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Pioneer DV-400V Owners Thread - Page 9

post #241 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoro View Post

it does do, pal, but only if it is region zero or region all. it would not do any strict region coded dvds whether pal or ntsc without modification, thats why i returned it


Thanks for the info. I want a player than can play all Pal discs well. I have been checking and there are no region free hacks for this unit available at this time, so this unit is out for me as well. I guess I will just have to go with the Phillips or stretch the budget for the new Oppo. Thanks again for the info.
post #242 of 1139
hi zebu3, you can purchase Pioneer DV-400 with region free through regioncodefreedvd.com for $139. I was also looking at this unit, but there is no hack out there yet.
post #243 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by garytjia View Post

hi zebu3, you can purchase Pioneer DV-400 with region free through regioncodefreedvd.com for $139. I was also looking at this unit, but there is no hack out there yet.

Who would pay that much for a DV-400 when the new Oppo 980HD is thirty bucks more ($169)?
post #244 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnAV View Post

Who would pay that much for a DV-400 when the new Oppo 980HD is thirty bucks more ($169)?

i dont who you are johnv but the Pioneer DV-400 is a very good dvd player.. unless you have been using for more than 3 hours, i will not let you say it's no good. it gives a very good picture and i doubt somebody would notice the difference unless they are in high gear and then they would have bought a denon anyway. so they are budget for everything and i prefer to buy from a known name manufacturer than a no name like oppo even if they are supposely that good.
post #245 of 1139
I also own a pioneer dv-393; so i have nothing against pio.
I'm sure the dv-400 is also a decent player.

To call Oppo a "no name" is BS! the "no name" dvdp scored 98 points in home theater hi-fi reviews an benchmark tests, beating a Denon which was about 4x the cost of the Oppo. Cnet thinks oppo pretty much has the best PQ, and esp. SQ for SACD/CD. so they ARE good; and not "supposedly"; you should do a bit of reading about what experts say about Oppos dvd players before dismissing them.

( I also thought my pioneer dv-393 is great until i saw the results of its benchmark test against the oppos test results. )

and check this thread here at avs to see people actually replacing pioneer ELITE players with the new oppo dvdp!(see last page or so)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post11163306
post #246 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmelfi View Post

i dont who you are johnv but the Pioneer DV-400 is a very good dvd player.. unless you have been using for more than 3 hours, i will not let you say it's no good. it gives a very good picture and i doubt somebody would notice the difference unless they are in high gear and then they would have bought a denon anyway. so they are budget for everything and i prefer to buy from a known name manufacturer than a no name like oppo even if they are supposely that good.

When someone recommends buying a modified region free version of the DV-400, yes I consider that a poor buy for $139.

I found it odd that Pioneer reduced the digital audio dynamic range with the DV-400 model to only 88 dB. I have two earlier pioneer players BTW, and this DV-400 only offers Digital audio out via coax, not optical. When you compare this player to say a Sony DVP-NS77H for the same price the DV-400 is not that great a buy, its just OK.

I am amazed that you are referring to Oppo as a no name, because of their popularity and numerous AV magazine awards.
post #247 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnAV View Post

When someone recommends buying a modified region free version of the DV-400, yes I consider that a poor buy for $139.

I found it odd that Pioneer reduced the digital audio dynamic range with the DV-400 model to only 88 dB. I have two earlier pioneer players BTW, and this DV-400 only offers Digital audio out via coax, not optical. When you compare this player to say a Sony DVP-NS77H for the same price the DV-400 is not that great a buy, its just OK.

I am amazed that you are referring to Oppo as a no name, because of their popularity and numerous AV magazine awards.

firdt of all the dv-400 is not 139$, it is more like 120$ or less. second of all ask any salesman in any retail store (best buy,circuit city, mom and pop video store) and 95% wont know who the heck is oppo so sorry to burst your bubble but oppo is a no name (which doesnt mean they are not good).

btw, coax audio and optical audio offer the sqame quality of sound so their is no lost there unless your receiver doesnt have enough coax in i guess.

so to finish i think oppo are gret but for 50$ less i prefer to have the dv-400 also by the fact that eventually hd-dvd or blue ray will be the medium of choice for audiophile like you seem to be.
post #248 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmelfi View Post

firdt of all the dv-400 is not 139$, it is more like 120$ or less. second of all ask any salesman in any retail store (best buy,circuit city, mom and pop video store) and 95% wont know who the heck is oppo so sorry to burst your bubble but oppo is a no name (which doesnt mean they are not good).

great example of knowledgable people: Salesman in BB, CC
They're the biggest morons ever, who know nothing about products; name any iof the hi-end audio video stuff, and they don't know those either.
are you serious? you think those puppets know more than the people @ Cnet or people who do the Benchmark testing @ HT hi-fi?
If you seriously think Oppo is a no name you REALLY have to use the web better.

