SETTING UP THE PLAYER

Settings: Dolby Digital* Dolby Digital/DTS Dolby Digital/MPEG Dolby D/DTS/MPEG PCM Not Connected *Factory setting
To change other player settings in the Setup screen menus
The procedure for changing the settings in the Setup screen menus is described on page 24.
Setting compatibility with 96 kHz output
The [96 kHz PCM Audio] screen establishes whether or not the AV component the player is connected to is capable of processing an audio signal with a sampling rate of 96 kHz. This screen only appears if connections have been made to an external AV component as determined in previous screens.
Setup Navigator Amp Connection 96kHz PCM Audio No Yes Don't Know Digital jack not compatible with 96kHz Move
Settings: No* Select if the connected AV component cannot process an audio signal with a sampling rate of 96 kHz. Yes Select if the connected AV component can process an audio signal with a sampling rate of 96 kHz. Dont Know Select if you are uncertain whether the connected AV component can process an audio signal with a sampling rate of 96 kHz. *Factory setting
Getting Started Using Your DVD Player
Playing DVDs, Super VCDs/ Video CDs, CDs and MP3s
DVD/Super VCD/VideoCD/CD/MP3
Before you can start to enjoy the digital audio and video on DVDs, be sure that you have either performed the Setup Navigator procedure described in the previous section or made the necessary settings in the Setup screen menus as outlined in the next section to set up the player to correspond to your home system. Having made these settings, you are now ready to start using the player to enjoy DVDs, Super VCDs/Video CDs, CDs and MP3s.
Press ( STANDBY/ON on the front panel). Press OPEN/CLOSE (0 on the front panel).

The disc tray comes out.

Load a disc.
Load a disc with the label side facing up, using the disc tray guide to align the disc.
Press PLAY 3 (3 on the front panel).
The disc tray closes, and playback begins. MP3 only: It may take a few seconds for the player to locate the track on the disc, depending on the complexity of the file structure. During this time, Please wait a moment is displayed. Depending on the disc, a menu may be displayed. If a menu is displayed, proceed to step 5.

AUDIO SETUP DISPLAY

RETURN 5
Select the item you want to view.
When a DVD is loaded: Select the item with the cursor buttons (2/3/5/ ) or the number buttons then press ENTER. When a Super VCD/Video CD is loaded: Use the number buttons to select the item.

Example: When a DVD that has menu screens is loaded
Highlight Clips Chapter List Commercial Header Subtitles Soundtrack Start Main Feature
Example: When a Super VCD/Video CD that has Playback Control is loaded

STANDARD VOCAL BEST

Don't Tekno for an Answer Bad Whack Naff Riff dubmyheadbassman Gooey Love Jingle Praise the Day G3, Ba-san Abstract Jazz Phunk Rock the Love Jive Bertie B.& the Goans Hood in the Boyz Sleek Machine Philip William Formerly an Artist Pfeuti John Torn Hot Monkey Stick
Chapter (Track) Skip Forward/ Skip Back DVD/Super VCD/Video CD/CD/MP3
Advancing to the next chapter (track)
Press NEXT ( on the front panel).
Press to skip forward to the next chapter (track). You can advance more than one chapter (track) forward by pressing and holding NEXT and releasing when the desired chapter (track) number appears in the display.

STOP 7

41 DV-533K
Forward and Reverse Scanning DVD/Super VCD/Video CD/CD/MP3

PREV 4

Skipping back to the previous chapter (track)
Press PREV 4 (on the front panel).
Press once to skip back to the start of the chapter (track) currently playing. Press twice to skip back to the start of the previous chapter (track). You can skip back to previous chapters (tracks) by pressing and holding PREV 4 and releasing when the desired chapter (track) number appears in the display.
Fast forward and reverse scanning
Press and hold FWD or REV 1 ( or on the front panel) during playback to scan forwards or backwards.
While 1 or is displayed on-screen blinking, release the button to resume normal playback.

Variable speed scanning

PLAY 3

REV 1/FWD

Press (but dont hold) FWD or REV 1 during playback to start scanning.

1 or appears on screen.

Depending on the type of disc playing, you can increase the scanning speed by pressing FWD or REV 1.
The scan speed is shown on-screen. DVD discs have three scanning speeds; 1, 2 and 3. CD and Video CDs have two scanning speeds; 1 and 2. MP3 have only one scanning speed.
Press PLAY 3 to resume normal playback.
Resuming playback from where you stopped

DVD/Super VCD/Video CD

Use the resume feature to restart playback from the point that the disc was stopped last time. This features cannot be used with MP3s and CDs.
Stopping Playback and Switching Power Off

Use the cursor buttons () to enter the menu.
The top item within the menu becomes highlighted.
Audio DRC Off Dolby Digital Out Dolby Digital DTS Out Dolby Digital 3 PCM 96kHz PCM Out 96kHz 3 48kHz MPEG Out MPEG 3 PCM Change Dolby Digital output mode Move
Use the cursor buttons (5/) to select the setting you want to change.
The options available for each setting appear to the right when the setting is selected. The current setting appears with the setting indicator lit.

