Home > Consumer Reviews > Pioneer HTD-510DV 5-Disc DVD Home Theater System

I looked into this Home theater stuff for about 2 months before buying anything. I am not what you would call an audiophile. I do know that I like a nice picture and nice sound, though. I recommend this Home Theater in a Box because:

1. I got many nice reviews here and on other audio/video/electronics sites.

2. Everything was included. 5 speakers (including 2 surrounds) subwoofer, receiver, dvd player (yes, they do sell receivers without players, I guess if you want to spend more money, or you have to have more boxes on your shelves, or you are really into this and can mix and match components well.) The player has a 5 disc carousel-type changer. You don't even have to get up to switch from Sponge-Bob to Independence Day, to Guys and Dolls! Wires, and easy remote were included (even the batteries,) too.

3. Macro-vision is disabled. If you don't know what this is...I didn't either until I tried to copy a video from my old VCR...just be glad it is disabled. From what I understand, it is just some sort of junk code they put in videos and DVDs so we all won't copy and sell them. I know so many people that do that, don't you?!? They get all jumpy and ugly.

4. The set up was EASY. It has this big sheet for dummies (like me) and everything was COLOR-CODED much like computers do now. (Put the purple plug in the purple hole...heck...I didn't even have to know how to read to do it!)My husband was impressed that I set it all up in about 30 minutes! I think the hardest part was getting the (big) box off of my porch. But I did it & I am no weight lifter.

4. It sounds GREAT! The first DVD I played was Shrek. No biggie, right? Man, my dog jumped off of the couch when that subwoofer started (like when the dragon in the movie blows fire.) I felt like I was in the theater. The family actually turned off all the lights and made popcorn the first night! I didn't turn it all the way up where you can feel the bass actually pounding in your body...I'm sure you could, though...I didn't want the dog to have a heart attack or anything!

5. It plays DVDs, radio, MP3 formats, (check out the technical stuff on Amazon's description) AND you can attach your T.V. to it so even your old videos, broadcast stuff, Nintendo, etc., comes through the speakers (I did need a [...] cord for this.) You can adjust the speakers (with the remote) to make even mono stuff simulate stereo.

6. Name - I trusted the Pioneer name. Like I said before, I can't decode a lot of technical data supplied by these manufacturers and reviews, so I had to actually trust the company. I have not been disappointed.

7. PRICE. Oh, yeah. I couldn't spend thousands of dollars on this kind of thing (although I wish I had that kind of money) but I can still get the bang from my bucks. All my friends who were looking at home theaters, HAD to come over and play with it. Some have gone with this system. You can really change the settings and sound quite a bit by just pushing the remote. I bet you can even learn more if you would read the manual!!! I told you it was EASY. I will get to the manual someday...now I am too interested in watching stuff (and buying more movies).

We bought this system about 4 months ago when moving into a new place. When comparing it to higher priced Sony models and whatnot, we found this one to have the most and best features for the most reasonable price.

Pioneer is well known for its high standards in audio quality and is probably one of the best in the industry. It has 5 speakers plus a subwoofer. The speakers are back right, back left, front right, front left, and one that goes on top of your television. The overall appearance is very impressive. The subwoofer can either stand up or lay on its side, which ever you prefer. We decided to put it under the couch to create a more realistic and captivating effect.

The dolby digital encoding in this thing is superior. For example, in a movie a car could be driving from the left of the screen to to the right and the sound of the automobile will actually seem to move across your room because of the effects the speakers produce. It's as if you are actually in a theater. Very deep clear sounds. We previewed many different home theater systems from Best Buy and other electronics stores and this one was by far the best. It has a cleaner, crisper, deeper, more resonant sound than other models such as the more expensive Sonys. No hissing or clicking sounds like the others produce because they can not handle the amount of sound. Also, it has tons of different preset theater surround sounds you can pick from to give your dvd the best sound possible. Some of them that I can remember off hand are Action, Drama, Musical, Virtual Surround 1, Virtual Surround 2 (My Favorite), and there's many many more that I can not remember right now.

Another feature that makes this model superior to its competitors is that it is all in one unit. The receiver and 5-DVD changer are all in one so you don't have to worry about the bulk that other systems cause. This is especially helpful if you live in a small place or an apartment...or if you just don't want alot of equipment taking up alot of space. We have ours in a small stand with a VCR and Playstation 2 and everything fits just fine. Also, if you are worried about the 5-DVD changer....I've had some in the past that have broken, but this one is incredibly smooth and doesn't glich at all. Superior workmanship.

One of the best things about this system is that you can run anything through the surround sound system. We went to RadioShack and bought some extra cords and were able to connect our VCR and Playstation 2 through the surround sound system. You wouldn't believe the effects this thing produces. It's amazing. When you can't rent something on DVD, you can rent it on VHS and still get the same surround sound effects. There's probably even a way to hook the actual TV through the system, but we haven't figured it out yet, or we haven't bought the right cord. But it does have a TV option, so I'm sure that you could.

Another thing that I must add in is the amazing quality of video. This DVD system produces crystal clear pictures. You can definitely tell the difference between a movie in my Sanyo VCR and a DVD in my Pioneer. Also, I used to have a Panasonic DVD player prior to this purchase, and the Pioneer looks 10 times better. Very clear. Great color balance and depth. Amazing.

Pioneer definitely took a step up with this home theater system. The all around package is just incredible. The $... you are spending is definitely worth it. Especially since some of the higher priced models don't even have many of the features or sound capacities that this model packs. We already knew Pioneer was great with sound, and now the Video capability opens up a whole new world of Home Theater Entertainment.

Great stuff. Looked around and thought the pioneer was best, bought this on sale for a little over 400 and consider it worth every penny. About 35 minutes setup time.

Only complaint is that I had to go out and buy addtional cords to hook it up to my TV for TV sound, but that is more a complaint with all of these "out of the box" systems.

It really has terrific sound-- deep and solid bass and the raindrops in Forest Gump (Vietnam scene) are crystal clear. The picture is equally as clear. Would definately recomend to a friend.

I would have to agree with all of the other reviews listed here... Fantastic sound, lots of features, incredible picture, crystal clear decoding. This system is a steal for the price. However, I got a lemon. Less than a year after the purchase the dvd/cd mechanism (brains) failed. The repair technician said it happens sometimes and nothing you can do about it. But no worries, it was still under warranty and Pioneer is stepping up to the plate. They are replacing the system with the new HTD520DV system, and I couldn't be happier with the service. It has taken awhile, but should be worth it once I'm back on the couch watching my favorite flicks.

Bought this system after much searching, looking for the best quality and sound for the least amount of money. Price was the most important issue followed by sound. This is my first Surround Sound System and I am very pleased with this choice. This 400 watt unit has deep, crisp sounds that makes you feel like you'r at a movie theater and the ease of set-up and use, makes it an easy recommendation for me, to anyone looking for a Home Theater System. Enjoy!