that maintains 16:9 w/o bars (even though it'll only be 480p).

Now to my question. So far, this seems to be the only unit out there which passes 5.1 audio from broadcast. Is this over the HDMI, optical/coax, or both?

- Chris

About a year ago I almost bought a Samsung because it could use DVD-RAM, but then found out it did not do "time slip". So I bought a Panny and am happy with it. There may be others that allow "time slip" or "chase play", but so far Panny is the only one I have found. Supporting RAM discs does not guarantee this function, but appears to be part of the equation. A Panny engineer told me the "time slip" or "chase play" relied on RAM memory to hold the picture info. IOW there has to be a sizable memory buffer to hold some video. I don't know how large this memory is, but the "chase play" sure works seamlessly.

The LG supports time-slip with RAM, and the new Toshibas are claiming it for -WR.

Probably not. My panasonics (player and recorder) only do a true P&S when you play back a recorded DVD RAM. Try recording a 16:9 program to DVD-RAM (or maybe an -RW in VR mode) and see if the P&S setting works, I bet it will. Something about pressed discs that won't allow P&S (maybe someone here knows the technical details?)
AIUI, there is a flag setting for widescreen programs/movies that forces 4x3 TV playback to be letterbox only, thus overriding the pan and scan option that may have been set on the DVD player. I heard the intent was to allow the content owner to keep a movie from being cropped (by p&s) in a way that "destroys" the intended presentation.

Since I rarely watch any widescreen movies on a 4x3 TV, I don't have a feel for how often that option is used.

I have not heard of any home DVD recorders that can set that flag (force letterbox) along with the widescreen/16x9 flag.

Neither of these flags has any impact when a DVD player is setup for a 16x9 TV.

Now to my question. So far, this seems to be the only unit out there which passes 5.1 audio from broadcast. Is this over the HDMI, optical/coax, or both?

- Chris

I'm using optical for 5.1.

I can also confirm something Davinleeds said, when the signal drops out the screen goes blank...and stays that way. You need to re-key the channel to get the video back.

When the signal comes back you get the audio only, and no image, even if you are recording. (I started recording golf, and the signal dropped at 3:10, and I would have had an audio only recording for the next 4 hours if I wasn't around to stop the recording and re-key, and start recording).

This would be the deal breaker for me.

And add/delete channel function still not as manual shows-only has delete icon.
The picture in the manual shows analog, which you can add or delete, you can only delete digital channels. The only way to add is to re-scan

Thanks everyone for your reporting.

With the way everyone's findings are turning out on these DVD recorders for standard 4:3 TVs, I may just pickup a standalone ATSC tuner and wait for better DVD recorders to show up. Hopefully one of the upcoming DVD recorders to be released will save the game for this year.

I'm using optical for 5.1.
I can also confirm something Davinleeds said, when the signal drops out the screen goes blank...and stays that way. You need to re-key the channel to get the video back.
When the signal comes back you get the audio only, and no image, even if you are recording. (I started recording golf, and the signal dropped at 3:10, and I would have had an audio only recording for the next 4 hours if I wasn't around to stop the recording and re-key, and start recording).
This would be the deal breaker for me.

Thanks,
5.1 optical = very good news
signal drop and not re-locking = very bad when recording

How strong is your signal normally for the channel you lost? Is is a borderline level or pretty strong?

The LG supports time-slip with RAM, and the new Toshibas are claiming it for -WR.


Thanks for the info - gives a few more units to choose from.

Thanks,
5.1 optical = very good news
signal drop and not re-locking = very bad when recording

How strong is your signal normally for the channel you lost? Is is a borderline level or pretty strong?

I have a few long distance channels I rely on for HD programming since my locals are all SD (except 1).

2 stations drop out at times due to multipath interference (CBS and NBC richmond), during the day is worse, and when the sun goes down it is better.

By luck I didn't have any dropouts after 3:15, so I got to see and record the Masters.

Recording SD isn't really any better than using the analog VCR, so there isn't really any benefit to the DVD Recorder if I can't receive and record the long distant stations.

I never have drop-outs for locals, so if your channels are strong 24/7, this isn't a problem for you.

As a comparison the magnavox/phillips just recorded the pixelation and dropouts.

Final straw: HDMI works best @ 480p, unwatchable and that is full of lines, etc. Very unstable at 720/1080. Flashing off and on and almost like an incomplete signal or test pattern. Bottom colored vertical lines, top half static field with dashes across. So in case it's cables, plugged into 260 STB--just fine. Could be this specific unit only and took care to handle it carefully as there were reports of loose connections on the 260 stb. This is a hardware issue not just crappy software setup.

Has anyone tried it yet with DVD-RAM disks? Maybe it has some kind of undocumented time slip feature (wishful thoughts). If no one else gets around to it I will try it out sometime tomorrow I think.

If this thing had time slip + firmware upgrade to fix 4:3 issue (I e-mailed Samsung about it) then this would be the best unit out in my opinion.

I recorded in 16:9 yesterday, and then popped the disk in the computer and Interactual DVD software correctly showed it in widescreen

Final straw: HDMI works best @ 480p, unwatchable and that is full of lines, etc. Very unstable at 720/1080. Flashing off and on and almost like an incomplete signal or test pattern. Bottom colored vertical lines, top half static field with dashes across. So in case it's cables, plugged into 260 STB--just fine. Could be this specific unit only and took care to handle it carefully as there were reports of loose connections on the 260 stb. This is a hardware issue not just crappy software setup.

Bummer... sounds like this unit has some major firmware issues that need to be resolved. Do these things need to be returned for firmware updates or can it be done with a special CD?

How is the pan and scan feature supposed to work? Does the player move a 4:3 window around in the 16:9 screen during playback or recording????

When playing back recorded 16:9 content on a 16:9 screen does this DVDR fill the entire screen or letterbox it?

How is the pan and scan feature supposed to work? Does the player move a 4:3 window around in the 16:9 screen during playback or recording????


4:3 pan & scan doesn't behave like other set top or DVD-R units during TV watching, it does work with DVD playback.

With TV viewing you have 4:3 letterbox or 16:9. (If you set it to Pan & Scan it just displays letterbox)

I got rid of the DHTB260F because of it displaying 16:9 images stretched vertically on a 4:3 dispaly. Now I have the DVD-AR650 set to 16:9 on purpose (with a 4:3 display), so it will record 16:9 and then display letterbox on a 4:3 display. The 16:9 recording fills the screen when left on 16:9 display.

OK! Time to add up the numbers.

Who's keeping the Samsung? I am still undecided, definitely getting a better performance with the Philips, but someone's suggestion of a software update made me think again.

OK! Time to add up the numbers.

Who's keeping the Samsung? I am still undecided, definitely getting a better performance with the Philips, but someone's suggestion of a software update made me think again.

I am still undecided... I just got off the phone with a "Samsung DVD specialist" and they left me feeling not to good about this unit. I am thinking I will probably take it back and wait around for the Toshiba (the Philips is nice but the channel lag is annoying at best).

1) 4:3 P&S is only for DVD's and it is not designed for TV (will probably never change)

2) Time slip is not an option and DVD-RAM only add more editing features

Basically he said that whenever an HD channel is not currently broadcasting in HD 4:3 users will be stuck with the black box all the way around. He also said that it is not important since for a non HDTV there is no good reason to use the digital channels :rolleyes:

He also said that it is not important since for an non HDTV there is no good reason to use the digital channels :rolleyes:

That's embarrassing.

That's embarrassing.

Exactly, because in two years you will still be able to use all those analog signals....tech-no-support is what it sounds like.

Not only embarrassing but even if you agree that tech support is awful nowadays, you have to conclude that they would have some level of knowledge marginally above your typical consumer. Based on that premise, it doesn't bode well for Grandma, Grandpa, and the rest of the techno-clueless when it comes to the impending shift to digital and HD television. Most people are going to drown in an acronym and standards sea comprised of terms such as ATSC, QAM, HD, HDMI, 4:3, 16:9, pan and scan, pillarbox, letterbox, Cablecard, Blu-Ray, HD DVD, and the rest with no clue on how to get a viewable pic on their video screens. I see a digital video train wreck coming in the next few years... It's goin to make many long for the years of flashing 12:00's on their VCRs... Once the US is paralyzed in digital video fear and confusion - the terrorists will make their move.

I have never seen an option labeled "pan and scan" on an HDTV set top tuner. I have seen the ability to zoom a 16x9 picture to fill the screen by cropping the picture sides to fit.

Is there any other control for 4x3 HD viewing on this DVD recorder that might be the equivalent of 4x3 full screen (crop to fit)?

Pan and scan is never mentioned as a feature associated with HDTV viewing. It is an option-setting choice for widescreen DVD playback for sure, but is it even recognized in the HDTV arena?

It said "the latest firmware upgrade to improve recording can be downloaded on their website". I don't see any telephone/USB hub in order to update the recorder...am i missing something?

It said "the latest firmware upgrade to improve recording can be downloaded on their website". I don't see any telephone/USB hub in order to update the recorder...am i missing something?