2 3, 4, 5, 6

Use the cursor buttons (3) to enter the setting options.
Audio DRC Off Dolby Digital Out Dolby Digital DTS Out Dolby Digital 3 PCM 96kHz PCM Out 96kHz 3 48kHz MPEG Out MPEG 3 PCM Output Dolby Digital Move
Not all menu options can be changed while a disc is playing. In these cases, the options appear grayed out on the screen and cannot be adjusted. To change these settings, press STOP 7 first before pressing SETUP. Operating the menu after pressing STOP 7 may cancel the resume function. Some menu options are not immediately effective if set while a disc is playing. To make these settings effective, stop playback and then start again, or change the settings while the disc is stopped.

continued

IMPORTANT

9 7, 8

Changing to the Setup Screen Expert Menu Mode

7, 8 7

The Setup screen menus are divided into two levels, [Basic] and [Expert], to make this unit more convenient to operate for different levels of users. The [Basic] menu mode contains functions that may be considered necessary for the basic operations of this player and helpful on-screen information identified by the i mark. The [Expert] menu mode adds to the [Basic] menu mode additional functions of the player that can be adjusted to further personalize performance of the player. In this manual, functions that are contained in the [Expert] menu mode are identified by the Expert icon. Make changes to the [Setup Menu Mode] setting in the Setup screen General menu.
Setup Menu Mode Expert Setup Navigator Basic Parental Lock Off (us)
Use the cursor buttons (5/) to select a new setting and press ENTER to set the new setting in memory. Press RETURN or the cursor button (2) to exit the options without making any changes. Press RETURN or the cursor button (2) to go back to the main menu bar to select another menu. Press SETUP to close the Setup screen.

The Setup screen closes.

Change menu mode Move
Settings: Expert Basic* *Factory setting Note
On-screen information only appears in the [Basic] menu mode.
ADJUSTING AUDIO AND VIDEO SETTINGS
The next time you press SETUP, youll see the menu screen that you exited from last time.

This player is capable of outputting the Dolby Digital surround sound audio signal. When the player is connected to an AV component that has a built-in Dolby Digital decoder, select [Dolby Digital]. This player can also convert the Dolby Digital signal to a digital Linear PCM signal, the same digital signal output from a CD. Select [Dolby Digital 3 PCM] when you have made connections to an amplifier or receiver with a Dolby Pro Logic decoder or a Digital Analog Converter (DAC).
Settings: Dolby Digital* Dolby Digital 3 PCM *Factory setting

DTS Out

This player is capable of outputting DTS digital audio for DVDs recorded in DTS. When this player is connected to an AV component that has a built-in DTS decoder, select [DTS]. If your system is not equipped to decode DTS, select [Off]. Refer to the operating instructions supplied with your audio components if you are unsure about compatibility with DTS.
Audio DRC Off Dolby Digital Out Dolby Digital DTS Out Off 96kHz PCM Out DTS MPEG Out MPEG 3 PCM Change DTS output mode Move

MPEG Out

This player is capable of outputting the MPEG digital bitstream. When the player is connected to an AV component that has a built-in MPEG decoder, select the [MPEG] setting. Otherwise, select [MPEG 3 PCM] to convert the digital signal to the PCM signal, the digital signal output from a CD.
Audio DRC Off Dolby Digital Out Dolby Digital DTS Out Off 96kHz PCM Out MPEG MPEG Out MPEG 3 PCM Change MPEG audio output mode
Settings: Off* DTS *Factory setting
Settings: MPEG MPEG 3 PCM* *Factory setting
If you have made digital audio connections to component(s) not equipped to decode the DTS digital bitstream, be sure to select [Off]. If a DTS signal is output without decoding, the output is digital noise that could potentially cause damage to your speakers.

Digital Out

Expert

DVD/Super VCD/VCD/CD

Depending on your preferences and the type of connections made, you may opt not to have the digital audio signal output at all. When this setting is set to [Off] there is no signal output from the digital audio output jacks. Make changes to the [Digital Out] setting in the Setup screen Audio 1 menu in the [Expert] menu mode (page 25).

