Customer Reviews

Panasonic DVD-F87K 5 Disc Progressive Scan DVD Player Black

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I picked up this little beauty to replace both an ancient and cranky 5-disc CD Player and a single disc DVD player. I now have breathing room in the old entertainment center, so even my antique turntable can take a creaky spin every now and again.

Seeing that I can't connect a toaster without help, I called on my trusty better half to unravel the mystery of setting it up. In non-technical language, a.k.a. plain English, this is what you need to know about this mighty machine:

1. The manual needs a lot of work. It's neither user-friendly nor idiot-proof. Ditto for the boxy silver remote.

2. It is easy to set up if you already know how to do that sort of thing. (We have component video connections to the TV and digital coaxial connections to the receiver.)

3. It gives excellent sound from both CDs and DVDs. With the benefit of 5.1 surround, movies like Master and Commander can literally move you, and CDs have never sounded better.

4. It is as convenient as a 5-disc CD changer as it is a 5-disc DVD player, except that when you're playing more than one CD you'll need to put it in "CD Mode" first.

5. It can easily play different types of media, such as audio Cds, MP3s, DVDs and those other mysterious formats - just put in the discs and play away.

6. The video quality is very good on a regular TV. You can set up different pre-defined picture quality modes, or customize to suit your own taste if you're a techie or a buff. If you have difficulty making up your mind, ignore this option.

7. The player is chock full of options, but you have to explore for yourself, which can be a bit confusing until you get the hang of it. Read the manual, you say? See Item 1 above.

8. There's on-screen information for MP3s and photo CDs, with different views available for the contents. (Groups/folders or entire playlists)

9. I can't comment on the progressive scan feature, since I don't have an HD or HD-ready TV - yet. (Still waiting for that lottery win)

10. It is supposed to play DVD-Audio discs, but you need 6.1 channel inputs on your receiver to play them. Unfortunately, our receiver is lacking these inputs, but then again, I am also lacking any DVD-Audio discs.

Electronics buffs will probably say that it needs a bit of "tweaking" to get it to look and sound just right, but it looks and sounds great to me. All in all a very good player, perhaps excellent when you factor in the price.

Amanda Richards, October 1, 2004

I wanted a budget DVD/CD changer that could also play DVD-Audio (DVD-A). I was a bit skeptical about this player, having read other user reviews.

At it's price point of $130, I decided to give this player a try - because I could always exchange it for another player if necessary. Currently I also own a JVC progressive and an Aiwa non-progressive DVD player. Both those players are good, but have problems playing certain DVD and VCD disks.

I was presently surprised to find that the new Panasonic DVD-F87 player played all the disks with which I had problems with my previous players. The player is quite thin and has a small footprint - the width being actually slightly less than my old JVC single-disk DVD player!

I set up this player using component video cables to a Samsung widescreen HDTV and using digital coaxial cable to a JVC RX-6030. I first tried the "quick setup" menu features, but was not impressed with the results. So, I decided to use the more advanced menu options and was able to tweak it to audio and video excellence.

Since I have a HDTV, I set it up to use progressive scan (selecting 480p). The video performance is excellent for the "film based" (24fps) DVDs using 3:2 pulldown, but average for "video based" (30fps) DVDs. This is because these low cost Panasonic players no longer have the Sage/Faroudja DCDi deinterlacing chip. Thankfully, almost 90% of new DVD movies released today are film based, so this player will have no problem producing excellent video output. Besides, its 54MHz/10-bit video DAC produces an increadibly good detailed image. Another feature highlight is its "black level" control, which improves picture contrast considerably. It has a number of zoom modes to suit the DVD format and your viewing style and does a superb job of scaling. You can even scale non-anamorphic DVDs to suit the aspect ratio of your TV (using the "Display" menu).

The real surprise is in the audio performance with its 192kHz/24-bit audio D/A converter. DVD-A and HDCD and two of the advanced formats supported (but not SACD) that provide very detailed sound quality. But the key feature that sets this player apart from the competition is the oversampling feature (called "multi remaster") with improves the detail in your normal (or "redbook") CDs. The result is very detailed sound, with clean and smooth highs with a wide soundstage and excellent imaging. Bass is also defined and tight. With multi remaster enabled, I compared the Panasonic F87 with a more expensive Marantz 4400 DVD player and the Panasonic won hands down. So I now have this player connected (in stereo mode) to my more high-end stereo audio gear.

