Price Paid:  $429.00

Summary:
I had this unit for a year and I must say this unit is a POS. This player struggles to play the latest DVD titles such as the Hulk, X-Men 2, Lord Of The Rings II Towers...I could go on, and this continues even after a firmware upgrade. To continue, the Progressive scan also sucks. The progressive scan distorts and ruins the image quality. Try hooking this POS to a large high quality HDTV, and run a resolution test from VE or AVIA test DVD’s with and without progressive scanning, then you will see what I mean. I start to wonder if those professional reviewers who gave this player good marks actually tested and gone through this POS thoroughly. If I could, I would rate this thing a 0 out 5.

Strengths:
It turns on properly.

Weaknesses:
Everything

Price Paid:  $220.00 from Frank Harvey Hi-Fi

Summary:
See my brief review under Definitive Technology BP 1X speakers. Price paid was in pounds sterling.

Price Paid:  $225.00 from internet

Summary:
Pioneer replaced my DVD-343 unit with this one because the problems with the former unit could not be corrected. Video from this unit is a very nice improvement over the DVD-343. Occasionally the unit freezes for a split second before continueing when crossing a DVD chapter boundary. The remote just plain sucks. It's useless in a darkened room because all the keys are small and crowded together. Absence of backlighting is bothersome. It's interesting that although the unit includes Burr/Brown audio DACs, the CD sound quality is sub par compared with the DVD-343. Switching from analog to digital output and allowing my Marantz receiver to perform the conversion improves the sound a little bit but still lacks midrange detail and is void of any bass impact. I can only assume the Pioneer did a lousy job of implementing the Burr/Brown converters. I would feel sorry for anyone who pays list price for this unit because there are better players available for that kind of money. This unit is worth the 225.00 but not any more. If you are looking for a unit that shines with both DVD and CD this is not the best choice. As a DVD player it's pretty nice but you'll need a separate CD player if you want top quality CD audio.

Strengths:
Front panel display dimmer. Quick to load. Fairly good system setup menu. Plays most CD formats.

Weaknesses:
Ugly, unless you like cheap looking audio components. Poor CD sound quality. Remote Sucks

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer DVD-343

Price Paid:  $220.00 from OneCall.com

Summary:
I bought the Pioneer DV-444 after reading the consistently high reviews here (compared to Sony-700 and Toshiba 4700/5700). I was shopping for an upgrade to my DVD, I had been using the reliable, but semi-dated Toshiba SD-2109, after buying an A/V receiver and surround sound speaker package. I am most pleased with this purchase. Superior home theater picture using S-Video connection AND sound using TOSlink compared to my older Toshiba player (I use a dedicated CD player for music so am only using the Pioneer for movies, no MPEGs, no CDWs, just movies). One day I will upgrade my TV to see what progressive scan using component video connections looks like. The DV-444 also has a nice sleek look. The remote is too busy with small buttons, but that is not critical to me since I mainly use the on/off & open/close buttons. The value of this DVD is great, at only $220. Set-up was very easy, too, with a well-written manual. Also, other reviewers have indicated that they like the music it generates. I cannot comment on that.

Strengths:
picture, sound, slim design, set-up, manual

Weaknesses:
poorly designed remote

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba SD-2109

Price Paid:  $205.00 from J&R

Summary:
This player is fantastic, especially for the price. I was in the market for the 440, but J&R was out of stock, so they gave me a deal on the 444. Unfortunately, I do not have a digital TV, so I can''t take advantage of the Progressive Scan feature. Nevertheless, this is a great multi format player. The picture is sharp and clear, and better yet, adjustable (Contrast, Chroma, Sharpness and Hue are adjustable.) The audio quality is better than my old Sony (DVP-530S). No problems with CD-R/W. I plugged it in to my receiver via the analog outputs for audio only, sice the DAC was better than in my Kenwood VR-509. I use the Digital out for DVDs to get the 5.1. I have heard audiophiles complain about this unit, but what is an "audiophile" doing with a $200 DVD player anyway. Get a life! The MP3 interface is really amazing. it is basically the same structure as Windows Explorer. It shows you your folders, and the contents of each on the TV screen. It displays the first 8 characters of the filename, which seems the be the industry peak. I can''t believe my old mp3s sound this good. I have only listened to mp3 on my pc previously, and I can''t believe the difference. Plus they give you 4 years of firmware updates incase the technology changes. A good saftey net until there is some standardization for HDTV.

Strengths:
video and audio quality, great mp3 interface, low price, 4 years of firmware updates, full 1 year warranty, sleek looks, adjustable picture quality (did I mention the price already?), easy menu structure

Weaknesses:
very trivial - no tv/video button on remote, only plays mp3 level 3 encoded at 44.1 or 48 kBps

Similar Products Used:
Sony DVP-530S, Panasonic RA60