Frequently updates can be burned onto a CD or DVD that when put into the player/recorder will automatically get installed.

It said "the latest firmware upgrade to improve recording can be downloaded on their website". I don't see any telephone/USB hub in order to update the recorder...am i missing something?


Usually a firmware update for a DVD player or a recorder is done by burning the update file to a CD-R, which the machine reads and performs the update, so a USB or a phone input is not really necessary. The thing though, is that there is no update on the Samsung website.


As I was returning the Samsung today, I got to thinking in a more general, yet obvious to me direction....

When exactly, did Samsung decide that it is now a reputable company, that deserves the same respect and place as the likes of Panasonic, Toshiba, and Philips? And more importantly, when did it decide that it can ask for premium prices like Sony?

Beyond a relatively good design, to this day I've yet to find a Samsung product of any kind that didn't turn out to be a complete and undeniable piece of garbage.

Just when I thought I had found one - a cute little phone - the screen on it cracked three days after I got it.

Buying Samsung products to me always ends up the same way as after I eat at an IHOP or a Waffle House. I always find myself asking: "what was I thinking!"

I bought this and the Philips recorder from walmart. I'll just use one of them (still have no idea which yet) and then return them after a better one come to the market. Hopefully within their 90 days return policy :)

I bought the samsung last night and plan to do the same thing as glodino.
I was able to tune in the local HD stations using the QAM tuner. It unexpectedly found Discovery HD Theater which looked just like HD over the HDMI when using the unit as a tuner. The audio sounded great over the optical since it passes DD 5.1 when watching live.
Playing back a recorded digital program looked very good, as in almost dvd quality.
The big downside is the lack of a chasing playback feature. The panny es15 I owned briefly had this nice feature using dvd-ram.
This unit may be a keeper. I would like to compare it against the new panny with HDMI but none of the local stores are carrying them yet.

I am taking it back next time I go to walmart I will be keeping the Philips for the time being though and hoping a better unit will come out (maybe the Poloroid HDD model, or the Toshiba) withen the 90 days.

I'm going to return this eventually, but would like to get the next generation Samsung from what I've seen so far. Shouldn't they come down to the price of DVD-Recorders with analog tuners from last year? Or will manufacturers come out with VHS recorders with ATSC tuners for about $100?

The tuner is the best of the ones I've tested, it doesn't load the disc everytime you power up, the menus are nice. I sit close enough to my TV that 4:3 broadcasts from a 16:9 HD channel are fine with me (if they don't change this).

I would like an on-screen display of the channel as you are changing it (with digital channels, why do they have it with analog?), and the image to not go blank if you lose the signal momentarily.

Do you mean D23-1 for example in the upper left, dig and analog here. Just the number for analog?
PS, I like I don't have to turn it off for timer recording.

The tuner is the best of the ones I've tested, it doesn't load the disc everytime you power up, the menus are nice. I sit close enough to my TV that 4:3 broadcasts from a 16:9 HD channel are fine with me (if they don't change this).


Mine displays the channel number in the corner on Digital when changing channels...

Mine displays the channel number in the corner on Digital when changing channels...

Sounds like you might have newer firmware. Is there any menu option where the firmware revision or date is displayed?

Hopefully Samsung will fix some of these firmware bugs soon. Has Samsung ever released firmware updates on their website for any of their DVDRs?

Or will manufacturers come out with VHS recorders with ATSC tuners for about $100?

No. The only VHS recorders with ATSC tuners will be the combo DVD Recorder/VCRs (at least this year and that probably won't change). Both JVC and Panasonic have announced that they will stop making standalone VCRs (other than JVC's DVHS recorder) and the combo DVD player/VCRs will be tunerless. I don't know but some might be DVD/VHS players with no inputs for recording to knock about 5 bucks off the price. This would make sense since many people never use their VCR to record and those who do would spend the extra money to get a DVD/VHS recorder.

When I turned the samsung on this morning I had a blank screen and the channel on the remote and the front of the unit were unresponsive, I had to unplug to reset it.

Maybe I'll try another unit when I return mine to see if I can get one with newer firmware (i.e. channel display on digital).

I'm watching the Masters now that I recorded on Sunday, I recorded 16:9 on a DVD-R, and I'm watching on a different DVD player. The picture is impressive, just below DVD quality, fast motion (when they follow a ball in flight) is where you notice a lack of definition compared to watching it live. I recorded in SP mode.

The audio on the other hand, is the problem, there is a noticable delay.

Mine displays the channel number in the corner on Digital when changing channels...

I got mine to display channel numbers with the digital tuner (unexpectedly).

Today was the first warm day since I bought the unit, and the fan near my woodstove was off, it was then I noticed the loud fan on the samsung with the unit off.

I did read in the manual that the fan would run if you select quick recording "ON". This keeps the disc from initializing everytime you turn the unit on. So I turned it "Off", and now I have a display for channel numbers. (And how they could be related is confounding to me).

... it was then I noticed the loud fan on the samsung with the unit off.

I did read in the manual that the fan would run if you select quick recording "ON". This keeps the disc from initializing everytime you turn the unit on...
Fan quirk. I noticed the fan will sometimes stay on after I turn the unit off. Quick recording is set to off. It appears to be random.

"The audio on the other hand, is the problem, there is a noticable delay."

Audio quirk. Even taping segments of the same show, sometimes the audio is completely out of sync. I really want to keep the sammy but these quirks are making me think about returning it.

Has Samsung ever released firmware updates on their website for any of their DVDRs?
Yes they have. I downloaded burned and installed updates for the old analog DVDR120. The files are still there, so that's a good sign of long-term support I suppose.
Mike

I nearly bought this guy last night at Walmart. Still trying to decide between this and a PC-based tuner/recorder.

So was it ever clarified whether or not the pass-through signal was a true HD one?

Thanks! Mark

Fan quirk. I noticed the fan will sometimes stay on after I turn the unit off. Quick recording is set to off. It appears to be random.

"The audio on the other hand, is the problem, there is a noticable delay."

Audio quirk. Even taping segments of the same show, sometimes the audio is completely out of sync. I really want to keep the sammy but these quirks are making me think about returning it.

I've noted the audio sync issue on just about every digital (ATSC/QAM) tuner I've used or tried out (TV's, standalone tuners, even two usb dongle tuners for PC's). There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason for the audio sync issues (it appears and disappears without warning) and its really annoying.

I recorded a program the other night, and I was watching when the recording was ending, it started to finalize, and then the system froze, and I needed to hold down the power button to reset it. And the recording isnt' there!

Has this happened to anyone else?

This was a DVD-RW, fairly new, only one other recording on it.

DrBri are you thinking about keeping the Samsung, and if so - why?

DrBri are you thinking about keeping the Samsung, and if so - why?
The jury is still out on this one. I wasn't able to record anything else on the above mentioned disc, the unit kept freezing up, and there was at least 1.25 hours left in SP mode. I had to erase the entire disc.

At the very least I might retrun this for a different unit to see if it behaves better with recording.

I am still undecided... I just got off the phone with a "Samsung DVD specialist" and they left me feeling not to good about this unit. I am thinking I will probably take it back and wait around for the Toshiba (the Philips is nice but the channel lag is annoying at best).

1) 4:3 P&S is only for DVD's and it is not designed for TV (will probably never change)

2) Time slip is not an option and DVD-RAM only add more editing features

Basically he said that whenever an HD channel is not currently broadcasting in HD 4:3 users will be stuck with the black box all the way around. He also said that it is not important since for a non HDTV there is no good reason to use the digital channels :rolleyes:
Oh, boy. I'd like to send this Samsung guy a link for him to read up on aspect ratios and AFD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Format_Descriptor

Rather than 4:3 Pan&Scan, they could've called it 4:3 center-cut or 4:3 center-zoom, because that's what the "P&S" setting really does: cut into the center of the picture. All of the low-end SDTV tuners the government is subsdizing should come set to 4:3 center-cut or pan & scan (whatever they'll call it) and handle AFD well-enough so your standard 4:3 syndicated shows and such fill up the entire screen and the primetime shows get letterboxed. That is not to say that they will come with that setting or handle AFD correctly... at least not the first ones coming out in early 2008.

Oh, boy. I'd like to send this Samsung guy a link for him to read up on aspect ratios and AFD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Format_Descriptor

Great Link ReplayJanitor! I was looking for a good, simple description of the AFD codes.

Looks like I'm going to exchange this unit soon. Recently the time has been dropping back an hour. So I reset it, and it does it again by the next morning.

When I go to set up a recording from the EPG, I get a message saying the time is incorrect.

So, the unit knows the time is incorrect? And it does nothing about it?

Anyone else observing this phenomenon?

I'm a little new to items with the HD tuners, but love Samsung products...but does the AR650 work well on standard cable as well or is it strictly a HD tuner?

My $0.02... I bought it, it's consistently performed poorly, I'm taking it back. It's pretty much worthless IMHO.

I'm a little new to items with the HD tuners, but love Samsung products...but does the AR650 work well on standard cable as well or is it strictly a HD tuner?