Audio DRC Off Dolby Digital Out Dolby Digital DTS Out Off 96kHz PCM Out 96kHz 3 48kHz MPEG Out MPEG 3 PCM Digital Out On Off Move

96 kHz PCM Out

This player is capable of outputting digital signals with a sampling frequency of 96 kHz. If you have made connections to a component capable of processing this signal rate, select [96 kHz] for the signal to be output as is. As some components are incapable of processing digital signal input with sampling rates of 96 kHz, selecting [96 kHz kHz] compresses the signal to a standard signal with a sampling rate of 48 kHz.
Audio DRC Off Dolby Digital Out Dolby Digital DTS Out Off 96kHz PCM Out 96kHz 3 48kHz MPEG Out 96kHz Change 96kHz output mode Move
Settings: On* (Digital bitstream is output) Off (Digital bitstream is not output) *Factory setting
Settings: 96 kHz kHz* 96 kHz *Factory setting
On DVDs that contain copy protection, the 96 kHz signal may only be output from the analog audio jacks.
Getting Surround Sound from Stereo Speakers DVD/Video CD
TruSurround (stereo audio sources) to produce a surround sound effect from stereo speakers. This function works only when connections are made to the AUDIO OUT jacks.
A1 Audio2 Video1 V2 Language General
Virtual Surround Off TruSurround
TruSurround uses technology that simulates multichannel surround sound using only two speakers.
Surround effect from 2 speakers Move
Settings: Off* TruSurround *Factory setting
There is no effect when the audio source is either DTS or 96 kHz LPCM or during CD or MP3 playback. The digital audio output level is reduced when playing 2 channel Dolby Digital DVDs or Video CDs with TruSurround selected. If you play a multichannel Dolby Digital DVD with Dolby Digital to PCM conversion (see page 26) and TruSurround selected, there is no digital output. How good the surround effect is varies with the disc.
Setting the TV Screen Size

DVD/Super VCD

Setting and Appearance

Letter Box setting
Differences in screen sizes and DVD/Super VCD formats
The number of screen size formats currently available can be somewhat confusing. If set incorrectly, the video presentation may not appear as it should. The following diagrams and descriptions are intended to help you set your TV screen size in a way that will allow you to fully enjoy the digital video of DVD/Super VCD. The settings in the [TV Screen] setting are perhaps most applicable when the DVD/Super VCD you are watching is programmed in the wide screen format. If you have a standard TV, select either [4:3 (Letter Box)] or [4:3 (Pan & Scan)] based on your personal preference. If you have a wide screen TV, select [16:9 (Wide)]. Note
When playing Super VCDs, even if [4:3 (Letter Box)] is selected in the [TV Screen] setting, the disc will be shown in Pan & Scan format.
Pan & Scan setting Standard screen format DVD/ Super VCD If you have a standard TV, the standard screen format will be presented regardless of the setting. Any setting Wide screen format DVD/ Super VCD (unnatural squeezed effect) If you are viewing a wide screen format DVD/Super VCD on a standard TV and the [TV Screen] setting is set to [16:9 (Wide)], the picture may appear squeezed on the screen. To remedy this condition, select either [4:3 (Letter Box)] or [4:3 (Pan & Scan)].
Switching the S-Video Output

Expert DVD

You can Switch the kind of S-Video signal output from the S-Video outputs. If you connected your TV with an SVideo cord, in rare cases the TV picture may appear stretched. In this case switch the output from [S2] to [S1]. Make changes in the [S-Video Out] in the Setup screen Video 1 menu in the [Expert] menu mode (page 25).
TV Screen 16:9(Wide) S-Video Out S1 Screen Saver S2
Setting the Position of the On-screen Display Expert
When watching conventional software on a wide screen TV, the operation display is at the very top of the screen, and may be difficult to see. Changing the position of the display lets you see operation indicators clearly even on a wide screen TV. Alternatively, you can choose to turn them off completely with the [Off] setting. Make changes in the [On Screen Display] in the Setup screen Video 2 menu in the [Expert] menu mode (page 25).

Press the number buttons while the disc is stopped to select a title or track number. Press the number buttons while the disc is playing to select a chapter or track number. To select number 3, press 3. To select number 10, press +10 and 0. To select number 37, press +10, +10, +10 and 7.
3 Title Off Chapter Time 2

3 Track Off Time

3 Track 3 Off

3 Folder Off Track

Using the MP3 Navigator MP3
Use the MP3 Navigator to make searching for the track(s) you want to play easier. You can also use it to add or clear tracks from the program list.
Load a CD-ROM containing MP3 tracks. Press MENU to enter the MP3 Navigator screen.
The left side of the screen shows a list of folders containing MP3 tracks. If you display the MP3 Navigator when a disc is playing, the currently playing folder and track numbers are shown at the top left of the screen.

