Features
Inputs and Outputs Notes

Features

DVD Recording: The Pioneer DVR-520H can record on both DVD-R (record once) and DVD-RW (rewritable) discs. In addition to recording broadcasts through the antenna or A/V inputs, you can also transfer audio and video to or from DV and MiniDV camcorders through the front-panel DV interface. You cannot record copy-protected video including DVD-Video discs and protected satellite broadcasts. You can record up to 99 titles and 999 chapters on a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc.

HDD Recording: You can record up to 102 hours of video (in EP mode) on the internal 80GB hard disk drive (HDD). Recordings made on the HDD can be accessed quickly for immediate playback or copied to DVD in minutes. You can record up to a total of 250 titles on the HDD, and a maximum of 99 chapters per title. The maximum continuous HDD recording is 6 hours.

HDD-to-DVD Copying: Recordings can be copied from the HDD to recordable DVD or from DVD to the HDD with no loss of audio or video quality. The High-Speed Copying feature allows you to copy between the HDD and DVD at up to a maximum of 24x normal speed; dub one hour of recorded material in as little as 2-1/2 minutes. The recording speed depends upon the recording mode and the kind of DVD disc you're using. You can also copy in real time and, if desired, change the recording mode from the original.

One-Touch Copy: The One-Touch Copy feature enables you to copy the currently playing title from the HDD to DVD with the touch of a single button while playback continues. The whole title is copied, regardless of where in the title you start recording. The recorder copies at the maximum speed possible. One-Touch Copy also allows copying of a single title from DVD to HDD. When you start copying, playback jumps back to the start of the title, and continues through to the end of the title.

DV Input/Output: On the front panel of the DVR-520H is a DV input/output jack (also known as i.LINK or IEEE 1394) for recording to or from a DV-format digital camcorder. Only HDD/DVD playback video and audio is output from the DV In/Out jack. Signals from the built-in TV tuner, CD, Video CD and other inputs are not output from the DV jack. Note: Copy-protected or copy-once video is not output from the DV jack.

Chase Play: Using Chase Play, you can start watching a recording on DVD or HDD from the beginning before the program has finished recording. For example, if you miss the first 30 minutes of a two-hour movie you are recording, you can start watching the movie from the beginning while the recorder continues to record the program 30 minutes ahead of you. You can also watch anything else already recorded on the same DVD or the HDD by selecting it from the Disc Navigator screen (Simultaneous Record and Play). Note: Use of a DVD-RW Ver. 1.1/2x or 1.2/4x disc is required for DVD Chase Play.

Disc Navigator: The Disc Navigator makes editing and finding your way around a disc easy by displaying a frame from each title or chapter within a title as a visual reminder of what the title or chapter is. You can choose a Navi Mark of 0 seconds, 30 seconds or 3 minutes into the program to choose the frame to display on the Disc Navigator screen.

Home Menu: The Home Menu gives you on-screen access to all the recorder's features in one convenient place, from setting up the recording, to programming a timer recording and editing a recording.

Disc History: The Disc History screen shows disc information, including how much free space remains for recording, for the last 30 recordable discs loaded in the recorder. Each time a recordable disc is loaded, the Disc History is automatically updated with the latest information.

Timer Recording: You can program the recorder to record up to 32 programs, up to a month in advance, to a recordable DVD or to the HDD. You can use the Easy Timer recording or Standard Timer recording modes to schedule recordings to a recordable DVD or the HDD. The VCR Plus+ system allows you to enter a PlusCode number from your local TV listings to set a timer recording for the HDD only. For regular daily or weekly HDD timer recordings that you don't want to keep, you can use the Auto Replace Recording feature to automatically replace the previous timer recording with a new one.

One-Touch Recording: For an immediate 30-minute recording of the currently-tuned channel, you can select the HDD or DVD and press the red Record button on the front of the unit or the remote. Each time you press the Record button increases the recording time by 30 minutes up to a maximum of 6 hours.

Picture Quality/Recording Time: There are four standard picture quality/recording time settings: Fine, Standard Play, Long Play and Extended Play. You can also create a fifth setting of "Manual", which allows you to select one of 32 manual settings. Note: The preset picture quality settings correspond to the following manual settings: Fine=MN32, SP=MN21, LP=MN9, EP=MN1.

Approximate Recording Time:

Optimized Recording: If a timer program is set but there isn't enough space on the disc to fit the program at the preset recording quality (except MN1/EP), the Optimized Recording feature will automatically adjust the recording quality to fit the available disc space.

Recovery Recording: When a timer recording is set to use DVD, but the loaded disc in unrecordable or you've forgotten to load a recordable disc, the program will automatically be recorded to the HDD.

Disc Back-Up: You can use the Disc Back-up feature to back-up important material on DVD to another recordable DVD disc. The material is first copied to the hard disk drive, then onto a second DVD disc. You cannot back up a DVD that contains copy protected material.

