SAMSUNG DVD-H40E

[erickotto]

Anyone, using or heard about this 'new' DVDR..

SAMSUNG DVD-H40E

erick

[Gil T Pleasure]

This is a DVD player/HDD recorder combo unit. You can find more info here: http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/DVDHDDRecorder/DVDPlayer_DVDHDDRecorder_DVD_H40E.htm

Download the manual (pdf) here: http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/DVDHDDRecorder/files/DVD_HDD_Recorder.pdf

[erickotto]

Gil T kitty, I found those links, merely asking is someone had bought is or seen reviews or otherwise about this player.

thanks,

erick

[sylvia]

I bought the H40A, which is the Australian market version of the H40E.

The H40A functions effectively as a recorder and playback machine. I haven't yet tried its DVD playing functions. I don't expect to use its jukebox and family photo features, nor its editing capablities.

It is badly let down by its software, which looks as if it has been knocked together by someone on work experience.

The first feature I discovered was the one key termination of your carefully set up timed recording. This comes about from trying to use the remote for both H40A and television. Forget to press TV before pressing on/standby, and you'll terminate the timed recording going on in the H40A. It's thus best to use the TV's original remote, and use the H40A's remote solely for its control.

There are two distinct formats for the list of programs that have been recorded. Which you get depends on how you get to it. There appears to be no rationale for the existence of two formats.

The display shows the first frame from the recording. This is pretty much useless, because it's invariably something from the program that preceded it, unless you trust the broadcaster to stick rigidly to its schedule.

On one of these displays you can change the title displayed for the program. Doing this involves using the arrow keys to select characters from an alphanumeric keypad on screen. But don't make a mistake, or you'll have to start all over again. At least this display has auto-repeat on the arrow keys. The timed recording screen doesn't, so you have to press the key 30 times to start a recording at 30 minutes past the hour, however you can go backwards from 00. This is especially painful because the remote control is not very responsive, and key strokes that are too rapid are just ignored. This would be of limited use if it weren't for the limitations when it comes to deletion.

On the program list displays, the programs are numbered. A separate display is used for deleting programs. This display format is different again from the two program displays, and the programs are not numbered. You cannot preview programs from this display, so all you have to go on is the first frame, which is displayed with a different size from those in the program list displays, and without a number, and the date and time of the recording (but not its length).

None of the displays shows the channel from which the program was recorded, nor the day of the week on which the recording took place. Only the date (in pure numeric format) and time, and the program title. The program list displays also show the length.

While the unit is doing a timed record, you cannot determine when it will finish. You can figure out which channel is recording only by
comparing the video output with what is currently being broadcast.

The blurb on the Australian Samsung site claims that you can start a program recording while you're out to dinner, and then come back and start watching the recording from the beginning while the recording process continues. I have not been able to figure out how to do that. While a timed recording is in progress, the unit ignores input from all of its control keys except for the on/stand by key. As indicated above, pressing the latter terminates the recording.

There is no display that will show you how far into a program you are, and no way of stepping forwards in useful increments. These together make skipping advertisements problematic.

All of the above could presumably be fixed by a firmware upgrade, though it is not clear whether this could be done without opening the box. Clearly a machine like this would be well adapted to upgrades from CD-ROM, but I don't know whether any provision has been made for it.

If there is a power outage lasting more than a minute, then the clock setting and all of the timed record settings are lost. Clearly the unit was designed for a more reliable power supply than is available in Australia, and this is presumably dictated by the hardware, so not easily corrected.

Overall, a frustrating machine to use. I bought it for $570 including a discount for cash, from Bing Lee.

Sylvia Else.

[sylvia]

An addendum to the above.

If you're using the box in the mode where it's recording a program, and you're watching the recording some time behind, and the power fails for even a second, then you'll lose the recording completely.

This is a fairly typical way to use this box - you start recording a commercial channel and then wait a while before starting to watch it. That way you can fast-forward throught the commercial breaks, gradually catching up with the transmitted program.

Again, a firmware upgrade could fix this, but I'm not holding my breath.


Sylvia.