Total number of Track

Current : 3 1-1
MP3 Navigator Track 1.TRACK1~1 2.TRACK2~2 3.TRACK3~3 4.TRACK4~4

Cursor buttons

Folder 1.FOLDER~1 2.FOLDER~2 3.FOLDER~3 4.FOLDER~4 5.FOLDER~5 6.FOLDER~6

Total number of Folder

On the right side is a list of MP3 tracks from the first title in the list.

PROGRAM

MP3 Navigator Track 1~4 1.TRACK1~1 2.TRACK2~2 3.TRACK3~3 4.TRACK4~4
Folder 1.FOLDER~1 2.FOLDER~2 3.FOLDER~3 4.FOLDER~4 5.FOLDER~5 6.FOLDER~6 Del PGM
Navigate using the following controls:
Cursor buttons (2/3) Select folder and tracks from the current screen. Cursor buttons (5/) Select the previous/next of folders and tracks. To move rapidly up or down a long list of folders or tracks, press and hold the cursor buttons (5/). ENTER Play the currently selected folder or track. MP3 tracks that are unplayable on this system are automatically skipped and the display shows UNPLAYABLE MP3 FORMAT. MENU Exit the MP3 Navigator PROGRAM Add the currently selected track to the.) program list. (Tracks in the program list are marked Pressing PROGRAM repeatedly will add the track to the program list repeatedly. See Programming MP3s on page 46 for how to use program play. (Press MENU to exit the MP3 Navigator first.) CLEAR Clear the currently selected track from the program list.

ADVANCED FUNCTIONS

Repeat Play
You can repeat an entire title, folder, chapter or track, or just a part.

To stop random play

Press CLEAR. This returns you to normal playback of chapters/tracks in order from the chapter/track currently playing.
With Super VCDs/Video CDs, random play is not possible during playback when the menu is displayed (PBC playback). To perform random play, start playback without displaying a menu by pressing a track number button while in the stop mode, and then press RANDOM. Random play of programmed chapters/tracks is not possible. In the case of DVDs, random playback may not be possible with some discs. Repeat playback of random playback is not possible. In these cases, the mark will appear on the screen.
Playback in a Desired Order (Program Play) DVD/Super VCD/Video

CD/CD/MP3

The titles and chapters within a title on a DVD and similarly MP3, CD and Super VCD/Video CD tracks can be arranged to play in the order you want.
In the program window, use the number buttons to enter the numbers of the titles or chapters in the order you want to program them in.
To program DVD titles/chapters 9, 7, and 18 in order, press 9, 7, +10 and 8.
Program Chapter Program Title Title 2(/20) Program Chapter Current: Title Program Title Title 7 Chapter 1 (Chapter 1~18)

Programming DVDs

A program with a maximum of 24 steps can be memorized.

Current: 09

Program Memory Off Move

Program Memory Off Play

Press ENTER or PLAY 3.
Playback starts in the set order. Press PROGRAM to return to the previous display. The program will not begin until ENTER is pressed.
To program a pause in a program
Press PAUSE 8 instead of a number button. 8 appears on the screen and the pause can be programmed. A pause cannot be programmed as the first or last position in a program, and two or more pauses cannot be programmed in succession.

To delete a number:

Use the cursor buttons (5//2/3) to highlight the incorrect number and then press CLEAR. The number is deleted. If the number was before another number, the later numbers are reordered automatically.

Setting the Country Code

Change your Country Code whenever you feel it is necessary. However, if you forget your existing password, you cannot enter this screen to change it.
Select [Country Code] in the [Parental Lock] setting and press ENTER.
The screen changes to the password input screen. To enter the password, refer to Entering the Password on the previous page. The Country Code selection screen appear.
Country Code List of Codes us Setup Country Code 2 Code (0~2) 9
Select [Level] in the [Parental Lock] setting and press ENTER.
The screen changes to the password input screen. To enter the password, refer to Entering the Password on the previous page. You cannot select [Level] until you have registered a password.
Use the cursor buttons (2/3) to adjust the Parental Lock Level.
The lock icons appear unlocked up to the selected level to indicate that access is available.
Parental Lock: Level Change Level Off

+/ Move

Use the cursor buttons (2/3) to select either List of Codes or Code. If you select List of Codes, use the cursor buttons (5/) to select the country.
For country codes which are only shown as a code, please refer to Country Code List on page 53.

Set Parental Lock Level

List of Codes us
Press ENTER to set the new level.
The new Parental Lock level is set and the screen returns to the General menu screen. To go back to the General menu screen without making any changes, press RETURN.

Changing the Password

Change your password whenever you feel it is necessary. However, if you forget your existing password, you cannot enter this screen to change it.

