The pioneer setup is a little different. The HU does all the processing while the screen is just a slave. The Alpine's are the opposite. The screen has all the processing and the DVD unit is the slave. The CVA-1005 has more preouts and a few more options. It also has the ability to control most of Alpine's processors. If you look at most of their processors, they require a 1/4 din controller. With Alpine's monitors, they control the processors without having to mount the extra controllers. You can generally find the processors cheaper without the faceplates. Just for an idea, if you wanted to run 5.1, the PXA-H510 can be had for about $150 at most. If you're just looking for more EQ'ing options, the ERA-G320 is around $100. I like the Pioneer video, but I think you'll end up with better sound off of the Alpine's. Let me know.