The stitched joints from my unit are not as strong as taped joints, but adequate with careful handling and well behaved (flat) veneer. I find it helps to run a few temporary strips of blue tape across the joint before flipping the leaves over and stitching, but it's not absolutely necessary. The stitches have enough body that they can leave a slight dent in the veneer. I will usually leave the stitch in the glueline on the back of a panel to save time removing it , and I haven't had telegraphing problems. I usually stitch the face of the panel front and remove the stitch by scraping. I may steam the seam to raise the dent prior to sanding. I haven't had an issue with hot melt in the pores. I don't know why anyone would stitch one side and then tape the other.
Overall the stitcher has been a timesaver for the size of projects I have done. If I were specializing in veneer work I would probably be looking at a splicer, as I assume it would make a stronger joint with less cleanup. I have done some edge gluing of veneer by taping the seam, folding it back and inserting yellow glue, then closing the seam and removing the tape when cured. It is a good system though a bit slower than stitching. All methods require careful thorough sanding to remove evidence of the seaming process. I hope someone with more experience than I will weigh in on the subject.