Code (0~2) 1 9

Select [Password Change] in the [Parental Lock] setting and press ENTER.
The screen changes to the password input screen. To enter the password, refer to Entering the Password on the previous page.
Press ENTER to set the new Country Code.
Use the cursor buttons (2/3/5/) or the number buttons to enter the new password. When the new password has been entered, press ENTER.
The new password is set and the screen returns to the General menu screen. To go back to the General menu screen without making any changes, press RETURN.

Country Code List

Country ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BELGIUM BRAZIL CANADA CHILE CHINA DENMARK FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY HONG KONG INDIA INDONESIA ITALY JAPAN KOREA, REPUBLIC OF MALAYSIA MEXICO NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NORWAY PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES PORTUGAL RUSSIAN FEDERATION SINGAPORE SPAIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA THAILAND UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Input-code 2119 Country-code ar au at be br ca cl cn dk fi fr de hk in id it jp kr my mx nl nz no pk ph pt ru sg es se ch tw th gb us

3/12 10.53 59.26/ 70.19

Video CDs remaining time Video CDs total time
current track number Video CDs total elapsed time
10.53 5.23 Play Track 3 3.56/
Depending on the format and type of disc being used, not all screens may be displayed. When playing Video CDs in PBC mode or unfinalized CDRs not all the above information is displayed.
elapsed time of current track
total time of current tracks

current track number

Play Track 3 1.27/

10.53 5.23

remaining time of current track

Play 1

Press DISPLAY during while a disc is stopped to display DVD title and chapter information or Video CD and CD track information or MP3 folder and track information. Press DISPLAY again to turn the display off. Information about the titles and chapters or folders and tracks on a disc is displayed. When the information exceeds the space on the screen, use the cursor buttons (2/3) to move to other screens. DVD
Information: DVD Title 05 1/2 Chapter 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ 12 1~8 Title 10 Chapter 1 ~ ~ 13 1~5 1~4 1~8

3 3.29/

0.03 3.32
remaining total time of current tracks

Play All 1/10 66.20/

current total time of tracks

1.13 66.32

Titles and number of chapters in each title

Video CD and CD

CDs remaining time CDs total time
current track number/ total number of tracks in folder

Play Track

Information: Compact Disc Total time 72. 04 Track Track Time 06 5. 4. 07 6. 08 5. 09 5. 10
Time 6. 51 3. 18 6. 50 4. 16 3. 22

1/7 0.07 TRACK1~1

Total playing time of disc, tracks and track times

track name

Information: MP3
current folder number/ total number of folders

Play Folder

2/3 0.07 FOLDER~1

Folder 005

Track 1~~ 11 1~~ ~ 15
Track 1 ~ ~ 13 1~5 1~4 1~8

folder name

Folders and number of tracks in each folder
current folder number/ current track number

0.07 3.20

Information for Super VCD is not displayed

21 3.13/

total time of current track

Play Tr. Rate:

216 0.07 128kbps

Additional Information

Disc Care

How to hold discs

When loading or removing discs, try not to touch their playing surfaces.
After using discs, store them upright
After playing a disc, always remove it from the player and return it to its jacket. Then store it standing upright away from heat and humidity. Store discs carefully. If you store discs at an angle, or stacked on top of each other, discs may become warped even when in their jackets. Do not leave discs in locations such as the seat of a car, which may become excessively hot. Do not fix labels or stickers to discs. The disc may become unplayable as a result. Do not load more than one disc into the player.

CAUTION WHEN USING THE DISC
All rights reserved. Unauthorized public performance, broadcasting or copying is a violation of applicable laws.

Cleaning

Fingerprints or other dirt on the disc may affect sound and picture quality. To clean your discs, use a soft clean cloth to wipe them. If necessary, moisten a soft cloth with diluted neutral detergent to remove heavy dirt or fingerprints.
For Proper and Long Use of This Unit
Do not move the unit during playback
During playback, the disc rotates at high speed. Do NOT lift or move the unit during playback. Doing so may damage the disc.
Do not wipe in a circular direction (Concentric scratches in the disc groove tend to cause noise).
Gently wipe from the inside toward the outer edge.

When moving the unit

When changing places of installation or packing the unit for moving, be sure to remove the disc and return the disc table to its original position in the player. Then, press STANDBY/ON and switch the power to standby. Check that the --OFF-- indication on the display goes off, then disconnect the power cord. Moving this unit with the disc loaded may result in damage to this unit.
Discs must not be cleaned with record cleaning sprays, or static prevention sprays, etc. Also do not use volatile liquids such as benzine, or thinner, etc.
Never play cracked or warped discs
The disc revolves in the player at high speed when it is played. Never play a cracked, scratched or warped disc. This may damage the player or cause it to malfunction.