The AR650 doesn't have an HD tuner. I does have both analog and digital SD tuners however so it will work with basic cable.

Looks like I'm going to exchange this unit soon. Recently the time has been dropping back an hour. So I reset it, and it does it again by the next morning.

When I go to set up a recording from the EPG, I get a message saying the time is incorrect.

So, the unit knows the time is incorrect? And it does nothing about it?

Anyone else observing this phenomenon?
Some machines are having problems (incl. locking up) since the change in DST...time tracking is different than when the FW was written or installed on the machine.

An easy thing to try, to see if that is the problem, is to set your DVDR clock manually and turn DST OFF. If that helps, you can then try turning auto-clock back on, but leave DST OFF!

Look for a FW update that might fix this problem, if indeed that is the problem.

Let's see:

DVD Recorder = ~$300 or less

Their current "entertainment center" barely holds their 25" TV and it took some hard looking to find it about 5 years ago. So, if I bought them a new TV (even a tube with ATSC Tuner) that would require me to buy a new entertainment center, too (or a small LCD that would fit...the width is the problem). Then they would still have a VCR and no way to record anything after Feb 2009, so I'd be buying a DVD recorder then.

So, I figure get them a DVD recorder and they can use it as a tuner (to watch OTA ATSC) and a way to record better quality than they are now. My cousin and I are splitting the cost, so it won't be that bad. They have no access to cable where they are, only satellite which they don't want to pay the monthly fees (or can't afford, rather).

You can get a 27" LCD HDTV Monitor for about $350 from Olevia if you shop around. One with HD Tuner only $400...

I've noted the audio sync issue on just about every digital (ATSC/QAM) tuner I've used or tried out (TV's, standalone tuners, even two usb dongle tuners for PC's). There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason for the audio sync issues (it appears and disappears without warning) and its really annoying.

Audiosync problems are common with digital stations... you will also find they sometimes screw up on which format to send, I.E. they broadcast 16:9 pic in a 4:3 box. Audio drop outs are also common....

Since this thread has been up for awhile, are there any new reports from the owners of this Samsung model? Now that you have this model for awhile, what are your thoughts?

Some of the reasons why I am looking at this:
1. Record in 480p
2. HDMI upconvert
3. EPG
4. Record to DVD-RAM

What I am hoping is that the recorded picture quality at XP or highest quality from HD OTA will be better than what is coming out of the s-video of my Directv DVR.

Its interesting to note, the other day I was showing my wife the differences in the 480i coming off the Directv s-video out when compared to the OTA digital 480i signal for the same channel....it was like night and day, the OTA broadcast was much much better

I don't think any one still owns this thing we've all returned it.

I did return mine, the line was so long at the Mal-Wart that I just left after returning mine and didn't get a replacement.

I returned it for 2 reasons:
some recordings were faulty - for instance my friend was here and she had an important phone call, so I recorded the end of the show she was watching. The following night I used the timer to record a 1 hour show. When I went to view the program(s), I couldn't access the first one, when I selected play, the second recording played for both titles!

I also was having a problem with the clock changing back an hour....and when I used the EPG to record it would tell me the clock was wrong!

The EPG was OK, but not as nice as the Samsung set top box DHTB260F (also hard to see).

I've decided to wait for the next generationi of DVD-R's, or I might just make sure my next PC is capable of using OnAir GT.

DrBri99 - did you use DVD-RAM disc's when recording or some other format type?

DrBri99 - did you use DVD-RAM disc's when recording or some other format type?
I used DVD-RW, I had it in VR mode when it was having problems recording. I switched to video mode and recording was fine. I didn't try RAM discs, I couldn't find them in any local stores.

When exactly, did Samsung decide that it is now a reputable company
Probably right around the time that they won many Editors Choice awards for some of thier products (for example; the YP-T9) or when Sony decided that they were good enough to use Samsung parts in their players/recorders ;)

Regarding the time slip feature; according to Samsungs website none of their units support this feature, not even the top of the line model :(

We were really hopeful about this unit. The Samsung 1080p7 is a great player, but we needed something that also recorded. Since this is their top of the line recorder you'd think it would be worth while, but so far it has so many quirks that we're not going to chance it. Looks like it's the Panny or Toshiba for us, unless a firmware update fixes some of these quirks :o

Feh... I wish I would have found this forum prior to my DVD-AR650 purchase (sadly, I found it with keywords involving problems I was having this evening). Unfortunately, I just picked it up off eBay (new, but obviously not with a return option), so I'm pretty well stuck with it.

I've had a few hours to play with it since it arrived this afternoon, and this is what I've found so far:

Smells like burning electronics (much like my Samsung Laser did initially)
Pan and scan sucks - box around digital broadcasts
Locks up frequently while using digital tuner

The lock up problem is the worst of it... every once in a while, it simply stops responding to the channel up/down and/or the screen will freeze up... the rest of the functions work fine (you can bring up the menu, you can change back to analog and switch channels, but when you return to digital it's still frozen). The only solution appears to be turning the power off and on and letting it re-initialize. Which sucks if you're watching a program, and would suck more if you were recording one.

The firmware on this thing is absolutely awful... obviously a very rushed attempt to try and make it with the other DVD-R/ATSC product launches in March and April. I can only hope that Samsung steps up to the plate and puts together some new firmware to address these issues - I can't imagine anyone buying a higher end unit like this and accepting this level of performance.

I had the same problem that has been mentioned by several posters. My AR650 would freeze up on a digital channel (analog worked fine). Only way to correct was to unplug.

Although I generally liked the AR650, the freezing problem was obviously a deal-breaker so it's been returned. Before returning it, I did call Samsung to discuss the problem. The tech basically said that it was the first time he'd heard of the problem (guess they don't read these forums and/or nobody else with this problem has bothered to call in).

Oh well, I've tried various DVD Recorders with ATSC tuners so far and have yet to find one that consistently works as advertised.

Had my Sammy AR-650 28 days and this is the recorder that hasn't had any problems. I took back the lemons, LG, Phillips 3505, & two Panny DMR-EZ27. Got the Sammy at Wally World so I have 60 days to check out the performance.
It records beautifully on the OTA channels & AV1 connected to Direct TV DVR . Waiting for Direct TV to add all the HD channels before upgrading to the HD DVR.

Well thats hopeful review...this unit has all the features that I am looking for and all the reviews so far had me a bit gun shy.

dals10, If you could answer some of the questions:
1. What type of DVD media are you recording with? DVD Ram or some other type?

2. When you record, do you record one program per disk or are you recording multiple programs on one disk?

3. Do you turn off DST and set clock manually?

4. How do you find the picture quality on playback as compared to OTA HD?

5. How do you find the tuner sensitivity?

Thanks!

Hi I am curious about this tuner myself I have a Optoma HD70 and am looking for something to connect basic extended comcast cable to hdmi and recieve HD channels. How many HD channels on average have you all picked up and also I believe you all said that cable does work on this tuner. If so does the tuner scale the signals any? Im not going to lie when it comes to cable boxes and tuners I have no idea what Im doing.

PrestonD
1. What type of DVD media are you recording with? DVD Ram or some other type? I am using DVD-R and DVD-RW. I can't find a RAM disk in the stores in Southern Indiana.

2. When you record, do you record one program per disk or are you recording multiple programs on one disk? Both , reording movies in SP or LP (4hr) and multiple OTA programs mostly In LP. LP looks the same quality as the original OTA program. Recording AV1 input with Direct TV their is a little lost in the quality from original in LP mode. Especially NASCAR. But I record Nascar OTA with a great PIC in LP

3. Do you turn off DST and set clock manually? Clock set manually DST is ON. If you turn DST off the guide is off one hr. off. I haven't had an problem with it turned ON

4. How do you find the picture quality on playback as compared to OTA HD? Answered in #2

5. How do you find the tuner sensitivity? The AR650 is better Analog, than the DMR-EZ27 but the DT/HD tuner in the DMR-EZ27 is more sensitivte than AR650. But the only way you will ever know the difference, it you are trying to get a distant channel. IF it is weak enough the Panny will tune it in and the Sammy won't tune the same channel, the channel will be lost anyway on the Panny if it rains or the wind blows to hard.
With all the 07 models they are popping out of China with NO quality control,it is the luck of the draw it you get a good unit. I think buying an extending warranty is smart, believe me you will be needing it.

Hi dals10,
Thank you for your information. I too am not going to subscribe to DirecTV HDTV as I can get most of what we watch off OTA. DirecTV wont offer me same deals they are giving new customers and I dont want the larger HDTV satellite dish on my roof. I am really just looking for HDTV OTA time shifting capability and wanting to get the best picture quality.

I compared even 480i OTA versus DirecTV s-video 480i on the same channel that was broadcast over Directv and OTA and the OTA signal was significantly better so I am hoping that the Samsung OTA recorded tv will deliver higher quality 480i picture than what Directv s-video picture provides.

Anybody else have this unit and having good luck like Dals10?

