I Can't Find the Remote, So I Can't Watch a Movie: Review of Pioneer DV-414

I've written a few opinions about DVDs, so I thought that it was about time I wrote an opinion about our DVD player. 

The Pioneer DV-414 DVD Player is an excellent value. When we decided to slowly start rebuilding our stereo systems and incorporate a DVD Player into it, we decided to go with Pioneer products. The first time we watched a movie on this player, we were practically sitting on the couch with our mouths hanging open. 

The picture is even more clear and crisp than I can remember seeing in the theater. This morning I had on Terminator 2: Judgment Day and had to pause it on a scene. It looked like I had taken a photograph with my camera and pasted it on the television. This was a scene that had special effects in it, so any flaws would most definitely have shown up. 

And the Pioneer DV-414 has shown the flaws in some of the DVDs I've watched. Most notorious are those from the mid to late 70s that incorporated a lot of special effects. Oftentimes, I can see a black line around objects where they used matting. But while that may be a negative in that the DVDs were not remastered and retouched before they were produced, it is a plus in showing just what a great picture the Pioneer DV-414 puts out. 

We have the sound going through our Pioneer VSX-D498 receiver. Because of the logistics of having a cable box and a VCR already hooked up to our living room television, there is no way to run the sound through our television. I have had no problems with the sound. It is crisp and clean. The only problem is that the center speaker of the three doesn't seem to work when I switch the receiver to DVD. I don't know if that is the fault of the DVD player or the receiver, but my husband has been unable to get it to work despite trying a few different configurations. 

The only problem I have is that so many of the functions of the Pioneer DV-414work off of the remote. Depending on the disc, some of them won't even start unless I press ENTER on the remote. This is a problem when you're in a house with 3 kids where the remotes are constantly disappearing, or the baby decides to use it as a teething toy. I wish the MENU button as well as the ENTER button were also on the unit itself. The PLAY/PAUSE, STOP, OPEN, and some of the scene selection buttons are on the unit, but depending on the DVDs configuration, you might need the remote to start your movie. 

On the front of the Pioneer DV-414 is a digital display that will let you know if there is a disc in there or not, as well as how much time has elapsed on the movie you're watching. It is prominent enough to see in the dark from across the room. 

The Pioneer DV-414 is a great value. I purchased it online for $325, but have since seen it for less. If you are just looking for a simple single-disc player, this is a great unit at a great value!