Customer Reviews

Panasonic DVD-LV75 Portable DVD Player

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bottom line. I went shopping for one of these for about a month before I finally got the LV-75 and as soon as I got it, I had to really see if all the stuff I read on this board had any validity. Here are my results.

1) BATTERY TIME
2 tests. Fully charged overnight each time, brightness set to "0" (goes from -5 to 5), using headphones ONLY:
Test 1 --> 4h:55min + 18 seconds
Test 2 --> 4h:50min + 44 seconds

(each test had about 5 min worth of fast-forwarding, change out disks.etc... Have yet to test the entire time with speakers on and I'm guessing that these results would drop dramatically.)

2) PICTURE QUALITY
(Using about 8 different movies, being viewed from 3 feet away) Sharpness: Over-all, pretty good. Could clearly see pixels but stopped noticing them after about 10 mins. Doesn't match my regular flatscreen but hey, I can't really take a 27' Sony VEGA on a flight so I'm not complaining.
Color reproduction: Trying out all the color settings, I found that I couldn't get truly good skin reproduction without over bleeding the screen. Cooler colors such as blues and greens came out better than my regular TV. I also checked for broken pixels and didn't find one. Overall, the picture is above average to very good.

3) SOUND
Best ever micro speakers I've ever heard were from my Thinkpad. Bass was non-existent but overall sound was great. The LV75 comes very close to that performance. The area where the LV75 blows away my Thinkpad is that it decodes 5.1 DTS and mixes it into my 2 channel headphones. Even though it's two channels, it still sounds awesome compared to regular 5.1 digital surround. (Try watching Gladiator DTS/ES which decodes 6 channels)

4) EQUIPMENT
If you were thinking about getting this player instead of a regular rack player, think again. I use an optical out on my regular DVD and expected to just plug my Toslink into the LV75. I was rejected! You need to buy a Miniplug-to-Toslink cable that is not provided to get the optical feed. If you still want 5.1 digital surround, you need to buy 2 more Miniplug-to-RCA cables (they provide you with one, which alone will give you 2 channel stereo). The S-video works, but I don't really use it so I don't know if it will give you 5.1, but if it does, you won't have to go shopping again.

5) OVERHEATING
The unit does get very hot when you are using it without the battery. (the battery sits on the bottom and insulates the heat from your lap!) With the battery, non-existent. The battery on mine NEVER got warm enough to even notice. I watched half of Almost Famous laying down in bed with the unit sitting on my bare chest and I didn't feel a thing.

6) ACTUAL SIZE
The pictures show you this thin little unit, when folded, will be about an inch thick. This is without the battery. With the battery, it gets about a pound heavier and 1.5" (I know that it isn't much, but considering it was just an inch before, that's a 50% increase).

7) EXTRA BATTERIES
I have yet been able to locate on my manual where shows me how to order extra batteries, I can't really say, but I [found it] on the panasonic website [...]

OVERALL VERDICT
Not regretting my purchase in the slightest. This is one of the coolest things I've bought, ever... and it makes me smile just looking at it.

Last suggestions: Buy the 7 inch instead of the 5. Get a good pair of headphones.

The biggest thing on your mind while watching this unit is TIME--> how much of it you have left. [...] I on last biz trip to NY, I was sitting in a rear exit row with about 3' of leg room in front of me with my LV-75 sitting on my lap... and everytime someone passed me to use the bathroom, all I could feel were the "jealous eyes." I don't have to say that this thing cuts flight times in half.

-----> If you can't afford it, don't buy it because you won't use it often, but if you travel... don't leave home without it.

Took the kids on vacation. Great player to keep the kids occupied on a long flight. When I arrived I connected the DVD-LV75 to the TV where I was staying. With 25 movies in a CD case, it required practically no room at all. Great for the kids! (I only got one complaint on the plane from someone who didn't like the sound --- with more than one viewer, we didn't use headphones) I waited for a 7" display DVD player and figured that while most other players were first generation, the Panasonic DVD-LV75 was the best bet as it is a second generation product and most of the bugs were worked out. I was right! I have had no problems. The battery lasts for at least two movies (4 hours).

Wow is the key word here! The Panasonic DVD-LV75 is not only the smallest portable DVD player on the market but probably has the most feature offerings as well! I get 3-4 hours play back on a single battery charge, the screen is crystal sharp, sound is awesome, and plays musical CD's as well.

After looking at several other brands ie: Sharp, Aiwa, this unit beats them hands down. The one thing the Panasonic DVD-LV75 has over the others is size!

The only way to truly appreciate this player is to buy one!

