While it isn't the same as watching Blu-ray or HD DVDs in true high definition, using an upscaling DVD player such as the Pioneer DV-490V-S is the next best thing. Hook the unit up via HDMI to a display with a native resolution of 720p or 1080i and you can experience greater detail and more vibrant color than you would from a standard progressive scan DVD player.

Not only will this unit complement most home entertainment systems, if space is at a premium, such as in a bedroom, kitchen or even a dorm room, you'll appreciate the compact design of the Pioneer DV-490V-S. It is a slim, shallow DVD player that stands at just under two inches in height and a little more than eight inches deep. It offers solid disc compatibility, capable of playing most home recorded DVD and CD formats, including those loaded with MP3 and WMA digital audio files. Insert a JPEG picture disc or Kodak picture CD and the DV-490V-S will enable you to create a digital slideshow on your TV screen. If you have a library of video content downloaded from the Internet you'll also appreciate the unit's compatibility with DivX files.

However, the DV-490V-S does not support either of the super high fidelity audio formats, SACD or DVD-Audio. These are common features in higher end DVD players from Pioneer, but since the DV-490V-S retails for a budget price of less than $100, some compromises have been made. Thankfully, the areas where Pioneer hasn't compromised are the video and audio performance of the DV-490V-S. While we noticed that some discs seemed to load a little slowly, once up and running the DVD player delivered solid picture quality whether upscaling or using progressive scan output at standard 480p resolution. The unit offers a good selection of video adjustments along with plenty of playback options such as disc resume, repeat play and random play.

The DV-490V-S offers a digital coaxial audio output with Dolby Digital and DTS pass through for routing 5.1 channel surround sound to a full featured A/V receiver. However, the unit does not feature a digital optical audio output. The overall performance of the Pioneer DV-490V-S upscaling DVD player makes it excellent value for its relatively low price.

Pros: HDMI output, 1080i upconversion, slim, compact design, DivX compatible
Cons: No digital optical audio output, no SACD or DVD-Audio support, disc loading can be slow

Warranty
1 year, parts and labor