Pioneer DVR550HX-S for £339 multiregion!

shandypants

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Morning all
Was searching arund to find best price on the Pio 550 and found it for £339 delivered from total digital with multi region enabled - that is quite a bit cheaper than anywhere else.

Anyone bought from total before? Should I be suspicious? Any bad / good buying experiences from them really appreciated.

Cheers

Shandy
 
I own Pioneer DVR-545HX-S included front USB as you can see the 550HX dont included but it great stuff for 545 and 550 - you would find this excellent features -- I think Pioneer may release next one with DVR-555HX in 6-8 months... if you want to buy or wait,it up to you.:)
 
Bump
Now listed at £369 delivered. Wish I'd ordered it now instead of scouring for feedback on TotalDigital :(

:oops:

Shandy
 
Bump
Now listed at £369 delivered. Wish I'd ordered it now instead of scouring for feedback on TotalDigital :(

:oops:

Shandy

Why not buy the SONY RDR-HXD870 and save over £100

It's almost the same machine, in fact it is the same machine.
They simply added a few extra things to the Pioneer and change the front of the machine.
The pioneer does have DVD RAM record ability, but who needs it with a hardrive?

Even the menus are or are almost identical

The only thing against the Sony is the timer bug. Not sure if the Pioneer has it.
There are work arounds the timer bug.
Pioneer also like to allow you to download firmware updates on their website, sony force you in to a Sony service centre.

The sony is very easy to make multiregion with a £19.99 one for all 6 remote control.
 
Pioneer were reportedly ceasing production of dvd recorders due to unprofitability in this section.

Perhaps this is just a badged Sony.

http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/afx/2006/06/04/afx2791613.html

Additionally Pioneer machines internally use S-Video from the freeview tuner - see postings 4 and 5 in this thread :

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=518817

The Sony 870 has RGB record ability.
At least it does through the scart connection.

I think the post you reported about was a person with old outdated information on older models.

It was true in the old days and on some current makes and models that they only have S Video record abilities.

The recording picture quality is brilliant on the Sony, so I assume its recorded in RGB, you can improve it further by switching off the Standard picture mode adjustment and selecting Professional mode that does not alter the picture.

You can also increase the recording speed, I have selected PCM = 1hr per DVD and PCM sound (uncompressed). This also helps the picture and sound a bit.
 
The Sony 870 has RGB record ability.
At least it does through the scart connection.

I think the post you reported about was a person with old outdated information on older models.

I never said that the Sony 870 did not have RGB connections. The second link I gave for posting No. 4 in regard to Para 4 was referring to the Pioneer DVR 550HX-S (not the Sony 870). Your original posting this thread stated that the Pioneer and the 870 were the same with a few minor differences although the inclusion of DVD-RAM support is NOT a minor difference, in fact, its a very desirable feature.
 
Sony User Manual
http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/3113760111.pdf

Pioneer User Manual
http://www.service.pioneer-eur.com/peeservice/instrmanuals.nsf/0/DAE4427D2E937392C12572F10030CEBB/$File/VRB1458_DVR-550HX-S.pdf

Take a look at both back panels of the machines and notice the Pioneer has a few connections added, but everything else is identical, even the fan placement.
Also look at their software menus = identical.

Both have RGB input

I still stick by everything I have said.

As for the ability to record on to RAM discs, all that means is the pionner has a different DVD burner, it does not mean the whole machine is different.

And you claim having the ability to record on to dvd ram is important, why?
Re writable DVD are only meant for temp storage, you are told you must burn to a R for permanent storage.
RAM discs can only be played in a few machines that have RAM playback support like the Sony 870.
You would never use RAM to record and play in the same machine since the hardrive is much better for this.

But would you pay over £100 just to have DVD RAM record ability?
 
I use RAM discs quite often but you are quite correct in that you state DVD-RAM discs will not play in most DVD PLAYERS apart from the Panasonic models.

They will, of course, play back on machines on which they are recorded - including the Pioneer models which support dvd ram including the PC based writers.

DVD-RAM have several advantages.

They can be high speed dubbed to HDD without any loss of quality.

Their lifetime use is ten times that of DVD/RW.

They provide excellent quality for archiving.

Their manufacturing structure is completely different to DVD/R/RW.

The above are in addition to RAM discs excellent ability to time-slip.

Would I pay £100 more for RAM capability? - probably not - but I would choose a dvd recorder supporting ram over another model which did not. This is why I have seven Panasonic dvd recorders - which all support DVD-RAM.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD-RAM

http://www.ramprg.com/en/index.html

http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
 
I do agree with everything you have said about DVD RAM.

I have used the Panasonic ES20 Freeview DVD Burner (no Hardrive).
It burns DVD RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R and DVD+R = no DVD+RW.

I tried Panasonic DVD RAM and Maxell DVD-RW.

The DVD RAM walked all over the DVD-RW for picture and sound quality and reliability. And of course, DVD RAM can record while playing the recording but never used it much since it will excessively wear out the laser / motor (jumping around the DVD all the time).

But now I have a DVD Recorder with Hardrive, so use the Hardrive for time shift instead of DVD RAM.
Any permanent recordings I may want, will go on DVD R discs, since they are designed for permanent storage and will playback on any DVD player, unlike the DVD RAM. They are also much cheaper.
 

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