Pioneer DVR-560HX-(K or S, it doesn't matter) vs. Macrovison

[blagus]

Is there some way to bypass Macrovision protection on VHS when recording to this DVD recorder? I heard that it can't decrypt it, but I'm asking here because I know you know (probably) everything.
I haven't bought it yet, but I'm thinking about it.

[guns1inger]

A Time Base Corrector (TBC) or some form of device like the old SIMA filters. Either will remove the MV protection embedded in the signal. TBCs are the more expensive option, and only worthwhile if you are doing a lot of transfers. However they do bring extra benefits to the final quality that a cheap filter will not bring.

For further reading I dierct you to

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic246129.html

and

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic250528.html

[orsetto]

I haven't bought it yet, but I'm thinking about it.

Unless you know a guy at your local Future Shop who has a secret stash of Pioneers he's been hiding from corporate, you don't have time to "think about it"- move your ass, and buy it now! Pioneer went bust back in May, all their recorders have been discontinued and there will not be any more. They were the last "good" DVD/HDD units sold in North America, and they had mostly sold out everywhere in Canada even before Pioneer tanked. Now, they're scarcer than hen's teeth. If you know of a store that still has stock, I recommend you buy immediately and worry about the MacroVision later.

guns1inger told you what you need to know about MV- you need a filter like the old Sima or the current Grex, or a TBC like the DataVideo TBC-1000 or AVT-8710. I woould only add that any of these options will run upwards of $100, there is no "bargain" way around the MV problem. Also, due to the economy, it has become more practical recently to opt for the full TBC instead of a "lesser" filter. The DataVideo TBC-1000 is the most poular of the TBCs for DVD/VHS work, it costs $495 new and used to average $295 used/mint on eBay. But nowadays, I regularly see the DataVideo sell for final prices between $129-159 as auctions close. For that price, its a steal, and you can always resell and get all your money back when you're finished with it. In todays market, its the best price-performance value if you need to transfer your protected VHS collection. (The AVT-8710 is similar but for some reason rarely turns up second-hand, its easier to find new, for around $270. The DataVideo used at $150 is much better deal.)

Currently, the less-capable "filter" alternatives do not have the price advantage over used TBCs that they once held. The excellent Sima CT-2 or CT-200 average $99-149 used, the Grex is around that price new, and the many other copycat models are about the same. For the money, a used DataVideo TBC-1000 is sturdier, does not overheat, and does not have any effect on picture quality aside from a very slight softening (which may be beneficial on VHS). The filters tend to have a few undesirable side effects like color shifting brightness/contrast alterations, and graininess- they can be adjusted, but why bother if you can get the better TBC for about the same cost?

[guns1inger]

Pioneer haven't gone bust - yet. They announced in February that they would cease manufacturing Plasma televisions in early 2010, and have been in talks with Sharp regarding sharing their optical business (god I hope not).

New Pioneer stock is certainly easily available in Australia. It just appears, more and more, that the US is considered a DVD recorder dead zone.

[orsetto]

North America is different: Pioneer recorders have been gone from USA since 2006 and in only limited release in Canada after that. There have been many, many alarmed reports from Canadians finding the final Pioneer x60 models sold out all over the country since spring 2009 (when expected new models failed to materialize). Supplies of global-market Pioneers remain strong because Pioneer inexplicably made a dozen different almost-identical machines that can be easily substituted in most PAL markets: there is no shortage of "new old stock". These models are a giant pain to use in NTSC countries, however, and are not officially marketed in Canada.

By April/May, Pioneer's situation had deteriorated so badly they did make a specific announcement that going forward, no more DVD/HDD recorders or indeed any home entertainment items whatsoever would be made by Pioneer. Pioneers factories for car audio will remain, propped up by Honda, but the company as an independent entity is fading away for good. The deal with Sharp will likely cover playback hardware, since Sharp is not deeply involved in DVD recorders. In any case Pioneer has not made its own DVD recorders 100% since 2006: they have been co-produced with Sony, using Sony burners and many Sony components. The only thing truly "Pioneer" in the x40-x50-x60 machines is the operating system, motherboard/encoder design, and the external appearance. Even that has been diluted, since Sony opted to license Pioneers operating system for their branded DVD/HDD machines in 2008. There is now very little difference between a Pioneer 660 and a Sony 980/1080 (or Pioneer LX70 and Sony 1090 for those in DVT-B regions). Any mfr that wanted to pick up Pioneers DVD/HDD business would have to negotiate with Sony as well: a sticky wicket.

Within two years the Pioneer brand name will whored off as a mere label, no doubt the way Funai markets itself under the more-appealing Phillips brand. With any luck there will be some nice products released under these new arrangements, but the historic "genuine" Pioneer is kaput.