On the downside, the thin manual does not do justice to the ton of audio and video features that can be tweaked using a combination of menus. But if you are an audio or video-phile I can guarantee you will have fun with this player!

In conclusion, I highly recommend this player to those of you who are willing to go beyond the "plug and play" and are willing to use the excellent menu features to tweak the player to your liking.

I have owned numerous Panasonic electronics items over the past 30 years. This includes radios, phones, 3 VHS players, a VHS camcorder, boombox, TV, answering machine, and Mini-DV camcorder. I also own a 5-disc Panasonic DVD player, which is a inoperable piece of metal and plastic occupying my entertainment system shelf.
Soon after the warranty expires(if not before), your Panasonic DVD player is LIKELY to develop a malfunction which is displayed on the DVD as an "H07" error. This code is well known to owners of Panasonic DVD players. It is a signal that the spindle motor has failed, or is failing, not turning the DVDs enough to be "read" by the laser.
PLEASE research well on Google, Metacrawler, or your Internet engine of choice on the dreaded Panasonic "H07" code. I HIGHLY recommend against buying a Panasonic DVD player until the company acknowledges and corrects their manufacturing error in these machines. Even if your machine is still under warranty, you will need to ship it to Panasonic at your cost, and if it is past the first 90 days of ownership, you will pay $90.00 per hour for repairs.
This DVD player is NOT recommended.

This is one of the best deals on the DVD player market. First rate sound, video, and features with a bargain price. I own a Go Video D2730 networked DVD player also and I thoght it is a decent one. Bought this one just for some dialog enhancement. Never imagined this Panasonic one makes so much difference in sound and video quality. One of my best buys ever!

Finding a DVD/CD changer is getting difficult. It used to be that most electronics companies offered a couple of models each. Now, many like Pioneer, Samsung and Philips don't make them anymore. The companies that do,like Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon and Sony only offer one model. The only one Pioneer has is this one, and they don't make it anymore (but there are still plenty in inventory to buy).

What is popular now are VCR/DVD combinations, DVD recorders and single DVD players with upconversion to 1080p.

In reality, why would anyone need a DVD changer. It is not like anyone would pop in 5 movies, flop on the couch and watch continuously for 10 hours. You cannot easily jump from DVD to DVD. You have to wait for the menu to come up and then you have to select what you want to play. You cannot even put in a bunch of concert videos and just let them play. With DVD's, you always have to interact with them.

Where a changer is effective is with CD's. You can drop in 5 CD's, press play and walk away. And then you can have over 6 of music with no further interaction.

The only reason to get a DVD/CD changer is to have the changer for the CD's, and then to have the DVD player so you don't have to buy two separate units.

I researched all the DVD/CD changers available and bought this one for the following reasons:

-It was the cheapest (even before going on clearance pricing).
-It has an HDCD decoder for better sound out of HDCD discs. HDCD stands for high definition CD and it is a CD recorded with a higher resolution. You can play them in a standard CD player and they sound better than most CD's but they sound even better with an HDCD player. There are many CD's with HDCD, including Roger Waters and almost everything from the Grateful Dead.
-It plays CDR's and CD-RW's (almost all DVD players do).
-It advertises that it plays DVD-R, but I have seen reports that it will play all DVD recordable formaats, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, and maybe even the recordable dual layer discs.
-It can play all CD's in a random mode. The Sony (and some other units) can only play one disc at a time in random mode. That defeats one of the most important reasons for having a DVD/CD changers.

