Not a true progressive DVD!
Written: Mar 11 '01
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Pros: good audio playback, nice setup options, decent picture quality
Cons: reliability, build, not a true progressive mode, and cheap quality
The Bottom Line: The Pioneer DVD player is not a true Progressive Player, and should not have the price tag of such. Save money and buy a Panasonic or Sony.
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| maddieslyo's Full Review: Pioneer DV-434 DVD Player |
To preface my review, this DVD player is the cheapest player on the market today. I have never been a Pioneer fan because I have always felt their products looked too cheap or were loaded with a bunch of features I didn't need or want. While this player certainly carries on the Pioneer tradition of less-then-sophisticated aesthetics, it does not come with any of the extras that do absolutely nothing except clutter up the remote and leave the viewer disappointed when he finds out the "Surround Enhancement" feature really doesn't. What it does offer though is great performance in a no-nonsense, although cheap-looking, package.
I will now delineate why I do not recommend this product:
CONS
-This DVD player felt VERY cheap but I figured it was worth a shot for an under $300 progressive scan player. I was wrong. It was not compatible with my Toshiba TV and it grinded and sounded like it was going to fall apart (just like the Pioneer 503). I was disappointed and brought this unit back.
-The LED display is particularly reminiscent of Pioneer equipment from a decade ago. The remote is fully functional but is far too small. Also, the functions are not laid out as logically as they could be. The forward and reverse scanning is really jerky, bad actually. That is one thing about the Panasonic and Sony machines I tried, the scanning was very smooth.
- This player cannot do 3:2 pull-down. It will display more artifacts and "jaggies" than say a Toshiba 6200, JVC 723, etc.
-I wasn't exactly blown away by the picture. It was good mind you, probably better than an non-progressive DVD player you can buy, but don't think that it will give you near HDTV quality.
-I noticed a little jumpiness in the credits and particularly the menu when I changed from interlaced to progressive modes.
System setup includes... Toshiba 65H80 HDTV; Yamaha 5280(?) Amp; JBL S412P mains w/powered subs; JBL S series center; Polk Audio rear.
-Most noticeable for me was the loss of distortion during motion sequences and less “jaggies” around the edges of figures.
-The remote control is hard to use in the dark because the buttons are so small and the remote doesn't illuminate. I found myself using my television remote to light this one.
- This player DOES NOT WORK in Progressive mode with this or any other Hitachi HDTV set. In the (pseudo) Progressive mode, the picture would flash from black to picture repeatedly as if trying to find sync with the set. No amount of adjustment of the TV or the DVD player would fix this problem. Works fine with interlace, but then why would you pay the premium for Progressive with this player if it can only work in interlace? The manual clearly states that there is some incompatibilities so make sure that your set will work with this unit.
-The displays are comprehensive but the typeface is not the greatest. The "easy navigator" setup wasn't so easy that I could do it without going back.
-The appearance is very plain but functional. No design awards here. The build-quality seems a bit suspect since it is so light.
Conclusion
I would strongly recommend looking at the unit with your set before you purchase. Otherwise save a little more and get a true progressive unit such as the Toshiba, Sony progressive units. I opted for the JVC-D723GD. It worked well in the store with my Hitachi and there was a noticeable improvement in the Progressive mode picture that even bystanders looking at other sets noticed. It is a true progressive player that can do the 3:2 pull-down (this is important). Price was $550. Might be worth a look. I will do a review after I have hooked it up and run it awhile on my set.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 300
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maddieslyo
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Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 26 members
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