Pioneer DV-420 DVD Player

I bought the Pioneer DV-420V-K (not to be confused with the Pioneer DV-220V-K) as a replacement for a dead CD player connected to my main entertainment center.  The reader may be thinking: What?!

Yes, this full featured DVD player made more sense than simply buying another CD player.  The Pioneer DV-420V-K has its own LED display screen for choosing/skipping CD tracks.  This means, unlike less expensive DVD players that play CDs, the Pioneer DV-420V-K can easily be used for audio purposes without ever needing to turn on a video display.  Also, the Pioneer DV-420V-K can play music files recorded on DVD as well as music stored on a USB flash (key, stick, pen, thumb type) drive.  The Pioneer DV-420V-K connects to your entertainment center via digital coaxial cable, HDMI, and basic RCA phono stereo cables.  

One last thing before leaving the audio realm, while the Pioneer DV-420V-K cannot record onto recordable CDRW's, it can record from disks to any available USB flash stick you insert into it.  For example, you have some excellent music cranking from a CD during a party and someone says, "hey, I want that" -- you can say, "hey, if you have a USB drive with you, let's do it now."

Purchasing the Pioneer DV-420V-K to replace a CD deck makes economic sense because, for about the exact same money, you have a deck that can also play movies and connect to older, and new & high end, televisions.  That is quite an added bonus feature.

After having said all of the above, I must admit that so far I mostly use the Pioneer DV-420V-K for viewing DVDs.  Connected to a 46 inch 1080p Panasonic plasma via HDMI, the Pioneer DV-420V-K is playing favorites from my DVD collection flawlessly.  By taking advantage of the many outputs on the back of the Pioneer DV-420V-K, it is performing both music and movie functions very well.

What makes the Pioneer DV-420V-K above average is it has an LED display showing track (chapter) and time.  It has control buttons of the front of the deck itself so the user need not be bound to a remote.  The deck runs completely silently as do most high-end DVD players these days.  The last positive is that the output of the Pioneer DV-420V-K is rated high by professional testers.  last, the Pioneer DV-420V-K's remote is above average in the world of DVD decks.

The negatives... the Pioneer DV-420V-K only comes with standard composite A/V cables.  No digital audio cables.  No HDMI cable.  Although there is a nice LED dispay by DVD standards, it is not as fully informative as the dispay of a dedicated mid-range CD deck.    

The CD deck market is fading and much less energetic than the DVD player market.  There is more competition, greater variety, and much more bang for your buck in the DVD realm.  Shopping for a DVD/CD player crossover combo unit may be the best way to go. 

I paid $87 -$30 Amazon credit card first order promo = $67 shipped. 

I am very happy with the Pioneer DV-420V-K so far.  As someone who was one of the first to own a VCR in the 1970's and then went on to the best $1000 VCR's of the 1980 and then added some nice Laser Disc Players, today's DVD machines are a dime a dozen.  However, the Pioneer DV-420V-K is a refreshing change from the mundane.  It is not impressive in size, but it more than holds its own in design and function.