[asichter]

Thanks Sylvia. I was considering the H40A (I'm in Australia too), but I opted for a second DVD recorder instead, and a wise decision by the sounds of it. You got the H40 for a good price though, the best price I've seen is $750. So for that price I spent a little extra and bought the Panny E50 instead.

Andy.

[sylvia]

The blurb on the Australian Samsung site claims that you can start a program recording while you're out to dinner, and then come back and start watching the recording from the beginning while the recording process continues. I have not been able to figure out how to do that. While a timed recording is in progress, the unit ignores input from all of its control keys except for the on/stand by key. As indicated above, pressing the latter terminates the recording.

Samsung Australia have finally got back to me regarding this. The response I got was

All you need to do is set the buffer on to 2 hours and start recording
when you leave. When you get back just press rewind and you will see
it rewinding through the recorded program while it still records what
is coming through the aerial.

which is hardly what was described on the web site. You're committed to watching the program when you get home, and if you arrive home more than two hours after the program started, for whatever reason, you're out of luck.

This is really a disappointing purchase. What were Samsung thinking of when they put so little effort into the design and implementation of the firmware?

Sylvia.

[nc30]

Sylvia,

They told you the wrong information. All you need to do is push record so it's not recording on any timer mode then you can rewind back to the start or watch a pre-recorded show.

BTW - You can replace the HDD with an 80gig drive Let me know if you some more info on it.

[sylvia]

Yes, but the point is I can't push anything if I'm out at dinner.

Samsung Australia seem to have conceded the point. They've agreed to pay me the amount I paid the retailer ($570) and to take the machine back.

Perhaps I'll ask them for a contract to rewrite the firmware.

Sylvia.

[nc30]

How long did you have it for? Also did they put up much of a fight because I might try and do the same thing?

[sylvia]

All told, I've had it for a month and a half. Most of that time has been taken up with trying to get them to respond to phone calls and emails.

I pretty much failed to get their attention until I filed an action in the New South Wales small claims court (CTTT). Then they took notice, and after a couple of attempts to fob me off with half-solutions, they called and said they'd give me my money back. I got them to send an email confirming this before I withdrew the application to the CTTT.

I had intially raised the issue of the absence of the feature within a few days of purchase. If you've had yours for months already, without doing anything, your legal position would be somewhat weaker (though not necessarily beyond salvage).

Note that my action was based on a specific claim on the Australian web site. Depending where you are, your milage may vary. Also, I took my action against the importer (Samsung Australia) for philosophical reasons, but it's usually simpler to take action aginst the retailer.

Sylvia.

[nc30]

I spent a lot of time trying to get through to them (Samsung Australia) after sending Samsung an email asking if this unit can be upgraded.

No one would return my calls and I even got the Service Manager's direct line. I wont be in a hurry to buy anything from them again.

[sylvia]

I thought I'd add one further technical observation which presumably applies to the H40A and H40E models and any other H40 variant.

This is probably the final one before the machine gets returned to Samsung.

The fast forward and slow forward features don't run at their described rates. For example, 2X fast forward goes through a 2 minute period in just 15 seconds, which is really 8X. The error isn't linear. It takes 128X a little over two minutes to skip through a two hour period, so this is a bit under 60X.

The slow forward feature is even stranger. The 1/8X gets through a 2 minute period in just under 180 seconds, which is really 2/3X. The other slow forward rates run faster than real time, but all of the slow forward settings show individual frames for a significant fraction of a second, and then jump forwards to another frame.

It is difficult to imagine what sort of implementation technique would lead to these results. I suspect gross incompetence. Clearly, either the testing was rather limited and failed to show these rather obvious inconsistencies, or the testing showed them, but the product was released anyway. Hard to say which is worse.

Either way, it doesn't show Samsung in a good light.

Sylvia.

[nc30]

Now that I have a Pioneer DVR-510H I'm starting to hate the Samsung even more. I only use it now as a backup.

[rcpinheiro]

Hi!
I used this recorders for a few years and it worked OK, despite a few minor quirks.
I'm reviving this 8-year thread to know if someone has managed to transfer the contents of the HDD to the PC? I have several hours of recordings on the HDD that would like to edit with the best quality possible.
Thanks in advance!

Rui