Price Paid:  $250.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
I've owned the DV-C503 for three years. After two years, it got finicky with accepting audio CD's. The unit would fail to load the CD and open the tray. Adjusting the CD and retrying sometimes worked, or moving to another tray position. Now, the unit won't accept audio CD's at all. Plays DVD satisfactorily. I would not recommend this product. Any one know where I might find repair information for it?

Strengths:
Multi-CD carrier...at least originally.

Weaknesses:
Reliability, durability, product quality,...

Similar Products Used:
Sony CDP-??? single CD player.

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
This combo CD/DVD player was a great find since I was having to deal with two pieces of equipment up to the point that I purchased the DV-C503 unit. The audio quality is acceptable and the DVD quality a nice surprise. However, after approximately 1 year, it now fails to play DVDs. It begins OK but as the movie plays on, it gets "stuck" with the frame frozen and it is only recoverable by powering off the entire unit and starting the movie again. Given that another freeze is likely at this point, I've regrettably gone back to VCRs for the timebeing. Very disappointing.

Strengths:
Audio quality DVD video quality (when the DVD is working) Simple and easy to use user interface

Weaknesses:
DVD player broke after only one year. Based upon what I've seen, it costs as much to get it fixed as a new unit.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $170.00

Summary:
Thing crapped out - won't play perfectly good CDs. Rejects them and opens the tray, but not always. Except that it occasionally plays the exact same CD I'd say it was physically broken. Since it does I suspect the software is faulty, but Pioneer won't respond to my inquiries about whether there's a way to reset the software. Bad customer relations, IMO, and I hope bad PR results from this review. At least so far it still palys DVDs.

Strengths:
Weel, it worked for awhile.

Weaknesses:
Doesn't work properly now.

Similar Products Used:
10 or so, diverse.

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Future Shop

Summary:
Bought this unit, brought it home and all was well for about 6months at which point some CDs stopped playing. Eventually no CDs would play, which was a real pain considered I bought the unit to do dual duty with both DVDs and CDs. Basically, I went without music for awhile. That is until recently when DVDs stopped playing as well. Had a repair shop look at it since it was past warranty and it would have cost over $200 to fix. Figured I'd cut my losses and buy a new DVD player. I'm sworn off Pioneer stuff for awhile. Hoping to get more life out of my Toshiba SD4800 I bought - and it plays DVD Audio.

Strengths:
Versatile - plays both CDs and DVDs in one tray. No need for two components (a selling feature for the spouse-approval-factor)

Weaknesses:
Laser pickup packed it in after about 18 months.

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba SD4800

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Future Shop

Summary:
Bought this unit, brought it home and all was well for about 6months at which point some CDs stopped playing. Eventually no CDs would play, which was a real pain considered I bought the unit to do dual duty with both DVDs and CDs. Basically, I went without music for awhile. That is until recently when DVDs stopped playing as well. Had a repair shop look at it since it was past warranty and it would have cost over $200 to fix. Figured I'd cut my losses and buy a new DVD player. I'm sworn off Pioneer stuff for awhile. Hoping to get more life out of my Toshiba SD4800 I bought - and it plays DVD Audio.

Strengths:
Versatile - plays both CDs and DVDs in one tray. No need for two components (a selling feature for the spouse-approval-factor)

Weaknesses:
Laser pickup packed it in after about 18 months.

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba SD4800