Pioneer DV 626

I have owned this DVD player for several years, I didnt buy it new but got it second hand via ebay. It is a hifi connoisseurs DVD player, state of the art, and plays DVD video, video cd and normal cd's. Lets just go through a brief description of the 4 types of digital formats available when this machine was created, Dolby digital, DTS, MPEG and linear PCM. This machine has an inbuilt decoder to stream the info contained on the discs to the AV (audio visual) components you are using. Using this machine allows you to enjoy cinematic surround sound from Dolby Digital and DTS audio soundtracks without having to have additional decoding ...  Read the complete review

Pioneer is well respected manufacturer for top quality home cinema products, and it ranks amongst the top few manufacturers of DVD players, up there with Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic. Pioneer is well known for impeccable build quality and excellent performance and the DV-626D is a brilliant example of just what Pioneer can do. After searching though review magazines and browsing the internet, I decided the pioneer was the one to go for. Main features include onboard Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, duel laser pickup, Pal/NTSC output, Digital noise reduction, conditional memory, Virtual Dolby Surround... I know what you're probably thinking... WHAT??? So ...  Read the complete review

Pioneer's DV-626D is a very nice machine. For about $390 you get DVD player with built-in both Dolby® Digital 5.1 and DTS decoders, which allows you to use 6 analog connections on the back of the player to extract excellent 3D dynamic sound. The player has excellent picture quality; the image is very crisp, super sharp and has very natural colors. In fact, the sharpness is even a little bit too excessive. The player has a digital noise-reduction (DNR) circuitry that increases the picture quality even more. The audio reproduction from both DVD and CD discs is excellent, which means that the Pioneer’s digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in this ...  Read the complete review

I purchased the 626 about a month ago based upon very positive reviews in a couple of trusted independent mags, and I can't say I've been disappointed. As with most DVD's the picture quality surpasses that of video by lightyears, and the sound quality is truly, truly impressive. I've got mine hooked up to a 28" Sony TV (not widescreen unfortunately), with sounds via a NAD 314 out of Wharfdale Modus 3's, interconnects for audio are Cambridge Audio Pacifics and the visuals are provided through a Vivanco Scart on the RGB channel. Crank up the volume, dim the lights, and sit back for what's (almost) a cinematic experience. ...  Read the complete review

The Pioneer DV-626D is a great DVD player – and it should be in the top 5 list at the top of the page. Unfortunately, it isn’t but that doesn’t stop it from being an excellent piece of hardware. I don’t personally own this player, but I have a friend who does and I’ve seen enough of it to be impressed. I own a Toshiba 2109B and can easily make comparisons between the two. Picture: -------- The picture quality is outstanding – this machine really does show how good DVD really is. I’ve seen pretty much everything on the 626 – from Toy Story to The Matrix to LA Confidential. Very sharp, very ...  Read the complete review