The Pioneer DV-220 DVD Player

[venkatcr]

I am Using Denon 1910 amp. Shall I allow Pio 220 to upscale the video or pass it to amp do the job? Please advice.

Try both and stick to the one you like. The Denon should have better scaling engine.

Cheers

 

[souravin]

I need to transfer some mkv files to avi to view via DV 220. What is the optimum frame rate possible for the output avi? Is this 15 fps?

I will be using handbrake tool to do the same.

Thanks in advance
Sourav

 

[spirovious]

I need to transfer some mkv files to avi to view via DV 220. What is the optimum frame rate possible for the output avi? Is this 15 fps?

I will be using handbrake tool to do the same.

Thanks in advance
Sourav

It is around 30.

 

[anstri]

hi Venkat,

I have the following:

Pioneer DV 220 DVD player
Panasonic HD ready TV
Yam V463 amp

I have a few questions, need your help on the same:

1) I have kept the resolution to 720p as my tv is hd ready. What about the colour options which is a part of the intial setup? RGB, Full RGB, Component. Which one should i select for best output? while watching some music concert dvds i noticed that RGB was giving me the best output.

2) I have connected my dvd to the amp- Yam v463 with hdmi and the amp to tv with hdmi. Is this the correct way? for both movies and music? Pls suggest.

 

[venkatcr]

I have kept the resolution to 720p as my tv is hd ready. What about the colour options which is a part of the intial setup? RGB, Full RGB, Component. Which one should i select for best output? while watching some music concert dvds i noticed that RGB was giving me the best output.

A TV camera outputs a video signal that is split into the three primary colours; red, green and blue (RGB). The entire colour spectrum can be represented by varying intensities of these three colours. But, this signal has two issues in the professional world. One; it has an extremely high bandwidth. Second; the colour and the black and white picture information are combined within the RGB signal.

This is taken care of by what is called a component signal also referred to as YPbPr. The 'Y' part of this signal is the black and white information that is split from the original RGB and stored separately. A component signal as it separates the B&W and color signals does not demand high bandwidth.

The signal inside a DVD is always in component format. Thus, that is the best way to use the signal. But, what you use depends upon the connection - if you use composite, in most cases, the player will output only RGB signals. If you use component/HDMI connection, the player will give you the option between RGB and component. In such cases choose component color.

Remember when you use a RGB/Full RGB, the player converts the component signals to RGB.

• If colors are weak, full range RGB gives brighter colors and deeper black.
• Use RGB setting if colors appear overly rich on the Full Range RGB setting.
• Outputs component video format is the default setting for HDMI/component compatible devices.

Essentially you can change the settings depending upon the quality of the DVD also.

I have connected my dvd to the amp- Yam v463 with hdmi and the amp to tv with hdmi. Is this the correct way? for both movies and music? Pls suggest.

For movies, what you have done is correct. You can also route all signal through the AVR. In other words, connect the DVD Player to the AVR, and the AVR to the TV. The AVR will pass the video signals to the TV and process the audio part by itself.

For music, you can also use a RCA cable and connect the 'audio out' of the DVD Player to the 'CD In' or 'Front' ports in it's multi channel input. The 'CD In' is the better option.

Though you can use the HDMI also for music, the best connection depends upon the DAC inside the DVD Player and the Yamaha 463. When you use an HDMI connection, the DVD player sends a digital signal and the DAC is done by the AVR. When you connect as I mentioned above, the DVD player sends an analogue signal, and the AVR just amplifies. Try both and use the one you like.

Cheers

 

[anstri]

Thanks pal. For the quick response. I will try the audio out on the dvd player, Coax right?

Also i have noticed that when ever i shift to component, the brightness becomes quite low and i am unable to see certain things which were visible in RGB. Specifically night scenes in movie or concert dvds. Example- Eagles hell freezes over concert at low lights the faces of the band members are not very clear vis a vis when i use rgb. I found it weird as well but have noticed it.

Could it be some issue with the hdmi switching in the amp???

 

[venkatcr]

Thanks pal. For the quick response. I will try the audio out on the dvd player, Coax right?

For music, it is analogue out. Not coaxial as that is digital. On the 220 this is labelled as just 'Audio Out'.

Also i have noticed that when ever i shift to component, the brightness becomes quite low and i am unable to see certain things which were visible in RGB. Specifically night scenes in movie or concert dvds. Example- Eagles hell freezes over concert at low lights the faces of the band members are not very clear vis a vis when i use rgb. I found it weird as well but have noticed it. Could it be some issue with the hdmi switching in the amp???

This is strange as I have never see that issue. But, as I mentioned RGB is always brighter, and possibly your TV is set to that. Unless you are going to use RGB, I suggest you switch to component and set your TV properly for that. Also check the quality of the HDMI cable.

In an AVR such as the 463, the amp does nothing to the video part of the HDMI signal. It is called 'pass through'. It passes it to the TV without even touching it.

Cheers

 

[anstri]

i changed to Component again yesterday and the same problem happened. Back to rgb. I am going to check my hdmi cables.

Dont think it should be a dvd issue right?

Also i think it should not be a tv problem because it works fine with my settop box, no issues there.

 

[baburajs]

I am planning to get a Pioneer DV-220 and pair it with my Onkyo 875 which doesnt have HDMI capability. My TV is LG HDMI ready so I guess it can support up to 720 dpi. How should the setup be here. Should i do the following.

Connect the HDMI from DV220 directly to TV and sound to AVR through a coaxial cable.

One more general doubt ,

I have a 7.1 AVR but have onl5 5.1 KEF speakers. How should I wire it for the best performance and what option should I select in AVR for watching movies.

