Panasonic DVD-S97S Progressive Scan DVD Player Silver

Other products by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [2.78mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 15.7 x 16.9 x 2.4 inches ; 8.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 12 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001G0FGW
• Item model number: DVD-S97S
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,919 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  #49 in	Electronics > Televisions & Video > Disc Players & Recorders > Upconverting DVD Players
  #86 in	Electronics > Televisions & Video > Disc Players & Recorders > DVD Players

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 4, 2004

Product Description

Product Description

Most people think of their DVD player simply as a movie machine. This DVD player not only plays prerecorded DVDs and DVD-R2/DVD-RAM discs, but also plays CD, CDR and CDRW - including CDR and CDRW with recorded MP3 and WMA files. HDMI offers a new high-performance digital standard for outstanding video and sound. It's also more convenient. HDMI carries high-quality digital video and audio over the same thin cable, allowing you to run one cable from your DVD player to an HDMI-compatible TV or home theater receiver. 1 Coaxial and 1 Optical Digital Audio Outputs 5.1-Channel Surround Sound Audio Output, Subwoofer Output, 2-Ch. Audio Output Slow and Fast Audio Playback 216MHz/11-Bit Video D/A Converter 192kHz/24-Bit Audio D/A Converter Remote Control Included MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) Playback Capability on recorded discs 4 - 3 Shrink Function with Letterbox Zoom and Shift MPEG Digital Noise Reduction (Mosquito/Block/3D) with Depth Enhancer Variable and Auto Zoom slect modes Picture Control - Brightness, Color, Contrast, Gamma Correction, Sharpness Black Level Control Advanced Surround, Headphone Surround (V.S.S.), Dialog Enhancer Dynamic Range Compression Channel Balance Control, Delay Time Control Audio Only Function (Video Circuit OFF) Direct Navigator, Playlist Playback, Quick Replay Hi Speed Scan (x100) Progress Indicator HighMAT Compatible (Level 2), Gamma Correction Position Memory (Up to 5 Discs) Sleep Timer, Quick Guide Setup, Energy Star Compliant Audio/JPEG Navigation Menu Dimensions (H x W x D) 2-5/16 x 16-15/16 x 10-1/16 Inches / Weight 5.3 lbs Color - Silver

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb video quality, December 2, 2004

By	Gadgester "No Time, No Money" (Mother Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

There are so many progressive-scan DVD players out there nowadays -- with some costing less than $35 -- one must wonder what's the point of spending more than $100 on a DVD player. The answer, not surprisingly, is you get what you pay for.

In the case of the Panasonic DVD-S97 DVD player, you are getting every penny's worth, if your goal is to get the best possible picture quality out of DVD movies. Of course, if you are still using a standard analog TV, you won't see the kind of high quality we HDTV owners do. To get the max out of the player, you need an HDMI-capable HDTV monitor and need an HDMI cable. The all-digital connection does two things: 1) transmit the video (and audio) signal in digital, and 2) allows the Panasonic's upconverter to work.

The upconverter basically converts the NTSC resolution on today's DVDs to HDTV resolution. It's pretty much like digital zoom on your digital camera. Does it work? Surprisingly, it does in many cases. At least it will not degrade your picture quality (unless you have the expensive but poor-quality Samsung HD841 which amazingly manages to *degrade* video quality). The Panasonic is a consistent performer that helps you take advantage of your HDTV monitor... until the day HD DVD arrives.

The Panasonic is solidly built and easy to operate. Its superb video output is what makes it a five-star DVD player that's also very affordable.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything I'd hoped for, November 17, 2004

By	Eric T. Rosenberg (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I agree with the previous reviewer. This unit was well worth the wait! If you have a Bravo D1, this stellar unit will make your V, Inc. toy look like the piece of garbage it is! The Panasonic's loader is fast and reliable (unlike the Bravo DVD players), the remote control is responsive and accurate (unlike the Bravo DVD players), and the picture is wonderful. Lots and lots of features, including "remember where I am" for up to FIVE DVDs! (One note about this, though - if you just press stop and turn off your unit, the DVD player doesn't remember where you left off. You have to manually store your place in one of the five allotted memory spots.) The HDMI is great, which I use with a DVI adapter since my Sony TV doesn't have HDMI. I recommend reading the manual (as difficult as Panasonic makes it!) to find all the excellent features this unit has to offer. Highly recommended! Throw your V, Inc. Bravo DVD player in the trash and get this Panasonic S97 Silver DVD player!

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great performance for a great price., October 2, 2005

By	F. S. White "swhite007" (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To anyone interested in this product, I received my Panasonic S97S DVD player a little over a week ago in anticipation of my new HDTV purchase. I was lined up to buy the Sony KDP-57WS655 RP CRT HDTV and wanted a DVD player with HDMI upconversion. From all the research I did, many reviews pointed positively to this item so I took a chance and purchased online from Vann's. For $270 with shipping inc, how could I lose? The player arrived a day early and well packaged. Kudos to Vanns. My TV arrived 3 days later and the hookup was complete in less than 5 minutes with the HDMI connection. I was impressed with the appearance of the player. Felt solid and looked very sharp out of the box. The player is lightening fast to any prompts from either the included remote or the front panel controls. I also had a Sharp DVD recorder hooked up to the TV via component cables with progressive scan output. The Sharp player could not touch this Panasonic. The quick setup feature was a great way to get up and running in a hurry. The 480p output was not bad. Better than the Sharp. It took some fooling around to find the upconversion controls, but once reset to 1080i output, WOW. The pic quality on some DVD's rivaled that of some of my HD broadcasts. Particularly, the animated features. Just watched Robots with my kids yesterday. The color rendering and seamless transition of the picture even had my wife saying WOW. She is not easily impressed by electronic toys. This player also has a multitude of adjustments for customizing picture settings. This can be of help for anybody who does't want to mess with their TV's settings. The 720p output, in my opinion, does not look as good to me as the 1080i. My set's native resolution is 1080i, which may account for this. I also liked the fact that you could select HDMI audio and video separately. For example, I was most excited to view the picture quality of this device at first and ran both video AND audio via the included HDMI to my set. Of course, following a quick eval of the picture quality, I proceeded to connect my optical out of my player to my Yamaha AV receiver. The audio output via both stereo from CD's and Dolby Digital/DTS from DVD's is very impressive. To me, the sound created by this player seems much more immersive. Ambient sounds and bass reproduction, in particular. I have been playing around with the settings for the past 4 days and still continue to be wowed as I make my way through my DVD collection. As all the readers here know, there have been some minor gripes. The blue light on the front of the display makes it look high tech. Some people like this sort of thing. For those who don't, it is very easy to disable in the user menu. It's not fair to dog this unit for such an annoyance. I chose to set mine to off. After all, it is supposed to be about the picture quality, right? As for the thin, transparent disk tray, yes it seems fragile, but a little TLC in it's handling should ensure longevity. I will agree with all the reviewers who criticized the player's manual. It can be difficult to navigate for a novice home theater enthusiast. Panasonic could certainly done better. Definitely a good combination for me with this Panasonic with my Sony HDTV. For the price paid, I have no regrets with this purchase. With so much technology abound, every consumer wants to get the best bang for his buck. Get one while you can because they are in short supply online. I could go on about this player, but I know you all have other reviews to get to so I will end my review on that note. Cheers to you all and good luck in your home theater endeavours.