Sharp DV-L80U Portable DVD Player

by Sharp

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005LABT
• Item model number: DVL80U
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,780 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The DV-L80U, the first portable DVD player to offer an 8-inch LCD screen, raises the bar by delivering home-theater quality in a sleek, compact design that boasts a 13-percent larger viewing area than any competing model.

The DV-L80U measures just 8.2 by 6.1 by 1 inches--only slightly larger than a paperback book--and weighs less than 2 pounds without its battery (2 pounds, 13 ounces with its battery).

The lightweight design, combined with an easy-to-use graphical interface, lets you experience high-quality entertainment virtually everywhere--from home to the office to the car, the beach, even while camping.

The DV-L80U boasts a 3.5-hour battery life (with minimum brightness and few starts and stops), a built-in Dolby Digital surround-sound decoder, DVD-RW integrated technology (letting you play DVDs burned on your PC), easy-to-use function controls, and an ultrathin, unified remote control.

Equipped with a full array of line outputs and even an AV input, the DV-L80U fosters system building with surround receivers that have an S-video input, composite-video input, or six-channel audio compatibility. Output from a video camcorder can also be played back through the DV-L80U for crystal clear, convenient viewing on the player's large LCD screen. In addition, the portable DVD player is able to read DVD-RW formatted titles as well as CDs and video CDs.

The unit's superior image quality is the result of Sharp's proprietary Digital Gamma Correction Playback Circuit, which corrects color values in dim sections of the picture according to the brightness of the video image. In addition, the DV-L80U uses Digital Super Picture Logic to provide even greater sharpness by adjusting brightness/contrast and clarifying outlines and picture details, while reducing signal noise.

The DV-L80U uses a thin-profile, 8-inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD panel that uses a low-reflectivity, black-matrix and AGLR (Anti-Glare Low-Reflection) polarizer to reduce the reflection of ambient light and provide dramatic video images that defy the player's compact size.

With Virtual Dolby Surround sound (Q Surround), Digital Theater Sound (DTS) compatibility (output through an optical digital-audio terminal), and built-in Dolby Digital Audio Decoder (5.1 channel and Dolby Pro Logic), the DV-L80U provides an impressive listening experience when connected to either a full home system or merely headphones. Equipped with a built-in optical digital-audio output jack, the DV-L80U easily lets you match the system environment of an existing audio system for optimum performance.

For outstanding video, the DV-L80U incorporates a 10-bit D-to-A converter that processes 8-bit digital DVD data with four times greater accuracy, resulting in playback of high-resolution video images with clarity and crystal-clear resolution.

Additional DV-L80U features include: two power sources (including a normal household AC power adapter and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that fastens to the bottom of the main unit); and parental control, letting parents block programming they deem inappropriate for their children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Big Portable that can, October 29, 2001

By 

Sang Won Park "Go Red" (Ithaca, NY., USA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sharp DV-L80U Portable DVD Player (Electronics)

First, it should be noted that I have not owned any DVD player before purchasing this product, so this review cannot be of such depth one can expect from an exprienced owner: however, I can detest that, since I own four computers -two of them laptops, am an engineer, and am a gadget freak, I think my review may be of some help for all the people browsing the web for their next 'big' thing. Well, here is a 'small' thing that really deserves your attention.

Having seen a friend own a Sharp DV-L70U, a two year old model DVD portable player with a 7 inch screen, I changed my mind from looking for cheap, regular DVD player that would sit like a duck under or top of a TV, eating dust, to looking for a portable player.

At first, the Sharp brand stood out from the pack due to reasonable price compared to others, its wonderfully crisp, 16:9 8 inch cinematic screen and dolby sound that can deliver dolby 5.1 surround when hooked upto an appropriate sound system.
Oh well, enough of the specs and all that you can probably read over the net. I will tell you what I felt about this product.

First, the size: it is light and thin, even with the detachable Ni-Cd battery that lasts 3.5 hours. I think this is thinner and a lot lighter than a lot of books that I carry around. I applaud the Sharp engineers in reducing the weight to such an unbelievable level.
Second, the screen: 8 inch really makes a difference in your point of view. All the movies I saw with the player never looked so better in wide screen.
Third, the portability: you can take this ANYWHERE you want-see a movie while you eat, on your bed besides you, even inside a restroom-not a likely place, though. Most of all, this compactness will likely shine when you are on the move. I can easily agree to people who will envy you and your player during long and tedious plane trips.
Last, value: currently, you can find great prices for Sharp portable DVD players including this model, and frankly, considering that you can easily hook this up to any modern TV/ VCR to play wonderfully high-quality motion and sound is worth the price difference than your sad, dust eating immobile DVD players.

There are few drawbacks-this player, I suspect that like others, skipped some scenes of DVD movies that I rented; probably due to scratched surfaces. Also, I'd like to see some visual aid when I play a audio CD on the player-the screen is just blank when you play one. Last, the concealed speakers of the player does not do justice-it's output dB is meager at best: of course, the compactness of the size limits its amplificating abilities, like all the other portables. Also, adding a fabric case for the player could have helped me from trying to find a way from possible scratch. Nevertheless, this is offsetted by the fact that they give you some good accessories, notably plenty of A/V connectors.
The remote is pretty good, in contrast to some people's complaints that they are big. Big? Give me a break. How do you operate your 'big' TV remote? This is small- less than a credit car size but a bit more thicker- and well designed, and I had not many problems using it.

So far, I have played 'Shine','Apocalypse Now,' and 'Driven', with the DV-L80U and I must say, I was surprised that I have enjoyed them all! Also, when hooked to my plain TV, the screen never looked better with a small portable DVD delievering such a high quality input of sound and motion into it. And even with the player itself, I was able to appreciate 'Apocalyse Now' to the full with its 8inch screen, with a few drops of tears for 'Shine'.

All in all, I enjoy this player, and without hesitation, I give a five star: never mind about lack of some progressive scan abilities-even if you own a HDTV, do you get HD programs? Note that progams for HDTV will not be made in full force until 2005. Sure, wait if you want. Such as it is, this DVD player is strongly recommended for your evaluation if you are considering purchase of ANY type of DVD player, be it portable or not.
Check it out.
Now please excuse me as I am off to buy some DVDs...