Pioneer 10X DVD-104S DVD Player Review

Image079.jpg (47574 bytes)

Written: 2/2/2000
Written by: Moto®
Price: $112.00
Manufacturer: Pioneer

The biggest problem I had with the Pioneer DVD-104S was getting one. This unit is so hot that nearly every vendor is out of stock and Pioneer can't make enough of them. Unlike most DVD or CD ROMS, the Pioneer DVD-104S is slot loaded. There is no slide out tray to take your CD or DVD. Instead you just put the CD in like you would in a Car CD player. After using this unit for a few days, I had to wonder why they didn't make all CD ROMS like this in the first place? It's just so easy to push a CD in instead of placing it on a tray.

Specifications/Standard Features

General
Disc Format DVD ROM & Video (Single & Dual Layer)
DVD-R (DVD-RAM not supported), CD-R, CD-R/W, CD-DA (Audio CD)
CD-ROM (Mode 1 & 2)
CD-ROM XA, Video CD, Photo CD (single or Multi-session)
CD-EXTRA, HYBRID CD, CD-Text
Interface ATAPI Model: ATA/ATAPI-4, Ultra DMA 33
Sustained Transfer Rate 4.1X – 10X (5.58MB/sec – 13.5MB/sec) for DVD-ROM
17.2X – 40X (2.58MB/sec – 6.0MB/sec) for CD-ROM
Seek Time (random/average) 90ms for DVD-ROM
70ms for CD-ROM
Access Time (random/average) 100ms for DVD-ROM
80ms for CD-ROM
Data Buffer 512KB
Mounting Orientation Horizontal or Vertical
Environmental Operation Conditions
Temperature 5 to 45ºC (within 10ºC/hour deviation)
Humidity 5 to 85% (below 10%/hour deviation)
Not Operating  
Temperature -20 to 60ºC (within 10ºC/hour deviation)
Humidity 5 to 90% (below 10%/hour deviation)
Remarks: Measurements taken at no dew condition.
Regulatory Approval UL, CSA, TUV, FCC Class B, FDA, CE Marking
 

The DVD-104S measures 5-13/16" x 1-11/16" x 8-13/16", about the same size as most CD ROMS. The  unit can read DVDS at 10X and CDS at 40X. With fast seek and access time plus a 512K buffer, it's no wonder Pioneer can't keep these things in stock.

Installation of the Pioneer DVD-104S was just like installing any other drive. Set the drive as either a master or slave,  slide it into a free 5.25 drive bay, hook up  the power and  IDE cable then start the computer. Windows will do the rest. The DVD-104S we had for testing is a bare drive and comes with just the drive, nothing else! There is no CD cable, no drivers, not even a manual or instruction sheet of any kind. If you don't know the first thing about installing a DVD ROM, get the   retail version or have a tech friend help you.

The thing I like about the slot loading is there is really no way to damage your drive. No open CD tray means there is no chance of breaking it. Believe me I know,  it's happened to a few friends. The unit handles all my CDs and DVDs without any hiccups. Even some of my damaged CDs that my normal CD ROM couldn't read loaded up without any problems. The cool thing about the Pioneer DVD-104S is it can read my rewritable CDs. This is something my CD ROM can't do.

Because the DVD-104S was a bare drive and didn't come with any software I had to find a software DVD player to be able to play  DVD movies. Luckily I had a copy of Asus DVD left over from my Asus V6600 Deluxe card. Having the Pioneer DVD can make one nice home entertainment system. The unit plays the DVD and sends the signal to the V6600 which outputs to the big screen TV. Considering the cost of home DVD player, doing it with a computer makes  a lot of sense.

Priced at $112, the Pioneer DVD-104S is about twice the price of a 40X CD ROM. Not a bad premium to pay to add a DVD player. Right now the only reason you would want a DVD ROM is to play movies on your comp or use it to output to your TV. There aren't may DVD games out yet but rest assured you'll see a ton of them soon. 

If you're getting a new computer and are wondering whether to get a DVD-104S or just a normal CD ROM, get the Pioneer. The price is not that much more and the CD read speed is just as fast as most stand alone CD ROMs and you'll be able to read all disc formats but DVD RAM. It doesn't get much better than this

The Goods

The Bads

Rating: 9/10