Samsung DVD-SH897 HDD Recorder - Black

Like the previous reviewer I was shocked to discover how noisey this machine was. I had everything set up ready to go - great picture from the freeview, no problems recording to the hard drive, everything was looking good. Then I decided to watch a DVD. Disaster! The DVD player gives off a high-pitched whining noise. Turning up the TV couldn't drown out the noise, it was so off-putting. It's hard to believe how anyone could let this pass quality control.

I sent it straight back. I've replaced it with a much quieter Sony model. Problem solved!

I was really disappointed in this product - the specs are good but the usability is appalling. Everything from the virtual invisibility of the front display to the navigation of the various options is hideous. I bought it because I was buying a Samsung TV and thought the 'anynet' feature, which allows you to use the same remote to operate both devices, sounded good. (BTW, this was the second Samsung TV I've bought and I have no complaints about them!). A selection (by no means exhaustive) of the problems I have with the SH897 follows:

* The Userguide is completely rubbish
* The 'guide' (channel listings) moves up and down one line at a time - slowly. So you may as well just use the channel up and down buttons to find a program.
* Once you've recorded a program there is no information as to what it is. Just a text list of program items.
* The guide refreshes so slowly that frequently half the channel information isn't available
* Programs regularly don't record at all.

It just seems like a half finished piece of logic. As someone else said - they make good TVs, but if this is a standard example of their HDD recorders they need to go back to the drawing board!

Why is it not possible to rate with a negative number, I would like to propose minus 5 stars for this product, however the minimum allowable is just 1.
I was shocked with the lack of quality of this product, I made an assumption things like hard drive recorder / DVD's are all the same. WRONG. I was attracted to the smooth lines of the design and the touch style user interface (I never saw it powered up before I bought it). The front display is literally impossible to see from more than 30cm away so whats the point, and secondly it tells you virtually nothing such as what channel you might be recording!
The on-screen software such as the TV programming guide, is really boxy, slow to load and clumsy to use (like 1970's layout, programmed by a 12 year old or something), its actually embarrassing. For example if you record a show, the editing functions impossible to follow and forget trying to refer to the instruction manual which is the worst I've ever seen (and its printed in light-grey colour, its barely legible and there are no examples to follow).

- The User-guide is poor in English grammar, faintly printed but worse than that not informative other than for the most basic of requirements
- Once you've recorded a program, the on screen display doesn't automatically name the program recorded (you have to do this manually which is boring and time consuming)
- The TV day guide refreshes slowly, a bit like old fashioned teletext pages
- The handset layout makes it very easy to press the wrong button e.g. fast forward and skip to next program (REALLY ANNOYING)
- DVD played is incredibly noisy, you have to increase the TV volume to overcome it!
- Software is SO slow to use
- Remote control is long and thin (hard to see buttons), plus the layout makes it easy to hot SKIP instead of Fast forward (or reverse) - thats ANNOYING
- Viewing photos on USB stick, very poor image quality (unusable in practice)
- Un-usable editing functions

In the past I've always bought Sony and Panasonic products, and without doubt there is a quantum leap in quality difference. Samsung, you sell a customer a product like this and you will never sell me another thing in the future. Its the worst electronics device I've ever purchased by a million miles.

UPDATE - I returned this product to my store (and I told them what I thought of their advice in helping me select it in the first place) and went for a Panasonic EX89, and within 30 seconds (now 3 months ...) I'm in love with this machine. Everything poor about the Samsung, is miles better with the Pana. So now, conversely: I have a silent DVD drive, an SD and a USB slot and crystal clear photos - beautiful), an ergonomic and intelligent remote control, Fast software and a cool TV guide (and I don't care about the advertising taking up a quarter of the screen ... I suppose that subsidises the price and increases this amazing quality).

Do yourself a favour - DO NOT BUY the Samsung, you will be massively disappointed.
Re-sellers, why do you stock this garbage??
If you are foolish enough to do so, pre-book an appointment at your GP to request anti-depressants.
New buyers ... even if its discounted, its not worth scrap value in my opinion.
Like mummy told you when you were a kid, JUST SAY NO.