Installation

Select a stable place to the side of a TV set or stereo system to be connected to the unit. When using the unit with a stereo system, install the speakers a little bit away from the TV. Do NOT install the unit on top of a TV or color monitor. Install the unit away from equipment that may be affected by magnetism, such as a cassette deck. Do NOT place objects on top of the unit.
Never use discs with special shapes
CDs with special shapes (heartshaped CDs, octagonal CDs, etc.) cannot be played on this set. Attempting to do so may damage the set. Do not use such CDs.

Digital output (Optical)

Normally, audio is converted to an electric signal and transmitted through an electric wire from the player to the amplifier, etc. Changing this signal to a digital signal and transmitting it through an fiber-optic cable is called optical digital output. Similarly, optical digital input receives digital signals from external units such as an AV amplifier or receiver.

Multi-session

A CD-R/RW that contains two or more sessions. Each session is a complete recording process, so each session is read as a complete disc.

Parental lock level

This function was suggested by parents concerned about what type of media their children were able to watch. Parental lock restrictions are restrictions incorporated into titles which include scenes that parents may not wish their children to view.

System control

When you connect this player via a cord with a mini plug to another Pioneer component such as a receiver or an amplifier bearing the mark, you can control the player as though it were a component in a system. To control the player, point the players remote control at the component that the player is connected to, and not the player itself.
PCM stands for Pulse Code Modulation and is digital audio. The digital audio of CDs is PCM. This player also has a function that converts Dolby Digital and MPEG digital bitstreams into PCM to enable you to listen to quality digital sound even without a special decoder.

Time number

The time number corresponds to the elapsed playback time of a disc from its beginning. When using the time search function, use the time number to locate scenes that occur at the time selected.

Playback Control (PBC)

This refers to signals recorded on a Super VCD/Video CD (Version 2.0) enabling playback control. You can use menus recorded on discs with PBC for easy, interactive search for desired scenes, and playback. You can also enjoy viewing high-resolution/standard resolution still images.

Title number

DVD discs are divided into units referred to as titles, and titles are divided into chapters. Menu screens do not belong to any title. A disc which contains a movie may have only one title with many or no chapter divisions. Karaoke discs may have many titles, assigning a title to each song on the disc.
Regional restriction codes (region number)
Regional restriction codes are built in to DVD players and DVD discs for each sales region. If the regional code of the DVD player does not match one of the regional codes of the DVD disc, playback is not possible. The region number can be found on the rear panel of the DVD player. The illustration below shows the regions and corresponding region numbers.
TruSurround is a simulated surround system which produces a surround sound effect from stereo speakers.

LISTENING For A Lifetime
We Want You Listening For A Lifetime
Published by Pioneer Corporation. Copyright 2001 Pioneer Corporation. All rights reserved.

PIONEER CORPORATION

4-1, Meguro 1-Chome, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8654, Japan
PIONEER ELECTRONICS [USA] INC. P.O. BOX 1540, Long Beach, California 90801-1540, U.S.A. PIONEER ELECTRONICS OF CANADA, INC. 300 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L3R OP2, Canada PIONEER EUROPE NV Haven 1087, Keetberglaan 1, B-9120 Melsele, Belgium TEL: 03/570.05.11 PIONEER ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD. 178-184 Boundary Road, Braeside, Victoria 3195, Australia, TEL: [03] 9586-6300 PIONEER ELECTRONICS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. San Lorenzo 1009 3er Piso Desp. 302 Col. Del Valle Mexico D.F. C.P.

03100 TEL: 5-688-52-90

<TWKZW/01F00000>

Printed in

<VRB1277-A>

CNET PRODUCT REVIEWS

PIONEER DVR-533H-S
Pioneer gets just about everything right with the DVR-533H-S. Despite being no larger than most DVD players, this sleek hard drive/DVD recorder ($499 list) has a feature set longer than the marquee at a 24-screen megaplex. The main attraction is a premiere for the category: dual-layer compatibility, which allows the deck to record to DVDR DL media that holds nearly twice as much video (8.5GB) as a standard DVDR disc. The Pioneer DVR-533H-S packs in numerous other essentials, including TV Guides free electronic programming guide, easy-to-use menus, 30-second skip, high-speed video dubbing, impressive editing options, and a FireWire input the list goes on. Although its like-priced competitors include highly
DESIGN Pioneers HDD-DVD decks have always been smaller than those of the competition, and the DVR-533H-S is no exception; at 16.5 by 10 by 2.25 inches, its case is about an inch shorter and a few inches shallower than other recorders in its class. The silver-and-black front looks uncluttered yet offers plenty of control to people who misplace the remote; theres full menu control via a veway navigational keypad and an HDD/DVD toggle control, as well as play/pause/stop and record/one-touch record buttons. Flip open the small door on the bottom right and youll nd a set of A/V inputs for your digital camcorder or other external source, complete with S-Video and FireWire ports. The Pioneer DVR-533H-Ss busy remote is its major design aw, and it took us a few seconds to nd the keys we wanted among all the labels and icons. The clicker might stymie beginners, especially since many keys lack visible differentiation, but advanced users and universal-remote programmers will appreciate the one-touch access to the decks many functions. We liked the jumbo HDD and DVD buttons that switch the controls from one disc to the other, as well as dedicated keys for input select, which lets you cycle through the recorders various A/V inputs, and recording mode, which gives you one-touch control over the decks recording speed without having to dig into the setup menu. We do wish the oh-so-useful 30-second-skip button was a bit larger, and its functionality may initially throw people used to the standard skip from hacked TiVos or DVRs such as the Dish Player-DVR 942. Instead of simply jumping forward 30 seconds immediately, the device pauses for a second, allowing you to press the button repeatedly and add to the skip time, to as long as 10 minutes. The reverse-skip offers similar functionality in different time increments, beginning with 5 seconds. We ended up loving the adjustable skip, since many commercial breaks are exactly 2 or 3 minutes long, and once we got the hang of it, we were able to skip them with dead-on accuracy. Given that many

