Pioneer Elite DV-46AV DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio Player with HDMI - Review

The Pioneer Elite DV-46AV, in addition to Standard DVD, SACD (Super Audio CD) and DVD-Audio playback, also has the ability to play CDR/RW, MP3-CDs, and DVD-R/DVD-RW discs as outputting a progressive scan video signal and 720p/1080i upscaling via its HDMI output. The DV-46A, with its excellent DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio and upscaled DVD playback performance, is worthy of consideraton for inclusion in your home theater system..

Pros

Cons

The Pioneer Elite DV-46AV was easy to set up and use. The user manual illustrates several connection scenarios, based on the type of television or audio system.

Overall functionality was excellent. The DV-46AV easily played commercial DVDs, several DVD-R/DVD+RW discs, as well as a selection of SACD/DVD-Audio/CD/CDR/RW discs, and also a Divx disc.

In terms of video performance, quality depended on the type of connection used, but was very good for each type of connection. The HDMI connection yielded the best results, in combination with the upscaling feature.

Using HDMI and both the 720p and 1080i outputs settings in conjunction with a Syntax LT-32HV 32-inch LCD TV with native 720p display capability, Samsung LN-R238W 23-inch 720p LCD TV , and a Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3 1080p LCD Monitor, and using the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD as a reference, the DV-46AV produced excellent results in terms of detail, color, motion tracking, video noise reduction, and progressive scan detection. In terms of overall video quality, I found the images produced by the DV-46AV to be very pleasing.

It was minor disappointment that the DV-46AV did not include 1080p upscaling, which is becoming more common. However, if you have a 1080p compatible TV that does a good job adjusting 1080i to 1080p for screen display, you probably won't notice the difference, unless you comparing the upscaling ability of the DV-46AV with the native 1080i or 1080p output of a Blu-ray or HD-DVD player.

Audio performance of the DV-46AV was excellent. Dolby Digital/DTS surround sound options worked well, with excellent imaging and sonic detail. CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD playback audio reproduction was excellent and I did not sense any shortcomings that could be attributed to the DV-46AV. NOTE: SACD playback can only be accessed by the DV-46AV's 5.1 Channel Analog Outputs.