KeithH
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2000
- Messages
- 9,413
The cover article in the September 2001 issue of Sound & Vision is on four new DVD players, including the Pioneer DV-444. As may be obvious, the '444 is the replacement model for last year's DV-434. At first, I was impressed by the '444. It is very small at only 2.25" tall, plays CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3-encoded CDs, offers progressive scan video output (more below), and has good looks with its silver chassis. As I read the article in Sound & Vision, however, I became disappointed in learning that the '444, like last year's '434, has an internal line-doubler and does not do 3:2 (aka 2:3) pulldown. With the competition (e.g., JVC, Sony, and Toshiba) offering similarly priced or lesser expensive players with 3:2 pulldown, I do not understand what Pioneer is doing. When will they learn? Why can't Pioneer make a true progressive scan DVD player in the budget price category? What is the point of a player with just an internal line doubler? I feel Pioneer generally makes excellent products, but I can't understand what they have done with the '434 and now the '444.
In a related matter, what is the point of the new Pioneer DV-341? I saw one at Best Buy for around $160 or so. It has no optical digital output and seems to be bare all around. Pioneer only released the DV-343 a few months ago, and my local Best Buy doesn't even have it anymore. I guess the forthcoming DV-440 at $200 will be Pioneer's quality budget player. Still, I don't see the point of the '341. They should have stuck with the '343 along with the '440 or gone with the '440 alone, in my opinion.
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My:
HT Pics ; Equipment List ; DVD Collection ; LD Collection
KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime
[Edited last by KeithH on August 27, 2001 at 05:24 PM]
In a related matter, what is the point of the new Pioneer DV-341? I saw one at Best Buy for around $160 or so. It has no optical digital output and seems to be bare all around. Pioneer only released the DV-343 a few months ago, and my local Best Buy doesn't even have it anymore. I guess the forthcoming DV-440 at $200 will be Pioneer's quality budget player. Still, I don't see the point of the '341. They should have stuck with the '343 along with the '440 or gone with the '440 alone, in my opinion.
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My:
HT Pics ; Equipment List ; DVD Collection ; LD Collection
KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime
[Edited last by KeithH on August 27, 2001 at 05:24 PM]