Babu

 

[venkatcr]

I am planning to get a Pioneer DV-220 and pair it with my Onkyo 875 which doesnt have HDMI capability. My TV is LG HDMI ready so I guess it can support up to 720 dpi. How should the setup be here.

Are you sure about your AVR number? The Onkyo 875 has four HDMI ins and one HDMI out. So an HDMI cable from the DVD Player to the AVR, and another one from the AVR to the TV is the best option.

Should i do the following. Connect the HDMI from DV220 directly to TV and sound to AVR through a coaxial cable.

If you have an Onkyo 875, I have already answered above. If you have a different model, please give me the correct model number.

One more general doubt , I have a 7.1 AVR but have onl5 5.1 KEF speakers. How should I wire it for the best performance and what option should I select in AVR for watching movies.

You can use the AVR either as a 5.1 unit or as a 7.1 unit. Depending upon the connections, the AVR will automatically recognise the speakers and send data to it. Just wire it as a 5.1

In terms of option, I assume you are referring to sound codecs. The best would be to allow the AVR to switch automatically depending upon the code in the DVD.

Cheers

 

[shredder]

Here is my own two cents after having bought the DV220. My decision was based upon venkatcr's comprehensive review. I am writing this pseudo review for those people who have stupid niggling doubts (like me)

I had a doubt as to whether the player would only upscale DVD movies, or whether it would be able to upscale DivX movies on a USB device. Here are my findings: The settings for changing video resolution can only be accessed in the disc mode. This setting is disabled in USB mode. However I have found that the resolution selected in disc mode is applied to the USB mode. So if you were watching a DVD movie in 1080p and then you switch to USB mode, the DivX will be displayed at 1080p!!! Whether it upscales or not I have not been able to determine because my display as of now is a 23" LCD TV only:sad:. On a 23 incher it is very difficult to ascertain any changes in picture quality when you switch resolution (experts correct me if I am wrong). But I am in the process of getting a 32" LCD :yahoo:.

The player does not play .mkv (and neither does any other DVD player in living memory). It does not play .wmv either. But this is not such a big concern since most of the movies are encoded in DivX anyway. It may be a concern if you are into watching those movies where the actors wear no clothes and make a lot of noise, since a lot of these flicks are encoded in .wmv format (wonder why this is so??). Anyway if you insist on watching .wmv files then you can always convert the format to DivX on a PC?

The player can read files from a portable HDD, as long as it is formatted in FAT32. You might have to use the swissknife app to format the HDD. The app is free for download at the compuapps website (google it)!

Aside from being able to read DivX files off a USB device (without any hitches, or judder, let me add) the DV220 can also read mpeg files off USB.
This is useful if you have old scratched DVDs and are apprehensive about damaging the player's lens. So instead of playing the movie from the disc you can use a PC to copy the movie file to a USB device and play it therefrom. This is not to say that the player does not read scratched discs. It will play just about any kind of disc you throw at it!! And no, I am not going to put a DVD disc over a lighted gas stove and then try to see if the player will play it !! However the player will NOT read avseq (ie VCD files) off a USB device.

A great point in the DV220's favour is that it is made in Thailand and not the mass producing land of China.

Another feature which deserves mention is the internal picture adjustment controls for brightness, contrast, colour, hue and gamma. This gives you great control over the picture quality. Again these controls can only be accessed via the disc mode and not in USB mode, though the settings are applied to the USB mode. This feature may seem trivial but its utility cannot be overemphasized. My display (having TN panel) produces really WEAK black levels but the DV220's internal controls have enabled me to get a respectable picture.

There is also a feature whereby you can rip tracks from an audio CD to a USB device, but I haven't tried this out yet. I let my PC do the hack jobs. And why not?? A new DVD player costs somewhere in the range of 4000 bucks while a DVD writer can be bought for as little as 1100 bucks.

So if you are looking for a good VFM product, the DV 220 is definitely worth a second look.

 

[sourav]

from where can i get this player in mumbai or surat. i could'nt find any authorised dealers through their website as well as all of them are selling mainly their car audio products.
it is available on ebay , but i am not sure if i can get warranty from there.
thanks in advance

 

[denom]

It may be a concern if you are into watching those movies where the actors wear no clothes and make a lot of noise,

hyeah::licklips:hyeah:

I have quite a few of these type of movies

 

[spirovious]

May be in alpha ,Mumbai.

 

[oracle1974]

i got it from Boomarang couple of days back

 

[RetinalNV]

I was on the phone with a sales staff who confised me saying the Pioneer 220k doesnt have optical out, and is a 2.1 player? Will it be useless having this mated with the a HTiB such as 3300 or 5300?

This is a fantastic VFM option I gather from this thread (with DD & DTS decoder and can output through co-axial and HDMI (2 channel downmixing ?) So what does this mean? Is it future proof (not thinking of lbue ray etc).

What would be the advantage in spending a little more on say a Philips with more features?

Appreciate a fast response

 

[venkatcr]

DVD has a lifetime of maybe another 2 or 3 years max. A Pioneer DVDP will serve you well for that period and is future proof in that sense.

And yes, it does have digital out and can work with any HT system that can accept digital, and HDMI signals.

Cheers

 

[rikhav]

My Pioneer DV-300 is working fine evern after 3 and a half years of purchase. No issues with detection of cds / dvds

 

[Vijay KD]

I am using this DV-220 DVD player for past 9 months. No issues. It has digital output(coaxial), you can use for HT. It doesn't have 5.1 analog out. I belive, most of us using digital out for connecting with our HT. Don't worry about 5.1 analog output.

 

[RetinalNV]

What is the current retail(i.e : No gray) pricing for this unit?