Pioneer DVR-633H-S Recorder Review

The built-in 160GB hard drive lets you record tons of home movies and TV shows for temporary storage--up to 340 hours of content (at lowest video quality). Once they are recorded you can watch them whenever you want, edit them, delete them, or burn them to DVD. When your recorded content to DVD from the hard drive, an hour-long program recorded in SEP mode (lowest video quality) can take less than 30 seconds to burn--approximately 120x (max) speed.

The Smart VBR (Variable Bit Recording) recording mode lets you choose the quality level/recording time that best suits you. Choose from Fine, SP, LP, EP, and Auto; Auto automatically sets the optimal recording quality for the time remaining on the hard drive.

With Disc Backup, a Pioneer exclusive, you can make a direct file transfer of your home-movie DVD back to the Hard Disk Drive, and from that make as many copies of your home movie as you want, all at blazing speed. The i-LINK (a.k.a. "DV" and "IEEE 1394") interface allows you to transfer your DV (Digital Video) home movies smoothly to the Hard Disk Drive. Just connect the DV input on the units front panel to your camcorders DV input, and begin. And if your movies were shot in analog format, inputs for composite video/S-video and Left-Right audio are provided for dubbing them to DVD.

Program the Pioneer DVR-633H-S to record a program up to eight days in advance using the built-in TV Guide On Screen interactive programming guide. Or manually set up programming with the VCR Plus function, a simplified programming feature to record programs where each program has a corresponding code (PlusCode) number (typically found in newspaper and magazine TV guides). The Chase Play function lets you watch, stop, or pause a show--while youre recording it.

You can connect the component video output of the Pioneer DVR-633H-S DVD recorder to a progressive scan television for stable and flicker-free images. With the 3D Y/C Filter you get minimized noise and cross color in your picture, providing you with a top quality picture, and the all-important quality you require from a large screen television set. Also, Purecinema 2:3 playback provides smoother, clearer picture from discs encoded at 24 frames per second. Other features include a 10-bit /54MHz Video DAC, 24-bit /192kHz Audio DAC, block noise reduction, and mosquito noise reduction. The Pioneer DVR-633H-S provides a digital coaxial audio output for connecting to surround sound home theater receivers, as well as Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. It offers the following connection options:

• Composite AV In/Out: 3 in (1 front)/2 out

• S-Video In/Out: 3 in (1 front)/2 out

• Component video (YPbPr) In/Out: 0 in/1 out

• RF In/Out: 1 in/1 out

• Digital optical audio In/Out: 0 in/1 out

What's in the Box?

What Features Does the Pioneer DVR-633H-S Have?

• Hard drive: 160 GB

• Progressive scan: Yes

• VCR capability: No

• Recording capability: Yes

• Recording formats: DVD-R/RW

• Playback formats: DVD movie, CD audio, DVD-R/RW, VCD, CD-R/RW

• TV programming guide: Yes, TV Guide On Screen and VCRPlus

• Dialog enhancer: No

• Integrated amplifier/receiver: No

• Front-panel operation: Yes

• Multi-angle viewing: Yes

• Chapter preview: Yes

• Custom bookmarks: Yes

• Karaoke: No

• Multilingual support: Yes

• Parental controls: Yes

• Picture zoom: No

• Play exchange: No

• Random play: Yes

• Repeat play: Yes

• Resume play: Yes

• Slow motion: Yes

• Frame advance: No

• Still/freeze frame: No

• Text display: Yes

• Video inputs: 3 composite AV, 2 S-Video, 1 RF, 1 Firewire

• Video outputs: 2 composite AV, 2 S-Video, 1 component, 1 RF

• Audio outputs: Analog, digital optical

• Surround-sound output or Virtual surround sound: Dolby Digital and DTS decoding

• Headphone jack: No

• Item width: 16.55 inches

• Item height: 2.4 inches

• Item depth: 10.75 inches

• Item weight: 9.1 pounds

• Warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Conclusion

A built-in programmable timer lets you set up to 32 shows to record in 1 month. It's quite a wide leap from your old VCR. Now you can take your old video tapes and archive them on DVD. It's simple, it's easy, it's fun. No computer necessary! Simply connect it to your TV or home-theater system.

Variable bit rate recording allows for best resolution or super long recording 32 Program recording timer per month Hard Drive Recording Time - Up To 340 Hours (At Lowest Bit-Rate Setting) DVD-R/RW Recording Time - Up To 10 Hours (Single Layer/Single-Sided Disc At Lowest Bit-Rate Setting) VHF/UHF NTSC TV Tuner for timer recording (tuner is CATV compatible with optional service from your local carrier) Purecinema 2 - 3 Progressive Scan from compatible DVD SRS TruSurround compatible Front DV Terminal (IEEE 1394) Playback on one media while recording with the other VCR Plus+ mode lets you record based on program codes listed in TV Guide One-Touch Recording Twin-Wave Laser Pickup Quartz-Lock 12-Hour Digital Display Clock Pioneer Multibrand Compatible Remote Control PlayBack Control (Video CD Only) Unit Dimensions - 16.56 W x 2.38 H x 10.75 D / Weight - 9.06 lbs.

The Pioneer DVR-633H-S is home-theater surround compatible when played through a surround sound system Pioneer USA 1-Year Limited Warranty

Best DVD Recorder Reviews Rating

7.5/10

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