Auto Start Recording: If you connect a satellite receiver or other type of set-top box to Input 1 (marked "Input 1/Auto Start Rec") on the rear panel, the recorder will automatically start and stop recording according to the timer settings of the satellite receiver/set-top box. After setting up for Auto Start Recording, the recorder starts recording when it detects a signal from the other component, and stops recording when it ceases to receive a signal. Note: Recordings made using the Auto Start Recording feature are recorded onto the Hard Disk Drive. Recording directly to DVD is not possible when using this feature.

Editing: DVD-RW discs can be edited in one of two ways in the VR mode. You can directly edit the original content of the disc, or you can create and edit a play list, which doesn't change the original content, but controls how the content is played back.

MP3/WMA/JPEG Playback: The DVR-520H will play CD-R and CD-RW discs containing MP3 and WMA audio files and JPEG still image files, recorded in ISO 9660 Level 1 or 2, Romeo or Joliet formats. The recorder can recognize up to 99 folders and 999 files. JPEG still image files with a horizontal resolution of 160-5120 pixels, and vertical resolution of 120-3840 are supported. No bit rate information is available.

Photo Viewing: JPEG photos and picture files on CD-ROM, CD-R or CD-RW discs can be played back in a slide-show fashion. Files appear in the Photo Viewer as thumbnail images, nine to a page. You can easily select thumbnail images to be shown on the full screen one at a time, or begin a slideshow with the currently selected thumbnail. Images can be enlarged (zooming) for closeup viewing, or rotated to show the images right side up.

Video/Audio Adjustment Menu: In the Video/Audio Adjust menu, you can choose a picture quality setting for disc or HDD playback, the built-in tuner and each external input. For the tuner and inputs, the presets include: Tuner (suitable for general TV broadcasts), VCR (suitable for videocassettes), LDP (suitable for laserdiscs), Memory1, Memory2 and Memory3. If you choose one of the user presets, you can make further fine adjustments. During disc playback, you can choose a preset that best matches the type of display used (TV/CRT, Plasma, or Professional Monitor) or one of 3 user presets which provide further fine adjustments. In addition to picture quality adjustments, you can adjust the Audio DRC (Dynamic Range Control) from "Off" to "Max".

Progressive-Scan Playback/PureCinema: The DVR-520H is capable of displaying interlaced or progressive-scan video signals. Video-based material has a frame rate of 30 frames per second, while film-based material has a frame rate of 24 frames per second. This recorder converts film material to 60 frames per second (in progressive scan mode). The unit's PureCinema feature automatically adjusts the picture so that it matches more closely the picture quality of a cinema screen. Note: The recorder must be connected to an HDTV-ready TV in order for you to view progressive scan video.

Child Lock: To prevent timer settings from being changed prior to the recording date, you can "lock" the recorder and temporarily make all front panel and remote buttons inoperative. The recorder can be unlocked at any time by holding a button down for more than 3 seconds.

Multibrand Remote Control: The supplied remote (VXX2932) is pre-coded to operate the basic functions of several different brands of TVs, so you can control the DVD player/recorder, the hard disk drive, and the basic functions of your television with one remote. If you are using more than one Pioneer DVD recorder in the same room, you can set the remote control codes to Recorder 1, 2 or 3 in the Initial Setup menu.

Inputs and Outputs Notes

DV In/Out: The DVR-520H is equipped with a front panel 4-pin DV (also known as IEEE 1394, or i.LINK) input/output jack. This allows you to connect a DV or MiniDV camcorder. Since it is a two-way connection, you can transfer camcorder footage to DVD for editing, as well as transfer DVD content back to the camcorder if desired.

Optical Digital Output: The recorder has one Toslink optical digital output that allows you to output a Dolby Digital or DTS-encoded bitstream to compatible A/V receivers for decoding. In the Setup Menu, you can set the output to pass through audio signals with a high sampling rate (88.2 or 96 kHz) or down-convert them to 48 kHz, depending upon the capability of the connected A/V receiver.

3 A/V Inputs: This unit features 3 audio/video inputs, including a front panel input, each with stereo audio RCA jacks, and composite and S-Video jacks. Input 1 features an Auto Start Recording feature which, when activated in the menu, automatically starts the recorder when it detects a signal from the connected component, and stops recording when the signal ceases.

2 A/V Outputs: There are 2 audio/video outputs, each with stereo audio RCA jacks, and composite and S-Video jacks for connecting the recorder to TVs or monitors.

Component Video Output: One rear panel component video output is provided for connection with component video-capable TVs or monitors. In the Setup menu, you can set the output of the component video jacks for progressive-scan or interlaced video, depending upon the compatibility of the connected TV or monitor.

VHF/UHF (RF) In/Out: The rear panel threaded female "F" connectors allow you to connect your TV antenna (input) and pass the antenna signal through to the TV or monitor (output). The HDD and DVD audio and video signals are not output through the RF connectors.

Control Input: This unit has a 3.5mm (1/8") mini-jack input which can be used to connect the recorder to another Pioneer component with a control out terminal. If the connected component has a Pioneer "SR" mark at the control out terminal, you can control the DVR-520H through the other component's IR sensor.