REVIEWED BY

Ben Patterson

EDITED BY

David Katzmaier

REVIEW DATE

August 30, 2005

RELEASE DATE

July 15, 2005
rated decks such Editors rating: as the Panasonic Excellent DMR-EH50 and the TiVo-powered Humax DRT800, out of 10 this Pioneers combination of features, thoughtful design, and overall value it costs a bit less the Panasonic and doesnt require a monthly fee as the Humax does make it the best DVD recorder weve tested so far.
DVD recorders wont skip at all, this anti-advertising feature is a big bonus. Pioneers onscreen display still looks a bit unpolished next to the slick menus of Sonys RDR-HX900, for example, but we found them highly functional and easy to follow. The DVD/HDD navigator, for instance, will display either four or eight titles at a time with thumbnails, and you can easily skip from one screen to the next. Theres also a wizard that takes you through the initial setup process and plenty of onscreen help in the form of messages at the bottom of the screen (which expert users are free to disable). We loved both the home menu, which provides a central place to nd all of the recorders many functions, and the step-bystep copying and nalization dialogs, which make burning programs from the hard drive to DVD a breeze. While novices might nd all the options bewildering at rst, the logical nature of the interface makes using the device to its full potential relatively easy. FEATURES The Pioneer DVR-533H-S offers the most complete feature package in its class. Its ability to record to dual-layer media means you can t nearly twice as much video on one disc. Using the longest-play SEP mode, the Pioneer DVR-533H-S can squeeze 18.5 hours onto a single DVD-R DL; higherquality SP allows 3 hours, 43 minutes. The downside is that DVD-R DL discs cost signicantly more than other media; at one store, we saw prices of $5.33 per DVD-R DL disc compared to $4.99 per DVD+R DL and as little as 48 cents per standard DVD-R. But DVD-R DL media just started becoming widely available, and prices will undoubtedly drop over the next few months. Note that the Pioneer cannot record to DVD+R/RW or DVD-RAM formats, but that isnt a huge deal since plus and minus media cost about the same. This decks 80GB HDD is good for about 35 hours of recording in SP mode, and while you cant record live two shows at once a feature reserved for cable and satellite DVRs or pause and rewind live TV la TiVo or Philipss

