Pioneer DVR 640-HS vs. DVR 550-H

[LCSHG]

ACPewety Quotes

(1)
“Pioneer gives you the flexibility to use the right bitrate in order to maximize the pq for whatever size media you use. LP mode is only important if you own a recorder without that flexibility”.

(2)
“With a Pioneer, you can set the fastest bitrate (to within 5 or 10 minutes) of the program length that will fill a DVD after editing out commercials, so you don't have to drop the bitrate to a point where 720x480 can't be maintained”
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The words (the right bitrate) and (With a Pioneer, you can set the fastest bitrate) are the key.

Will an operator, always set the resolution and bitrate to a proper value.

(to within 5 or 10 minutes) I can do this with a DVD disk using the variable (just fit ) mode but
This also varies by 5 or 10 min and the bitrate is drooped and becomes negligible.

Selecting a recording mode in keeping with any editing, is something that any operator should consider, and be no big deal

Dropping the bitrate to maintain 720x480 seem the problem many operators are trying to do

The Issue of bitrate and resolution seems a never-ending argument.

What seems accepted and is much as with my liteon/ilo units (the figures are not exact)
LP ----- 1 hr ----- 9500 kbit/s ----- 740x480
SP ---- 2 hr ----- 4800 ----- 740x 480
LP ----- 3 hr ----- 3100 ----- 352x480
EP ----- 4 hr ----- 2250 ----- 352x480
SLP --- 6 hr ----- 1400

Pushing lower bitrates to 780x420 can lead to problems (as I believe lordsmurf indicated).

With this You can see why I would wish my units had a 21/2-hr mode. The bitrate would be about 3800 and should support 740x480 without problems. I use SP as much as I can but also use LP. In a few, a slight difference from SP might be noticed.

The pioneer would allow 4 hr 2250 with 780x480. That is just plain To Much The Pioneer is a very good unit but this flexibility can lead to problems.
I have seen 3hr and 4 hr mode pushed to 720x480 with poor results and are much worse than a 3 or 4 hr at 352x480

If a unit had a proper 21/2 mode, I can not see where a variable bitrate and resolution would be of any real advantage in a standalone unit. The standalone DVD unit is really to take the place of the VCR but adds complications (as with a variable selection) A properly set up stand-alone should be able to meet the requirements of most. Anything else use a PC

[djnice]

Sony RDR-HX750 (Pioneer 550+LX60 clone) service manual here: http://rapidshare.com/files/69684102/6JD74461JS190060G.zip.html

The video encoder chip is in Pioneer 550, LX60, Sony 750 is the same, the NEC EMMA2: http://www.necel.com/digital_av/en/mpegcodec/d6127x.html

This chip contains a TBC too.