Another solid Pioneer product
Written: Apr 12 '02 (Updated Apr 12 '02)
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Pros: Small form factor, Sound/picture quality, multi-format
Cons: Remote control
The Bottom Line: A great DVD player wrapped up in a very thin form factor. Too bad the remote isn't a match for the style of the head unit.
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| narenji's Full Review: Pioneer DV-440 DVD Player |
I remember the time when Sony came up with their really small PC, with the little camera in it... I thought my laptop was pretty small and lightweight, and with it being my first laptop, I was amazed how they can stuff everything in there, and then Sony had to come up with what looked like a PSION organizer from a few years earlier. Pioneer did the same thing with DVD players. Not that DVD players are large, but they were usually the size of VCRs, and then I saw this one at Circuit City. It was so thin. Why can't they make CD players or changers this thin? I bought this player not just on looks though. It had good specs to back up its stylish small size. I bought this player to replace the Zenith one I had earlier due to my concerns about its durability.
The box that the player comes in is quite significant in size, but it's large because it has a lot of padding. The player is barely 2-3" in height. The player isn't very deep either, so you should connect all your wires before you slide it into your entertainment center. The only thing that wasn't pretty was the remote included with the unit. It looked like it was made in the mid 1990s. It's reasonably well organized, but it has a lot of small non-distinct buttons. This remote was quite inferior to the Zenith unit I had sampled earlier.
Hookup was easy, and the unit comes with a good set of jacks in the back. It only has a coaxial digital output, but that seems to be common among most entry level players. It does have s-video and composite video outputs along with analog rca audio output. The player will play most everything you can throw towards it. It is CDR, CDRW, MP3, VCD, CD, DVD compatible. It operates quietly, and loads up everything quickly. The unit has a quality feel to it even though it's so thin. The front panel only has a few control buttons. Most functions are accessed by the remote only. The remote only controls the player.
Picture: The player has really good picture quality, but probably a shade less than the Zenith, but it's very slight. Colors and shadows seem realistic, and I didn't sense any hitches with the A/D video converter like my old Samsung. It accesses chapters and tracks quickly, almost as fast as some computer DVD drives. The on-screen menu is simple, and the orange display light on the front panel matches with other Pioneer components. The text for the On-screen menu is just text, so nothing fancy. To make any major adjustments, you have to stop the DVD to access the setup menu.
Sound: This particular player comes with a high-end A/D converter for audio, with 192 bit, instead of the usual 96 bit converter. Now while this is great for sound quality, it doesn't really help when watching DVDs. Since the player doesn't have a built-in Dolby Digital/DTS decoder, your sound quality will be decided by your Analog/Digital Converter in your receiver/Amplifier. My Pioneer VSX509S has the standard 96 bit converter, so my sound quality is comparable to other DVD players when listening to a DVD. CDs do sound more airy, but I don't think my ears are audiophile enough to tell for sure. The player handles the usual DVD digital audio formats of Dolby Digital and DTS. Sound separation is excellent, as exemplified by a test DVD.
Overall, this is a great DVD player, and with a high end audio/digital converter, it could be a player that bridges your home theater from low/middle end to high end without the need for a new DVD player. I would only upgrade this player if I really wanted the benefits of a progressive scan player, but that won't happen till I get a TV capable of producing resolution that will show a significant difference with progressive scan output. The remote is definitely in need of some help, but in today's home entertainment systems, most DVD players are controlled by home theater controllers anyway, as mine is. I hardly use the DVD player controller. I've had this player for about 6 months, and I feel very happy about my purchase. I get many comments about its size, but I'm happy that squeezing everything into that 2" thin package hasn't sacrificed any performance aspects of the player.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 160
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Epinions.com ID:
narenji
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Location: Glendora, CA
Reviews written: 99
Trusted by: 33 members
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