This recorder does everything it is supposed to do just fine for me. EXCEPT it has a real serious deficiency. It will not play an encrypted DVD! Almost all dvds are encrypted. I have to make an unencrypted copy of anything I buy to view it. This is not as tiresome as it might sound. I make backups of everything anyway.

It does force me to copy every Netflix disc that comes to my door.

It is a strange fault. I wonder if anyone else has this problem or if it is just a fault in this individual recorder.

I looked all over the book to see if there was some way to make it see a purchased dvd video, but found nothing.

It plays mp3s for me very nicely.

I had mine for a month. Its two problems were audio sync issues on a third of all recordings and the fan coming on at exactly 9pm on random days.

It did play all store bought and rented dvds flawlessly. When using hdmi it took about 7-10 seconds before a picture would appear when first turned on which i believe happens on most of these units.

The units big plus was the incredible picture when using as a tuner on hd programming when using hdmi (at first I thought it had hd passthrough). It also had excellent upconversion on dvd movies.

Thanks for the info...I don't know but I keep coming back to this model...its either this, Philips or the Panasonics. I want the best resolution possible for recorded OTA digital.

I discovered today The AR650 will not record on + or - R DL (double layer) disc. The Manual with the unit says it will record only -RW, -R or DVD RAM. Samsung website said it record DL. When I tried a DL the unit will kick out the disc and say "cannot play disc". I called Samsung and the engineer, said the Manual is correct. It will NOT record DL or +R. A mistake has been make on Samsung, Circuit City,& Best Buy website, stating it will record on all of these disc. How could Samsung make this mistake on their Website. I am going to keep checking and see how long it takes them make the correction.

This recorder does everything it is supposed to do just fine for me. EXCEPT it has a real serious deficiency. It will not play an encrypted DVD! Almost all dvds are encrypted. I have to make an unencrypted copy of anything I buy to view it. This is not as tiresome as it might sound. I make backups of everything anyway.

It does force me to copy every Netflix disc that comes to my door.

It is a strange fault. I wonder if anyone else has this problem or if it is just a fault in this individual recorder.

I looked all over the book to see if there was some way to make it see a purchased dvd video, but found nothing.

It plays mp3s for me very nicely.


I took this back to Walmart and got another. It now plays encrypted dvds. I also discovered that this is one of the few dvd recorders that will play mp3s from a dvd. That makes a lot of tunes on a single disk.

I also picked up at AR650 and read some of the incorrect web-site advertising that spoke of +R/+RW media which I have lots of, but the unit will not record onto. It does read them fine.

I do beg to differ with the dual layer support comment. The Samsung site's marketing page and as I recall manual as well clearly say it supports Dual Layer DVD-R.

See:
samsung com/Products/DVDPlayer/Recordable/files/dvd-ar650_final.pdf

I think your first unit just had issues. Now I do not have any dual layer media yet so I cannot comment on its usage. :)

Before I get to the negative, let me say I have bought and tried the Phillips DVDR3575H/37, the Polaroid DRA-01601A. Each had querks I could not deal with. This DVD-AR650 is joining them. The technology does not seem to be quite there yet, but the 650 was the best I have had so far. It allowed easy EPG recording, great HDMI support, simple plug and play on my 42" Scepter TV. I thought I was in love, but....

My problems with the DVD-AR650 are the following:
1) Fan runs when unit is off (I know this is documented as a possible behaviour when Quick Record is on, but I do not have it on). If I go to enable quick record, power off then on the machine then disable quick record and power off the machine the fan will go off for approx 1 day then I will hear it again. I have had it come on at least a half dozen times.

2) If I delete a title from the middle of several titles on a DVD-RW disk the the titles beyond that tile become unusable as the start time seems to be bogus. The preview shows the wrong show and when I play the machine generally hangs. I need to go to Disk Manager and Delete All titles to correct this issue.

3) The clock does not set from Automatic at my home. I have OTA Digital and PBS channels 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 9-5.

I have reported these issues to Samsung tech support. They are unaware of any of the issues. They only offer me to send it to a factory service center 300 miles away, I will send it to Walmart 5 miles away instead. Has anyone else seen these issues? They were very courteous, I would happily buy from this vendor again. In fact all my tech support calls with Phillips, Polaroid, and Samsung have been good.

I wanted to chime in with my main issue regarding the AR650. I bought one of these to be able to compare it to my Panasonic DMR-EZ27 and I'll be returning the Samsung. Why? I have the Samsung set for 16:9 connected via HDMI to my 16:9 HDTV.

The issue is that when playing back the regular TV Channels that are 4:3 ratio (remember it's connected HDMI) - the Samsung stretches most all those 4:3 TV Channels to fill the entire 16:9 screen and in doing this, the image is squashed looking. And changing the aspect ratio setting on the HDTV cannot override this image ratio issue for the HDMI connection.

The Panasonic DMR-EZ27 has a separate menu item that lets you select how you want 4:3 channels to appear when using the HDMI connection. So the Panasonic will allow you to keep the 4:3 ratio looking 4:3 going to the 16:9 HDTV when connected via HDMI. (or you can also select for it to fill the entire screen).

This is where the Samsung falls short - there is no additional menu options for selecting how a 4:3 picture can be viewed going to 16:9 under HDMI.

Can the dvd - ar650 use fta epg ?

It uses the EPG to record.

Although it will only show EPG data for about 12 hours, wheras the Samsung set top HD tuner will show EPG data for many days if the TV station publishes that far in advance.

Can the dvd - ar650 use fta epg ?

I don't think it will use a FTA (satellite) EPG since as far as I know it only has tuners for broadcast and cable stations. FTA satellite systems use a completely different tuner.

Certainly, Gemstar (at least) wouldn't have anything to do with a system that has the word "Free" in it... it would have to be a "network/broadcaster" EPG system! :D

Sorry, I thought FTA was an anacronym for "Free to Air".

It is. Why are you sorry?

In my experience, the more commonly-used phrase and acronym is OTA for over-the-air. Perhaps FTA is used elsewhere but it is very rarely used on the AVS Forum threads that I read regularly.

I wanted to chime in with my main issue regarding the AR650. I bought one of these to be able to compare it to my Panasonic DMR-EZ27 and I'll be returning the Samsung. Why? I have the Samsung set for 16:9 connected via HDMI to my 16:9 HDTV.

The issue is that when playing back the regular TV Channels that are 4:3 ratio (remember it's connected HDMI) - the Samsung stretches most all those 4:3 TV Channels to fill the entire 16:9 screen and in doing this, the image is squashed looking. And changing the aspect ratio setting on the HDTV cannot override this image ratio issue for the HDMI connection.

The Panasonic DMR-EZ27 has a separate menu item that lets you select how you want 4:3 channels to appear when using the HDMI connection. So the Panasonic will allow you to keep the 4:3 ratio looking 4:3 going to the 16:9 HDTV when connected via HDMI. (or you can also select for it to fill the entire screen).

This is where the Samsung falls short - there is no additional menu options for selecting how a 4:3 picture can be viewed going to 16:9 under HDMI.

On page 39 in the manual, it says:

When receiving a digital broadcast

- If you set the 4:3 ratio, the screen format will change automatically depending on the broadcast signal.
- If you set a different ratio from the one actually being broadcast picture be may be distorted (stretched or narrow).

My question is, are these 4:3 signals you are looking at
DTV sources? Or, be they old analog TV ? :)

The reason I'm asking is, since we are all DTVed around here (Boston area) analog no longer matters to me..

In my experience, the more commonly-used phrase and acronym is OTA for over-the-air. Perhaps FTA is used elsewhere but it is very rarely used on the AVS Forum threads that I read regularly.

FTA and OTA are not the same thing. FTA does indeed stand for "Free To Air" and refers to satellite broadcasts that are available for free.

FTA and OTA are not the same thing. FTA does indeed stand for "Free To Air" and refers to satellite broadcasts that are available for free.
I should have read more carefully. Somehow I missed the satellite part.

Thanks for setting me straight!

I'm considering buying the DVD-AR650 and I have some questions for those here who may own one.

1) What is the point of it supporting DVD-RAM if it cannot record and play at the same time?

2) I have a Samsung DTB-H260F ATSC tuner which has the EPG. I'm assuming the 650 has pretty much the same type EPG. One issue I've had with the 260 EPG is that sometimes shows run a minute longer than they should, making it impossible to set up the timer due to conflict. Example: The other night I set a reminder for "The Office", which (according to the EPG) ran from 9:30 to 10:01 (even though it really ended at 10:00). This made it impossible for me to set another reminder for a different channel at 10:00. Does the 650 allow you to manipulate start times for recordings so you can avoid minor conflicts? Or is this something the networks are doing to discourage DVR recordings?

3) My TV is an analog Sony. My 260 currently occupies my component inputs. Are all the menus visible through the s-video and composite outputs?

Thanks;

James

For question 2, the EPG on the DVD-AR650 is very different from the DTB-H260F. For instance, it only will show program data for 12 hours, whereas the DTB-H260F can display days and days of data (provided it is supplied by the station).

