Customer Reviews

Panasonic DVD-LS90 9-Inch Portable DVD Player

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I wanted a 9-10 inch portable dvd. The best values I could find came down to the Pansonic LS90 and the Philips PET1000.

I decided on the Panasonic for several reasons: (1) It had superior audio over the Philips ... I could hear nuances in the Incredibles like phones ringing in the background that I couldn't hear on the Philips. (2) The Panasonic operated more quietly, particularly when skipping through chapters. The Philips emitted a grinding sort of noise as the laser sought chapters. (3) The Panasonic's ability to position it's screen in so many configurations is a big plus when using it on a airplane. (4) The extra battery life on the Panasonic is helpful, even if you need to darken the screen a bit to get that extra time. (5) The Panasonic takes up less room in my briefcase, due to a slimmer profile, and a more space-efficient way in which Panasonic attaches the battery to the unit (as compared to the Philips, which is a bit more bulky).

The Philips has a better picture, hands down. It's considerably clearer than the Panasonic. But that doesn't mean the Panasonic is bad. I'd give the screen on the Panasonic a very good, with the Philips scoring an excellent -- best currently available I might add.

All in all, it was a no brainer for me to trade off some picture quality for the extra advantages the Panasonic held over the Philips.

Once I came to terms with my requirements for a portable DVD player, it made the purchase decision very easy for me. Your needs may be different, but here is my review. (Like many others, I looked at many units before purchasing.)

1) Battery Life - a player is dead-weight on an airplane if the batteries are dry. The LS90 advertises the longest battery life on the market and it delivers on it. 4.5 Hours. A blank screen is not entertaining.

2) Durability - a portable player will be bumped around on a plane and a car, this is inevitable. This one has survived several trips, including some very bumpy flights and car rides. Other players would have skipped or broke. LS90 chugs away.

3) Ability to play multiple formats - again, a portable DVD player is worthless if it will not play your disk. Looking at a blank screen is not my version of entertainment. This one plays everything that I can throw at it.

4) Sound - The internal speakers provide the quality that I expected - adequate for its design. I do prefer headsets, and it excels at that.

5) Picture - Yes, with a portable DVD player I can keep outside elements from intruding my personal space. So far, it has not been viewed to be rude, but rather "trendy" behavior. A side-by-side comparison of the LS90's with their competion does have the competition show a sharper and brigter picture (Toshiba), but they also advertise a 2 hour battery life. Once I took the player home and started using it, I found the picture quality to be very enjoyable.

Bottom line - I bought this unit to be entertained while traveling. A blank screen is boring. The LS90 delivers 4.5 hours on a charge, and enables me to escape my longest flights. If I had a sterile environment that rides on a cushion of air with unlimited power, then maybe I would select a different unit(perhaps a 50" plasma w/DVD?). My world has bumps, space and weight constraints, no AC power, and unpredictable delays between flights. The LS90 keeps me entertained and I award it my highest rating - 5 stars.

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Updated June 2006.
After 6 months of moderate use in very bumpy environments, it has held up perfectly. I have learned how to tweak the screen through its customizable display options to make the picture very bright and clear. I also use it in the car so that my [...] is entertained when we take long trips. It is perfect, a life saver. Flawless performance. I am impressed with Panasonic. They will get a lot more of my business.


Copyright 2005 SFG

I picked up the DVD-LS90 so I could watch DVDs because of jury duty. I ended up watching numerous episodes of Family Guy and part of Thomas Crown Affair on the LCD panel.

Fast forwarding and reversing is a little tricky because the buttons on the unit itself doubles as chapter skip. You have to hold down the button to fast forward or reverse and then use the play button to stop (this is a bit annoying). Each single push is read as chapter skipping, even while fast forwarding or reversing.

I don't believe this particular unit is progressive scan. Amazon's website say progressive scan but Panasonic's website indicates no (and I tend to believe the Panasonic website since there's no indication on the box exterior or manual about the unit having progressive scan capability).

The ability to move the LCD panel and pivot (it doesn't simply open like a clamshell) gives it a big edge when using the food tray on a plane since the panel can swivel so it's on top of the unit (vs behind it like the typical clamshell). This allows the unit to rest more securely on the tray (vs sticking out partway like typical clamshell displays).

For some reason, I was expecting a sharper display since it's supposed to handle 500 lines of horizontal resolution (but perhaps I'm trying to compare a notebook LCD that does 1600x1280 on a 15" diagonal against a 9" wide-screen that only claims 500 lines). I can't offer a comparison with other portable DVD player displays (I didn't compare before picking it up -- it wasn't available to demo at any store in town -- too new).

