The Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder is the VCR Replacement!
Written: Jan 27 '02 (Updated Apr 04 '03)
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Pros: Quality and the ability to record your own DVDs.
Cons: The Price and the Finalize time after a recording!
The Bottom Line: The Bottom line is the recording quality is excellent!
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| surferdude7's Full Review: Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder |
The Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder will make your VCR obsolete. Now you can copy your favorite TV programs and erase them up to about 1000 times with a DVD-RW. Copy your home videos on a DVD-R and make a permanent copy for you and your family. “You cannot copy other DVD movies, they are copy protected.”
This DVD Recorder will record on DVD-R (Record Disc) and DVD-RW (Rewritable Disc) discs and they will playback on other DVD players that allow DVD-R and DVD-RW discs. Most of the new DVD models will allow them to be played.
It will not record on a DVD RW or DVD-Ram Disc, Philips DVD recorders support the DVD RW and Panasonic support the DVD-RAM Discs.
Blank DVD-R discs can be found for as low as $4.40 each and the DVD-RW can be found for $14.17. I know this sounds high but just a few months ago they were in the $30 and up range. As more recorders come available will bring the discs even lower in price.
The DVR-7000 will playback the following: DVD, DVD-R, Video CD, CD, CD-R and CD-RW.
The recorder is both Dolby and DTS ready with a 2-year warranty. The price tag is a little steep at around $2000 but you and I know in time that will come down.
The Modes
Standard Mode lets you make several editing functions for your preferences.
Manual Mode is harder to use but you can make more adjustments and editing while getting up to 6 hours play on one DVD-RW. The quality goes down a little in a 6-hour recording but it is still a lot better than VHS.
Video Mode is basically just put a DVD-R or DVD-RW in and it is ready to record up to 2 hours on a disc. It will automatically go back to where you left off recording the last time, no need to hunt for a starting spot.
MPEG2 Encoder
The Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder has real-time MPEG-2 video compression and Dolby Digital 2-channel audio compression.
Chapters
The DVR-7000 has automatic Chapter marks with settings of 3, 5 and 10 minutes or no Chapter marks. Anyone who owns a DVD player knows how helpful the chapter marks can be.
Inputs
3 Composite and S-Video Inputs
3 Analog Audio Input
Outputs
2 S-Video Outputs
1 Component Output
1 Digital Coaxial Output
1 Digital Optical Output
The Cons
1. The price of around $2000.
2. The DVD-R and DVD-RW discs have to be finalized.
3. The manual has a lot there to learn and can be confusing for some people.
Finalize
If you are familiar with recording a CD on your computer you will know that after it has finished copying the CD that it will finalize it. In other words finish it up so it is useable and that usually takes about a minute on a CD-R.
On the Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder it can take it 10, 20 even 30 minutes plus to finalize a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc. This is very slow but the quality of the recordings is well worth the wait.
My Last Words!
The Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder is a Progressive Scan DVD player and you will need a TV that is also Progressive Scan to work properly.
The Remote has a lot of buttons that will take a little time to get use to. The buttons are too small for a person like me with big fingers.
You can create your own menus for each DVD but is will take a little time to learn how to use and make your own.
Overall I find the quality taken from a digital satellite channel (DSS) to give you excellent picture quality to record from. I love the part that it always starts you back where you last left off on a DVD-RW, even if you take the disc out. It really works great. Though it does seem to take about a minute to get started when you get ready to start recording.
This is a one DVD disc unit.
Even if the discs are higher than VHS tapes and the long finalize after a recording, I still like the quality the Pioneer DVR-7000 DVD Recorder produces much better than the VCR.
Update: 11/29/2002 The price was about $2000 when this review was written and now it can be found for under $1000.
Here are some of my other DVD Player reviews!
Apex AD 703 DVD Changer
Audiovox DVD 1500
GoVideo DVR5000 w/ Built-In Dolby Digital/DTS Decoder
Hitachi DV P505U DVD Player
Kenwood DV 403 DVD Player
Kenwood CD-3280M 200-Disc CD Changer
The Mitsubishi DD-6030 DVD Player
Panasonic DMR E20 DVD recorder
Pioneer DV 354 DVD Player
Pioneer Elite DVL-91 DVD Player
RCA RC5215P DVD Player
RCA RC5231Z DVD Player
RCA RC5240P DVD Player
RCA RC5255P DVD Player
Sony DVP S530D DVD player
Sony DVP CX850D DVD changer
Yamaha DVD S700
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1899
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surferdude7
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