Pioneer DVR-633H-S (160 GB) DVD Recorder

On DVD Recording

Well, as the box claims this thing is a "DVD RECORDER", I guess I should start reviewing this beast as a "DVD RECORDER". To put it bluntly, I hate it, as a dvd recorder. I find my wife's computer (with a DVD R/W drive and gobs more hard disk storage space) to be much more useful, as far as a DVD recorder goes. But then, as the box says "DVD recorder", I'll try to include as much information as I can to help someone evaluate this Pioneer unit AS a DVD recorder.

I would specifically NOT recommend a Pioneer DVR-633H-S as a DVD recorder. Will the Pioneer DVR-633H-S record DVDs? Yes. But it's so crippled by anti-piracy features that it is practically useless, as far as DVD recording goes. If you record DVDs with a Pioneer DVR-633H-S, they will consist of home movies shot with your digital camera or camcorder. You can NOT record DVDs from any other source. At least, not easily.

For example, if you want to transfer a bunch of VHS movies to DVD, this DVD Recorder will not work for that. (Macrovision will destroy the picture). If you want to make back-up copies of your DVD (pre-recorded) movie collection, this DVD recorder will not do that. (It simply says "function not available"). If you want to record (premium channel) movies off of cable or dbs (Dish Network / DirecTV) on DVD media, this DVD recorder will not do that. (again, "function not available")

Now for all of the sources I just mentioned, there is a VR mode that enables you to record SOME programs to DVD media. But it doesn't work for ALL programs. And for the programs that ARE (copy once / VR mode) enabled, the HARD DISK IS ERASED as soon as the DVD is recorded. Basically, VR mode is not only useless but very dangerous. If you have something that you need to back up with VR mode, you'd better hope that you don't burn a "coaster" (have a problem during recording that makes the DVD media unplayable). If so, your program is gone forever.

Now let's say that you have a TON of home movies to burn to DVD media, so you are still interested in this unit, as a DVD recorder. How well does it perform? Pretty well, actually, for that very specific function. The video quality (when properly adjusted, see below) is outstanding. All the basic editing functions you would need to transfer your home movies to DVD are present, and reasonably easy to use.

The recorder itself (the DVD burner, that is) seems to be pretty high quality. It reads DVD (+R) media just fine, even though (+R) media is NOT recommended for this particular burner. It records DVD (-R) and DVD (-RW) media just fine, though I've only tried TDK and Ridata brands of media with it. (both are very high quality DVD media) The DVDs that the DVR-633H-S records are compatible with Panasonic and NEC brand DVD players. I should also note that it burns the included 2X DVD (-RW) TDK media at 4X speed reliably.

While successful DVD recording is dependent on brand of DVD burner, brand of DVD media AND brand of DVD player, I suspect this unit would create DVDs that would be compatible with a wide range of DVD players, as long as you always use high-quality DVD media with it. I'd specifically recommend Ridata (Ritek), TDK and Maxell brands of DVD media, in that order.

For those of you who are looking for a good dvd recorder in a standalone box, I'd suggest you look at models made by Lite-On, which include the "ILO" (ILO is Lite-On) models sold by Wal-Mart. For more information, google reviews of these Lite-On DVD recorders posted elsewhere.

General Recording Comments

This Pioneer dvr offers the user incredible flexibility, as far as adjustments go. You have FULL control of all video and audio adjustments, if you want it. I especially like the way that audio level (input audio level) can be increased or decreased by +/-3dB or +/-6dB. 10dB is about twice as loud, so having 3dB or 6dB of adjustment range is pretty significant. ALL advanced video adjustments are user accessible! Not too many users of this machine will want to tweak settings like gamma and chroma, but it's nice that you have that option! For recording modes, you can pick from 34 different "manual" modes, which is quite a wide selection. Resolution runs from 352 X 240 up to 720 X 480. For each resolution, several recording levels can be chosen. Higher recording levels offer better quality recording, but less recording time. XP+ is the highest level of 720 X 480 resolution (41 minutes). But the lowest recording level of 720 X 480 resolution is up to 210 minutes. Other resolutions/recording levels can go up to 10 HOURS or longer, if you are not too picky about picture quality. If you don't care about the manual recording modes, you don't have to use them. The recorder has several default modes (SP, LP, etc.). It also has an "optimized" setting. The "optimized" setting will adjust the recording level so that whatever you are recording fits perfectly on the DVD media that you are recording. (with none of the program cut off, and no wasted space on the disk!)

