The Hybrid DVD Player
Written: Mar 30 '04 (Updated Apr 01 '04)
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Pros: Plays everything!!!
Cons: Your wallet is empty
The Bottom Line: If you don't have a problem with sleepless nights about not owning this DVD player, wait until the price goes down
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| scapp70's Full Review: Pioneer DV-47A DVD Player |
Pre-Purchase History
Yes, I bought a great DVD player DVD player last year that I love. It had built-in DTS, DD, played DVD-Audio and all of that stuff, I was very happy with my new set up.
As I was waiting for SACD to disappear like DIVX, more and more titles were appearing in this format. DVD-Audio seemed to stand still as far as their building catalog, and SACD keeps getting newer and better favorite titles of mine. Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and The Who's Tommy just about cinched it, but when I saw that Aerosmith's Toys In the Attic was also being released in this format. I had to take the plunge, search, and purchase a hybrid player that would play SACD as well as my beloved DVD-Audio discs (which I still prefer over SACD by the way).
Searching For Just the Right Machine
When I started my search, it was slim pickens from mostly very expensive models. "not spending over $300 for a stupid DVD player" I told myself. I have to wait for the prices to go down which they always do. Finally, more and more hybrid models came out of the sudden. I was looking at the less expensive Pioneer model, the DV-45A for a while, but I could not get any straight answers from Epinion reviewers whom had reviewed that product. I read a favorable article about this model, the DV-47Ai in Sound & Vision magazine and a good review here on Epinions, although a little over my head as far as the latter mentioned.
Found my Machine, How cheap Could I Buy It For?
I decided to see how cheap I could actually buy this model for on the internet. The SRMP is a hefty $1,200, and I know that my wife would divorce me if I spent that much on a stupid DVD player. With the help of the awesome and relatively new website Froogle, I found it cheap at a couple of places (low $500's), I decided on Custom Sound Factory because they are a Pioneer certified retailer, and it was not that much difference in the price ($545.00). Although this price is still very high, I could keep it a secret from my wife because I could pay with Paypal, and no one would be the wiser.
THE SPECS, And WHAT THEY MEAN
VIDEO PERFORMANCE FEATURES
Pure Cinema 2:3 Progressive Scan (This feature is exclusive to High Definition screens, this feature takes the video information, then doubles it, and then doubles it again horizontally and vertically for a substantial increase in picture density)
Video Digital/Analog Converter (DAC) 108 MHz/12 bit, for high quality DVD pictures (Analog Devices) (The higher the bit rate, the better the picture. For the normal DVD player the conversion rate is usually 54 MHz/10 bit. SO for people like me who have no HD monitor, this is a good thing.)
Super-Fine Focus Filter with 4:4:4 Video Up-sampling ( 540 lines of horizontal resolution)
16 Video Parameter Adjustments w/3 User Memories (Progressive Motion, Pure Cinema (on, off, Auto),YNR, CNR, Mosquito NR, Block NR, Sharpness High, Sharpness Mid, Detail, White level, Black Level, Gamma, Black Setup, Hue, Chroma Level, Chroma Delay) (These are the properties of the video that can be adjusted by you. If you do adjust these and save your tweaking in one of the three memory slots, it would not change the video properties you have on your television monitor while watching any other form of media, only the DVD).
Three Factory Video Settings CRT, PDP, Professional (CRT setting is set for the normal television like mine, the curved square glass type of TV. PDP is for the plasma display, Professional is the default, and it is for the "professional" video monitor. I do not know what they mean by that. I changed my setting to CRT.)
Pioneer Exclusive Viterbi Error Correction With Accurate Digital Servo for Superior Reading Accuracy (This involves encoding the data with additional redundant information before transmission, then using an error detection and correction algorithm to clean up the received data.)
Trick Play Processor for Smooth Scanning (This just means that when you are fast forwarding and rewinding while in play mode, you'll see the picture much more smooth than most DVD players)
Still/Step Play Forward/Reverse, & Slow Motion Playback (This is just slow motion, frame by frame viewability, the only media that has limitation is the Video CD, which will not play frame by frame in reverse)
DVD-RW Playback (CPRM) (Well, the first part is obvious, it plays DVD-ReWritable Discs, but what does CPRM mean? It stands for Content Protection for Recordable Media, it is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player.)
