Pioneer DVD Player DV-440
Pioneer DV-440 DVD Player - A Good Choice But There Are Bett
The Pioneer DV-440 sells for (price), plays CD-R, VCD and MP3. Sounds like a good value, doesn't it? <br />Unfortunately, if you compare it to two great inexpensive players from Panasonic and Samsung (RV31 and M301 respectively), the DV-440 doesn't look like such a good deal. Not that this player is bad, but there are better models. After comparison, you see that the best feature of DV440 in comparison the aforementioned players is its slim design. <br />CD-R, VCD, MP3, AD, DD, DTS, etc. <br />The player reads CD-R in addition to standard-issue CDs and DVD-Video discs (aided by the twin laser pickup), it also plays MP3s and Video CDs. The picture quality as well as sound are excellent (DV440 uses Analog Devices video DAC) with sharp picture and low audio noise level. <br />VCD playback is also good, although Video CDs provide only adequate picture quality, incomparable to DVD, due to MPEG1 encoding and 352x240 resolution. The player has both optical and coaxial digital audio outs. <br />The advertised high-speed loading and resume features don't impress after Panasonic RV31. The picture quality is also no better, at least there is no noticeable difference. And the remote control, supplied with Pioneer does not impress either - buttons are small and similarly shaped. <br />The \\"standard\\" DVD features are present: parental control, angle select, language select, subtitle select, slow and fast scan, etc. The digital audio outs allow you to pass audio data in digital format to a Dolby Digital or DTS receiver for processing. You can also use analog stereo audio outs and pass the signal to stereo sound system or to a Dolby Pro Logic decoder. <br />I am really at a loss here why would somebody choose Pioneer DV440 over either Panasonic RV31 (which costs the same) or Samsung M301 (...). Panasonic RV31 is a benchmark in this price range with good looks, excellent picture quality, CD-R/W, MP3 and VCD playback and very fast operation. And Samsung, although slow in disc navigation, costs less and provides much of the same features. <br />Conclusion <br />Competition is fierce in DVD world. Although Pioneer DV440 is a good overall DVD player that provides excellent picture and sound quality, plays CD-R, VCD and MP3, there are better choices.