The Panasonic DVD-LS90 portable DVD player is a very nicely made portable DVD player, unlike the other brands out there which you find at Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart, etc: Initial, Mintek, Audiovox, Samsung, Shinco, ... which often look like they'll fall apart after you pick them up. The LS90 has a solid and confident build and nice styling, and is surprisingly lightweight for such a big-screen portable DVD player, even with the battery attached.

The LS90 is very easy to use, and it loads DVDs quickly compared to the other brands. (I've owned quite a few portable DVD players over the years. I was very glad to see Panasonic returning to this market after a couple years of hiatus.) The screen, in classic Panasonic manner, is "free style", meaning the clamshell that houses the screen is flexible and you can adjust the screen in a back-and-forth motion, kind of like tilting and telescoping at the same time. This proves great when I watch DVDs on the subway and hold the player in front of me, because I can move the screen closer without having to hold up the entire player.

The battery life seems pretty amazing. Panasonic claims "up to 6 hours." You know how it is, these companies always exaggerate a little (or a lot). The 6 hour batttery life can be achieved if you turn the backlight all the way down, use headphones and turn volume to low and turn off any virtual surround sound effects, and run a DVD continuously (i.e., not pausing, stopping, forwarding, rewinding, etc.). Nobody watches DVDs this way. In my abusive everyday use, I can get about 3.5 to 4 hours of battery life, which is still amazing compared to all the other portable DVD players I've owned or used. At the minimum, you should be able to finish a long movie like "Once Upon a Time in America" (director's cut version, of course!) on one charge with minimum compromises on settings.

The reason I can't give the LS90 five stars is its screen cold be better. Meaning two things: 1) it could be brigher. Even at the max brightness, it's not bright enough if viewed outdoors. 2) the resolution could be higher. While most high-quality DVD videos will look good most of the time, sometimes you feel the screen is a bit "low-def." To be honest, I laughed when I read someone else claiming his/her Mintek had a sharper screen. I've owned two Mintek players and their screens are no better (or worse) than the LS90's. I just feel a little let down given Panasonic makes some of the best HDTVs on the market. For this price (and given the fact this player is assembled in China by cheap labor), they should have put in a slightly better LCD screen.

Conveniently, the player has two headphone jacks, so two people can watch a movie or listen to music at the same time. The DVD drive is reasonably quiet.

Even though the LS90 costs more than other brands, it just feels so much more solid and reliable, and it's also quieter and more responsive. Is it worth the extra money? If you are the type who drives a Buick or Lexus or BMW or Acura, I bet you'd say yes. Other people such as myself who drive Corollas and Civics and Malibus and Neons, we can still enjoy the high quality and thoughtful convenience Panasonic has put together in this stylish portable DVD player.

Bought the Panasonic LS90 based on the battery life, screen size and ability to play numerous formats. Great marks on all accounts and the tilt screen is superb for use on airlines where the seat pitch is thin and you want to have a reasonable eye distance to the screen. The unit is a breeze to use and very intuitive in its operation. The only negative would be the disappointing screen resolution which is OK but not as good as some of the others available. I bought the higher capacity battery and get upwards of 9 hours of play time which is great for the international flights. Overall, very pleased with the player.

This is a fine product. It is small, which makes it easy to take on trips. The battery life is very impressive. The screen quality is very good. While I have read here on Amazon that certain other comparable units have a clearer picture, I will say that the Panasonic's picture certainly passes muster; it is more than satisfactory.

What is most important about a unit in this class is size, usability, and battery life. If the battery fades too soon, or the unit is too big to conveniently take along at all, there is no point in owning one of these. The Panasonic gets high marks in all three of these categories. In particular, the movable screen can be a big deal on airplanes. I might add that the sound on the Panasonic seems to be very good. When used with my Bose stereo headphones, I can get a very good viewing/audio experience.

This one is a winner.

After a couple of months of light use, the dreaded H03 Error Message showed up and the DVD will not spin. Another model (older) Panasonic put out is famous for this problem and once you get it, you'll pay big bucks to fix it because Panasonic does not have a great customer service. All other people writing positive reviews here probably did so right after they purchased the product and it was working great. But given a few months it will start to break down and I expect that more of this H03 problem will be reported here. Don't buy this product unless you purchase an extended warranty along with it.

I've purchased this DVD player based on "online" reviews and hype, because it was a new player. So far I have been very pleased with its performance, especially in the battery department. On the other hand, I was a little less impressed by the overall picture quality.

To say the least, the picture on this player is very good! It's when actual "text" is on the screen that its a little blocky. When I say "text" I'm referring to screen credits, etc. Although it's still legible, it's not as sharp as I would have expected - especially given the price of this player!

The picture quality of an actual DVD movie is very good - especially the black level. I was very impressed with the available Brightness and Color controls, both of which offer more than enough adjustment. The flexible screen also offers unlimited viewing angles and decreases the need for higher Brightness settings.

