Owl256

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $235.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
This DVD player was my first, and is currently being used on by home theater set-up. This set-up is far inferior to my stereo system. The picture quality is very good, but sometimes is slightly grainy even though it is going through the component output. The DVD audio feature is basically wasted on me, but the six channel analogue output is used. It seems to be very accurate and provides good sound quality Vs. digital out. When I bought the player it was a good value for the features. It also has a ton of buttons and features that missing on today's cheapo DVD players. It is also very solidly built and looks like a high end peice. Lastly it has passed the test of time for lasting all of these years. On a side note, a friend of mine has been through four different DVD players with one breaking after another.

Strengths:
Good video and audio quality Has worked for a long time Good construction and features.

Weaknesses:
Slightly big and clunky Grainy picture

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba DVD players

Price Paid:  $189.00 from circuit city

Summary:
I got the famous h02 error on the player loved it till then will never buy another panasonic product and I suggest you dont buy one. Its funny that the mention of this error in other various Panasonic models always happens right after the warranty expires.

Strengths:
great player and concept if it keeps working

Weaknesses:
breaks after warranty expires

Similar Products Used:
sony

Price Paid:  $140.00 from SIXTH AVE ELECTRONIC

Summary:
I have to review this unit by the amount of performance for the cost. At a price of $120 (Before tax & Postage) there is no DVD player for that price which comes close. The 4X oversampling Video Technology really does improve the picture. It shows better contrast, Sharper and more accurate picture. Not everyone has a Progressive Scan cabaple Televison. But everyone want the benefits the progressive scan DVD players have to offer. This is the Only DVD player able to offer the benefits of progressive scan video without the need for a Progressive capable Televison. Whats also great about this player is all the audio outputs. Many DVD players now have only one set of RCA type Audio Output jacks. The rest are Coaxial and Digital. This player also has those outputs. The Video Controls offer adjustment of Brightness, Contrast, & Color. The Audio Controls offer sperate Virtual surround controls for Small speakers and headphones. The Remote is a nice size and works well. Unlike the JVC Player remotes which are bulky and have too many usless buttons. Chapter Search works instantly. There are 5 Smooth Fast Scan Speeds, and 5 very smooth Slow Motion Speeds. Add all that , plus this player also plays DVD AUDIO disks , includes a Headphone Jack with Volume contols. For $120 its the best ,and I would compare it equally to many more expensive Progressive Players!

Strengths:
5 very smooth Slow Motion Speeds. Great Price !

Weaknesses:
Slow Disk Ejection. No Gamma Control.

Similar Products Used:
JVC XV-523, Panasonic RV-31, Go Video DVD/VCR combo player.

Price Paid:  $120.00 from ADORAMA

Summary:
I dont have a Progressive Scan player. But I do have a 35 " RCA TV. This is the only availablr DVD player that allows the user to enjoy the benefits of Progressive Scan DVD players. Without the use of a Progressive Scan capable TV. The picture improvement is immediately evident in a comparison between this and the Panasonic RV 31 Player. You will see a Sharper, brighter picture. The fact that this is also a DVD -AUDIO player is a big bonus! I was able to purchase this at a closeout price of $120 Which is less than I paid for the RV-31 !

Strengths:
Sharper, brighter, more detailed picture. DVD Audio & DVD Menu Chapter Direct Track access on front panel.

Weaknesses:
No Gamma or Video Noise Reduction control. No REMAINING TIME counter for DVD movies.

Similar Products Used:
Panasonic RV-31, Panasonic RV-80

Price Paid:  $189.00 from Abes online

Summary:
Well....what can I say? After going through the thorougly frustrating A310 debaucle, I went ahead and purchased this unit about 7 months ago. The picture was nowhere near the quality of the A320 I replaced the A310 with. Faded, slightly 'fuzzy', without brilliance and detail. Sound quality was outstanding in both DTS/DD5.1 and DVD-A modes. Regrettably, after 7 months of service, once again a Panasonic DVD player that I paid good money for went on the fritz. It would appear that this unit suffers from what I can only assess as 'poor reliability'. At first, I noticed considerable 'flicker'. When I went to change discs to determine fault, the unit ceased to function. Would not spin up. Removing the lid and manually starting it resulted in intermittant operation, with the disc usually lasting about 5 minutes before the motor stopped again. I do not relish the prospect of dealing with Panasonic's CS again, the last episode is still unresolved. Quite honestly, I shouldn't have to. The player should work. 2 out of 3 players I purchased of this brand do not, that speaks to unreliability. I can honestly say that I will NEVER, EVER buy another Panasonic product again. Not even an alkaline battery.

Strengths:
Very good to exceptional DVD-A sound, DTS/DD5.1 sound.

Weaknesses:
Unreliable. Poor picture quality when it did work.

Similar Products Used:
Panasonic A310 Panasonic A320 And now a Pioneer DV-45A