AUDIO PERFORMANCE FEATURES
i.Link (Advanced Resolution Digital Audio Interface) Audio Output. (Yes, this is a very exciting feature that I cannot use. It is take the place of your DVD's 6 channel analog plug-ins and run them through this lovely firewire, the catch is, you must have a receiver willing to accept a firewire cable, and mine does not. I will wait to upgrade my receiver, thank you. The audio is not better through a firewire, it's just less, as Nigel Tufnel would say, macky-mack.)
DVD-Audio Playback & SACD Playback (This is the reason why I bought it, the ability to handle DVD-Audio, and that other evil media Super Audio CDs.)
MP3 Playback (Make a CD and fill it with hundreds of songs in MP3 format, this DVD can handle those files. It provides hours of listening pleasure, a standard CD only has 80 minutes capacity, A CD filled with the songs in MP3 format fits hours. For example, I had just made an MP3 CD with all the Beatles albums, and four Paul McCartney solo albums, you do the math.)
Bass Management (Bass Management is how the bass is sent to a system is distributed (or not distributed) between the satellite speakers and a subwoofer. It's a good thing, especially with the SACDs and DVD-A media.)
Twin Laser Pickup (This is pretty standard in all of DVD players, one laser could handle the DVD media, one laser reads CD, CD-R, and CD-RWs)
Audio Digital/Analog Converter (DAC) Triple 192KHz/24-bit (3x2 channel) for Superior Sound Quality (Burr Brown) (In the low end DVD players, you'll find that the DAC is at a mere 96 kHz/24-bit, this player has THREE Digital/Audio Converters which then brings the kHz up to 192. Let us see, a CD is at 44mhz/16-bit, a DVD is 96kHz/24-bit, and this is 192kHz/24-bit. In even more lay terms, it just means that a typical CD player handles 44,000 samples per second, if you played a CD in a DVD player, it can handle higher frequencies and sound better at 96,000 samples per second. Do you get the gist of how wonderful 192,000 samples per second will sound? Hmmm?.)
Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Outputs and Dolby Digital and DTS Decoders (I think we all know what this means now, as it is very commonplace in today's home theater lingo. Most players have Dolby Digital decoders, and are DTS ready, and if your receiver has, the DTS decoder built in you can play and hear your music or movies in these formats. This is just saying not only are the outputs here, but if your receiver has no decoders, this one does, and therefore with the easy hookup of either a coaxial or fiber optic cable you are in DD and DTS business.)
Video Off (If you demand the highest of high fidelity in an analogue set-up, then use the Pure Audio function. It shuts off all unnecessary internal circuits, which could cause extraneous noise, including all video playback functions, digital audio outputs, i.LINK and HDMI connections and the front panel display. The result? Interference during audio playback is eliminated, and you can enjoy the reverberation, silence, buzz, and overall acoustic ambience of the original audio discs, without any quality loss.)
Legato Pro Conversion (This technology is capable of reproducing sound frequencies above 20kHz, which are lost during normal CD-format playback. Not only does this give great sound reproduction but sounds closer to the original recording and more analog like vinyl.)
CONVENIENCE FEATURES
Jog & Joystick Remote Control Unit With Glow-in-the-Dark Keypad (I like this feature, I had this on my old DVD remote, the Toshiba 4200, it works like a little joystick for the thumb
GUI (Graphic User Interface) with Set Up Navigator ( This feature makes it easy for you to set up your DVD player in detail according to your set up at home)
Resume Function (When you press stop, and power the player off, when you come back to finish the movie, you can just press play and it "resumes" from where you stopped it earlier. This function makes it work like a VCR in this aspect)
Program Play (Unlike your old VCR, you can program what scenes, or tracks from your CD to play. Maybe you would want to edit out adult content you know to be in a movie, when you have a G or PG audience. Or for those crazy out of order movies like Pulp Fiction, program the scenes to play the movie in time order)
Random Play (This is really just for your CDs, DVD-As, SACDs, and MP3s. Who would want to play random scenes from a movie, unless you're bonkers.)
