What do you think of the Pioneer DVL-909

[Nickolai]

Hey All You,

I already own a Sony DVP-550D that I like very much. But now that George Lucas won't be releasing the original versions of the Original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD, only the Special Edition versions.



That means I'll have to get the laserdisc copies of the original versions of the trilogy on good old Ebay. Also on ebay are two Pioneer DVL-909 laserdisc players. I am looking to get one for this purpose. What do you guys know about the DVL-909? Any problems or great features, other than the functionality of playing both laserdiscs and DVDs. Does it have AC-3 out? It has S-Video out, right?

Also, how good, really, is a laserdisc's image quality? I also wanted to pick up a copy of The Criterion Collection's edition of John Carpenter's Halloween since it has that great commentary track and Siskel & Ebert special. Thoughts and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Phew.

Thanks,
Nick

[trespoochies]

I don't have that particular model, but I do have a Pioneer CLD-D504, that has an AC-3 RF Output. Now does the model you want have an RF Ouput or is it a straight digital out? I had to get an RF demodulator that will connect and convert the digital signal so my receiver will play it.
Some laserdisc picture are still better than some dvd's (Amadeus for example) as well as many others. But if you do get Star Wars and you want to hear it in 5.1 digital, you need to get the Special Edition Tilogy in the black box. All of the other editions previously released are only in analog.

[tomdkat]

The Pioneer DVL-909 looks like it would be a good player for LD only use, even though it also plays DVDs. The firmware is SOOO old in that unit that modern DVD playback might be more problematic than it is worth.

The player DOES have AC-3 RF output, which means you will either need an external RF demodulator OR a receiver with a AC-3 RF input built-in.

Keep in mind that the Special Edition Trilogy is the version that Lucas DOES intent to release on DVD, at some point. It's the ORIGINAL, non-digital version on LD that will NOT be released on DVD... so you might want to be patient unless you want enjoy the Raiders of the Lost Ark trilogy, or other titles on LD.

Good luck!

Peace.....

[Nickolai]

Originally posted by tomdkat
Keep in mind that the Special Edition Trilogy is the version that Lucas DOES intent to release on DVD, at some point. It's the ORIGINAL, non-digital version on LD that will NOT be released on DVD... so you might want to be patient unless you want enjoy the Raiders of the Lost Ark trilogy, or other titles on LD.

Good luck!

Peace.....

Thanks, trespoochies & Tomdkat.

Basically that is why I want a LD player right now. I know now that the non-special editions don't have digital audio, and that's ok. I miss my original Star Wars trilogy. I wanted to watch them so badly that I pooped in my pan and scan copies the past few nights. I miss all the original sounds and sound editing, Luke's scream on Cloud City as he falls. The Emperor's scream on the second Death Star. HAN SHOOTING FIRST! WOOHOO!

I thought for SURE I had my widescreen copies of the non-special edition original trilogy on tape. But I seem to be going crazy because I can't find it. :rar: I planned on getting The SE Star Wars and non-SE Star Wars Trilogies on laserdisc, as well as The Indiana Jones Trilogy.

Thanks for all your help. Please have a peek at my other topic too, please What do you guys think of the Sony DVP-C670D

Nickers

[Wirehed]

I have a Pioneer DVL-909 myself, as does my neighbor. It's a great machine and I have never had a DVD that didn't play on it (well, actually there was a bootleg anime disc that would play the subs, but that shouldn't count).

It's not my primary player but it does still get used.

You are, of course, better off with the 919. It will have newer firmware and have the ability to play DTS DVDs.

[tomdkat]

Originally posted by Seamonkey
It will have newer firmware and have the ability to play DTS DVDs.

As well as dts LDs too!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!

Peace.....

[Wirehed]

The 909 will play DTS laserdiscs, it just passes the digital signal to your receiver. You, of course, have to use a coax cable.

[tomdkat]

The 909 plays dts LDs but NOT dts DVDs? Interesting.......

Peace.....

[Wirehed]

DVDs are software. It's a different technology...or something... I used to know but I can't remember the specifics.

But anyway, the 909 will play DTS LDs but not DVDs. That's really the only difference between the 909 and the 919.

[MARVEL]

Originally posted by Seamonkey
DVDs are software. It's a different technology...or something... I used to know but I can't remember the specifics.

But anyway, the 909 will play DTS LDs but not DVDs. That's really the only difference between the 909 and the 919.

Seamonkey speaks the truth. What made dts on LD so cool was that if you simply had a digital output then you could play dts. Thats why most LD people freaked when it wasn't on DVD when they first came out cause it seemed so simple on LD as a simple digital pass through and you didn't have to buy all new equipment.

[NotaNumber]

This is a nice unit. Although the image quality may not be as good as separate LD and DVD players it is not too shabby and a good buy if you can get a good price on it.

I've had no problems with menus on any the DVDs I've put through it, even advanced stuff the chokes on some players such as the Ultimate T2, Snow White and Abyss discs.

You'd be better off getting the DVL 919 because of its ability to play DTS DVDs, however the 909 (depending on ROM version) can be hacked to be multi-region.

[Alan Smithee]

I was able to get my DVL-909 modified to work with DTS DVDs- units made after February 1998 actually have the same "brains" inside as the DVL-91, all you have to do is change 2 of the resistors behind the front panel (they're surface-mount type, take them out and replace them with regular-type resistors). Check out www.megavision.de for details. Paradyme in Sacramento was nice enough to do this for me since I wasn't quite sure how to do it myself. This also lets you dim down the front display, and controls for laserdisc noise reduction are enabled too but this player doesn't have the insides needed to actually do it.
I also have it fixed for region-select (doable by soldering together 2 points on the bottom of one of the boards) and have Macrovision disabled (by soldering a wire on the top of the same board), which I had to do because it made the top of the picture dark on my TV even though I don't have it running through a VCR!

[Wirehed]

Did Paradyme do the Macrovision and region free mods as well? interesting.

[Alan Smithee]

I asked Paradyme to at least do the Macrovision mod, but they said they could get in trouble so I finally broke down and did it myself since I was so sick of it. I'd be real pissed if it wasn't defeatable since I never make tapes of DVDs and the signal isn't even going through a VCR, yet I have to be punished for those who do make tapes! The website warns that doing it wrong can destroy the player's CPU, so I got out some old junk electronics to practice soldering before I did the player.