On Features

OK, this thing has a bazillion features. I'm not going to list them all. I will only list the ones that I feel are worth commenting on.

Inputs/Outputs – There are essentially two sets of each. EACH has composite video and left and right audio, as well as S-video connectors. Yes, there is a third set of inputs on the front panel, but that would only be good for temporary use. (You don't want ugly cables hanging off the front of your entertainment center, do you?) So if you have a lot of toys to hook up, you might want to consider a different model of dvr. VCR, DVD Player, cable box, (oooops, short one set of inputs already)

Component Output – In addition to the regular composite/s-video video outputs, there is one set of Component Outputs. This is the way to hook up your TV/Monitor if you want the best possible picture quality. It can be set to Progressive Scan and widescreen aspect ratio. So while this unit is not a high definition (HD) dvr, this dvr should work fine for those of you who already have HD or ED (extended definition) monitors. Or looking at it another way, this unit won't be instantly obsolete if you upgrade to an HD monitor later.

RF connectors (ie, "channel 3" and so on) - are kind of an oddity here. They can be used for OTA (normal broadcast) programming or non-scrambled analog (ONLY) cable programming. But there isn't a lot of programming available OTA in many areas, and the cable companies are pushing digital packages which require separate boxes (set top boxes). So I'm betting most users of this dvr won't find the RF connectors to be very useful. But what do I know?

Digital Optical Audio Output – Here is another oddity. It would be useful only if you are going to use this dvr as a DVD player for pre-recorded DVD movies. Other than that, the optical connector serves no function at all. All audio inputs to this dvr are analog, so audio out will be analog (even if routed through the optical connector). So the optical output will only benefit pre-recorded movies (in dolby digital / DTS). I don't think it's wise to use a (relatively) expensive dvr as a DVD player, when DVD players are so CHEAP now.

Everything on the front panel display is way too small to be useful at all. That is, everything except the HDD and DVD lights. These lights indicate which disk you are recording too. They are really bright and easy to see, which is a bad thing. They are too bright. It's rather annoying to have a really bright light situated so close to your television. (After all, where else are you going to put the dvr?)

On Picture Quality

First, I should mention that I bought this DVR-633H-S specifically for recording (non-premium channel) Dish Network programming, so that I could watch it at times convenient for me to watch it, and skip all the commercials. For that reason, I consider this unit to be a DVR (digital video recorder), also called a PVR (personal video recorder). So in the rest of this review, you will see me refer to "dvr" a lot, as that's the way I think of it.

Several years ago, I was working in the CCTV field, at a time when digital video recorders (hard drive recorders) were rapidly replacing time-lapse VCRs, for professional use. I still calibrate CCTV equipment periodically, but that is just part of my job now. I was disappointed with the picture quality of the first few recordings I made with the Pioneer DVR-633H-S. But there is good news . . . the substandard picture quality of this Pioneer unit can be easily corrected.