did you even check out the threads HERE on Oppo dvd players?
post #249 of 1139
I just bought the DV-400 and I was considering the Oppo as a player to get, but since the Oppo is 1/3 more the cost, the DV-400 was an easy choice for me. It also has a very nice picture and is has nice picture quality controls.
My wife hates all the stuff, but I called her in to see the picture quality of the Pio and she said "this blows away the Sony player you were using (NS75)"
I also agree the Oppo isn't a readily recognized brand. Go stand on a busy street and ask 50 people if they own or have heard of Oppo.
Like the other guy said, it doesn't mean they are not good, but I can see someone being more comfortable buying from Pio.
BTW, I picked this up last Sunday at BB for $99 after they price matched the pio price on the web.
It's been a rough weekend though. The first Pio had to be returned because of no video out of the HDMI, and then I discovered a 20 ft HDMI cable went bad so I have to replace that as well. If I add in my Sony DVD player dying on me last week, it has been a really bad week for me and HT gear.
post #250 of 1139
true; oppo may not be known to the average customer who can't see or care about differences in PQ or SQ or advanced features; HOWEVER, oppo is recognized AND well respected by professionals and experts AND people with considerable know-how about DVD/HT etc. standing on a busy street probably won't give a chance to meet many of THOSE people.

take a look @ the back panels of a pioneer and a Oppo; you'll see how much more professional the oppo feels/looks.
post #251 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasher123 View Post

true; oppo may not be known to the average customer who can't see or care about differences in PQ or SQ or advanced features; HOWEVER, oppo is recognized AND well respected by professionals and experts AND people with considerable know-how about DVD/HT etc. standing on a busy street probably won't give a chance to meet many of THOSE people.

take a look @ the back panels of a pioneer and a Oppo; you'll see how much more professional the oppo feels/looks.

You seem to think I am knocking the Oppo. I really am not. I also think quality brands like Runco, B & W, Arcam, and JM Labs would have the same reaction given the 50 people sample.
I also agree that the Oppo is better audio wise than the Pio and has more to offer in the way of connectivity, but by the same token, this doesn't mean the pio sucks either. It really has one of the best pictures I have seen on my display (Panny Plasma), and the sound I think was a bit better on the Sony, but I have no issues really with what I am getting from the Pio really.
post #252 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnAV View Post

Who would pay that much for a DV-400 when the new Oppo 980HD is thirty bucks more ($169)?

Millions of consumers?

Brands like Pioneer, Philips, Samsung etc. can be picked up in many, many stores worldwide. Oppo is not one of those brands: it's hard to get in stores (at least in Europe). Not everyone buys their A/V equipment online (*cough* understatement *cough*).
post #253 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexa695 View Post

I just bought the DV-400 and I was considering the Oppo as a player to get, but since the Oppo is 1/3 more the cost, the DV-400 was an easy choice for me. It also has a very nice picture and is has nice picture quality controls.
My wife hates all the stuff, but I called her in to see the picture quality of the Pio and she said "this blows away the Sony player you were using (NS75)"
I also agree the Oppo isn't a readily recognized brand. Go stand on a busy street and ask 50 people if they own or have heard of Oppo.
Like the other guy said, it doesn't mean they are not good, but I can see someone being more comfortable buying from Pio.
BTW, I picked this up last Sunday at BB for $99 after they price matched the pio price on the web.
It's been a rough weekend though. The first Pio had to be returned because of no video out of the HDMI, and then I discovered a 20 ft HDMI cable went bad so I have to replace that as well. If I add in my Sony DVD player dying on me last week, it has been a really bad week for me and HT gear.

Since you mentioned you like the DV-400 HDMI output better the ns75H you had, what resolution have you selected? (720P/1080i/1080P)

Thats a bad week, three incidents!
post #254 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by zzzozzzo View Post

Millions of consumers?

Brands like Pioneer, Philips, Samsung etc. can be picked up in many, many stores worldwide. Oppo is not one of those brands: it's hard to get in stores (at least in Europe). Not everyone buys their A/V equipment online (*cough* understatement *cough*).

Why spend $139 for region free version of the DV-400 when you can get a Phillips 5982 for $79 (almost half price) easily to do the same task? If not discussing the region free aspect and you just wanted a good player the Sony NS77H lists at only $100, but already seen it at $85. How this compare against Pioneer DV-400 pricing around $120? I'm not bashing Pioneer but showing they do have competition!
post #255 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmelfi View Post

firdt of all the dv-400 is not 139$, it is more like 120$

We were discussing a modified version of the DV-400 see this LINK
post #256 of 1139
The specs of Oppo DV980H are superior to Pioneer DV-400. Audio on Oppo is 192khz/24bit DA converter whereas it is 96khz/24bit on Pionner FV-400. Also Oppo DV-980H supports multi-channel sound over HDMI whereas Pioneer DV-400 supports only 2 channel PCM

I think it would be more fair to compare the Oppo DV-980H to Pioneer DV-600AV which have similar features and both have a Mediatek chip inside for video processing. The Oppo@US$ 169 is a steal compared to Pioneer FV-600AV which ranges from US$ 240 - 249 for the same features.

I would love to hear comments from someone who has compared both players
post #257 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnAV View Post

Since you mentioned you like the DV-400 HDMI output better the ns75H you had, what resolution have you selected? (720P/1080i/1080P)

Thats a bad week, three incidents!