NOTES ABOUT THIS UNIT:
-It has an SPIF (coaxial digital) output but not a optical output. This wasn't a problem for me. Most receivers will take either.
-It has a component output but not HDMI. Older high definition TV's like mine don't have HDMI inputs.
-It has Dolby and DTS decoders and five channel output. I don't know who would want that. I don't know of many surround sound systems that don't also have the decoders.
-It will play DVD-Audio discs. There is a note about only playing them in stereo. But, I think that is only if you use the 5 channel output. If you use the digital output, it might play DVD-Audio in surround sound, but I don't know for sure.
-It does not play Super Audio CD's. I don't think that DVD-Audio or SACD are going to last. You can't get many discs in either format.
-Like most DVD/CD changers, there is a DVD mode and a CD mode. When in DVD mode, you can play CD's but you have to play them individually. In CD mode, the DVD's will not play at all. But, in CD mode, the player now acts like CD changer and will play one CD after another or can play all CD's in a random mode.

DOWNSIDES:
-The remote control sensor is on the far right of the unit. It gets blocked by the door frame of my stereo cabinet.
-Default is DVD mode everytime you turn the system on. It takes about a minute before you can put in CD mode. If you put the system in CD mode while a CD is playing, it starts the CD over.
-There are not very many controls on the unit. To program it or switch it to random play, you have to use the remote. And you have to turn on the TV so you can see what you are doing.
-The little numbers that identify the disc positions on the carousel are almost impossible to see.

My wife wanted to know why I wanted to buy a new DVD player when the one we had was only 6 months old. Simple...5 disc capability. I'm a DVD nerd. I love muti-disc, collectors, special, deluxe edition sets. What I don't like is having to get up and change discs all the time.

The panasonic F87S answers my prayers with this 5 disc capability player. It's a tough, durable machine that can handle the needs of someone like myself who always has 4 discs in the player, rotating around depending on what I want to watch.

Outstanding picture and sound and excellent features make this one a great buy for multiple disc DVD players. The manual is consice and easy to read but any DVD aficiando will know how to use it anyway.

Only minor complaint is the design of the remote control with its bulky, rear weight balance.

I have bought this unit through Panasonic web site for $107 Dec. 1, 2004 for my son as Christmas gift. He didn't use it until Jan 2005. It's DOA (dead on arrival). I call Panasonic help line to get a replacement. ButI was told it has passed 30 days and I have to send to local dealer to repair. The local dealer charges Panosonic $120 to get part replaced. It works couple months. Now the disk tray won't open. Once it opens, it won't close. And the tray keeps spinning. I think I will get Sony DVD player from local store. At least it's easy to replace the unit if anyting goes wrong.

After reading some of the previous reviews, I wanted to state that this player definitely plays back multichannel DVD-Audio discs. If you're only hearing sound out of 2 speakers, then there must be a setting you need to change in the setup menu.

Also, I've burned many DVD-R's on various DVD burners (not Panasonic branded) and they've all played back flawlessly on this Panasonic DVD-F87S player.

Haven't had any problems with this player and I've owned it for 18 months now.

This DVD player is a great, mid-range player that encompasses a wide variety of disc formats. One of the best features is that it can store the exact position of playback for 5 discs so that if you stop watching one movie and move on to another, you can go back the next day and pick right up where you left off.

I have tried playing DVDs, DVD+R and CD-R (with JPG images) and all have worked successfully.

The good news; the sound is surprisingly good, and far better than even expensive players from very few years back. It's darn cheap. It plays many types of discs. There are many useful features, including the dialog enhancer, a setting that lets you "recover" information lost in the digitization process (not sure I got that right, but that's what the manual seems to say), and a 5 disc changer. The bad news; it has the single most frustrating, counter-intuitive, and simply poor user interface of any CD/DVD player I've ever seen. I spend more time swearing at this player than I do in the rest of my day put together. It has many settings, which it forgets when you turn it off! Very often, it simply locks out options for no apparent reason; I can't get from one setting to the next, and I fail to see the logic. I could go on, but only buy this (or any more modern descendent from Panasonic) if you place $$ far, far above ease of use and overall satisfaction. I would only recommend this to a complete and utter masochist; I leave mine on 24x7 and avoid switching settings, just so I don't have to drive my self crazy dealing with the poor design. But the sound is, as I said, quite good. And it was cheap! But I certainly would not recommend it for most (any?) people. I intend to give mine to charity and buy something else when I find a newer machine (from someone other than this brand) that I like more. But it will tide me over until then, so it was probably worth what little it cost in $.