Pioneer DVD - 414

DVD Review by Jack Van Lieshout

   

  

Let me say right from the start that I am not a wealthy audio/videophile that can purchase bunches of equipment and test items against each other. Nope I am just a regular guy that occasionally gets around.

Several years ago I received my first DVD player as a gift. It was a Philips Magnavox DVD 400 AT that my wife gave me as a Christmas gift because I would not stop wining until I got one. That little black box amazed me with its quality of picture and sound when it came to movies on those little round silver discs. There were however two things that tended to annoy me about the machine and these were the way it handled side changes and the quality of its presentation when playing audio only CD's. The side changes were never smooth. Quite often the picture would hang up on me for many seconds while it found the new signal. On special occasions it would hang up for literally 10 seconds or more. Very uncool!!

Secondly, while it seemed to sound so good when playing back movies as compared to VHS tapes and even some laser discs, I could never warm up to the sound when listening to CD's. I preferred my rather cheapo stand-alone CD player. Oh well, I said to myself, things could be worse.

Time went by and one day I was chatting with a friend of mine that owns a high- end audio salon in Scottsdale Arizona, when we touched upon the subject of inexpensive DVD players. As I was in the midst of my tale of woe, he promptly recommended the Pioneer DVD Player that is the focus of the short discussion. I promptly decided to buy the new Pioneer DV-414 and still remember trying to explain its presence in my home audio system to my lovely wife. "I know I already have a DVD player honey, but this one is suppose to be better"…I hoped. I hooked them both up through the same switching unit and let loose for some serious viewing/listening.

The Pioneer DV-414 is one of the newer 10 bit video, 96 khz 24 bit audio players that are now taking over the marketplace. It should be able to play the newest line of high end DVDs and CDs encoded with the 96 Khz audio signal. This is good. It also has a regular video out, an s-video out as well as component video outputs. Very good! It can pass analog, digital and DTS signals, is remote controlled and sells for under $300.00. Is this heaven or what??

Initially, after hooking the Pioneer up, I was somewhat disappointed in its video performance. It seemed somewhat soft and maybe just a little bit out of focus. I don't know how that can be, but I am just passing on what I saw. My wife and I both sat for some time going through several discs trying to determine if all was well. In direct comparisons with the older unit, it just did not seem to have the razor sharp images that I have become accustomed to. I therefore decided to read the instructions and find out if something was set wrong. I know, I know always read the instructions first.

Anyway, there are several video settings that will change the overall look of the discs being played. I had it set incorrectly; go figure. Personally, I find these internal settings stupid. There are modes for Cinema, Animation and Standard. This is in addition to the types of aspect ratios and audio output that is all adjustable. Very confusing. Give me a straight "perfect" signal and hold all the gimmicks, thank you. After re-reading the instruction several times I was able to dial in the correct settings and we were off to the races. Let me add one final thing here while I am on my soapbox. The instructions for this baby are not so very good for anyone over 40. I remember a day when I could understand the complex operations of electronic equipment. I am unsure which instructions are worse, the Pioneer DVD player or the big Yamaha Dolby Digital receiver. Either way I am touch and go with these things. Alas I digress…

After resetting the parameters of the unit, I found the video performance to be very, very good. As I said before, I have not been exposed long term to all of the really high-end components out there but I have seen many other competitive players in the $1000.00 range and I have seen none better. This player puts all excellence, as well as flaws in discs, forth without reservation. Discs such as The Fifth Element, Conspiracy Theory and Shakespeare in Love are rendered with such love that it truly makes one smile as the picture is being delivered to the display device. Colors, depth and definition are all well reproduced with this player. Black and white are also very well conveyed. Conversely, discs that are, shall we say, lacking in quality are also mercilessly exposed. As I watched the Titanic DVD after having made the switch between machines, I found the picture to be somewhat soft in spots, particularly long shots. Not quite like a Doris Day movie but definitely soft. This machine reveals it all. Again, considering it's pricing, I did not expect this level of performance.

But video is only half of the equation here. The Pioneer shines in its presentation of audio. The sound that this machine puts forth is nothing short of amazing. I was a practicing audiophile before it became so expensive that the average set of speakers cost as much as a house. As such, I am well aware of sound staging or sound space that a good recording and equipment can reproduce in ones listening room. The Pioneer shocked me with the sound space that emanated from its circuits. Huge is the word I am thinking of. Wall to wall, from to back, the sound is huge. Exciting! On orchestral performance, the Pioneer will track in space a soloist, in his or her own little area and hold that soloist in place even when the explosive sound of a large ensemble all-playing at once intercedes. The sound space is well preserved and imitates the actual performances. This machine does not seem to mind what is thrown at it. At the end of Jumanji, there is a section wherein the animals and vermin that were released by the game all come flying into a room, swirling around and around your head with huge dynamics. Yet just off to the left is the sound of a triangle playing ever so sweetly for all to hear without interruption by all the cacophony the rest of the scene unleashes. Simply Amazing! Dynamics are an area that most folks are unaware of. Yes we know they are there but what is normal and what is not. I cannot truly answer that question, but after attending concerts at Orchestra Hall as well as other live rock concerts I can tell you that dynamic shadings can be breathtaking. There is a scene near the end of the movie Meet Joe Black wherein the orchestra is tracking a very sad melody when suddenly that same melody becomes louder and louder and just when you thought that was all that could be presented, the music hits a new high. Literally. I never heard the strain I came to expect with other players, it just got louder without pain or breakup. It made me feel good all over.

In my days of being an audiophile, I learned that a well-made and designed power supply could make all the difference in the presentation of a musical experience. A television speaker has little or no dynamics wherein a quality audio system can raise the roof when fed with the proper signal. This machine must be well designed inside. It rocks. I could go on all day about this thing but let me just say that it is WONDERFUL!! Considering the price, it should be on everyone's short list if you are looking for an under $1000.00 DVD player that also doubles as a damn good CD player as well. Buy it!!

Some down sides: I do not like the way it scans discs, it is kind of bumpy as it hops through the scenes and then after holding the scan button down it locks into a fast scan that misses a lot of scenes. Not a good item. I don't like some of the set up gimmicks but if you are younger and can understand instructions it might not be an issue for you.

On the plus side, there is a button on the front panel that, when pushed, it shuts off the panel lights so one can watch in the dark. Cool. Also, the side changes that so aggravated me about the Phillips are no longer problematic. In fact, I can rarely even detect the change occurring. It is that good!

All in all a wonderful machine that does its job better than expected. The Pioneer, like the Monster Power wedge I spoke of earlier, is joys in today's rather selfish marketplace. BUY IT!