I tried them all except 1080p which I can't do on my display (7UY). I settled on 1080i as the resolution, but I actually didn't see a big difference from 720P. I normally look at text to see how the edges appear at first glance. I really like the color control on the Pio vs. the Sony.
post #258 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnAV View Post

Why spend $139 for region free version of the DV-400 when you can get a Phillips 5982 for $79 (almost half price) easily to do the same task? If not discussing the region free aspect and you just wanted a good player the Sony NS77H lists at only $100, but already seen it at $85. How this compare against Pioneer DV-400 pricing around $120? I'm not bashing Pioneer but showing they do have competition!

Yeah, but the player can be easily bought for $99. Where are you getting these prices from?
post #259 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnAV View Post

We were discussing a modified version of the DV-400 see this LINK

OK, I see what you mean, but region free is not impotant to me. You're paying these people $40 to hack the player for you. I actually have the Phillips player that I bought from Target in my bedroom. The Pio has better PQ IMO.
post #260 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by piyushcb View Post

The specs of Oppo DV980H are superior to Pioneer DV-400. Audio on Oppo is 192khz/24bit DA converter whereas it is 96khz/24bit on Pionner FV-400. Also Oppo DV-980H supports multi-channel sound over HDMI whereas Pioneer DV-400 supports only 2 channel PCM

This is not true. If you set it to "Auto" it will play DD and DTS as they were encoded. The LPCM setting is for people who don't have surround systems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by piyushcb View Post

I think it would be more fair to compare the Oppo DV-980H to Pioneer DV-600AV which have similar features and both have a Mediatek chip inside for video processing. The Oppo@US$ 169 is a steal compared to Pioneer FV-600AV which ranges from US$ 240 - 249 for the same features.

I would love to hear comments from someone who has compared both players

Sorry, I can't help you there, but I really can't imagine the PQ being so much better on the oppo.
post #261 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexa695 View Post

I tried them all except 1080p which I can't do on my display (7UY). I settled on 1080i as the resolution, but I actually didn't see a big difference from 720P. I normally look at text to see how the edges appear at first glance. I really like the color control on the Pio vs. the Sony.

Thanks. I found that with the recent batch of low end MTK based players that examining 1080P output shows how good a product is being shipped by a particular vendor. 1080i output should be perfect from a player that also output 1080P, with smooth, no graininess picture like you observed. 720P should also be perfect, but not quite as sharp as 1080i on your pioneer DV-400. If the DV-400 was like the Sony NS77H, you would encounter a slight bit of graininess at 1080P .
post #262 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexa695 View Post

Yeah, but the player can be easily bought for $99. Where are you getting these prices from?

From various sales flyers from my area, and major online sources. Speaking of getting BB to give it to you for $99, that was a nice deal as they still have it only discounted to $108 online (List $120).
post #263 of 1139
It was $99 at my local BB when I picked up mine.
post #264 of 1139
I notice that the HDMI light at the front of the player blinks instead of still but it plays HDMI.
Any idea why it is so??
post #265 of 1139
Hi !
I've bought DV400 DVD player.. but i'm looking for how to unlock it to be REGION FREE ?
Who knows ?
post #266 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by ambseb View Post

Hi !
I've bought DV400 DVD player.. but i'm looking for how to unlock it to be REGION FREE ?
Who knows ?

Don't think there is any way to do it. That is the main reason I went with the Philips 5982 instead.
post #267 of 1139
seems the method below works for dv300,dv400 and dv600 of european model.
I wonder if this works for the player sold in US and Japan ...

i can not put url by restriction..
please search pioneerfaq
post #268 of 1139
I have a 5 year old Sony DVD player which autoswitches the widescreen output to proper ratio using Component connection to my HDTV. I'm now using Component output on my Pioneer 400 unit as well and it doesn't seem to automatically switch the modes on my HDTV like the older Sony. Is this an HDMI only feature or is there a problem with my player? Or won't it switch because it isn't supported?

Anyone know?

Firmware upgrade?
post #269 of 1139
have any of you guys played with the video settings on the DVD unit itself?

What settings/levels do you currently have set?

I have many things changed between this and my LCD TV colour settings and have tried to obtain a balance of colour/brightness/contrast/etc

I'd be interested in finding out in what you guys have.
post #270 of 1139
Quote:
Originally Posted by t0315im View Post

seems the method below works for dv300,dv400 and dv600 of european model.
I wonder if this works for the player sold in US and Japan ...

i can not put url by restriction..
please search pioneerfaq

I bought DV-400V in Japan and tried the method on Pioneerfaq website. I used the Logitech Harmony mothod but didn't quite work. I sent the ccf file for Pronto to Logitech and they converted and added in my profile as "Palm." When I turned on Dv-400V and pushed "palm" on harmony, the dvd player turned off. But when I use region 1 DVD, the player still rejucts it, saying that The dvd is different from player's setting, and edjects the disc.
Does anybody know if I'm doing something wrong? or if the method simply don't work on Japanese players?
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