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HDRW720, you can press record any time to capture what youre watching. To pause, rewind or fast-forward the current recording, you must either press play or nd the recording in the menu and engage playback. The difference between always-on recording and manually pressing record is one thing that separates most DVD/HDD recorders from DVRs. To dub, you simply create playlists of titles to copy them from the hard drive to DVD or vice versa, and you can modify the titles, as well as menu thumbnails and appearance during nalization Pioneer offers a handful of styles. The High-Speed Copy mode dubbed a 2-hour SP-mode movie to disc in just 15 minutes. Unfortunately, if you want to take a title that was recorded at one speed and copy it at a different speed for example, to t a longer title to disc youll have to copy it in real time. There also a disc-archiving feature that takes a DVD (menus and all), archives it to the hard drive, and then copies it to a blank disc. The archiving went relatively quickly it took about 12 minutes to upload a 100-minute movie to the hard drive and 16 minutes to copy it to a new disc and you can even keep the archive le on the HDD and make multiple copies. Naturally, the Pioneer wont let you archive copy-protected DVDs. Both the HDD and DVD boast one-touch recording, and you can record to XP, SP, LP, EP, SLP, and SEP (10-hour) modes that offer various balances of video quality vs. drive/DVD space. The HDD offers an additional XP+ mode, which gives you superne, 15Mbps recordings (or the equivalent of 41 minutes of disk space compared to an hour in standard XP mode). Theres also a manual mode that lets you ne-tune the recording speed in 32-step increments, perfect for tting, say, a 130-minute movie onto a DVD at the best quality possible. Its Pioneers equivalent of Panasonics Flexible Recording mode. As with many non-TiVo HDD decks weve tested, the DVR533H uses TV Guides free electronic programming guide for setting your recording schedule. While TV Guides EPG still wont work with satellite setups, we nally had no trouble getting it to work with our Time Warner New York digital cable box, Scientic Atlantas 8300HD. We plugged in the RF cable from our controller box; followed the EPGs setup instructions; attached the IR blaster, which changes channels on the cable box; then turned off the deck. About 24 hours later, we were greeted with our local channel lineup, program listings, and descriptions (just for a few days out, mind you, but thats what you get from a free EPG). Were still miffed by the guides clunky design only two columns of programming at a time, not to mention sluggish menus but were pleased by the new recording options, including weekly recording, custom start/end recording times, different recording speeds for specic shows, and reminders for when a show is about to begin. The deck has plenty of editing options for HDD and DVD-RW VR-mode recordings, including the ability to change title names, set thumbnails, erase sections of titles or divide them in two (HDD only), and add or remove chapter stops manually or automatically. With DVD-RW discs formatted in VR mode, you can also create playlists that let you edit together recordings without touching the original titles. If youre trying to edit recordings on DVD-RW discs in video mode (as opposed to VR mode; video mode creates discs that are compatible on most playback devices) or DVD-R discs, your recording options are limited to changing the title name and setting the thumbnail; however, you can always do your editing on the hard drive rst and copy the titles to disc later. The DVR-533H brings an impressive set of A/V connections. In the back of the deck, you get a progressive-scan-capable component-video output, two sets each of S-Video inputs and outputs, an optical (but not coaxial) digital audio output, and the standard RF ports, while up front youll nd a complete set of A/V inputs for a camcorder, including S-Video and FireWire inputs. The only real omission is a coaxial digital audio output. Pioneer also offers a version of this deck with a 160GB hard drive, called the DVR-633H-S. In addition, the Pioneer DVR531H-S ($349 list), which is identical to the DVR-533H-S except that it lacks a FireWire port, is available exclusively from Sams Club and Wal-Mart. PERFORMANCE The Pioneer DVR-533H-S scored strong if not exceptional marks in our performance tests. The deck captured about 450 lines of horizontal resolution in the 1-hour XP and 2-hour SP modes, with its resolution falling to a much softer 300 lines in the 4-hour LP mode, pretty much as expected. As we dialed down to the 8-hour SLP and 10-hour SEP modes, our recordings showed fewer than 250 lines, making for an even softer picture rife with MPEG artifacts again, nothing unusual there. Switching to our test recordings of Star Trek: Insurrection, we noticed our XP and SP recordings of the airborne probes snatching the eeing peasants looked rock-solid, although the SP recording showed some traces of background blockiness. At the LP setting, the picture looked much softer, and there were distracting, blocky artifacts throughout the rocky backdrop. Its recording quality in 4-hour mode is one area where the DVR-533H-S is soundly beaten by the Panasonic DMR-E50H. The image became jerky starting at the 6-hour EP mode, and by the time wed reached the SEP mode, it was wellnigh unwatchable but we expected as much from this mode. Moving to a darker scene in the damaged bridge of the Enterprise, the XP setting did a ne job of handling the tricky smoke and dark interiors, while colors started to look a little less saturated in SP mode. We saw some false contouring with the smoke in LP mode, growing gradually worse as we switched to the lower-quality modes. In our 2:3 pull-down test, the DVR-533H-S smoothly rendered the jaggy-prone bridges and haystacks during Insurrections opening credits. We also ran the Pioneer through Silicon Optics HQV benchmark against our reference Denon DVD-2900 and it scored signicantly lower not a huge surprise since Denon uses the SI chip. Overall, there were no glaring issues in its progressivescan playback performance. Our quick compatibility tests of DVD-R/RWs created by the DVR-533H-S also went well, but playback of DVD-R DL media we used Verbatim 4X discs was mixed. They played back ne on the newer GoVideo VR3930, the Denon DVD-2900, and the Sony DVP-NS975V, but the older Apex AD-600A and Onkyo DV-S525 didnt recognize the discs, and neither did a newer Portable One MX laptop. (To be fair, the laptop wouldnt recognize our Verbatim DVD+R DL discs either.) Compatibility varies widely depending on the media, the recorder, and especially the player, so these issues cant be blamed entirely on the Pioneer. The DVR-533H-S tested well in terms of DVD/CD playback compatibility.