Pioneer DV-588A-S DVD Player

Pioneer DV-588A-S Slim Progressive Scan DVD Player
Perfect for lovers of movies and music both, Pioneer's DV-588A-S is a slim, high-performance optical-media player--and a highly affordable one, too, considering the breadth of formats it's equipped to play. We're talking DVD-Video, video CD, DVD-R, and video-mode DVD-RW. Then there's the specialty formats: super-high-resolution DVD-Audio and SACD (stereo and multichannel), as well as--in the opposite direction--compressed audio (MP3 and WMA) and video (DivX) on recordable CD. Slideshows of digital photos? Sure. Just load your JPEG digital photo CDs, Fujicolor CDs, or Kodak Picture CDs and you're off and running.

For sensationally great video, the DV-588A-S features virtually twice the video processing power of previous Pioneer models with its 12-bit/108 MHz video digital-to-analog converter (DAC), as well as Pioneer's PureCinema 2:3 Progressive Scan feature, and a range of video output types, plus 7 video adjustments for maximum versatility and performance. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; reverse 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.
The deck is even outfitted for CPRM copy protection (Content Protection for Recordable Media). CPRM permits the recording of copy-once broadcast programs, but not copying of such recordings. CPRM recordings can only be made using DVD-RW discs in VR mode and can only be played on CPRM-compatible players such as the DV-588A-S.

DVD-Audio and SACD media both offer super-high-fidelity sound. DVD-Audio discs provide high storage capacity, unique bonus materials not available on commercial CDs, and 192 kHz/24-bit multichannel and stereo sound (with audio harmonics conceivably extending all the way to 96 kHz, two full octaves beyond the highest frequencies found on standard CDs). DVD-A discs often have compressed Dolby Digital soundtracks for listening on standard DVD players, but true DVD-A decoding is required for full sonic appreciation.
Depending on the disc, Sony's proprietary SACD format provides extended-bandwidth multichannel and/or stereo sound, often presented in a dual-layer format compatible with both standard CD players (at standard resolution) and SACD-equipped players like the DV-588A-S (for full-resolution playback). Most high-res audio players offer compatibility with one or the other format, DVD-Audio or SACD. This player is happy with both.
As an anti-piracy measure, the player performs its own decoding of both DVD-Audio and SACD signals (not to mention standard Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound), passing high-resolution analog, not digital, audio to your integrated amplifier or surround receiver. This means you'll need an audio/video receiver with multichannel analog-audio inputs to fully appreciate multichannel DVD-A and SACD releases.

If you're not planning to use the DVD-A/SACD capability for multichannel programming, both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for simpler connection with your receiver.
Other features include picture zoom, parental controls, disc resume, repeat, random play, track programming, dialog enhancement, a GUI disc navigator, a fluorescent display with 3-level dimmer, a screen saver, auto power off, track/time search, and 10-key direct search and play.

DVD-Audio / DVD-Video / Super Audio CD (SACD) / DVD-RW (compatible with CPRM) / DVD-R / DVD / CD-RW / CD-R / CD / Video CD Officially DivX Certified - plays DivX 5, DivX 4, DivX 3, & DivX VOD Video Content (in compliance with DivX Certified Technical Requirements) 12-bit/108 MHz Video DAC 24-bit/192 kHz Audio DAC PureCinema 2:3 Progressive Scan WMA (Windows Media Audio) / MP3 Compatible JPEG PhotoViewer (FUJICOLOR CD / Kodak Picture CD Compatible) Video Adjust Menu (Sharpness, Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, Hue, Chroma Level, BNR) Supports DTS (Digital Theater System) Digital and Dolby Digital 1 Coaxial Digital Output 1 Optical Digital Output 1 S-Video Output 1 Audio / 1 Video Outputs Component Video Output (DVD, Video CD) Advanced GUI Disc Navigator for Easy Browsing Last (Position) Memory: 5 DVD / 1 VCD Dialog Enhancer Virtual Surround Zoom Function Resume Function (except for DVD-Audio and SACD) Screen Saver Auto Power Off Twin-Wave Laser Pickup Unit Dimensions - 16 9/16" (w) x 1 15/16" (h) x 8 15/16" (d) Unit Weight - 4 lbs. 6 oz.

