Samsung DVD-V9500 DVD/VCR Dual Deck

I bought this unit about six months ago because I wanted to simplify the connections and use the HDMI cable. At the time, this and the Toshiba 593 were the only units available with an HDMI connection.
If you want upconversion from the DVDs 480i scanning to 720p or 1080i, then you must use the HDMI connector. Conversely, any DVD unit with an HDMI connector is an upconversion unit. Got it? The VCR will only play through the RFI or composite video connection. HDMI does not support VHS, nor was it ever meant to (ignore the other reviewer that had this "problem" and thought it was a bad unit).
The unit itself has functioned well. Once you wade through the thick owner's manual, understanding how the unit works does not seem to be a problem. Could the oncreen menus and programming functions be easier -- yes. But it is not bad, and every manufacturer does it a little differently. One great thing about the remote is that it is a multi-brand remote and is usable with...Read more

To save space, I was looking for a combo unit with the HDMI connection for superior video from DVD's. I have a 46" DLP and it performs beautifully. I bought it for $150.00 including shipping which is a very good price for this unit. It works flawlessly with great video clarity. The VCR section is similar to any other VCR out there but the overall quality is pretty good considering it's a VCR. A previous reviewer stated that with just the HDMI connection, the VCR would not work. This was NOT my experience. They both work fine with just the HDMI connection. My component cables are now in storage. I am very happy with this unit and highly recommend it.

I just purchased the DVD-V9500 about a week ago. I have a DLP TV which allows for connecting via HDMI, which when paired with this combo unit, should have performed well. I hooked up the combo to the TV via the HDMI cable and played a DVD at the 720p setting, and so far, so good. I then tried playing a VHS tape after switching modes over to the VCR, and nothing happened. I tuned my TV down to the 480p and then 480i settings, thinking that the VCR part needed to see an analog output stream, but that didn't work either.

I then called customer service at Samsung, and they told me that if I wanted to use the HDMI interface for my DVD, that I had to ALSO use the composite connections (red,white,yellow) in order to use the VCR part. This is NOT what the product description from Samsung advertises and is as far as I can tell, false advertising. Even the manual for the player states that all youo need once you hook up the HDMI cable is that one cable and nothing else...Read more