I know that a dvr can offer VERY good picture quality. In my pre-purchase research, I couldn't find any mention of picture quality problems with Pioneer brand dvr models. That's why I was somewhat puzzled the first few times I recorded programs using this Pioneer dvr. First, you should know that my monitor (a JVC flat screen standard definition CRT) has been professionally calibrated in my living room. Its own picture quality is nearly perfect. So it is a great monitor to use to evaluate the picture quality of this Pioneer unit. In playing back recordings made with the Pioneer DVR-633H-S at factory default settings, I noticed that the "white" areas of the picture were way over-emphasized, causing "blooming" (distortion) in lighter areas of the picture. To my well-trained eyes, the picture quality of this Pioneer dvr looked horrible. At first, I wasn't sure whether it was a brightness issue or contrast issue. (either brightness or contrast can cause similar distortion if improperly adjusted) But then reading the manual, I discovered that this Pioneer dvr actually allows consumers to adjust black level and white level, along with other advanced video adjustments like gamma and chroma!!! (Wow, I wasn't expecting that in a consumer-grade dvr.) I knew I was onto something then, and sure enough . . . the factory default settings have white level AGC (automatic gain control) turned OFF. Basically, the dvr CAN adjust the white level of the picture automatically. But for some really strange reason, this option is DISABLED from the factory.

If you care about good picture quality, the first thing you need to do with your Pioneer DVR-633H-S is to turn the white level AGC ON. The white level AGC can be enabled for individual sources, so you might have to turn the white level AGC on more than once.

With the white level AGC turned ON, the picture quality is very good. Black level and white level are both correct, colors are accurate (levels of gray, blue, red and green are all correct), and it's hard to tell that you are watching a "recording" at the default 'SP' recording level. So as I stated earlier, the substandard picture quality you will get at factory default settings on this Pioneer dvr can be easily corrected. Just be aware that from the factory, the white level AGC is (quite oddly) turned off, so YOU need to correct that oversight.

On picture quality, I would rate this unit a 3, as it ships from the factory. Properly adjusted, I'd rate it a 5, as far as picture quality goes. But I didn't think it deserves a 5 for picture quality as the factory settings (at least one of them) are wrong. So I decided to give it a 4 for picture quality.

On the Remote Control

The remote control is way too crowded with very tiny buttons that are very difficult to operate. In Pioneer's defense, I will say that any remote control for a box with so many features MUST be crowded. Still, I wish Pioneer had included a "CBL/SAT" button to control set top boxes from digital cable and dbs (satellite) companies. What's really frustrating about the lack of dbs/cable box control is that ALL the buttons needed to control these set top boxes are already ON the Pioneer remote. So this remote control COULD be extremely useful, if "CBL/SAT" control function, and JUST ONE BUTTON, was added.

I don't think most owners of this Pioneer dvr will be using the included remote control much. After all, how likely is it that someone will fork out money for a (relatively) expensive dvr and have JUST a dvr and a "TV" to control? Luckily, all the most important functions of this Pioneer dvr can be accessed with any decent learning-capable universal remote control, with just a few buttons that need to be "learned".

My very favorite feature of this dvr is the "CM SKIP" and "CM BACK" buttons on the remote control. These are commercial skip and commercial review functions. At first, I was wondering why would anyone want to review a commercial? But it makes sense as soon as you get a feel for how "CM SKIP" works. Maybe it's just because this is my first dvr, but I really LOVE this feature. It's not like "FF" or "REW" on a VCR. It will actually SKIP entire portions of recorded video, skipping ahead faster the more times you press it. For example, you press "CM SKIP" once and the video skips INSTANTLY from 15:18 straight to 15:48. (You don't see anything between 15:18 and 15:48) Press CM Skip a few more times, and suddenly you've skipped ahead 5 minutes, and find that you've missed part of the program that you were watching. Now you know what "CM BACK" is for. It takes some practice to get good with these commercial buttons. But after a while, you will find that skipping all commercials (without missing any of the program you want to watch) takes just seconds. NO MORE BOWFLEX!!!