The battery life on this player is exceptional! With the ability to play for 6 hours, the battery on this player offers more than enough juice for 2 full length movies! Why only two? Well, because the 6 hour rating is only for the players LOWEST Brightness setting. At normal settings you'll get about 4 hours. I am still looking for a HIGH CAPACITY battery for this player, but have been unable to find one. I'm guessing because it's so new.

Also included with the player is an AC adapter, DC car adapter, and remote control. There is no carrying case, which was a little surprising given its higher cost. The onboard speakers offer very good sound, as long as you're in a controlled environment. If you plan on using this player in your car, then you should purchase an FM Transmitter so you can broadcast the sound over your car stereo. They average about $30, and are WELL worth the money!

Overall I'm very happy with this player. I don't know if Panasonic's LX8, LX9 or LX95 players offer a better picture, only because Panasonic's website doesn't offer this information. I also can't find any comparative reviews of this player to the above mentioned ones because of its relative newness. I'm assuming they all use the same screen technology, but can't confirm that for sure. Regardless, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this player due to its picture quality and long battery life.

I purchased this particular model after reading countless reviews. I was mainly interested in a unit that could play all the different formats available, especially DVD's that I was taping from television and then duplicating using my computer DVD-R drive.
This unit has worked well so far. It is easy to navigate and understand the controls. The picture and sound are fine for a small player but I'd suggest ear phones for optimal sound.
This player is great for taking to someone's house who doesn't have a DVD player. It's simple to hook up to their TV for viewing, all the cords are included.
A bit pricey, but worth it in the long run. This was one of the few players that would last through a two hour movie with it's rechargeable battery.
Check around for the best price. It can flucuate as much as $100 difference.

The LS90 is the third portable Panasonic DVD player I've owned (the LS5 and LS55 before this). I bought this bigger screen size although my LS55 is still going strong and I really like the LS90 which is good for kids due to 9" screen size, good picture, genuine 6+ hour battery life and decent speaker sound.

However all owners of the LS model Panasonic portable DVD players need to be minimally tech savvy and self sufficient to deal with the highly probability that an H03 error that will very likely occur at some point in your DVD player's life - depending on play and wear.

The HOSSAN online tech fix involving the removal of 12 screws and gently resetting the laser threading is far easier than it first sounds and should fix most peoples' units for a while.

But to some extent this is a band aid because in my experience, I have found the real culprit in this sleek, expensive and otherwise well made player boils down to a small substandard plastic cog. Anyone that opens up their player (remove all the back screws (store carefully), gently remove back, locate and inspect the small motor that drives the laser arm along it's track. Attached to the motor spindle is a small metal cog that immediately engages a larger white plastic cog (that drive the laser advance) on a short metal spindle set in a small cradle. You will need to remove a few more small screws holding down the motor and laser drive cog assembly. The small white plastic cog is the achilles heel of the whole mechanical system and is prone is wear, and plastic flaking caused by friction with the metal surface of the motor cog - I am sure this is the real cause of the laser jam.

All other fixes probably act to loosen a plastic flake that has jammed the drive cogs. My solution on 3 different units (for myself and friends) has been to shave down the width of the plastic transition cog by about 1 mm and creating a very slight bevel using a razor blade or exacto knife. This allows both cogs teeth to engage properly without rubbing up against each others sides.

I must stress that this sounds more intimidating and difficult than it actually is in practice! Although fiddly - the parts are small, it is easy and very effective. A visual inspection with these suggestions will make sense of everything.

I cringe every time I read of someone discarding their Panasonic DVD player due to an HO3 error that is really easy to fix in about 15 minutes with a small Philips screwdriver and an exacto knife/razor blade (a pair of tweezers is also handy). Yes it is shameful that Panasonic hasn't acknowledged and fixed this problem caused by a small humble plastic cog in the drive system especially with all the expensive sophisticated electronics functioning flawlessly. This tiny part probably costs less than 1/10 of 1 cent on a $300-$400 dollar appliance! Shameful! But all owners of these otherwise sturdy and handsome Panasonic DVD players can get years of excellent return on your investment if you take the plunge and fix your own LS model if and when the dreaded HO3 message occurs! Yes it takes a leap of faith in this technological age to unscrew the back of an electronic appliance (need I say that it should not be plugged into the power!) and fiddle about with the inner workings. However this is a simple mechanical fix easily performed by anyone with the courage to not discard their $350 machine without some intervention! I must emphasise that in practice it is a bit fiddly but very straightforward and easy. Your biggest pain will be to carefully remove and store the screws you take out - drop one and you'll spend 15 minutes on the floor hunting for it!