From Robert Silva,
Your Guide to Home Theater.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

DVD recorders have come down in price and matured in performance over the past year. One DVD Recorder leader is Pioneer. Starting with a foundation in Laserdisc, and jumping into both DVD playback/recording technology early, Pioneer has had extensive with optical disc video formats. The DVR-233-S, Pioneer's entry-level DVD Recorder, carries on this tradition as a reasonably priced unit that provides performance and flexibility for those entering the world of DVD recording.

Quick DVD Recording Overview

A DVD recorder refers to a standalone unit that resembles and functions very much like a VCR. 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-copyguarded 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.

If you need more info about DVD recording, check out my DVD Recorder FAQs before continuing on with this review.

DVR-233-S Product Overview

The features of the DVR-233S include:

1. DVD-R, DVD-RW (Video Mode), and DVD-RW (VR Mode) recording.

2. Disc recording times available: XP (1hr), SP (2hrs), LP (4hrs), EP (6hrs), SLP (8hrs), SEP (10hrs).

3. Playback compatibility: DVD video, DVD-R, DVD-RW (Video Mode), and DVD-RW (VR Mode), CD, CD-R/RW, VCD. In addition, although not specifically listed, the 233-S was able to play back material recorded on some DVD+RW discs made on other machines.

4. 2 composite video. 1 S-Video, and 1 RF pass through input connections.

5. AV Outputs include: 1 S-video, 1 component video, 1 composite video, one analog stereo audio, and one coaxial digital audio (no digital optical output).

6. Progressive scan with 3:2 pulldown is supported via the component video outputs.

7. Dolby Digital and DTS pass through via the digital optical and digital coaxial audio outputs.

8. Standard and VCR+ record programming functions.

9. Commercial Skip in short time increments via remote or via DVD-RW VR Mode editing features.

10. Wireless remote control and On-screen menus.

11. Comprehensive user manual.

Setup - Hardware

Additional components used in this review included a Yamaha HTR-5490 6.1 Channel AV receiver, Syntax LT-32HV LCD television, Samsung LN-R238W 23-inch LCD-HDTV, and an Optoma H56 DLP video projector.

A variety of loudspeakers, including Klipsch B-3s, Klipsch C-3, Optimus LX-5IIs, a Yamaha YST-SW205 Powered Subwoofer, and additional speakers, in both matched and mismatched setups were used.

Comparison DVD players included a KISS DP-470, Samsung DVD-HD931, JVC XV-NP10S, and an older Pioneer DV-341.

Comparison DVD Recorders used: Sony RDR-HX900, Philips DVDR985, and a Presidian PDR-3222.

All connections, except cable TV connections, between components were made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables.

Setup - DVD/ CD Software

Blank recordable DVD media included Sony-branded standard 4.7GB DVD-R discs and supplied TDK DVD-RW disc.

Pre-recorded DVDs for additional playback tests included scenes from the following: Kill Bill - Vol1, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Chicago, Valley Of Gwangi, Underworld, Passionada, Moulin Rouge, ED Wood, and The Mummy, as well as video content on DVD-R and DVD+RW discs recorded on other DVD recorders.

For audio only, various CDs included: HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Nora Jones: Come Away With Me, Lisa Loeb: Firecracker, Blue Man Group The Complex, Telarc: 1812 Overture. DTS discs included: Queen: Night At The Opera/The Game, Eagles: Hotel California, Sheila Nicholls: Wake, Alan Parsons: On Air. Also included: The Corrs: In Blue (Dolby Digital). In addition, music content on CD-R/RWs were also used.

Proceed to Page 2 - Evaluation and Final Take