Conclusion

The Pioneer DVR-720H-S is an excellent player performance-wise. It is simple to use, although it will take a small amount of time to get aquainted with the large remote control and what all the buttons do. The good thing is that the included manual describes all the unit's functions in simple words. Recording and playback was flawless, and without any surprises (device crashing, discs written being unreadable etc). As a word of caution at this point, be careful when using the VR format for recording. It seems that this format's compatibility is manufacturer dependent, chances are that discs written with this format are not playable in other standalone DVD players.

The DVR-720H-S offers a set of impressive features as well, like the chase play feature, that let's you watch what you have recorded previously on a disc, while recording on the same disc. Its set of inputs is sufficient (even for the most demanding user), for a device of its kind. The only thing missing is component output, but there are many other DVD players out there that do not offer this feature as well.

Even if is not explicitly stated in the specs, the DVR-720H-s can playback DVD+R/RW discs. The results were mixed though, some discs had no playback problems at all, while others would not be recognized by the DVR-320-s

Also its lack of support for DVD+R DL discs maybe another decisive factor for potential buyers. Although DL disc prices are high now, they are expected to drop in the near future. So people that want to plan ahead, may get discouraged from the DVD-720H-s not being able to read DVD+R DL discs.

The Pioneer DVR-720H-s retail price is approximately €1000 in Europe. In North America, the DVR-720H-s is not available but the DVR-520H-s model is available instead. The only difference between the two is that the latter has an 80GB hard drive. Not quite cheap, and we feel that a few extra features like the ability to store images/compressed audio on the hard drive could make it more appealing to potential buyers.

The Good

- Slim & quality Design.
- Easy to setup/use.
- DV IN/OUT.
- Advanced features like chase play, Recovery recording, DVD-Video menu editing.
- Good error correction/writing quality.
- Supports DVD disc burning up to 8x
- Explanatory manual.
- Remote control can be programmed to control TV as well.

The Bad

- Supports only DVD-R/DVD-RW for recording
- Does not support reading of DVD+R DL discs
- Does not support DVD discs with compressed audio/image files.
- The hard drive can only be used to store recorded video.

Design & Body
Reading
Writing
Media Compatbility
Ease of use
Features
Connectivity
Value for money

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