Pioneer introduced today in Japan of four new HDD/DVD recorders, the DVR-RT700D (combination VHS/DVD with a 250 GB built-in HDD), the DVR-RT900D (combination VHS/DVD with a 400 GB built-in HDD), DVR-DT75 (with a 250 GB built-in HDD), the DVR-DT95 (with a 400 GB built-in HDD), and a 400 GB add-on hard disk drive HDD-S400.
All of new four HDD/DVD recorders are the industry's first HDD add-on compatible HDD/DVD recorders with a digital tuner.
The Pioneer HDD add-on function supported by the new HDD/DVD recorders is capable of increasing storage space for recording depending on user's need. It will be strategically placed to meet the demand of a large number of customers eager to record hours of programs in beautiful high definition as the age of digital high-definition broadcasting moves into high gear.
To further improve convenience and user-friendliness in operations, the new recorders offer various functions including the newly-designed Smart Remote Control to realize smart remote operations by employing a simple button-layout and a Smart Jog dial, high-resolution GUI screen, and Pioneer Recorder Hot Link remote operation from a Pioneer PureVision plasma TV.
Pioneer plans to launch the DVR-RT700D and DVR-RT900D in Japan in early November, and the DVR-DT75, DVR-DT95 and HDD-S400 in mid-October, with no retail prices suggested.
Main features:
[Common to the DVR-RT700D, DVR-RT900D, DVR-DT75, and DVR-DT95]
1) First HDD/DVD recorders equipped with a digital tuner supporting an HDD add-on function capable of increasing storage space
The existing HDD-S250 offers approximately 29 additional hours of recording time, and the new HDD-S400 allows recording time to be increased by some 46 hours. Dubbing between the built-in HDD and HDD add-on connected to the recorder, timer recording directly to the add-on HDD and chase play of recordings stored on add-on HDD are possible.
2) Newly-designed "Smart Remote Control" improves ease-of-use by employing a simple button-layout and a "Smart Jog" dial.
On the new remote control, the EPG button for setting timer recording is green in color, while the View button for viewing the recorded program is blue. Besides a simple layout that boasts the industry's least number of buttons among all remote controls for HDD/DVD recorders, the Smart Remote Control employs a Smart Jog dial whose function changes depending on how the recorder is being used. For example, the Smart Jog can be used to skip commercials during playback and frame-by-frame advance during Pause. Selecting digital broadcast channels is also a snap via the new remote control. Smart Channel Selection to list all current program information on the screen, and Quick Program Search to quickly search programs for timer recording, and other smart functions are available.
3) High-resolution (1920 x 1080 dots) Electronic Program Guide
(EPG) screen
The 1920 x 1080 high-resolution GUI screen displays a large volume of information to realize a clear, easy-to-use EPG screen.
4) "Recorder Hot Link" remote operation from a Pioneer plasma TV
Pioneer's new DVD recorders support the Recorder Hot Link feature included in the Pioneer PureVision plasma TVs. Simply pressing the Recorder Hot Link button on the TV remote control turns on power to the DVD recorder and displays the Disc Navigator screen. Viewers can also use the TV remote control to select a program displayed on the Disc Navigator screen and start play.
6) Other features
- HDMI output terminal for high-quality digital video transfer
- VR-mode recording to a Dual Layer DVD-R disc to allow users to move high-definition digital video recorded in the HDD to a disc.
- Simultaneous recording of digital and analog TV broadcasts, while playing back the program from the HDD or DVD
- Simple and powerful auto-search functions in EPG timer recording including Keyword Search (using the specially tailored data containing about 220,000 words),
- New Program Search to quickly search for new TV programs, and Rough Genre Search to search for TV programs related to the user's desired genre selected from 12 selections.
- Program Trace (Program delay and Event Relay), unique to digital TV broadcasts, to free users from timer-recording failures
- Program trace functions are available to automatically/manually adjust the ending time of timer recording each for selected programs in case of the extension of the broadcasting time.
- Help Navigator displays the operation guide screen to tell users the next operation even if they haven't read the instruction manual.
- Equipped with a DV-input terminal for easily copying video material from a DV camcorder to the HDD or a DVD disc
- Remote Timer Recording from PCs or mobile phones
[Unique to the DVR-RT700D and DVR-RT900D] (Combination VHS/DVD models)
1) 'One-button Auto Dubbing' to copy an entire VHS tape of video content onto a DVD
2) '6-way Dubbing' for easy copy among VHS, DVD and HDD
3) Easy connection with a single HDMI cable to output video and sound not only from the HDD and DVD but also from VHS tape
[Unique to the HDD-S400] (Add-on HDD)
1) The HDD-S400, a 400 GB hard drive, can store recordings of up to about 46 hours in the DR mode.
2) The power will automatically turn on/off in conjunction with the power of the DVD recorders connected to the add-on HDD.