You can record using the EPG, but it will not allow any conflicts. The EPG data is published by the local TV station, and if it says the show ends at 1 minute past the hour, then that is what it will record. You would have to manually set up the recording for this instance of 2 shows back-to-back on different channels.

For question 3, the menus are available with s-Video and composite (I can't beleive Samsung hasn't upgraded their firmware for the 260 yet)

I can't beleive Samsung hasn't upgraded their firmware for the 260 yet

I think Samsung intentionally disables the menus on the composite and s-video outputs of the 260. It is inteded as a tuner for HD TVs and the SD outputs are intended to be connected to either a DVD recorder or a VCR and you wouldn't want to accidentally record the menus. It won't be long before ATSC tuners boxes for SD TVs will be available.

So i bought this dvd recorder the samsung dvd-ar650. I have satellite so i have componant cables from my reciever to the dvd recorder then i have hdmi cable from recorder to the tv. First of all do i have this set up right for the best quality of my recordings and tv? My tv is brand new samsung 46 inch lcd tv.

Also it seems when i record a game or something then when i play it back it seems awfullly fuzzy and just doesnt look good. If anyone can help please do thank you very much

So i bought this dvd recorder the samsung dvd-ar650. I have satellite so i have componant cables from my reciever to the dvd recorder then i have hdmi cable from recorder to the tv. First of all do i have this set up right for the best quality of my recordings and tv? My tv is brand new samsung 46 inch lcd tv.

Also it seems when i record a game or something then when i play it back it seems awfullly fuzzy and just doesnt look good. If anyone can help please do thank you very much

I would hook the sat box and DVDr to the TV separately. Use the component for the sat box and HDMI for the DVDr. You can utilize the other outputs your sat box has to hook to the DVDr.

Example:
Sat box to TV - Componenet Cables and Audio L/R
DVDr to TV - HDMI
Sat box to DVDr - Composite or S-video (preferably S-video) and audio L/R

I have satellite so i have componant cables from my reciever to the dvd recorder then i have hdmi cable from recorder to the tv. First of all do i have this set up right for the best quality of my recordings and tv?


The Samsung DVD-AR650 doesn't have component inputs... How did you connect your satellite receiver with a component cable to the Samsung recorder??

Also it seems when i record a game or something then when i play it back it seems awfullly fuzzy and just doesnt look good. If anyone can help please do thank you very much

The Samsung DVD-AR650 doesn't have component inputs... How did you connect your satellite receiver with a component cable to the Samsung recorder??

Maybe he has confused Component with Composite...which may partly explain the fuzzy recordings.

James

FYI - Component cables are the Red, Green and Blue RCA type ones.
Composite cable is the yellow video cable.

sorry here is how it is connected.

sat to dvd r - audio L/R and svideo

dvdr to tv - hdmi

I am tryng to figure out when i record why it is so grainy and really a bad picture when i playback.

sorry here is how it is connected.

sat to dvd r - audio L/R and svideo

dvdr to tv - hdmi

I am tryng to figure out when i record why it is so grainy and really a bad picture when i playback.
Maybe your DVDR has a setting like the Philips 3575 where you have to select "S-Video" for Video Input in the Setup > Video menu...your menus may be different, of course. Point being, maybe you have to select which input you're connected to: S-Video or composite (Y/W/R)?

ya i have to select hdmi source on my tv then on the recorder i select the svideo input on the dvdr

ya i have to select hdmi source on my tv then on the recorder i select the svideo input on the dvdr
well, there's a difference in "selecting" an input for the DVDR. If you mean you "select" the input to record to, like E1, E2 (for external input), that's diff. than choosing the S-Video option in a machine Setup menu. The Setup option tells the machine that you intend to use S-Video for external input E1, E2 or whatever.

Probably makes no diff. anyway?

i just dont understand why the picture is so grainy on playback after a recording

k so one more time.....

I have the satellite reciever using the audio (yellow, white cords) and svideo cord going out of the reciever into the dvdr then from the dvdr i have hdmi going to the tv. Now when i record a game the picture is pretty bad why is that it makes no sense. someone please help do i need to do anything with the settings or what?

god this damn machine is starting to piss me off


someone help how i should connect and what settings do i need to have

You do realize that the AR650 only records in 480i, right? And that "upscaling" it back to 1080i or 720p will not look anywhere near as clear, sharp or detailed as true HD? (Just checking.)

Also, you should separately re-calibrate the picture for that particular input.

ok so what do i do can you help me step by step on the hookup and system setup ? would appreciate it thanks

First you have to try all output settings from the recorder. Try it at 420p, 720p amd 1080i, to see which looks best. You will have to go into the recorder's menu to do that.

You could also try hooking it up through component, rather than HDMI - sometimes it looks better. Also, with a component (or lower) connection, you can even go down to native 480i resolution, which you can't often do through HDMI (your recorder could be different). And often 480i looks the best, because if the display's scaler is better, it will be doing all of the upscaling rather than the recorder.

Then you just need to calibrate (a fancy word for "adjust") the settings on the display for that input - like the sharpness, colors, etc., because every source on a different input is going to look a little different from all others.

i am just starting to think this is just a piece of crap machine and i bought the wrong one.

Just seems like the playback of the videos are slow and looks like there trying to catch up and it just looks choppy.

could it be that i bought the wrong discs i dont know how that would be but i got sony dvd-rw ? I wouldnt think it would be those i tried a couple different of those cd's and they all do the same just blocky and looks choppy



if this helps anyone trying to explain it to my...I have a satellite reciever hd (directv) the samsung dvd recorder ar-650 and 46 inch lcd samsung tv

i am just starting to think this is just a piece of crap machine and i bought the wrong one.

Just seems like the playback of the videos are slow and looks like there trying to catch up and it just looks choppy.


if this helps anyone trying to explain it to my...I have a satellite reciever hd (directv) the samsung dvd recorder ar-650 and 46 inch lcd samsung tv

With the HD receiver and 46" Samsung TV, you have a nice set-up. No doubt you have "acclimated" to HDTV.
That being said, maybe the AR650 isn't enough machine for you. The best you will ever do is record in standard def (480i), which will never look as good as HDTV no matter how many adjustments you make.
I recommend you look into getting a HD DVR from Directv. You will pay slightly more per month, but at least you will be able to record shows and play them back in HD.

ya i am not worried about it being hd recording i understand it wont do that. The only thing i am saying is that i want it to look like a normal channel would or a little less is fine but it looks pretty bad sometimes. So is what i am going to try is not recording the hd channel do the regular channel then i switched my satellite reciever to 480i but i doubt this will look to good either so i am spectacle

i am just starting to think this is just a piece of crap machine and i bought the wrong one.

Just seems like the playback of the videos are slow and looks like there trying to catch up and it just looks choppy.

Well first things first - the DVD-AR650 really is a piece of crap, so if you could return it I wouldn't wait a minute.

But if you'd like to keep trying, I just have an idea that's simple but I don't think I saw it covered...

What recording speed are you recording on the DVD?

Also, I'm wondering just what HD channels he's recording from.

If they are D*'s mpeg2 HD channels then no wonder it looks like s**t.

I saw this machine on clearance at Wal Mart in Carson City, Nevada, for $100. Good deal?

Is there a copy of the owners manual available on the net?

I saw this machine on clearance at Wal Mart in Carson City, Nevada, for $100. Good deal?

Yes

Is there a copy of the owners manual available on the net?

http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200704/20070402090631859_01378A-AR650-XAA-ENG-BM.pdf

i have no clue how do you tell your recording speed like by the ep, lp , sp modes is that what you are talking about?

plus i am not recording from any hd channels just regular i am just staring to think this machine is just a piece of ****

i have no clue how do you tell your recording speed like by the ep, lp , sp modes is that what you are talking about?

Yes. You should have received one of these http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/co...XAA-ENG-BM.pdf in print with your machine.

**** is a pretty good rating!

that link does not work

i have tried all the different types of ep, sp etc and when i record nba league pass games not in hd then i play them back it looks like choppy and grainy. Should i try different brand of disc's or what

this machine is a piece of crap DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!!. Mine looks fine with little movemant on the tv but when there is action it looks so bad

this machine is a piece of crap DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!!. Mine looks fine with little movemant on the tv but when there is action it looks so bad

It's been a while since I tried this recorder, but from what I remember my recordings looked fine, so it is possible that you got a defecetive unit. Anyways, even if you do get decent results, this model has so many problems and flaws, that it's only a matter of time before you discover something else you can't live with. Don't waste your time and money buying different media, just get rid of it and try something else.

what model would you recommend?

what model would you recommend?


Well that depends on your needs and budget. If you want to spend the money and can find it, get the Philips 3575. After trying about 10 different ones, I kept an LG DR787T, but I had very specific needs for that particular model, that no other one could match. If $300 is too much, the Philips 3505 was my second best favorite, the only thing that bothered me about it was the slow channel changes of its tuner. I can't remember I think you were connecting an external box, so that won't matter to you.

well here is the deal right now i have it connected with my sattelite reciever but pretty soon it will just be to regular cable......money is not an issue i want the best recorder that will give me a good picture nothing to special.....what was your specific needs!

well here is the deal right now i have it connected with my sattelite reciever but pretty soon it will just be to regular cable......money is not an issue i want the best recorder that will give me a good picture nothing to special.....what was your specific needs!