On use as a DVR (Digital Video Recorder)

Other than "CM SKIP", I'd have to say that my very favorite feature of this dvr is something called "chasing playback". It allows you to start watching a program before you are finished recording it. What good is that? Well, let's say you want to watch a particular movie, but you aren't sure if you'll be home in time to catch it. You program the dvr to record it, obviously. But then you get home about 30 minutes after the movie started, and you want to watch it now. (without waiting for the recording to finish) NO PROBLEM!!! As soon as the dvr starts recording a movie, it appears on the program listings screen (home menu, disk navigator). Simply select the movie (even if it's still recording) and playback will start. This allows you to start watching a program LATE, without missing anything at all!!!

I mainly bought this dvr to record programs off of Dish Network to play them later. That way, I can watch them when I want to watch them, and skip all the commercials! I was a little nervous about the TV Guide On Screen feature of this dvr, as it seemed specifically made for analog cable and OTA (antenna) programming, and seemed to ignore the possibility that you might be a dbs (DirecTV/DishNetwork) or digital cable customer. If you are a (DirecTV/DishNetwork) customer, many of the TV Guide On Screen functions will NOT work. That's OK though, as it is easy to 'manually' schedule programs to record. Just hit "home menu", select timer recording, highlight schedule and then hit "menu". Then you select a new manual recording and enter the date, time, input (L1, probably) and recording quality (or just leave it at the default SP).

When the program is being recorded, it pops up in the program listings (Home Menu, Disk Navigator) and includes a VIDEO PREVIEW!!! At first, I was very disappointed at how HARD it is to add a text label to a recording on the hard drive. (this involves manually selecting one letter at a time by scrolling around a list of letters on the screen) But after I saw the video preview on the program listings, this was no longer a concern AT ALL. SOME recorded programs even manage to text label themselves, somehow. For example, one program I recorded recently off of History channel showed up on Disk Navigator as "Digging for the" (ran out of space, but the show's actual title was Digging for the Truth) I did NOT add a text label to this recording, but it showed up on the program listing screen somehow. That just happens with some programs. But even the ones that don't label themselves are pretty obvious as far as WHAT THEY ARE. They show an "icon", which is a single frame of video from 3 minutes into the program. From that, you can usually tell what the program is. If that isn't enough to jog your memory, simply highlight the program listing and the video starts playing ON the program listing screen, with audio!!!

This Pioneer dvr is PERFECT for scheduled, unattended recordings of Dish Network / DirecTV programming. I don't agree with the directions in the Pioneer user's manual though. Pioneer's suggestion for this specific application is to leave the Pioneer dvr powered on 24/7 and use an IR blaster (IF included with your set top box) programmed to control Pioneer brand "VCR" with "Record" and "Stop" signals. Well yes, that would work, probably. But it assumes several things. First, your set top box must have the little IR blaster included. Second, your set top box, must have the proper code to control Pioneer VCRs (not all remote control Pioneer VCR codes are compatible with THIS Pioneer unit, by the way). Third, that you are willing to leave the Pioneer dvr on 24/7. OK, so it doesn't use a lot of electricity when on, but it uses a lot less in off/standby. Overall, I think this suggestion is not a very good one. I don't know how DirecTV receivers or digital cable tuners work, but scheduling a Dish Network receiver to "auto-tune" to a specific program is quite easy. (it takes seconds) Yes, I might be able to get my Dish receiver to control the Pioneer dvr, also. It does have that capability. But I believe you are less likely to miss that important program you want to record if you manually program the Pioneer DVR to start and stop recording. Plus, you save a little bit of electricity this way.

I've had GREAT luck recording Dish Network programming with this dvr. I simply program the Dish Network receiver and Pioneer dvr separately. Or, I program two boxes for each program. If you can program a VCR, this is no harder than doing that. I suspect it would be even easier to program this dvr with analog cable service, where you could use the TV Guide On Screen feature to program the dvr for you. (or, Point and Click)

In conclusion, I'd have to say that I'm overall pretty pleased with the Pioneer DVR-633H-S. It does have significant limitations, and could be a lot easier to use. But for what I wanted it for (recording Dish Network programming to watch later), it works great. Plus, there are no monthly fees required to use it!!!