Samsung SWA-5000 Wireless Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me get to the point:
This product is not compatible with anything that would work with a SWA-4000 or SWA-4100.
The "TX CARD", which is a card shaped transmitter, is a completely different shape and size.
I contacted Samsung and was told the opposite before making this purchase. This item does not even appear on Samsung's website.
Their 4000 series of wireless adaptors has been completely discontinued, even though the theater systems that require it are commonly sold (including here, I just bought one from Amazon).
I understand that Samsung is constantly improving their products and therefore will often outdo their recent efforts. There's always going to be a new version coming out. That's basically why I like the brand. Their TV and Surround sound systems I just hooked up are simply perfect. I love them. However, the incompatibility does not seem to stem from technological reasons. The TX card housings and different... the electronics (as far as I can see) are similar. The pinouts appear to be the same. The card itself is a relatively simple device, too.
But mostly, they should be prepared for this question. The problem should be discussed on their website. They are selling a large amount of 'wireless ready' gear that they no longer support, so they should have been proactive on info.
And they should consider being more consistent with their TX Cards, because it's not a very complicated card and Sony seems to have no problems with this. I would have bought a Bravia TV and Receiver had I known Samsung's 'Wireless ready' claims were notional at best. And of course, in several months or a couple years, this unit will not work with Samsung's next lineup, the 6000 series or whatever it is named. Forcing you to replace more equipment, for no good reason.
I had to buy a 'rocketfish' universal wireless sound adaptor, which does not function nearly as seamlessly as this would have. I do somewhat fault Samsung for not being backwards compatible with a very similar device. Or at least selling an adaptor. But most of my frustration is that, when asked, their staff were giving me the wrong information.
As for quality, the device is attractive, well built, and has a strong wattage for the speakers. I heard a nearly identical Samsung unit at a family member's house and it sounds great. I am very sure it would be a great addition to your theater system if your system specifically calls for the SWA-5000. No matter what you hear from Samsung or a sales representative at a store, this unit will not work with the SWA-4000 compatibles.
This really spoiled an awesome event of hooking up a beautiful TV and hearing a fantastic HT 1250 5.1 system. Shucks.

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Samsung HW-C700 AV Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)The HW-C700 sounds nice, however it has faults. My setup is all new 2010 Samsung 3D components (TV = UN55C7000, Blue-ray = BD-C6900). The setup has all new HDMI 1.4 cable connections as recommended (and new optical cable from TV to AVR as recommended for Anynet in the receiver manual).
- Sometimes, there are repeated drop outs when streaming audio/music using Allshare and the proper Samsung server software on the PC (PC is fine). Sometimes, the audio streams fine. Netflix does stream well, even in HD so that rules out the network.
- Had to disable Anynet+, even though configured precisely as stated in the manuals/enabled on all devices. The receiver would keep forcing me to use the Audio Assign button on the remote to set the TV to HDMI vs. Optical (every time I powered on devices using BD-C6900 remote). I did make sure TV and BR Player had latest firmware updates.
- There were no firmware updates available on the Samsung website for the HW-C700.
- My inquiry email via the Samsung support web page from 5 days ago was never responded to where I reported these problems and asked if there was a firmware update/fix. They did respond to my second inquiry (sent them this review), but they only suggested I reset the receiver. That was not acceptable as I don't want a receiver I need to "reset" when it flakes out.
- In the middle of viewing a show/movie, you get a black screen with a message "Disconnecting Anynet Device". The new Logitech Harmony One remote I purchased would not work properly/consistently unless you train the remote (yuck)! Not sure who has the weakness here (Logitech or Samsung). That was my backup plan as Anynet+ is pretty bad.
- I hate to return it, but I thimk it's better to wait until the other companies release their 3D receivers later this month and over the next two months. I think this type of product is new for Samsung. The HW-C700 going back.
I don't see the point in having all Samsung components to use Anynet if casues more problems than is solves. Anynet aside, dropouts are not acceptable, nor is unresponsive support from Samsung, hence only a two star rating.

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7.1 Channel,(120Watt x 7),3D Surround,True HD Decoder,Active Subwoofer

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Pioneer Elite VSX-21TXH - AV receiver - 7.1 channel Review

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(More customer reviews)This was my first receiver that I have ever purchased and am very pleased overall (4 months of ownership). Set up was a breeze and the auto calibration (MCACC) works like a charm. Originally I had cheap speakers hooked up to the receiver (still shopping for quality speakers) and the sound out of them was horrible... Well, I ran the auto calibration and it made my cheap speakers sound spectacular!!! I couldn't believe what I was hearing and was starting to wonder if spending hundreds on speakers was going to be worth it. I have listed some pros and cons below. The only reason I did not give the receiver 5 stars is due to the cons that I listed which seem a lot because I tried to explain them in detail. Overall I would defiantly buy this receiver again due to the fact most of the cons listed could be fixed with a software upgrade and a new remote.
System:
Receiver-Pioneer VSX-21TXH, Monitor-Samsung LN46B-530, Center Channel -Polk TSi CS20, Fronts-Polk TSi 200s, Surrounds-Polk Monitor-30s, Subwoofer-? (Came from a computer system 300-W, 8in. woofer)
Pros
1.The auto MCACC calibration (microphone included!)
2.Price!! Buy buying from a non-authorized Pioneer Elite dealer off of Amazon I paid half the price my friend paid when buying the VSx-23 receiver from best-buy. The dealer also had a warranty and good customer service.
3.Being able to assign inputs
4.The amplifier power (Cranked up the volume in a 5.1 channel setup to uncomfortable sound levels and did not notice any distortion
5.Looks, I like the glossy front....well as long as it is kept clean, smudges are very noticeable
6.FM tuner works great!!! All stations come in very clearly. I know that some of the receivers I had listened to in the past need huge outdoor antennas to pick up stations. I just used the antenna that came with the receiver (single wire) and now get all stations in my area
7.Video up scaling. Hugh difference from using the TVs up scaling.
8.Inputs, Had all the inputs I needed excluding the third component input (Wii, PS2, DVD, VHS, HTPC, iPOD)
Cons
1.I wish it had one more component input (I still have to use my component switch)
2.Remote is a little hard to use due to the location of the buttons
3.When trying to change audio parameters when listening to a source the silver round button stops working after one push. This problem is only intermittent and has been noticed when multiple sources are selected. If your trying to change the channel level of a speaker you have to push the buttons (receiver then audio parameter then the circular Arrows) This must be done for each arrow button push. Switching to another source corrects this problem but then you can't tell how your modifications effect the sound in real-time.
4.Cheap speaker binding posts. Not really a major con but before I had purchased banana plugs for my speakers I used the post and screwed them down. I thought I was going to break them.
5.I wish the connection to the computer was a USB instead of a RS-232. I have still not connected it to my HTPC but will once I get the right cable
6.TV control seems to only work when I push the TV source button on the remote even though the remote has a region of buttons dedicated to the TV specifically (Was told that I probably just have the incorrect TV code in my remote but I still haven't gotten to correct)
7.No HD Radio, I didn't know how much I would miss this feature until I bought a receiver and now listen to the radio hours each day.
8.Receiver has to be reset when using my Home Theater PC that is connected through a HDMI cable. The receiver does not send the signal to the monitor after I turn on the PC until after I switch the receiver to HDMI source the turn off the receiver and then turn it back on. If I don't do this then the receiver just says its looking for a source. This could be an issue with my video card (ATI4650) but I'm not sure.


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