While at the International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES) in Las Vegas, Nevada this past winter my eye caught something I just had to get my mitts on--the new Pioneer DVR-7000 recordable DVD player.

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• Read more Denon DVD-Audio and SACD player reviews here.
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Understand the historical impact here DVD fans. The VHS VCR was the single biggest component introduction to the consumer electronics industry ever. I say, "was" because even in its heyday, the VCR did not produce the impressive growth
numbers the DVD player is producing today. All this, with the biggest obstacle for the DVD format being the delivery of Recordable in the DVD medium. (Yes, the idea here is that DVD-R will make the VCR obsolete.) And for those of you shouting "no way!" Please put down this magazine, go dust off your old issues of Audio and break out some vinyl records...oh, and while you're at it, make sure you use words like "warm" to describe the sound. . . (tap, tap, is this on?)

Learning to live with first generation components comes with the territory as a technology aficionado. When it comes to DVD-R first generation woes, expect there to be few, but nothing .more than those minor bumps that often inhibit learning any new process.

Effectively, DVD Recordable works just like your VCR. Record your favorite TV shows or transfer those old VHS home movies onto a more robust medium. Remember, you cannot expect that playback will offer DVD quality. It will only be as good as the source from which it was originally recorded from.

Like Recordable CDs, Recordable DVDs can be created in two different formats DVD-RW (rewriteable up to 1,000 times) and DVD-R (write once). While either format will allow you to record up to 4.7 gigabytes of information, each is used under their own primary functions. DVD-RW is primarily used for recording video and multiple cut editing. Whereas DVD-R is for recording data and final cut recordings (those that will not have any further changes.)

Unique Features - What more can I say about the Pioneer Elite DVR-7000 other than it's a full-featured DVD player that will also record onto DVD? For starters it
has an on-board video editing system that offers exceptional editing capabilities. These capabilities are further enhanced by cameras with a DV (digital video) output when connected to the Pioneer DVR-7000s frontal DV port via an MINK cable. (iLINK is a IEEE1394 "firewire.")

Users must first upload video onto a DVD-RW disc through a capture sequence of sorts. The Pioneer DVR-7000 then automatically detects the start and stop of each segment and displays them as thumbnails on the editing menu display. Editing down the length of each segment isn't exactly what I would call "intuitive." But it can get the job done with some practice and patience. Once the clips are in an agreeable order, you may input a project title overlay and finalize the new project. The only thing missing from the Discnavi editing function is the ability to add various fades between scenes. While I feel that this is a crucial function for being a "complete" video editing machine, I do not think that the Pioneer Elite DVR-7000 was designed with that intention. If video editing is your primary concern, then the Pioneer DVR-7000 will be a great tool for rendering your completed projects. And I recommend buying Adobe Premiere 6.0 or even Pinnacle Studio Version 7 or higher. Once the disc is rendered playback offers chapters at the start and stop of each clip just as any other DVD. If you're tired of having to fast forward to the "good parts" this is for you.

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