Who has purchased the Pioneer 531?

[FulciLives]

Go to http://www.onecall.com and look up the Pioneer DVR533HS ... they have a link where you can download the PDF manual. This one manual covers the 531/532/533 as well as the 633 model.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[cie3]

(2) bypass the EPG altogether by saying you don't have an antenna or cable attached (as I did, since I have satellite). However, if you do this, you are not able to select any over-the-air channel on a manual timer later-- you can only designate L1, L2, or L3. Thus, if you know when some program is on a local station, and want to record it without using the EPG at all, you cannot.

You either download the EPG or you cannot set a timer on RF.

Yes but just about any Cable box or Satellite box has A/V outputs ... not just RF ... so is it that hard to output the A/V to the DVD Recorder then program on the L1 or L2 or L3 etc.?

Graned you have to program the DVD Recorder and the Cable/Satellite box but so what? Ain't no big deal.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I just got the 531 a day ago and have disabled the EPG. If I have cable but no cable box, can I program on L1 or L2 to set up the recorder to schedule a recording five days a week? If so, would I even be able to connect this as I believe I only have an RF in and out on an older Panasonic TV?

[FulciLives]

If you don't have a cable box then you have to use the RF input BUT you don't have to use the EPG TV GUIDE thing. In other words you can program things manually.

If I recall correctly just hit the TIMER REC button on the remote (bottom right corner) and that takes you to the manual program timer screen.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[cie3]

I guess I am still confused. I seem to be able to do manual recordings but the above says this is not possible without the EPG if you are using an RF input? What am I missing?

[FulciLives]

I guess I am still confused. I seem to be able to do manual recordings but the above says this is not possible without the EPG if you are using an RF input? What am I missing?

You read it wrong.

You can do manual recordings from RF without EPG but with RF and no cable box you cannot get ALL of the channels. The RF receiver cannot pick up certain channels that a cable box can tune in.

That's why you usually need a cable box.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[cie3]

Ah. Okay. Thanks for the information. Was concerned bout having bought this. Just got it. Have the 420 and love it but wanted another one. I just get bare bones local channels only right now with my cable.

Appreciate your reply.

Elizabeth

[FulciLives]

Ah. Okay. Thanks for the information. Was concerned bout having bought this. Just got it. Have the 420 and love it but wanted another one. I just get bare bones local channels only right now with my cable.

Appreciate your reply.

Elizabeth

Then you don't need a cable box since the RF should pick up all the channels that you pay for currently.

As for your choice ... I would have gone for the 640 instead of the 531 ... I mean yes I have a 531 but I bought it when it was new and the 640 was not yet around obviously ... but the 531 is a great unit and it has much better TBC/Video sync capabilities. For instance the 200/300 series (and as I recall also the 400 series) would sometimes drop to a "black" screen when recording from a poor quality source (like a VHS videotape with dropouts) whereas the 500 and 600 series are much better about NOT doing that with a poor quality source.

The only thing I dislike about the 531 and this is true of all 500 and 600 series Pioneer DVD recorders is that the switch from Full D1 resolution to Half D1 resolution comes much too late (should happen at 3 hours but it doesn't happen until much much later). This means that recording much beyond 2 1/2 hours look like shit if trying to fit it onto a single DVD disc.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[cie3]

I wish I had bought a 640 when they were readily available and reasonably priced. $600 is too much to pay for one now in my humble opinion. I did not anticipate that their price was going to go so high and become so scarce or that Pioneer was going to get out of the HDD business at least in the US.

I thought this was going to be sort of a last chance to get a Pioneer with a HDD. I have the 420H and I love it and have had my 420 for three or four years (can't remember when I bought it)..but it was giving me some errors I had not seen before and I wanted a replacement just in case. I paid $237 w shipping on Overstock for this last week for the 531. It's a refurb but seems to be in good shape. It does have one or two very small superficial scratches.

If you know where I could find a 640 for $300ish I would buy one.

PS. What settings do you recommend for the 531. I have it on xp at this point. Does this re-encode when you go from disc to hdd and then back to disc?



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