... The silver colour always helps these types of units look modern and it is an attractive thing to have sat underneath your telly!
SET-UP
On initial install, this unit is not the easiest to set-up - I should add, I am by no means a tech-wizard, but using it in conjunction with the Pioneer ... Read review
Advantages: Above average all-round unit Disadvantages: May struggle to find it except second hand
...it in conjunction with the Pioneer VSX-C100 amplifier and a Sky system so that I could set up a home cinema made for a tricky few hours of swearing and sweating. Although the instruction manual is comprehensive, it just didn't seem to match to my TV/Sky system too well.
If I had just set up the DVD player, I think it would have been easier so I should mention that as a caveat.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Good ... ...DVD player, this is well worth considering.
OVERALL
A more than useful unit that will last, with plenty of features and good playback. Pioneer are a brand to trust and if you can pick this up cheaply, you'll have a bargain on your hands. ... more
I thought it might be worth writing a review of this DVD player as I have now owned it for almost 5 years and it is still going strong as well as having survived 3 house moves and some time in storage!
It should be noted that this unit has now been superceded by the DV464, so I am basing this review on people looking to pick up a second hand unit.
SPECIFICATIONS
Playable Disks DVD video, Video CD, music CD, MP3 CD /CD-R/CD-RW DVD-R/DVD-RW and CDV (only audio part) Horizontal Line Resolution >500 Signal to noise 118dB Dynamic range 101dB Frequency Response CD 4hz - 20kHz DVD 48kHz 16bit,20bit,24bit: 4hz - 22kHz DVD 96kHz 16bit,20bit,24bit: 4hz - 44kHz Power Requirements 220-240V, 50/60Hz Power Consumption 14W (0.25w in standby) Dimensions Width 420 mm Height 55 mm Depth 278 mm Weight 2.5 kg 192kHz/24-bit Audio DACs (Can only be used at 96kHz 24bit) x2 and x4 picture zoom (still image and full-motion) New On Screen Graphics Picture parameter adjustments Includes MP3 playback with on-screen navigator On screen MP3 Bit-rate Meter With an MP3 CD up to 250 folders with 250 files can be played Sleek, super-slim design: just 55mm high 1 x SCART socket with RGB output
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The DV454 is a unit that looks good, is sleek and matches up to most modern units - the remote control is a good size and not too bulky. The silver colour always helps these types of units look modern and it is an attractive thing to have sat underneath your telly!
SET-UP
On initial install, this unit is not the easiest to set-up - I should add, I am by no means a tech-wizard, but using it in conjunction with the Pioneer VSX-C100 amplifier and a Sky system so that I could set up a home cinema made for a tricky few hours of swearing and sweating. Although the instruction manual is comprehensive, it just didn't seem to match to my TV/Sky system too well.
If I had just set up the DVD player, I think it would have been easier so I should mention that as a caveat.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Good - disappointed to see there is no trouble shooting guide, and stupidly, there are no helpline/contact details for the UK, but it does act as a thorough manual.
PLAYBACK
Excellent performance from Pioneer. The visuals are superb, and sound quality is good too (try it with an audio CD to see what I mean!) - I've added the amplifier and bass unit to surround sound speakers, which only serve to heighten the experience, but even on its own, the DV454 is a superb piece of kit. The added bonus of MP3 playback may be useful, but I've only tried it once so far and it worked fine.
My only gripe on playback is that it doesn't play Region 1 DVD's - so I play any foreign imports on my £49.99 Sainsbury's TV/DVD player!!
REMOTE CONTROL
There are very few controls on the unit, so you'll have to use this rather dated looking looking piece of kit. It's fine though, and works well, with buttons that can work with chunky fingers - it's big enough to fit comfortably in your hand without being oversized and you can handle all the operating functions easily from here.
PERFORMANCE
I've already mentioned the length of time that I have had the machine - it's durability cannot be called into question and there have been no issues with any of it's features; it's obviously a well-made unit. Yes, it may have been surpassed by some of the newer players available, but if you want sonething that will do what it says on the tin and be a step up from a starter level DVD player, this is well worth considering.
OVERALL
A more than useful unit that will last, with plenty of features and good playback. Pioneer are a brand to trust and if you can pick this up cheaply, you'll have a bargain on your hands.
Advantages: High playback quality, easy to use and available in black! Disadvantages: Occasional SCART problems on startup, no "display off" option, sometimes too good!
Pioneer have been in the home cinema market for longer than most, and it shows in their most recent offering of DVD players. The DV464 is placed in roughly the middle of their range, and retails anywhere between £90 and £150. It's got all the right letters after its name - DTS, MP3, CD-RW, WMA, SRS (TruSurround). To cover those quickly, DTS is an improvement on Dolby Digital sound; it'll play MP3s and Windows Media files off recordable CDs (it'll ... ...the feeling you get with Pioneer equipment that you're getting a good buy - lifting it out of the box it feels solid, and it sits in the middle of a very big stack of equipment without trouble. It also looks very good - there has been the tendency recently to make the front panels of devices complicated; the Pioneer keeps it simple. The front is sleek, and carries a large display beneath the tray, which is thinner than many, but feels as solid as ...
kurowski 29.03.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pioneer DV-454
Advantages: Chock full of features for a great price! Disadvantages: No inbuilt Dobly/DTS decoders no DVD+R support.
...format. Never feat Pioneer is here, for a DVD newbie - or someone who wants the convenience of DVD without the expense this offering from Pioneer is perfect.
Pioneer helped invent the DVD format, and nowadays they make (in my opinion) the best DVD format hardware around. Check out my Pioneer DVR106D review!
Pioneer have also bowed to pressure (and market demands) for an entry-level DVD player with great features and the slim-line design that expensive ... ...design (only 5.5cm high!) whic is both ergonomic and great looking!
-->MP3 CD: MP3 Data discs (MP3 files burnt onto CDs in data mode) and can be played. Very useful if your player is in a living room, long playlists (170 or so tracks!) can be put on and played. -->CD-R/-RW playback: Can support information written onto both CD writables and CD rewritables.
-->DVD-R/-RW playback: Backuped films and homebrew movies can be played on the unit.
Technical ...
pepetheprawn 18.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pioneer DV-454
Picture Playback
Sound Level
Range of Features
Durability
Value for Money
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Advantages: Cheap, DD Decoder, Multi Region Disadvantages: I got a dodgy one!
or anything, i know 2 other people who bought these too and they have had no problems whatso ever with them, highly recommended to all, there are also new updates available on the cyberhome website!
as for the picture and sound quality, all i can say is that they are excellent. im not really qualified to say as my tv is a small 21" basic tv, and the sound is adequate through a cheap £30 5.1 system so i cant judge, however i can say that the picture quality is equal to that of the PioneerDV454 which i also own! ...