Region hack, 12 bit/108Mhz digital-to-analog converter, fast channel changes, memory of the channel line up when you switch between cable and OTA.

I don't record too much, mostly use the recorder as a tuner for my projector and as a player for comercially released DVDs, but people who do a lot of recording can't live without a hard drive, that's why I suggested the Philips 3575, it is getting the best reviews of the currently available hard drive models. This doesn't mean much though, because there are only three to choose from and the other two are from Polaroid and Magnavox.

so you think i should try the phillips 3575? wanna record some games on nba league pass so

Wally Mart . com shows this as a discontinued model...maybe something new from Samsung is in the works?

How or what is required to get the EPG to work? I only get a red slashed circle. Is it failing for the same reason auto clock does not function? Btw I am in Chicago zip 60640.

The EPG data is sent automatically, all you have to do is watch a channel.

If it is not there, then it is either the station or the DVD recorder.

The EPG only works if the stations are sending data, check on the Chicago forum if the stations send EPG data.

You could try to reset the system, some machines reset by holding the power button down.

Thanks, apparently it only works when I press the correct button.

Signed, Feeling Stupid.:D

You could try to reset the system, some machines reset by holding the power button down.
From my call to Tech Support, the reset mechanism is to hold the up and down channel buttons at the same time on the recorder itself for 8 seconds. It also will tell you firmware rev and other system info.

But it didn't help my new-out-of-the-box system that arrived able to play cable channels but not able to play any DVD. These were all DVDs that played fine in the old-but-dead Panasonic changer and in my live-but-not-progressive Sampo player. Got it in the mail Friday, found it wouldn't do DVDs Friday night, and learned from the etailer Sunday (they are closed on Saturday) that they were discontinued. In fact, the sales fellow I spoke with today was surprised; "Looks like they were discontinued immediately".

A shame. I'm getting an LG unit from them instead (LG DR787T).

I'm not getting another Panasonic because I was not pleased with a) the way my Panasonic changer was terrible at reading a less-than-perfect disc, nor b) the way their customer support handled my call when it recently died. And c) Lots of complaints on Consumer Reports' web site about Panasonic products.

I recently purchased one of these and it's definitely going back...my list of issues:
1. EPG worked briefly and now I can't get it to display no matter what
2. First recording I attempted froze every few seconds during playback
3. Second recording froze every few seconds, lost audio on portions that didn't freeze and I got a glimpse of the recording I did earlier (which should have been wiped out with the formatting) right in the middle of playback.
4. Severe undersan on the top of the screen

I would blame my media (verbatim DVD-RW) but it worked fine in my old Sony recorder. Even so, I don't think that would have anything to do with the EPG crapping out.

I also recently purchased this DVD recorder. It was brand new, factory sealed box. Nothing from ebay or a recycled (returned and resealed) from Wal-Mart.

The QAM tuner works great. The HD shows that I record, play back extremely good, even if it is upconverted 480.

I am using RAM DVD's and at first, had problems with freezing and skipping even though I had the Samsung format the disc several times.

Tried a different type RAM disc (both were Panasonic, the first had a white imprinted label, the other type didn't) and the last few recordings are perfect.

I'm running Comcast line directly in, no cable box. HDMI to TV. I'm quite happy with mine. I might also add, the programming guide doesn't work with digital cable,only digital off air.

Warning !!
Don't buy this DVD-R as an Hi-Def tuner.
I just canceled my order because there is a Cnet review whre they found that the dvdar650 decodes HiDef content only up to 480p, then it upconvert the signal to 1080i.
This means that the HiDef content is crippled to half its resolution.

So I guess I'm getting the Samsung DTB-H260F instead as my tuner solution which it really shows true broadcast HD 1080i and 720p.

I'm aware that so far no DVD-R can record in full HiDEf resolution, but at least these should show the full HD content as it is broadcasted when using it as a tuner.

Another warning, I've never owned it, but just a comment that nobody seems to be aware off.

We are all waiting to see if the next generation of DVD recorders will pass HD to monitor (even if it records in 480p).

For now, a PC tuner recording HD is one solution.

I'm aware that so far no DVD-R can record in full HiDEf resolution, but at least these should show the full HD content as it is broadcasted when using it as a tuner.

Another warning, I've never owned it, but just a comment that nobody seems to be aware off.It is fairly well known on this forum that no current DVDR with digital tuner passes a native HD signal through it's tuner.

Warning !!
Don't buy this DVD-R as an Hi-Def tuner.
So I guess I'm getting the Samsung DTB-H260F instead as my tuner solution which it really shows true broadcast HD 1080i and 720p.

The only bad thing about the Samsung DTB-H260F is that it can't be programmed to change channels on it's own. So, if you hook it to recorder, you have to make sure it's powered on and tuned to the correct channel for timer recordings.

Let me give a little advice about 'media'. I have two Panasonic DVD recorders in use, beside the Samsung that I recently bought.

I had DVD-R and DVD-RAM disc, from different manufacturers on hand. The Maxell DVD-R's, which worked perfect in the Panasonic, would lock up in less than 10 seconds in the Samsung. Picture would freeze up on the TV, recorder got VERY noisy. The RAM's worked OK. Glad I didn't try another brand of DVD-R,s. ...instead I went to Wal-Mart and got a spindle of Maxell DVD-RW (15 for $12.99). They are great. No problems. After you insert one, you initialize it, then you can go to disc manager and format it as a DVD-VR (re-recordable) or as a DVD-V . If you choose DVD-V, then finalize it after recording it'll play in most DVD players sold . Maybe if your having problems with the disc your using, these may solve your problem. I feel fortunate, I got something that worked so good the first time.

hi.

got this today at Wally World after returning Panny EZ27 and EZ17 AND
the LG DR787T back to BBuy.
Had issues with the above.

On this unit-- it seems, as the posts say, to be very responsive to DVD functions and its very quiet-- well the DVD sounds quiet.

I also have RCA DRC 8030N too.

My question is that the QAM channels to me look like they -- well are not that....they seem analog even though that green light is lit saying DTV.
The reason I suspect this is.....the other units had probs with the QAM in that they were the size of a postage stamp-- esp on the panny.
Maybe its just this unit but on the LG and Panny -- I can totally tell the difference from analog.

If this green light is on-- does this 100% mean this is a digital channel?
Im not too convinced about this though.

thnx

If this green light is on-- does this 100% mean this is a digital channel?
Im not too convinced about this though.

thnx[/QUOTE]

Yes, the green light means your receiving a digital signal.

But, by default the recorder is set to display a 480p resolution. You may have to change this in your menu settings.

I have mine connected via HDMI and set for 720p output to match my TV. A great picture!

Check page 40 in the instruction manual for more help.

[/QUOTE]

Yes, the green light means your receiving a digital signal.

But, by default the recorder is set to display a 480p resolution. You may have to change this in your menu settings.

I have mine connected via HDMI and set for 720p output to match my TV. A great picture!

Check page 40 in the instruction manual for more help.[/QUOTE]


heya, thnx for the info.

Its still kinda odd about the QAM channels cause on my other ATSC tuner.....
A Magnovox- it shows this......94.32 as CBS but ALSO 2.1 as CBS as well....etc...(same for all others)

The 2.1 channel on the Magnovox is wayyyyyy clearer/louder/sharper than the 94.32 one which again are both CBS.
This still makes me question if the CBS channel as 94.32 on the Samsung is true QAM (oooops not to quote a Verizon ad-- lol)

The Samsung ONLY shows the 94.32 as CBS and it still looks crappy like analog to me and doesnt tune in 2.1 etc.

Only way to prove it is to get a roof or indoor antenna and see what it pulls in and what the channel #s show. :)

this machine is a piece of crap DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!!. Mine looks fine with little movemant on the tv but when there is action it looks so badSadly I have agree with this...I wish "looking like crap with movement" was the only issue that mine had. I have never owned any piece of consumer electronics that had as many crippling bugs as the AR650. Take every problem you've heard about in this thread and add "format only erases some of the info on the disk" to mine if you want details..

That's a new one, I have to say.

That's a new one, I have to say.Yes, it's quite disconcerting to have bits and pieces of video that you thought was formatted over show up on a new recording. That was a first for me also..

Received my AR650 is about 2 months ago, and Samsung HDTV this week.
AR650 plays commercial DVDs fine via component or composite connections.
HDTV will not display signal from AR650 via HDMI cable when playing a standard commercial DVD. The HDMI cable is the latest 1.3a standard. HDTV shows the HDMI signal present, but only displays a solid blue screen. It also says "HDMI Audio not supported" when it first looks at the signal. Interestingly it will show my home DVD-Rs recorded on the AR650.
Could it be a DVD encryption problem? The AR650 might be encrypting the commercial DVD (HDCP), but the HDTV can't decode the signal from the HDMI cable. Should I try an older HDMI cable?

