I have just bought a Pioneer 545 DVD player after many good reviews. I have to say I am underwhelmed... the pictures are good and so is the sound with all of the twiddles to play with. I just wanted a good easy to use machine with great pictures and sound...not a lot to ask I thought.
The player it's self looks great slim and silver just fits right in with the rest of my stuff.
Problem is when I first put a disk on the drawer I thought it was broken, it flopps about it is only loosely atached to the rest of the machine it seemed. Anyway on with the playing when I tured the machine on stunning pictures in S-Video mode but here I hit the first problem. The search mode on the player is naff...too slow 1, 2 & 3 is all you get, and too uncontrolable, it is controlable but you have to be an octopuss to use the remote!
I persevered and after initial setup the pictures do look good and yes the sound is great. I rewired the connections to get RGB as I should have done in the first place....Disaster... the pictures were even clearer and the contrast levels were superb only thing is for every dark movement on the right of the screen a band of "shaddow" ran horizontaly accross the entire picture!!
I first thought it must be the TV it is getting on a bit, so I borrowed a Panasonic RV41, I tryed the same disc with the same set up and the same conectors superb picture with no faults. Infact the S-Video pictures from the Panasonic were almost on a par with the RGB from the Pioneer. As for the RGB picture I could not ask for more sublime (The disc drawer was solid and the remote though simple is easier to use and the player did what you wanted with no fuss). OK the pioneer has better looks, more functions, more sound gimmicks and better conectability but for user frendliness it sucks!!!!
I feel I have made a BIG mistake, convinced I needed the Pioneer when all along the Panasonic delivers what you want with ease!!

I've had a Pioneer DV525 for a year or so now and I have to say the remote control is the worst remote for any device I have ever used. All the buttons are excactly the same size (about 3mm x 7mm). When watching a DVD in a dark room it's impossible to operate the player from the remote because I just don;t know what button I'm pressing............it's really not a joyfull experience operating the player and somewhat spoils things.

I think it's time for it to go now, criteria for a new player

# Nice remote
# 2 scart Sockets with RGB loop through


Mark

Or get a Pronto

[HouseofMu]

ABP,

I've recently bought a 545, based on a whole raft of great reviews and the fact it has twin RGB scarts (and no decoders). I've now watch over a dozen films through it and have not experienced the 'black shadow' problem. I mentioned this to another 2 friends that also bought the same machine, they've never seen this effect either. I suggest you get it checked out with your dealer, or try a different set of leads.

My player is connected directly to a Sony 32FX60 tv with an IXOS 141 scart cable.

As for the problems with its remote, does that really matter, surely its the quality pics and sound that count? I find the only button I really use is 'Play'. You should try using a Thomson dvd player remote, now they're a disaster!

n.

[Grubert]

ABP,

Your opinion surprises me. I love both the RGB picture quality and the remote, what with joystick, jog/shuttle and other things. I would have paid the premium on the 444 for the remote alone.

If you're in the dark, you can try pressing the side button of the remote and voilá - the main buttons are lit!

Overall, I'm more than happy with my 545.

Regards.

Thanks HouseofMu you are of course correct about the remote, the pictures and sound are great and the RGB works fine on another TV so it seems my TV just can't handle it.
As for the remote I must just be spoilt, all of the rest of my kit is Panasonic and the remotes are superb. It's not thea the Pioneer remote is bad it just dosn't live up to what I am used to.
Thanks for the responce I have now come to accept the Pioneer and it does look fantastic and work superbly.

[HouseofMu]

ABP,

no problems, wouldn't want anyone living with a faulty bit of AV kit!

Just watched a Superbit version of '5th element' for the 1st time, what a superb disc this is!

Highly recommend to anyone.

n.

> I have just bought a Pioneer 545 DVD player after many
> good reviews. I have to say I am underwhelmed...

I too was a little underwhelmed, but it's growing on me. The worst thing about it, is there is no digital Zoom, so using a 4:3 TV, you cannot watch "full screen", you have to watch letterbox, unless the disc has 4:3 pan and scan encoded.

> Problem is when I first put a disk on the drawer I thought it
> was broken, it flopps about it is only loosely atached to the rest
> of the machine it seemed.

Definately, it's a bit feeble!

> the pictures were even clearer and the contrast levels were
> superb only thing is for every dark movement on the right of
> the screen a band of "shadow" ran horizontaly across the
> entire picture!!

Yeah, this is an electrical bug either in the TV or in the DVD player, dunno which. It manefests itself when you have a TV that doesnt isolate it's SCART output when recieving input. If you look closely you'll see that it is infact a Ghost image of whatever channel it was you were watching last on the TV rolling from right to left. The TV analog tuner signals are coming back along the SCART cable, and bouncing around inside the 545.

Solution:

Get a SCART cable that is only mono-directional (i.e. from DVD -> TV) or snip the connections in your existing SCART cable. That clears everything up fine.

Later

Alexh