Unfortunately, this player is not offered at too many places and it seems to mark one of the last of the "true" original Pioneer Elite Blu-Ray models. Apparently Sharp has bought Pioneer and their newer models tend to represent the Sharp styling and internal workings moreso than Pioneer. This is one of the reasons I bought this player as I already own a Pioneer DVD 49-AV which is awesome for a standard upscaling dvd player in its own right. The DV-49 is possibly better at upscaling than the 23FD is, but that is not what I bought it for. I bought this player for its outstanding Blu-Ray picture and quality sound and that is exactly what I got. Let's get the negative out of the way immediately. It does take some time to load, and that is even with CD loading as well as standard dvd and blu-ray. Right out of the box I upgraded the firmware (as directed by Pioneer Elite was simple and painless), and part of that upgrade mentioned faster loading times. Since I didn't compare and upgraded immediately, I wasn't able to measure but I will say that if this upgrade fixed loading times then I can't imagine how long it took to load initially. That being said, the load time is well worth the wait.
I can compare this model for you to the following brands and models that I own or have onwed: Oppo DV983H standard, Panasonic DMP-BD60 blu-ray, Denon BDP-1610 blu-ray, and the Pioneer DV-49av standard dvd player. In the standard / upscaling mode, can this 23FD measure up against the Oppo and the Pioneer players ? Yes to both, although I'd have to give the best upscaling nod to the Pioneer Elite DV-49av player for best overall upscaling player I've ever seen, and I still use this player for upscaling standard dvd discs to this date. I thought the Oppo was the best ever until this player came along. Compared to the other Blu-Ray players, the Pansonic is probably among the best I've ever seen video wise, but in audio, this Pioneer 23FD cannot be beat. The Denon had great sound, but no match for Panasonic or this Pioneer Elite in video quality.
Since the player is no longer manufactured or hardly found anymore, I won't go into the spec comparisons. Suffice it to say that this player is among the best Blu-Ray player I've ever seen or heard, and it upscales wonderfully. The user choices to tweak it alone make this more than worth the price not to mention the gorgeous Blu-Ray picture it provides. I have thrown every movie that has been known to give players problems, and this machine played them with no problem at all. I have the unit hooked up via analog to play my CDs, and HDMI for Blu-Ray / standard DVD. The sound is warm, rich and full. The unit itself is fairly heavy, and lets you know that this is a quality machine outside as well as inside. Pioneer Elite has always been about classy looks as well as performance and this machine excels in both. It is a shame that Pioneer Elite allegedly doesn't make their own players anymore, and that this is one of the last of the "true" Elite players. If you can find one of these players, don't hesitate to grab one. I have not seen or heard a better Blu-Ray player and I can't imagine anyone not being happy with the audio / video quality of this player. If you are an avid fan of great quality, look no further. This Pioneer Elite machine offers it all.