Hello everyone, I have an issue that I was looking to get some feedback on. I own a Samsung DVD-VR347 DVD/VCR Recorder. I am looking to transfer some old VCR tapes to DVD. However, as I record the DVD's and play them back, I notice that the video quality is terrible with pixelization. I have check the Samsung website to enusre I have the latest firmware - which is the case. I have searched online to see if others may be having the same problems but I can't find much. So I was wondering if it could be a setting that I might be using that would cause this. I have Comcast cable with a coaxial into the cable box and a standard RCA cable from the cable box to the DVD/VCR players. I am then using an HDMI into the TV with a digital coax audio cable into my surround sound receiver. I am recording in 1080i but tried 480p and 720p with no difference in quality. Has anyone ever experience this issue? If so, what did you do to correct it? Thanks for any help! Jon
Also, I meant to add that I am recording a 4 hr program. So I am using the extended play version which records in a manner that allows 4 hours of video on the DVD. That still shouldn't make that much of a difference in video quality? Jon
Jon: Not sure how did you record a 4 hr program on DVD. When I tried to copy from VCR to DVD via COPY feature, the default mode is SP which is 2 hours only. I could not seem to be able to change the mode to extended as you did. Please let me know how did you do that. Thanks! - Gary
gupan: Which VCR-->DVD copy machine do you have? I have a Samsung DVD-VR330 DVD/VCR recorder (which is a piece of crap, but that's for another thread). With the Samsung you have the option of recording in several modes, up to 8 hours onto DVD. These are all clearly choosable via the menu and remote control buttons.
Mine is DVD-VR357 which has different record modes up to 8 hours. But one can select recording mode only when doing normal recording not via COPY (copy from VCR to DVD), at least this is how I understand. My initial issue was not knowing how to change the default setting from ST (standard mode of 2 hours) to other longer mode while COPYing content from VCR tape to DVD by one touch operation - press COPY button from remote control. Thank you for your comment.
I'd be very surprised if the operation of your Samsung VR357 is different from my VR330. There is a REC SPEED button on your remote control. Select your medium - say, DVD - load a recordable DVD and press REC SPEED on the remote. It will toggle through the various available speeds (SP, LP, XP, EP) for you to choose. This will become your record speed setting for COPY [from source] or DIRECT COPY [from VHS]. (For TIMER RECORD you set the record speed in the menu itself). Same procedure if you want to record to VHS.
Thanks a lot for your comment, yes, this really works greatly for me. Not sure how I missed this one. I am sooooooooo happy for that. Thanks again.
Glad to help! Actually, a year later I'm wiser. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't get a VHS-DVD recorder unit. Rather, it's better to record VHS's directly to your PC, the resulting files are easy to edit, and then those can be burned to DVD - much more reliably than with the Samsung lemons. Here is the product I'm ordering: KWORLD X-Pert DVD Maker PCI Card VS-L883D PCI Interface Together with the Grex decoder I can transfer all of my VHS's (recorded AND encrypted commercial) to my PC.
