Samsung VR-330 US Version Can’t Play US DVDs or Burn on Blank DVD-Rs

[Mb2019]

The title explains the problem. There are other posts about this. The codes that seem to help other regions never display the current region my system is set to. Therefore, I can’t get to the next step of choosing 9 for region-less. I am able to play dvds with no region code, but not ones with region code of 1. It also ejects blank dvds and says it can’t play them. Are there other codes for US machines?Please help. Thanks.

[october262]

did you try doing a factory reset on the player ??

[Mb2019]

I did not. I found this website that I will try for that. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/reset-samsung-dvd-recorder-53396.html
Thank you so much.

[Mb2019]

At step 4 , the instructions in the link above fail, because there is no “factory settings “ option. I am going to look for another way. Please let me know if you come across one

[davexnet]

Why does the US player not play region 1 DVD's? What's the history?

[Mb2019]

I tried the factory reset per the owners manual (hold down both channel buttons, wait 5 seconds, press power button.)
Here is what happens:
The following screen comes up and the the disc tray opens after holding the channel buttons for five seconds.

[Attachment 51096 - Click to enlarge]
Then I hit the power button and nothing happens. Then I hit the power button again and it turns the system off. I have tried different variations such as holding the power button. None of this ends up allowing you to
A) change region in menu screen per other thread on this site
B) insert a blank disc and have it do anything besides say load for a while, followed by ejecting it and saying it could not play the disc.(tried with verbatim -r, and tdk +R.)
C) load certain discs that are region 1

I have three dvds that it will play. Two don’t list the region number or much else. One I just tried that works actually does show a region code of 1. That dvd also says “DVD 5” and “16 : 9 Screen Format” in two little rectangles.

The dvds that won’t play are region 1, and say widescreen.

I have used this machine to record a dvd from a vhs in the past. However, I don’t remember if I used a different brand or type of blank DVD. Thanks in advance for any more advice, as I am still stuck. I can supply more details or photos.

[october262]

unplug the unit and leave it sit for awhile then
try plugging it back up and see what that does.

[Mb2019]

I have unplugged it after failing for the past three days and let it be unplugged overnight each time. It was unplugged last night as well so I will try again.

[DB83]

Maybe I miss something here.

But a Region 1 dvd player out-of-the-box should play Region 1 dvds.

A Region 1 dvd player out-of-the-box should not be expected to play dvds of any other region unless those dvds are encoded 'Region-free' or Region 1.2,3,4,5,6'

If same dvd player out-of-the-box can not play Region 1 dvds then it is not fit for purpose and should be returned.

Yet if that same dvd player has had some attempt to make it 'region-free' then one accepts that you have done something, which may not always work since few players have no updates to prevent such a situation, to 'kill' it

[Mb2019]

I bought it used. It did work once for copying from vhs to dvd. It does not anymore though, and I noticed it also doesn’t play certain dvds that are labeled region 1. It does play one that is labeled region 1 though.

I can’t return it. Are you saying you think there is a way to do an update?

[DB83]

Accept it is fubar. Move on and get another unit.

I had a unit once that would only work if there was a cassette in the VHS slot. Take it out and the DVD would not work at all. Something with the electronics went bad.

[Mb2019]

I was hoping someone would be able to confirm if I did the factory reset correctly. Also, I will try a different type of blank dvd or search for the one I succeeded with, before giving up.

[october262]

I was hoping someone would be able to confirm if I did the factory reset correctly. Also, I will try a different type of blank dvd or search for the one I succeeded with, before giving up.

you did try this hack correct ?? - https://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks/samsung-dvd-vr330-us-version/7100

[Mb2019]

Yes I did try that hack. If you look at the EU version of that thread, it has the same instructions, and you will also see other people saying it wasn’t working for them on the US machine. I never get a number to appear after typing any of the region passcodes.