Home > Consumer Reviews > Samsung DVD-SH893 HDD Recorder - Black
Samsung DVD-SH893 HDD Recorder - Black
See it at Amazon.co.uk for £159.04Average Customer Rating
(1.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
Don't touch this with a bargepole !
(1 out of 5) by N. Adams on Oct 2, 2009 (France)This certainly the biggest disappointment I've ever had when buying a HiTech item.
Although it does (almost but not quite) all the things claimed, the user interface
is so terrible that I get annoyed every time I use it (every day !). I almost wrote
to Samsung to ask if I had a Beta version of the software, but I never did. I can now
at least try and warn others...
The stupidities are too numerous to mention, but here is a shortened list:
**When you have a timer recording set up - it will not start to record if the unit is
still switched ON (is this software from a VHS recorder?). You can record something
and watch something else as well (small mercies!) but the recording (or timer) must
be already running before you press play - or no deal.
**The Marker system is almost unuseable because you have to remember which marker number
corresponds to which recording. Just to make the game more interesting - when you
erase something that is Marked - the other Marker numbers shuffle around !
**The editing system is nightmarish, and you cannot use Markers that you placed during
previous watching. Gone are the days with my Panasonic where I would watch a film,
"Chapter" the adverts - then all the edits were done before writing to DVD. Even if
you know that a film is so many minutes long, there is no way to jump to that point
during the editing process. You have to watch the program run through ( at x64 max )
and wait.
**You cannot choose the recording speed (SP/LP etc )to HD when you are using the internal
tuner. Also you cannot record to DVD at a different speed than the HD recording !!!
This means that where I always put two films on one single layer DVD in LP, now I can't.
Well that's enough moaning - I hope it puts you off considering this horrible device.
Even though I've only had mine for about 5 months I think I'll treat myself to Christmas
present of another HDD recorder !
Although it does (almost but not quite) all the things claimed, the user interface
is so terrible that I get annoyed every time I use it (every day !). I almost wrote
to Samsung to ask if I had a Beta version of the software, but I never did. I can now
at least try and warn others...
The stupidities are too numerous to mention, but here is a shortened list:
**When you have a timer recording set up - it will not start to record if the unit is
still switched ON (is this software from a VHS recorder?). You can record something
and watch something else as well (small mercies!) but the recording (or timer) must
be already running before you press play - or no deal.
**The Marker system is almost unuseable because you have to remember which marker number
corresponds to which recording. Just to make the game more interesting - when you
erase something that is Marked - the other Marker numbers shuffle around !
**The editing system is nightmarish, and you cannot use Markers that you placed during
previous watching. Gone are the days with my Panasonic where I would watch a film,
"Chapter" the adverts - then all the edits were done before writing to DVD. Even if
you know that a film is so many minutes long, there is no way to jump to that point
during the editing process. You have to watch the program run through ( at x64 max )
and wait.
**You cannot choose the recording speed (SP/LP etc )to HD when you are using the internal
tuner. Also you cannot record to DVD at a different speed than the HD recording !!!
This means that where I always put two films on one single layer DVD in LP, now I can't.
Well that's enough moaning - I hope it puts you off considering this horrible device.
Even though I've only had mine for about 5 months I think I'll treat myself to Christmas
present of another HDD recorder !
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Absolutely awful
(1 out of 5) by Ben Machell on Oct 5, 2009 (Edinburgh, Scotland)This has to be the worst piece of electronics I have ever bought.
The user manual is awful, without even a contents page to flick to the correct page. The system is very slow to load, the tv-guide often only shows some of the programmes available.
When you scroll through different channels on the tv-guide, it has to refresh the page every time you scroll down to further channels, and if you try pressing "down" too many times, it will keep shifting down outwith your control until it catches up with itself.
What is not explained clearly at all is that in order to set a programme to record (from the tv-guide) you then have to turn the machine to stand-by in order for it to work (so you can't watch another programme). If you are recording a live programme, you can't access the Tv-guide any more.
If you pause a recorded programme, after a short period of time (approx 5mins) it will auto-stop, go back to live tv, allowing no option of going back to the same point in your recording, just using the painfully slow manual fast-forward feature to try and find your same place in the programme again.
I cannot believe a manufacturer as established as Samsung can release such an awful piece of merchandise, they should be disgraced with themselves. I have a degree in media/IT so lack of user ability is not the problem!!
Please please if you read this, take my advice and never buy this awful machine. (I returned mine straight back to Amazon within 3days of receipt).
The user manual is awful, without even a contents page to flick to the correct page. The system is very slow to load, the tv-guide often only shows some of the programmes available.
When you scroll through different channels on the tv-guide, it has to refresh the page every time you scroll down to further channels, and if you try pressing "down" too many times, it will keep shifting down outwith your control until it catches up with itself.
What is not explained clearly at all is that in order to set a programme to record (from the tv-guide) you then have to turn the machine to stand-by in order for it to work (so you can't watch another programme). If you are recording a live programme, you can't access the Tv-guide any more.
If you pause a recorded programme, after a short period of time (approx 5mins) it will auto-stop, go back to live tv, allowing no option of going back to the same point in your recording, just using the painfully slow manual fast-forward feature to try and find your same place in the programme again.
I cannot believe a manufacturer as established as Samsung can release such an awful piece of merchandise, they should be disgraced with themselves. I have a degree in media/IT so lack of user ability is not the problem!!
Please please if you read this, take my advice and never buy this awful machine. (I returned mine straight back to Amazon within 3days of receipt).
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
An elecronic nightmare!!
(1 out of 5) by V. J. Wager on Oct 20, 2009 (Westcliff on Sea Essex)Thought it was me at first, after trying to work everything out my wife and I booked in for therapy!
Never had a worse piece of equipment, felt like throwing it out of the window.
Other reviews say it all, cannot add anything else, certainly nothing positive.
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BUY THIS MACHINE IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY!!
Never had a worse piece of equipment, felt like throwing it out of the window.
Other reviews say it all, cannot add anything else, certainly nothing positive.
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BUY THIS MACHINE IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY!!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Too slow to view channels
(1 out of 5) by R. Patel on Oct 18, 2009 (London, UK)This product was purchased as I have a Samsung TV and wanted a HDD Recorder from the same manufacturer.
Also, Samsung HDD Recorders are cheaper than Sony and Panasonic.
I have used this product for 3 weeks and have finally decided today to return it.
It's very slow flicking through the channels when you want to record.
When it does record a programme and you want to view it, the title is not shown.
Generally the product is very slow and cumbersome to use all over.
I have to agree with all the negative comments that have been said by those that have reviewed this product prior to me.
I will probably spend a bit more on a Sony or Panasonic HDD Recorder!
Also, Samsung HDD Recorders are cheaper than Sony and Panasonic.
I have used this product for 3 weeks and have finally decided today to return it.
It's very slow flicking through the channels when you want to record.
When it does record a programme and you want to view it, the title is not shown.
Generally the product is very slow and cumbersome to use all over.
I have to agree with all the negative comments that have been said by those that have reviewed this product prior to me.
I will probably spend a bit more on a Sony or Panasonic HDD Recorder!
40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
Terrible!
(1 out of 5) by J. Miller on Jul 20, 2009 (UK)Possibly the worst piece of electronic equipment I have bought. Very unfriendly with menus that are completely counter intuitive. Has problems doing basic things like storing a name to go with a recording, remembering where you left off watching a recording, pausing a recording and so on. I used to have a Sony which was much easier to use.