Received my AR650 is about 2 months ago, and Samsung HDTV this week.
AR650 plays commercial DVDs fine via component or composite connections.
HDTV will not display signal from AR650 via HDMI cable when playing a standard commercial DVD. The HDMI cable is the latest 1.3a standard. HDTV shows the HDMI signal present, but only displays a solid blue screen. It also says "HDMI Audio not supported" when it first looks at the signal. Interestingly it will show my home DVD-Rs recorded on the AR650.
Could it be a DVD encryption problem? The AR650 might be encrypting the commercial DVD (HDCP), but the HDTV can't decode the signal from the HDMI cable. Should I try an older HDMI cable?

Do you have any other connections simultaniously with your HDMI? If so, unplug them and leave only the HDMI hooked up.

I disconnected the component cables and reset the AR650 (pushing up & down channel arrows for 5 sec). Same blue screen when DVD is started, altho I get just a flash of the picture when Play is started.
HDMI works when DVD is used as a tuner, or when playing DVDs I recorded off the air. Only copyright protected DVDs won't play. Sounds like the AR650 is encrypting the HDMI signal (using Hi Def Copy Protection, I guess), but HDTV can't decrypt signal.
Thanks for your reply.

hi. i just joined this av forum, and i'm not quite sure how it works. but i see you're on line now, and i see that you're knowledgeable of the samsung ar-650. i need some help. i recently bought this dvr model for my 82-year old mom, and she wants it to play her music cds. the instruction manual says that it should play standard audio cds, but the machine can't load the cds. have you ever seen this problem discussed/solved in this forum? thanks in advance for your help.

It should play them. Unless they are CD-R/RW's, in which case many machines can be very picky about which ones of those they choose to play.

The only bad thing about the Samsung DTB-H260F is that it can't be programmed to change channels on it's own. So, if you hook it to recorder, you have to make sure it's powered on and tuned to the correct channel for timer recordings.

Yes it does. You use the guide.

I decided to buy one of these again. Found a good deal on an online auction. I originally returned one because of poor recordings. A subsequent post said they had better results with maxell disks.

I also didn't like the EPG was only 12 hours, but some of the CECB's are only now and next show, so 12 hours seems like a bonus.

For 60.00 it works as well as a CECB, and adds 5.1 audio.

I realized after setting up the VCR to record from the CECB that it was too many steps involved. If I left the connection through the stereo receiver, I would have to leave that on too, or if I ran it through the VCR input, I would have to turn the VCR on everytime I wanted to watch digital TV from the converter box.

And then do I put a note on the TV so someone doesn't come into the room and change the channel?

I may not get the distant channels with the Samsung, but I can still get the major networks from the locals (with NBC and PBS in HD).

Just picked up a DVD-AR650 and I'm pleased with it so far. Question - has anyone gotten the IR blaster working with a DirecTV DRD420RE? None of the DirecTV codes from the Instruction Manual work. I got one RCA cable box code (0843) to work half way, but that code is configured for a receiver that needs only a 3 digit channel, the DRD420RE is 4 digits, so although the channel change initiates it times out after 10 seconds or so. The DRD420RE has multiple timers, but I'd like to be able to just program one device for recording. TIA.

BTW, here's my chat session with Samsung on this issue. :rolleyes:

Chat Information Please wait for a Samsung Agent to respond.
Chat Information You are now chatting with 'Asher R'
Asher R: Hello, I am a Samsung Technical Support representative. How may I assist you today?
Knarf: Hi Asher. I own a DVD-AR650 and I can't get the IR blaster to control a DirecTV DRD420RE. I've tried all of the codes for DirecTV receivers in the manual, none work at all. However, one of the RCA cable box codes (0843) works, but sends only 3 channel digits instead of the 4 that the DRD420RE requires. Any way to help?
Asher R: I understand your problem.
Asher R: Please give me couple of minutes to check.
Knarf: FWIW, none of the set modes work with code 0843, either.
Asher R: Thanks for holding.
Asher R: Let me know, are you trying to operate another device with the Samsung dvd player remote control?
Knarf: No, I'm trying to control a DirecTV satellite box with the DVD-AR650's IR blaster. I don't care about the remote.
Asher R: Okay.
Asher R: I am check it for you.
Asher R: Let me know the make of the satellite box?
Asher R: I mean brand name?
Knarf: It's a DirecTV DRD420RE manufactured by RCA. None of the 15 DirecTV codes on page 83 of the Instruction manual for the DVD-AR650 work.
Asher R: Okay.
Asher R: Sorry to keep you waiting for long.
Knarf: No problem.
Asher R: I suggest you to try these codes 05, 45, 46.
Asher R: Press and hold the POWER TV button and enter the code . If the code is correct, the TV will turn on or off.
Knarf: I think you still do not understand the problem. I am NOT trying to program the remote control, I am trying to use the IR blaster on the DVD-AR650 to control the DirecTV receiver. Do you understand the difference?
Knarf: The IR blaster is used to change the channel on the satellite receiver automatically when recording from different channels.
Asher R: Yes, I understand that.
Asher R: Yes, you are correct.
Knarf: So why are you giving me instructions for the remote? I'm confused. The code for the satellite receiver for the IR blaster is programmed through the menu.
Knarf: The remote has nothing to do with the IR blaster.
Asher R: Yes, you are correct.
Knarf: Or the TV. I want to change the channels on the DirecTV receiver via the IR blaster, not control the TV with the DVD-AR650 remote.
Asher R: After setting up your cable box or satellite receiver (Set top box) with the DVD recorder through the IR Blaster cable, you need to set up the Set Top Box Control menu. (See pages 32~33).
Knarf: I've already done that. Control is ON, Connection is SVIDEO, CH Digit Lock is OFF, Mode for SET is OFF. I need you to tell me the proper code to put in the Brand Code for a DirecTV DRD420RE.
Asher R: I am with you.
Asher R: I am checking for the best possible ways.
Asher R: I do not see a code for RCA satellite receiver brand in the manual and I am sorry it will not work on your satellite box.
Knarf: Once again, I can get code 0843 (RCA cable box code from page 82 of the manual) to almost work. The DirecTV receiver recognized the IR, and I can see the channel being sent to the DirecTV receiver on the TV, but the DVD-AR650 sends only 3 digits, not 4 as the receiver needs, so the receiver channel change times out and the channel change is unsuccessful.
Asher R: I understand your concern.
Knarf: So how do I get a refund for this defective equipment?
Asher R: I can understand that, you said RCA is the manufacturer of the satellite box, it is clear mentioned in the manual that you need to purchase a satellite reciever that is listed in the manual to get it to work.

Knarf: It's impossible to read the manual to see the list of satellite boxes that are supported until one pays for the DVD recorder, gets it home and opens the box. There's not a list on the outside of the box.
Asher R: I understand your concern.
Asher R: I am sorry, I am a technical agent through livechat, I am not aware of refund related issues, for refund related queries, you need to call at 1-800-SAMSUNG.
Knarf: Can you check to see if there is another code I can use that will send the IR signal the same way as code 0843, but with 4 digits instead of 3? I can't belive that I'm the first person in the world who's trying to make this thing work with a very common DirecTV receiver.
Asher R: You can try these codes as well, 05, 45, 46. I hope it may work, but I cannot assure you of that.
Knarf: Have you even any idea WTF I'm talking about? Why do you keep going back to remote control programming? I DON'T WANT TO PROGRAM THE REMOTE, I WANT TO GET THE IR BLASTER WORKING. UNDERSTAND?
Asher R: I can understand your problem.
Asher R: I apologize for the inconvenience.
Knarf: If you can understand my problem why do you give me useless suggestions?
Knarf: You're just wasting my time. Is there someone else there who can help me instead of give me suggestions for something totally unrelated to my issue?
Asher R: If you want I will provide you with a number of our senior technicians who will assist you further in this regard.
Knarf: Please do.
Asher R: I request you to contact our technical support at: 1-800-Samsung (1-800-726-7864) anyday between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Have the model number on hand when you call.

the only issues i've encounted with my samsung dvd-ar650 is it sometimes kicks of out when watching a dvd for x hrs. has anyone experience that?

and another thing is when i'm watching planet earth dvd. i've notice boxy images appear in my samsung 720p plasma screen. i've attached images. anyone know why??

The "kicking out" after x hours sounds like possibly a heat issue. The laser doesn't like heat, so if your 650 is in a hot place or no air flow, move it or put feet under it??? See where the air intake and outflow are and make sure plenty of room for cool air to flow.

Just a WAG!?

i dont believe its overheating. i havee a sony receiver sitting on top. the samsung dvd-ar650 has vents on the side of the box. i dont feel any hot heat.

i dont believe its overheating. i havee a sony receiver sitting on top. the samsung dvd-ar650 has vents on the side of the box. i dont feel any hot heat.
Receivers get hot, and the laser is *likely* in the top portion of the 650.

