Pioneer DVR-533H-S DVD Recorder/Hard Drive Combination – Product Review

Ececutive Summary about Pioneer DVD Recorder by Robert Silva

pioneer dvd recorder

The DVR-533H, Pioneer’s stylish entry-level DVD Recorder/Hard Drive combo, carries on this tradition as a reasonably priced unit that provides performance and flexibility for those entering the world of DVD recording

All DVD recorders can record from any analog video source (most can also record video from digital camcorders via firewire). Like a VCR, DVD recorders all have AV inputs as well as an onboard TV tuner for recording TV shows. DVD Recorders come in several configurations: Standalone, DVD Recorder/VCR Combo, or DVD Recorder/Hard Drive combo units.

A DVD recorder can be used to copy any homemade videos, such as camcorder videos and videos made from TV shows, and can also copy Laserdiscs, and other non-copygaurded video material.

However, just as you can’t copy commercially made video tapes to another VCR due to Macrovision anti-copy encoding, the same applies to making copies to DVD. DVD recorders cannot bypass the anti-copy signal on commercial VHS tapes or DVDs. If a DVD recorder detects the anti-copy encoding on a commercial DVD it will not start the recording and display some sort of message either on screen or on its LED front panel display that it detects the anti-copy code or that it is detecting an unusable signal.

The Pioneer DVD recorder (DVR7000) Reviewed

pioneer dvr 7000

This sleek, feature packed Pioneer DVD recorder (DVR7000) has elite written all over it. There are extra sets of A/V inputs and a FireWire port on the front of the Pioneer DVD recorder (DVR7000). There’s also jog dial (for trick play) and a large record button. These all add up to give the Pioneer DVD recorder (DVR7000) the appearance of a high end DVD player.

The jog dial allows three-speed picture scan, four speed slow motion, still, frame advance/reverse, resume and repeat functionality. The Pioneer DVD recorder (DVR7000) features user-selectable bit rate recording that will allow you to put one to six hours of video on a standard 4.7GB disc. There are 32 recording settings that allow you to fine tune the trade off between picture quality and recording time. In video mode where you copy DVDs to DVD-R, you are limited to two settings. The Pioneer DVD recorder (DVR7000) has a progressive scan output (3:2 pull down) and Dolby Digital (not Surround Sound 5.1) only stereo. The Pioneer DVR7000 burns DVDs on DVD-R or DVD-RW.

Major Quirks: The DVR7000 has component Output but no component Input. The machine cannot burn DVDs on DVD+RW or DVD-RAM discs. The editing features can only be used with DVD-RW discs. Additionally, the video mode (DVD-R recording) settings are limited to two hours maximum recording time.