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A great universal player for the price / Report August 15, 2005
Pros: Great price, Plays everything, Great sound, Sharp picture from progressive scan, NSTC and PAL disc compatible (only region 0 or 1 however)

Cons: Cheap construction, Loading tray does not fully extend out, Colors are oversaturated (for my taste), Difficulty playing DVD discs with minor scuffing on them

The Pioneer 588a is the latest universal player by Pioneer which replaces the very popular 578a. I purchased this to play my SACD discs. My previous player was a Sony DVD player with 5 disc carousel and progressive scan from late 2002. I was trying to weigh purchasing another Sony 5 disc with SACD capability or this player, which can handle almost every format including DVD- audio. (Sony came up with SACD format as the next generation disc to the common redbook CDs, while Panasonic came up with the DVD-audio disc as the next generation disc. Hence, Sony machines currently do not play DVD-audio, and Panasonic machines do not play SACDs. That's what makes the Pioneer so competitive. It licensed both formats from each company and can play either of them. In my opinion, both SACD and DVD-audio are far superior to the current redbook CDs. SACD is favored more by the classical music audience, since the format gives an accurate timbre to the instruments (especially strings), while DVD-audio is favored more by the jazz and rock and roll crowds because the percussive instruments sound much better. SACD sounds too soft for this kind of music. No one really knows which of these two formats will outsurvive the other. It could be that another format might supplant both of them, who knows??)

Essentially this player is the same for the most part as the 578a, except that it can play DivX movies on top of everything else it could play before, DVD-Video, DVD-R & DVD-RW, and Video CD , SACD, DVD-Audio, CD, CD-R & CD-RW, MP3 and WMA CD-R & CD-RW and digital picture CDs (JPEG). It is also a bit slimmer and smaller than the previous model, with a different face on it.

The player is one of the most inexpensive out there in the market. Most of my stereo equipment is in the budget range, but I try to get the most bang for my buck. I would say that the components I get are excellent for the money spent. That said, this Pioneer has to be one of the cheapest built components I have ever handled. It is very light and the buttons on the outside are not very solid. It looks very delicate and fragile. You wouldn't want to accidentally drop this, because it will not survive. One of the things I did not like about this model is the fact that the loading tray does not fully extend out. It extends out about 7/8 of the way. You have to wedge your disc carefully into the tray to load it.

What this player lacks in overall build quality, it more than makes up for it with its firmware. This player handled every format I threw at it. Basically, it took approximately 15 seconds after loading the disc for it to identify what it was, before it could play the disc. The sound was excellent as far as I was concerned. Also, I had a 0 region PAL disc (bonus disc to Air's "Talkie Walkie" album), which the player does handle. So, there is a NSTC to PAL converter in this unit, just like the 578a has. It can play 0 and 1 region discs. I don't know if the region cracks have made it out on the Internet yet.

Compared to my Sony player, the CD audio was much better on this Pioneer. It got much more bass response and was less ear-piercing than the Sony, a more rounded sound. When I played DVDs, the Pioneer sound was much better as well. Sonically, this is a far superior machine compared to the Sony I had. It blows the Sony out of the water. Also, played scuffed CDs perfectly.

I hooked up the DVD picture using the three separate goldplated RCA plugs, red, yellow, blue. The picture was sharp and excellent. The colors were very saturated compared to my Sony. The colors really popped out. They tended to be warmer; there were more red tones coming through. The complexions on actor's faces were very ruddy, whereas the Sony was more neutral. The blacks were black, and there were more shadows on the Pioneer vs. the Sony. (Star Wars trilogy was used for this A/B test). I think overall, I prefer the Sony color saturation over the Pioneer which seems a little over saturated for my taste, but as far as sharpness and sound I preferred the Pioneer.

The main problem I have with my unit is the way it handles rental DVD discs. There were minor scuffs on these discs. It couldn't play them without getting hung-up. I don't know if my unit is just temperamental, or if this indicates that these units do not have much in the way of error control concerning DVD. I put these DVD discs on the Sony, which played through with no problems whatsoever. This is the main reason why I'm not that taken with this unit. I rent a lot of DVDs, and if it can't play them, then this is not going to work out too well for me.

Overall, I think this is a fine unit which does some things extremely well, but does have some limitations.

Great player, just don't buy it from Amazon / Report November 17, 2005
Great universal player. So far, it plays everything I tried (dvd, dvd-a, divx, vbr mp3 and more). Quality is excellent, but it takes several seconds to detect the type of disk.

Amazon will charge you $9.99 for the privilege of *not* accepting returns on this item after you unpack it, and it will *not* arrive with additional protective packaging. Keep this in mind when shopping for the best price.

fantastic player!! / Report November 10, 2005
I just received the pioneer dv-588a-s dvd player that I
ordered from amazon last week. This thing is incredible!

I bought it because the DAC had a clock speed >100MHz, and
because it plays divx... what I did not know was that it
has hardware noise reduction and video gamma, hue, chroma,
contrast, and brightness adjustments... and most impressive,
it generates menus for menuless dvd's!!

I clicked on the menu button while watching a 16 chapter dvd
that I had made that had no menu, and 16 thumbnails popped
up in about 3 seconds!! It generated a menu with thumbs!!

There is ONE thing missing, it does not do fractional zooming.
You can zoom in at 2x or 4x, but not out to 0.8x. If it did that
it would be brilliant. Alas, that is the one thing it does not
do.

This thing totally rocks! And it totally outclasses the Philips DVP642.

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