VIDEO TERMINALS
1 Component Video Output, 2 S-Video Outputs, 2 Composite Video Outputs (These connectors are all gold plated for that extra nice picture quality).
Parallels S-Video/Composite Outputs (This is sort of like that plug that you would use to plug in your computer monitor).
AUDIO TERMINALS
1 Stereo Analog Output, 1 Coaxial Digital Output (for Dolby Digital/ L PCM/DTS), Optical Digital Output (for Dolby Digital L PCM/DTS) (These are all gold plated for that extra special connectivity that makes the audio sound great)
6 Channel Audio Output (This is to be hooked up for your DVD-A and SACD listening enjoyment. Just because you may have your fiber optic or coaxial cable connected, does not mean you do not have to connect your six analog channels as well. You should hook up these six analog channels as well as, not instead of.
I hope that your A/C receiver will have that capability, most likely it does. However, on the off chance it does not, you will have to hook up your DVD player to the stereo output mentioned above. It would suck, because your SACD and DVD-Audio would not be the multichannel experience it should be.)
Digital Audio Output iLink Connection (This is convenient because you can use this one firewire instead of the six audio channels as I said above. However, having said that, if you do have the capabilities and choose to hook up via the i.Link, you cannot get the full capabilities of the three DACs, and the music will be down sampled to a lower sample rate. Convenient? Yes, performance? No.)
Dimensions
Width x Height x Depth W 16-3/4" x H 4-1/8" x D 11- 1/8"
Weight 11 lbs. 3 oz.
Well, as I wrote above, this DVD player handles just about everything. It cannot handle DVDs from other regions, but you know, DVD's from other regions suck. It is better to wait until they come to your own region.
In addition, this player has a screensaver, but not one that you can create. On my old DVD Player (Toshiba SD4700), you could capture any image on the screen and use that as your screen saver. This just has a boring Pioneer logo that changes colors and moves around the screen. It is petty to complain about, but I do miss this feature.
In addition, this DVD Player does not play Photo CDs as some do. I am going to try to create a special DVD-R Photo CD on my computer and see if it will play this. I'll let you know, I will be right back...
I'm back, and I did make a photo slideshow DVD with Roxio 7 and it worked beautifully. Therefore, the result is that you cannot play a data photo CD, but if you create a Photo Slideshow on your own, it works successfully. I added music to the background of the slideshow, the music sounds great, and the picture quality is from good to excellent.
This DVD player works best with today's version of high-end home theater. I have the normal CRT 36" television, so I cannot enjoy the Progressive Scan or high definition that you would be able to with the proper equipment (widescreen plasma or lcd flat screen for example). These things will come in time. I do have a great receiver and very good speakers, and the audio is awesome.
The remote is pretty big. I mentioned above that I prefer the joystick remote. All of the buttons glow in the dark for easy navigation during those dimmed light movie ambiance nights. You can very easily program the DVD remote to operate the TV monitor. I did set mine up to do so, but it is really a waste of time, since I never change the channel on my monitor or raise or lower the volume. Also in addition to and circling the joystick, is a multi dial. I think the only use is for the slow motion speed control, and for scanning speeds. The remote is not pretty or techy sleek looking, it is very utilitarian.
The look of the DVD player sort of makes a statement to me. To me it says "high end". It is taller than most players are. It is a deep black with gold lettering. I like the way this looks, it compliments my receiver that sits to the left of it.
An important feature I have to come to look for on all of my equipment is the Energy Star sticker. It is good to know that this DVD Player has passed Energy Star's regulations and does not waste or utilize unnecessary electricity. It keeps your bills down and it saves energy.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 545
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Epinions.com ID:
scapp70
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Member: Michael Scapp
Location: NYC
Reviews written: 471
Trusted by: 254 members
About Me:
STOP Obama on 'NET NEUTRALITY'! Too much power = corruption!
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