Samsung's Unsung hero!
Written: Nov 30 '01
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Pros: Affordable, efficient, and easy to use
Cons: If one component breaks, you're out a VCR AND a DVD player
The Bottom Line: A great buy for parents of young children or anyone stepping into the DVD world but not completely out of the VCR world.
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| ajuliano's Full Review: Samsung DVD-V1000 DVD Player / VCR Combo |
My wife and I were slow to wade into the pool of DVD ownership, primarily because we already owned a VCR and quite a few VHS tapes. "Why buy a DVD player," we thought, "when we don't own any DVDs and we already have a precarious pile of electronics?"
Well, then a couple things happened:
1. Our VCR started acting up, and my 2-year old has the occasional meltdown that can only be soothed by a "Bear in the Big Blue House" tape. As you can imagine, going VCR-less for any period is simply NOT an option.
2. Our local library's stash of DVDs began outnumbering its supply of VCR tapes.
Given those, our needs we as follows:
1. We wanted something as inexpensive as possible.
2. We wanted something that would allow us to use our existing VCR library
3. We wanted something that would allow us to adapt now that DVDs are starting to do to videos what CDs did to audio cassettes. (Just a thought: Beta is the 8-track tape of the video world.)
4. We wanted something that would be as user-friendly as possible.
Guess what? The Samsung DVD-V1000 has done more than meet these expectations; it's exceeded them by providing a few extra features that we didn't know we wanted until we had them:
1. It plays mp3s (recorded onto CD).
2. The DVD player is also a CD player. This was a HUGE bonus, because it allowed us to put our 14 year-old CD player in the attic and rid ourselves of a SECOND audio/video component.
3. Now this is the thing that makes me want to shake hands with the folks at Samsung: they've built in a feature that allows parents to "lock" the VCR door to prevent 2 year-olds from attempting to "play" a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the machine. It's easy to override, too: it simply freezes functions unless they're selected via the remote (Hint: this won't work if your kid knows how to use the remote. Duh.)
Now I also need to issue a few caveats. As much as I like this product, nothing's perfect. Also, I need to explain a few points about how I use it:
1. If you hook the DVD player into your stereo system (which is the only way to use it to play CDs other than using your TV speaker), things may seem cumbersome at first. Blame this on the lack of a front-of-the-box display that allows you to program songs from a CD. You have to do this on your TV screen, which means turning on another component and scrolling through a menu on your screen. If you usually listen to CDs from start to finish, this won't pose a problem; if you're anything like me, however, it takes a little getting used to.
2. MY WIFE AND I ARE NOT TECHNOLOGY SNOBS AND WE DON'T GET EXCITED ABOUT ESOTERIC DVD/VCR FEATURES! I had to yell there, because this review is not for those who are looking for a top-of-the-line home theatre component. I wish I could help those in this position, but I can't. My video/DVD watching is limited to the likes of "Annie Hall," "The Graduate," and "When Harry Met Sally." In other words, the nuances of audio features mean little to me. If I can hear Woody Allen's nasal voice in surround sound, great; if not, I'm not going to pay any extra just to be able to do so.
To sum up, I would HIGHLY recommend this product for parents of young children or anyone who is interested in simplifying their entertainment center while adding the option of watching DVDs. I can't recommend it as a component for a second room, simply because I don't think anyone needs more than one TV/VCR/DVD player. If you have more than one of the above, sell the extras and use the money to get outside more often, or buy some books. I will now step off my soapbox and let you get back to your life.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. The price listed below includes shipping. We purchased ours through Buy.com, and I have yet to see a better deal.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 282.61
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Epinions.com ID:
ajuliano
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Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 3 members
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