Pioneer DVR-220-S and DVR-225-S is there any difference?

[turp7622]

I just bought a Pioneer DVR-220-S (and love it so far) and noticed that Best Buy has Pioneer DVR-225-S for sale at $1 more.

I can not find any real info on the internet for either model and would like to know what if any difference there is in the two units.

Has anyone bought a DVR-225-S?

From the box I could not see that there is any difference and the floor model looked Identical to my 220.

Is it possible that the difference in number designation is to let them know what retail outlet type sold the unit.

With both units being brand new I am suprised to see the variation on the model number.

Here is a picture from my camera phone on the DVR-225-S box

[tjdmobile]

Man - that is strange. Gotta love the camera phones! Very useful! I know what when I purchased my Apex 1100-W at Walmart, that model number was only produced for the Walmart distribution. Maybe that is what is happening here (don't see the value, personally).

[ggw2000]

I'm thinking that it is the same but probably a distribution code as you said. I went to Bestbuys website but there's nothing there on the unit..

[turp7622]

The only value I can see in doing this is for your support people to immediatly tell if the product was bought at a low end discounter (ie more technology enept people) or at a higer end electornics store.

[tjdmobile]

HEYYY! Who you callin' enept!???

I wonder what Comp-USA would have if they have it? Pioneer 299-s?

TJD

[kabanero]

I remember somewhere in 1997 I was looking to buy Panasonic VCR. I found one model in Best Buy, but that model didn't exist on Panasonic web site. So I called Panasonic and asked about that. They told me that Panasonic was putting different numbers on the units to sell through Best Buy than on the same units sold through the rest of the world. So, it is probably the same story with Pioneer DVD recorders.

[turp7622]

tjdmobile,

I bought mine at walmart also

[sullen]

This is the same marketing strategy/gimmick as used with the 210 and 310. The 210 was only available at Costco. In this case the 225 is only available at Best Buy from what I can tell. I have seen both machines on the shelf and the boxes and the specs. are exactly the same. Wal-Mart sells their machine for $297 (currently out of stock on-line) and Best Buy sells for $299.

[rudytx]

I also noticed:

Best Buy - Blue box - Made in China

Waltmart - Green Box - Made in Japan

[sepultura]

I am thinking that the 225 has a HDD in it, and the 220 doesn't. Take a look at http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077628998152&skuId=6496534&type=product

As you can see, it says "high-speed dubbing from HDD to disc and vice versa."

i checked the features of the 220 at another website and it didn't list a HDD.

see ya..

[Frobozz]

Pioneer puts an H in the model number of units with a hard drive, such as my DVR-510H-S. You'll notice on the Best Buy link above there also is a table that next to hard drive capacity states "no". They should remove that other description because it is in error.

[Mark_Venture]

...They should remove that other description because it is in error...

They also list... Electronic Progamming Guide Gemstar... when you click on EPG, the pop-up states "On-Screen Guide On-screen TV guide that incorporates channel, time and program information; usually transmitted by a satellite or cable company and displayed as a grid. Delivers up-to-date program information whenever you need it." To me, that implies the unit has TVGuide OnScreen (formerly Guide Plus Gold), But I don't see any mention of this on the box.

Can anyone confirm if this unit has it or not?

[Frobozz]

I can't confirm if that model has that, but I believe it does not. My Pioneer DVR does not. It has VCR-Plus programming as an option and it will use the programming info transmitted by the cable channel for labeling a recording. But there is no electronic programming guide.

[sepultura]

I finally settled on this Pioneer model. I've bought 4 different dvr's in the past month, and returned them one after the other. One was a complete joke (sanyo), one had a problem where i couldn't get the tracking right on the vcr part (rca), one didn't have enough media choices to write to (panasonic), one was not working right, as i bought it "used" at sears (jvc). I loved that unit, and it had a vcr built in, but to get a NEW one, i'd have to shell out $400.00 plus tax.

This pioneer 225 is great! I am finally satisfied. I love the video editing features of it.

The only problem i still have with these machines is that they burn discs that are not all compatible with other units. I burned 5 discs with both the panasonic and jvc models, respecivly, and they had mutual playing ability. When i tried to play those discs in the sanyo, it wouldn't play. When i try to play it in this unit, it won't play. My computer won't even recognize it. I think it's because i didn't finalize the disc first. I'm not about to buy a jvc or panasonic just to finalize a disc. It's strange that said discs didn't need to be finalized when playing in both jvc and panasonic models, but need finalized when playing in other units.

Are there any software titles out there that will let someone finalize a disc? I wish there were.

[Forum Troll]

A tip: If you are going to record something on the 220 and then rip it on the computer to make better menus or edit out commercials, make sure to initialize the disc and record in Video mode, not VR mode. The VR files are 544x480 and not DVD compliant, not like the Video mode that gives you 100% compliant VOBs. I learned this the hard way.

[NightWing]

In settings. I think there is a way to default it from Vr to Video.

You will need to finalize any disk from it to be seen on any other unit.

[sync]

sepultura, Most of the editing features you like are only available in VR mode. But as others have said, if you want the discs to work in other players, then you have to use Video mode.