Samsung Super Multi Format DVD Recorder With HDMI DVD-R155/XEU

November 25, 2007 | By Doug In DVD Recorders |

Samsung Super Multi Format DVD Recorder With HDMI DVD-R155/XEU
Samsung DVD Recorder

Customer Review: Decent budget DVD recorder
I bought this DVD recorder primarily for its HDMI connection and it’s upscaling capabilities. (I have a Liteon 5006 DVD recorder which still works fine but has no HDMI - for my Sony HD ready TV).

Firstly my gripes;

I’m struggling to notice any difference between normal and upscaled pictures.

On some upscaled DVD’s i’ve also noticed some digital lines at the edge of the picture.

Whilst 1 and 2 hour recordings are spot on - the 4hr long play has proven unwatchable in most cases - with images starting blocky with fast moving action - and then sharpening up when the action dies down.

(The Liteon 3hr recordings - whilst grainy - are always watchable)

Shame Samsung didn’t include a 3hr recording option which usually fits most British TV series on and longer films.

It has a flexible recording mode - but all this appears to do is change to different recording modes depending on space left on dvd. ie. don’t expect 2hr 15mins recordings to be near 2hr quality - they are recorded in 4hr Long Play

The Samsung does support dual layer disks - i’ve used Datawrites +R discs - but these are write once only - and are twice the price of +/-RW disks.

(I struggled to see if this can be made Multi region through the remote - bought mine elsewhere where it was chipped.)

Now the good;

The operation of the player is relatively quiet and a massive improvement on my noisy Liteon

It is inexpensive

With it being super format - most PC’s will be able to read the disks making copying, editing and the like easier

(My Liteon recorded +RW disks will not play on my PC - but the Samsung +RW ones play perfectly)

The Samsung has a number of editing functions - which differ depending on disk type - but with +RW you can insert chapters manually and then hide them during playback (so it skips adverts etc)

All in all this is a decent recorder for the price - which attempts a lot of things - and does them OK.

Look elsewhere - and perhaps upping your budget for better HD upscaling

Customer Review: Wow!
After purchasing my black samsung TV I spent ages looking for a suitable Samsung DVD recorder. There aren’t many but reading through all the vast reviews and trying to find the best price takes time.

Initially i was attracted to the DVD recorders with a built in Hard Drive, but after a little research i found that you arte unable to record freeview onto the HDD or onto the DVD recorder. This proved to be a pain in the buttocks. After some time deliberating over what to do i opted for this model. It is stylish, small and most importantly records onto every type of DVD, which is hard to find and makes purchasing them easy.

The DVD recorder is quick and easy to install - literally takes a minute. It automatically tunes in the analogue programmes and within five minutes you can start recording from the TV.

The recording quality is fantastic and i cannot wait to use it some more. It also upsclaes to HDMI 720p/1080 which is great.

For the price you cannot knock this DVD recorder, if you have been classy enough to get a samsung TV, then max it out with this fabulous little device. 5/5!

Samsung DVD-SH855M - DVD Recorder 250Gb Hard Drive - With Freeview & HDMI
Full multi format recording and playback. 250GB Hard Disc Drive capacity.
Amazon Price: ?235.03
Customer Review: If only it did what it says on he box!
Sadly I must confirm the two first reviews, and can only offer “Mike30″ my congratulations on finding one of these products that works properly. Mine wouldn’t record from the timer. At first I thought it was me, but after about four weeks of useage I felt I was sufficiently familiar with the unit to conclude that the problem was with the product, not me! Samsung asked me to deliver it to the local appointed service agent, which I did. I was told by staff there that this is a common problem and that many units suffer the same fault. Repairs require a replacement part which needs ordering from Japan, and will take about a week to arrive… Oh dear, If only I’d read these reviews first!
Customer Review: One of the best products I bought in ages.
I have now played with this unit for a very short period in under a week and now seem to understand basically everything I need to know about recording and playing DVDs, very easy to use. Using the EPG guide for recording I can say I have had no problems what-so-ever, each page refreshes very quickly with no problems. I cannot understand how some people blame the unit for picture quality when in fact it is their own reception. Check you’re aerial. Using the recording function to DVD and playing it back I had no problems but would say you must use the correct DVD -R/RW otherwise you will not be able to finalizing your DVD for other DVD players to play. The TV turner upscale to 1080i onto your LCD TV and picture quality is second to none. There is a wide range of recording formats to use for recording. Tip for best play back use XP for recording to hard drive. I have no regrets what-so-ever in buying this product and would recommend this to anyone.

Panasonic DMR-EX77EB-K - 160GB Hard Drive DVD Recorder - With 1080P Up-Conversion & Freeview - Black
Multi format record and playback of all DVD formats.
Amazon Price: ?207.40
Used Price: ?194.99
Customer Review: What a Joke!
Purchased item from Amazon, received with aniticipation……when arrived IT DID NOT WORK! The Player would not play DVD’s!! Ive asked for a replacement but not holding out much hope…..
Customer Review: Super machine
This is great DVD recorder to get. I bought it so I could ditch Sky and get Freeview instead (which is built in) and save the monthly fee. Not being technically minded I had a few problems getting all the cables sorted out but once installed correctly it works a treat. The menus are easy to use. You can record direct to the hard-drive or onto a blank disc. If you want to keep a program it can be transferred from the the hard-drive onto disc. At the moment I only seem to be able to do this at playback speed, which is a bit slow. However that could just be because I haven’t worked out how to use it correctly yet! Its easy to switch back to analogue (whilst it still exists) if I need to and in all honesty I don’t know how I managed without this device now.

Toshiba Rd-Xs24 Harddrive Multi-region Capable DVD Recorder 160Gb -Silver
Customer Review: Buy one, without doubt!
I have had one of these for about 6 months now, and I’m hard-pushed to fault it. The picture quality of the recordings to both DVD and the Hard Disk are excellent, I really can’t tell the difference between the recorded and the original. The timeslip function is excellent; if you’re watching something you just don’t want to miss and say for instance the phone goes, simply press the timeslip button and it starts recording from the moment you press the button. You can effectively pause the TV, and resume it as you wish, or you can rewind back to the start, as it will continue to record until you press the timeslip button again. I have yet to fill the hard drive, and so far there are hours upon hours of video on it, with more than enough room left. It only takes a few minutes to burn a title to DVD. When I bought this unit, it was a lot more expensive than it is now, but even at the old price (well over ?300) it is, in my mind worth every penny. It’s dead easy to use with virtually everything being menu driven, and if you have an external Dolby Digital Amp, invest in a digital lead, you’ll notice a big difference with the sound. If you haven’t got one of these and want to save space, upgrade your DVD player, dump the old VHS, you must have one. I wouldn’t be without one, not now.
Customer Review: very pleased
bought it a few weeks back, very pleased so far. currently recording my old videos onto dvd,excellent picture, havent used the timeslip yet. only moan is that it is too functional(150 page manual) but it will probably cook the tea as well!