I have both Panasonic L-50 and this LV75. LV75 is definitely the better one. The additional 2" screen makes a big difference. It is thinner and easier to operate. It does not get as hot as the old L-50 and the battery lasts longer...

However, be aware that some airlines ( such as CAL: China Air Lines who flys from LA or SF to Taiwan ) do not allow any DVD playing on their flights. It was quite a surprise and disappointment when I was ready to watch a few new DVD bought for this 14 hour flight. "According to CAA regulations.." they said.. Fly someone else or bring books with you.

Overall, this is a great product. I won't list the reasons why this is a great product because I would be repeating what everyone else in here has done. However, I will list the two flaws of the LV75.

1) The picture quality. I have to admit I traded in the Panasonic L50 for the LV75 because of the larger screen, no doubt about that. While the LV75 has the bigger screen, it loses the sharpness of what the L50 had. There's a slight pixelation per frame when solid colors of objects are displayed (like a wall or the sky).

2) Dual sided DVDs cannont be played. When a DVD offer a widescreen version on one side and fullscreen version on the other, the LV75 will not recognize the format and will not play (movies like Dogma, Austin Powers, 8mm, etc.). This is my major gripe because I cannot play some movies on the LV75.

This is a great product. The picture is great both on the unit as well as on the TV. Highlights:

1). Unlike some reviewers here, I have had NO PROBLEMS playing double sided DVDs. People should verify their claims before they whine generally about something that may be a specific problem with their unit. 2). The unit is very small and doesn't seem to get nearly as hot as the L-50. 3). My only concern is that the manual warns against using a car power source (cigarette lighter) for powering the unit. I don't know if Panasonic will come out with a car adaptor kit or not, but until then, I'll just have to use the battery.

The Panasonic DVD-LV75 offers great features in a small footprint. I searched the Internet, and the Panasonic came out ahead in most professional, and anecdotal, reviews of these types of products. I've used it in the mini-van for the kids, on planes, and on vacation. The screen delivers crisp, clear visuals, and the video and audio outputs allow you to hook it up to a TV for viewing at home (or in a vacation rental in Maine).

The only problems I have had are: 1. My 2-year old son was able to rip the cursor button off the unit and chew on it. Luckily, the button was not destroyed, and I could re-attach it. 2. I get interrupted on airline flights while viewing because people are VERY impressed and want to know all about it.

GREAT PRODUCT, and I have recommended it to a friend who purchased and is enjoying it as much as I have.

Just bought one of these from Amazon. Have had no problems whatsoever. Plays double sided disks, does not get warm, no reflection from silver casing. Battery lasted me easily through the in-flight portion of a cross country plane trip with a stopover. If you want perfect sound and a perfect picture, get a home theatre, not a portable DVD player. It's true the controls are not that intuitive, but that's what the manual is for. There was one movie I couldn't hear that well on the plane with the noise-cancelling headset on, but I could hear the other, so you may want to bring a variety when you travel. A major life-saver for frequent travelers. If you can afford it, buy it.

This is a wonderful machine. I purchased the LV-75 for use while traveling but I have found that I use it almost every day. The picture quality is fantastic and it contains all the features that you could possibly want even when hooked up to your home system. The sound quality is very good while using headphones and adequate through the built in speakers. I assume that the sound quality will improve with future models - that is the only minor flaw I can find. If you are seriously considering a portable DVD player I highly recommend choosing one with a 7" screen. The viewing area is sometimes cropped a bit depending on the films format and there's no space to waste on a 5" screen. Overall I am very impressed with this player and feel that I made the right decision after researching many different models.

I recently took this little gem on a family trip to Mexico. My two daughters LOVED it! They watched movie after movie on the plane, in our hotel during an overnight lay-over (beats paying for the hotel movies!) and at our condo in Puerto Vallerta (we hooked it up to the television set in our living room). When they wanted to escape to the beach, the DVD player went with them.

This particular unit is a cinch to use. I consider myself to be "electronically challenged", yet I was able to figure it out in no time at all. It is SOOOOOOOO easy to hook up and just as easy to dismantle for real portable use.

The picture quality is great, and I like the screen size. I wouldn't go with anything any smaller. This was perfect for the plane (and even for catching a movie in bed!). Headphones plug in very easily. We used several different kinds of headphones (including the ones supplied by the airline) and they worked just fine. I also liked the min-remote that came with it. It saved us a lot of "up and down" when we hooked it up to the television (my 87-year old grandfather also appreciated that!)

I would HIGHLY recommend this product! It's high quality, easy to use and loads of fun!

Enjoy!

Cris