Customer Reviews

Pioneer DVR-233S DVD Recorder

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got this delivered about a week ago. I would not dispute any of the other reviews - it's a good brand, it's a good quality product, remote and on-screen menu are kinda bare bones but get the job done, probably there are better out there but this one is great for the price !

Note if purchasing: the unit DOES function with both DVD/R and DVD/RW but it MUST be -R or -RW...not +R or +RW. Hopes this saves you from having to pull the manual back out and dig for this info if your disks won't work.
(I know it says this above, but it's important to know b/c +R or +RW will NOT work)

I tried other cheap dvd recorders but the disks they made would not play in any other dvd player and recorded in a proprietary format that was not even readable by computer. This Pioneer unit will record in a standard format(when setup correctly to Video mode) and when finalized the disks can be read by PC or played on other dvd players, copied by PC or even ripped and edited(if you have the software). There is a standard 2hr quality setting and a super high quality 1hr setting. Now I can burn all those saved tivo shows to DVD and not worry about it only working on one dvd player, it will play on any player.

This player is exceptionally easy to use. For the most part everything that pervious reviewers said is true. The interface is quite straight forward and recording is easy to set up. As stated by another, this recorder works only with -R and -RW, not +R or +RW. Also, I find it absoultely true that the on screen title and chapter naming is a pain, however with a remote control don't think there would be any better of a method available.

Timer and VCR+ recording is nice but I would have liked to see a recording stop timer or something to that effect (if the box is currently recording, tell it to stop in 35 minutes). As it in now you MUST enter a start and stop time.

Another thing I noted is that except via coax connections, video is not sent to the video output unless the unit is on. Lastly, be sure that you are aware this, like almost all units, has copyprotection and will not record copyrighted content.

Overall an easy to use, excellent product at a good price. Better than the Sony model and $25 less.

I got this recorder for Christmas and so far it works wonderful. There is one draw back but this goes with any dvd recorder. You can't play recorded things on normal dvd players or on the computer. They don't recognize the discs. Until the normal dvd players catch up to the new technology you can only watch recorded dvd's on the dvd recorder. Other than that its great!

I purchased the similar Pioneer 310 DVD recorder at the end of last July. The unit received little use; I would estimate 30 movies and 3 recorded discs in a 12 month span. Unfortunately for me, just at the 12 month Pioneer warranty mark, the unit stopped working. When putting a dvd in, it says 'loading' for about 30 seconds, makes some strange noises, then ejects the disc. I tried a lens cleaning dvd but it would not recognize that either. I contacted Pioneer customer service and after a few emails back and forth, they stated that they would not cover the unit under warranty - I would need to ship it to them with a $70 non-refundable evaluation fee enclosed!? The unit will go in the garbage and the $70 will go toward a more reliable brand DVD recorder. Lesson learned.

Easy to use and does excellent recordings. The only problem I had was my daughter took it with her when she moved out.

I purchased a DVR-231-S, which shares the same owner's manual as the DVR-233-S, about a week ago. I have not used it heavily so far, but here is what I have found: the manual makes NO mention of WMA or MP3 support and I burned 5 WMA disks with different format types and brands, none of which it would play, so I do not think it plays WMA. My One-For-All universal remote, only 6 months old, does not have the new codes for this model according to OFA support and I would have to mail it in for them to upgrade. The first-time setup wizard is very easy and pretty fast. The timer-recording GUI is very easy to use and allows up to 32 programs. The recording speeds are 1,2,4,6,8,and 10 hr. Count on having to 'finalize' your recordings before playing on any older DVD player - and be sure to use 'video mode', not 'VR', which is the default. The 2-step on-screen display is functional, but very plain looking. This model does not exist on Pioneer's website as far as I can tell.

I ordered this from Amazon because the reviewers indicated that it was easy to setup and use. That is absolutely true. I am not very good at these kinds of things, but it was easy and it seems to work great. It's slim, has an attractive style, and is just what I need. I am using this to record programs from my DVR provided by my cable company. And boy did Amazon get it here quickly. A local company charged about $20.00 more AND I would have to wait 2-3 weeks, and I live in a major metropolitan area.

I purchased this unit about a week ago as well, from a well known retail chain to go with a home theatre package that didnt include the DVD player. I do not burn a lot of music or DVD's, so I cant relate to that aspect, but with the component video hook ups, I am impressed with the digital quality imaging. The unit is easy to use and light weight. So, if you are just going to record occassionally and not heavy into burning music and DVDs, this unit should be just fine for you, especially for the price, but if you are really into that aspect, you may want to look for a better model.