I've noticed a little quirk with my unit. The digital output will come on even when the power is off. One evening I turned the power off, and forgot to turn off the stereo receiver. I have it connected through the optical cable. The sound would come on for a few seconds and then cut off, the display would stay off though.

I also wanted to post an update on DVD-RW's. My unit has been behaving and any discs originally formatted by this unit have not failed. The only ones that have failed were formatted by another DVD recorder.

Do not use Imation DVD-RW's, I've had to reset the unit 5 times in 2 weeks from using these discs, it does't like them. The reset is to hold down the up and down channel button on the unit with the power on.
.

imation dvd+r, dvd+rw, dvd-r, -rw are made in India. Their so-called quality belong in the trash can. Period

Contrary to many reviews, I went ahead and purchased a refurbed AR650 2 months ago and I am pretty happy with it. I've gotten past a few things that I thought were bugs but were either operator error or AR650 weirdness. But I'm stuck on one thing I'd like to get straightened out.

Using the AR650, when I record on a DVD -RW in "Video Mode" in EP, then finalize the disk, it is not playable in my inexpensive second DVD player. If I use a write once disk, it will play just fine. Do you think the problem is the $39 three year old player or is this another case of operator error? Maybe somebody has advice for me?

I just ordered an AR650 refurb from PC connection, but after reading all the negatives I'm wondering if I'll get lucky and receive one that works properly.

The price was $99.00 with free shipping and no tax, so I figured if it works it would be a great deal.

I've been using a Samsung DVD R-120 for just over two years and until recently it did an excellent job recording from both my hi-def DVR and from the Cox Cable line in. It just started having problems (right after my extended warranty ran out) and although it's still working (with occasional glitches in recordings over 90 minutes), I felt it was time to grab the AR650 at this low price and give it a try.

Please, keep your fingers crossed for me. :)

I've had similar issues with finalized recordings not playing on other DVD players, sometimes it is just a hiccup, and the next time it will play from the same DVD-RW.

I picked up a used unit, and I've been very happy with it. I thought I got a bad remote (the number pad didn't work, but the other buttons did), after having the unit unplugged overnight, the remote worked again. Very strange.

Yes, I decided to try a better quality recording and my "XP" recording on the -RW disk was playable on the second DVD player, which made me very happy. Next, I'm going to try the "SP" quality. If that's successful, I'll even try the one inbetween SP and EP (LP?). Who knows, this whole time it could have been operator error, I was using the "VR" recording mode for quite a while.

Regarding remotes, shortly after I got my refurbed AR650 from PC Connection (same as GeneL), I was just about ready to return the thing it was acting so strangely and then I decided to try brand new batteries and voilà it has worked fine ever since. Lesson learned!

After I ordered the AR650 I downloaded the instruction manual and found, to my disappointment, that it while it had component outputs, it only had S-video input. I had automatically assumed (wrongly) that since my older model R120 had component inputs and outputs, that the newer and seemingly more sophisticated AR650 would have the same set up.

My current Samsung DVD-R-120 recorder which has component inputs and outputs makes really great recordings from my Cox hi-def DVR, so I had imagined that the AR650 would do as well, if not better. Now, I wouldn't expect the same results using an S-video connection.

I just can't imagine that the recordings on the AR650 will match the quality of my present setup, so I plan to cancel my order Monday morning.:(

I'm very disappointed.

I guess I'll have to wait for the next generation of DVD recorders with advanced hi-def tuners. The only problem I foresee is that my TV doesn't have HDMI inputs, so I wonder if the new versions will continue to use component connectivity as well.

Any thoughts on my canceling the order due to my lowered expectations for the AR650?

Any thoughts on my canceling the order due to my lowered expectations for the AR650?Yeah.

If you're cancelling it because you're expecting a DVD recorder with a Hi-Def output from it's tuner, don't.

Same thing if you're waiting for one with component inputs.

But it could very well turn out to be true that the PQ will not quite measure up to your current setup.

Just don't wait for those first two things.

That's my opinion, anyway.

…if it's because you believe the recordings really won't match up to your present setup, then that's at least a valid reason. There might not be a huge difference, but it very well might not be quite as good.



My reason is strictly based on on the fact that I wouldn't expect results matching my present recorder. I can't see spending money for a replacement unless it would be as good or better.

Thanks for your thoughts,

GeneL

Recently, I tried to listen to an audio CD, and then an burned CD with MP3's on it, they both wouldn't load. I reset the unit and still no luck.

Both worked fine a few months ago.

Any ideas?

DVD's play fine, and the unit still records on DVD-R's and RW's.

my samsung dvd-ar650 digital tuner stopped working, but analog tuner still works. i tried to scan channels, but can not find any digital channels. it was working few days ago when i was recording the beijing nbc olympics. has anyone experience this issue?

You can try to reset the box using the procedure UncleOp posted a while back.
From my call to Tech Support, the reset mechanism is to hold the up and down channel buttons at the same time on the recorder itself for 8 seconds. It also will tell you firmware rev and other system info.

no dice. i've tried resetting it and it still can not pick up digital channels. i guess i'll have to call samsung tomorrow. anyone know there 1800 tech #?

I think is it 1-800-SAMSUNG

I've had similar issues with finalized recordings not playing on other DVD players, sometimes it is just a hiccup, and the next time it will play from the same DVD-RW.

I picked up a used unit, and I've been very happy with it. I thought I got a bad remote (the number pad didn't work, but the other buttons did), after having the unit unplugged overnight, the remote worked again. Very strange.

It turns out the remote issue was a user error! When you press the TV button on the remote, some of the buttons are used for the TV function, and since my TV wasn't compatible it looked like nothing was happening. When you press DVD on the remote all the buttons work for the DVD recorder.

time to time my DTV stops working. what version of fmware are you guys running?

Reset Ok
CPRM: OK, HDCP: OK
CS: 01
FE: A25Z (M02)
B/E Ver: 1.20070314.01.AR650/XAA
FM Ver: 0.20070223.00AR650
CEC Ver: 2.20070215.32.AR650
ATSC Ver: 2007.0328
Macrovision : ST01

http://www.eylc.com/images/SSCN1696.JPG

I checked samsung's product page forthe AR-650 and it does not list a firmware update.

i popped a retail John Dever CD and the AR650 does not play it. I burned a CD-R with mp3 on it and the ar650 does play it either.

i contacted samsung this morning about the Digital tuner issue. they assured me a new firmware will be released out in a couple of weeks. is it me or have i heard that before?

Wow, I hope this is true.

Anyone know a reliable source to buy one of these units? I would like to have one without paying an arm and a leg.

I got real close on ebay a couple of times but snipers hit:eek: and my $85 high bid got beat by $130 bid......I am tired of trying to bid on ebay has anyone seen any of these at a pawn shop,online website etc at a pretty reasonable price?

It would be nice to get one again since Samsung seems to be supporting it with a firware upgrade...

Panasonic is constantly upgrading the firmware on most of their models I have an ez27 that has worked great after their firmware upgrades

is refurb OK? last week I saw an auction for 20 units. Keep looking.

any word on any firmware updates???

i called samsung again today and they tell me theres no word of a new firmware for the dvd-ar650. they want me to ship the unit to california to get it serviced $30. i agreed, cuz i would love to record my DTV shows again.

i got my samsung ar650 back today. i'll let you know if they fixed the DTV tuner issue.

I have never tried a Divx disc in my DVD-R, but just read on this page:
http://www.freewarereview.info/2007-05/dr_divx_-_seemlessly_convert_any_video_format_file_to_divx.html

...that you can change the AVI extension to divx and it might work.

Has anyone tried to burn AVI's with the changed extension on to a DVD and play it in their samsung?

I was looking for something to do with the movie clips my digital camera creates.

man, i'm starting to get real fraustrated with this dvd-ar650 dvr. it now does not read any of my dvd-rw's and when formatting the disc, it crashes the unit. the unit displays a 5 on boot up and can not write any shows anymore. i will post videos on youtube soon.

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rlgH2VdVvo4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rlgH2VdVvo4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

That's a pretty nasty sound it makes when it's crashing.

Have you tried it with better media? That Office Depot house brand media is pretty crappy.

It really sounds like the laser is hitting the disc, maybe as it does it's power calibration? Do your discs look damaged at all, particularly near the center and the clear innermost spindle area. It should be crystal clear, like glass no circular scratches.
BTW I've used many of the same O.D. -RWs(in my Panasonics) any haven't had a failure yet so I wouldn't be too quick to blame the media, but I suppose it's a possibility.
Does your machine also crash with -R or RAM discs and how about just playing discs you've already finalized or commercial discs? Those discs shouldn't require burning so the laser might not need to go into the calibration area where it might be getting hung up.

i've been using those stack of office depot DVD-RW for the longest time and now all of them have the same issue even the newer ones. i've even used SONY DVD-RWs. I never had problems with the office depot DVD-RWS before till now.

Yeah, I have some of theirs, too (DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW), and I've never really had any problems with them, either, but I just thought I'd ask if you had tried anything better.