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Called Samsung and did everything they said. Samsung now wants $107 to fix it and in exchange i get a 30 day warranty. Still the same problems. No thanks, in the garbage it goes. Checked chat rooms and everyone describes the same problem it just gets worse until it doesn't work at all. It's as if the laser is warping, melting or something. When I got this it worked fairly well.
It constantly rejects discs (no matter how many brands I try), freezes up, spits them out, etc. 1 month later it worked 50% of the time. Two months later I can't even play a DVD from B;lockbuster in it, nevermind recording. Better to buy another one (not a Samsung) for $175 with a full warranty.
I'm guessing that the time is read from the DTV OTA signal, which would explain why it gets reset after resetting power.The unit downstairs is receiving an simple analog cable feed. The only way to resolve it that I have found is to reset wall power (unplug it from the wall and plug it back in). It's a minor annoyance, but definitely distracting. Can't record without the time being set. EPG is less than great. The ATSC tuner locks up almost daily (picture is frozen and I can't change the channel). It for some reason feels compelled to frequently remind me that I'm viewing channel 3 (channel indicator message in upper corner of screen) even though I never change the channel on the unit; I do that on the cable box. This may be related to the ATSC locking up, I don't know.
The disc drive on this one is quiet, though, so I guess my upstairs unit has faulty hardware ().Overall, I'm very displeased with this product. Resetting the power (at the wall) does seem to force the clock back to the correct value. I use one unit upstairs to receive digital OTA broadcasts. For OTA broadcasts, the EPG is only available for channels that have been selected, meaning you have to actually select the channel to see what the EPG shows is currently playing on that channel. Unlike my upstairs unit the clock time on the downstairs unit is not persistent after removing from power (so I have to leave my power strip on or else I have to reset it manually). But hardware clocks are cheap - why skimp on that.
This makes sense if the "persistent" time gets set over the DTV signal, since I don't get a signal downstairs. I'm not sure if all OTA EPG systems work this way, but it is not what I expected.To top it off, the clock often malfunctions a few hours after being reset, displaying wildly erroneous and seemingly random times. I have two of these and am looking to replace them both. You have to surf through all the channels just to *see* the full schedule. The NTSC (analog) tuner seems to work fine, even when the ATSC is frozen. The disc drive also generates a persistent audible whir even when not in use, even when the power button is off.
I thought Samsung made good stuff, but now I'll have to rethink future Samsung purchases.
Instead, you'll need to use your Time Warner channel guide (via your Cable Box remote) or go online to find out the time/channel you want to record. it just means using two remotes instead of one.In order to record a given channel at a given time, the AT650 has to control the cable box and switch to that channel at the appropriate time. (I read the Scientific American is 'sensitive' and does not need to be taped directly to the unit. The other thing you can do is turn off the unit completely when you're not watching TV. To minimize frustration and avoid reading the incomprehensible instruction manual, here's how it works. The settings I use in conjunction with my Scientfic American cable box are: Control 'On', Connection 'S-Video', CH Digital Lock 'Off', Mode for Set 'Off', Brand Code '0277'. nope.
The scan will take about 45 mins. If you do so, there is a lot less noise. Now go back into settings. The cable box receives and decodes the cable channels. begin by doing a channel scan so your box knows what channels you have available (choose 'cable' if that's what you have). I thought I would share my experiences here.I use the AR650 in conjunction with Time Warner Cable's Scientific American cable box. The EPG is for OTA (over the air) channels only and is useless when used with cable channels. For one, set the unit's setting for 'Instant Recording' to OFF.
I agree, although the noise can be mitigated. Be sure the cable box controller wire is connected and the end is resting near the actual cable box so it can be controlled via IR signal. This means you need to properly set everything up. So I just have it hanging over the top of the cable box loosely, and that works).Some people have complained the unit is noisy. After receiving my DVD-AR650, it took me five frustrating nights to get the unit properly hooked up. Lack of EPG via your AR650 is not a big deal at all. This is definitely not a plug-and-play unit, but perhaps that is the nature of DVRs that have to operate with so many other 'foreign' components.
Then program the AR650 with that information. The Video Out cord then plugs into the DVR; likewise the cable box's audio out cords run into AR650's audio-in areas, but please be aware they need to go into the "component audio in" inputs or the unit will record video with no sound. (This was a mistake I initially made).I made the mistake of buying this unit thinking I'd be able to use the EPG (channel guide) with Time Warner cable's channel guide. You do get a slight hum when the unit's on but it's really not that bad, although ideally the unit would be silent.These settings worked for me and I'm now blissfully recording programs without having to pay a monthly Tivo or Time Warner extortion fee.
Stopped playing in March 2008; mailed to Samsung repair in New Jersey; returned after delays due to not having part in stock. After receiving it back, used a couple of times when it stopped playing again. Purchased this recorder in September 2007; used on week-ends, infrequently. Disappointed in Samsung quality; won't buy another product from them.
Now it is starting to do the same thing with the DVD-R when I put it in then it says a message of "disc can not be played" and opens the tray back up. and when I put it in it has to format it - it goes to about 20% done then says some message of an error & spits it back out. If I retry it it then will accept it, but I am afraid that the recording part is about to quit. I bought this DVD recorder last Aug. Then lately I tried using some DVD-RW new disc. So far it will play a video ok, it is the recording part that is acting up for me. When I got it it worked fine. I am trying to use brand new Maxwell DVD-R/RW.
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