Panasonic DVD-A310 DVD Players
Panasonic DVD-A310 DVD Players
[Dec 03, 1999]
RT YU
Audiophile
Strength:
Video quality, Audio Quality when it works.
Weakness:
Freezes, crashes, hangs, artifacts, Too much pixelixation Like everyone else here I too saw all the problems like |
[Mar 25, 1999]
Avi
an Audio Enthusiast
I've had this thing for 8 months now, and it's fantastic. |
[Feb 06, 2000]
Henry
Casual Listener
Strength:
Good picture and sound when works
Weakness:
Not work I had the A310 since Dec. 98. It worked fine and played every DVD I can get my hands on. However, It started developing the pixelation and freeze problem last month whenever the player is on for an hour or so. I read the review in this panel and decide to contact Panasonic customer service. They denied that this is a known problem, offers me to take the unit to their repair center and pay them $45 and let the technician check it out. |
[Mar 09, 2000]
Paul
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Outputs (SVHS, component video, composite video, DTS, digital, optical
Weakness:
a few problems with DVD titles This is an update to a mostly positive review I posted a while back. I encountered problems watching "Out of Africa". When I paused the movie--it froze. When I pressed the menu button on the remote--it froze. When I pressed "stop" on the menu--it froze. Have played CD's and a couple of other DVD's since (5 days ago) and all is well again. Just "Out of Africa". Similar Products Used: none |
[Mar 21, 2000]
Jim Clark
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Well laid out controls, great picture and sound, and reasonable remote.
Weakness:
Will not play CDR's (manual says is should), but does play CDRW's (go figure). I bought this new in box from a seller on EBAY. Got a great deal. I have been very happy with it except that it won't recognize my home burned CDR's. What a pain! It says in the manual that it is compatible! After reading some of the other reviews, I can concur that I have had some pixelization problems with smudged or scratched DVD's, but hey, I figured a car won't run right with sugar in the gas tank either. Since I don't have much to compare it to, I can't say if it is worse that others. In retrospect, I wish that I hadn't bothered to get the built in decoder, because I don't use it at all, since my reciever has one. Similar Products Used: First DVD, but now I have a Pioneer SCSI DVD-ROM in my PC, which flawlessly plays ALL formats, jumps extremely fast between chapters. |
[Oct 12, 2000]
Brandon
Audiophile
Strength:
Works great for any random amount of time, until pixilation occurs and then it is useless. Good paper weight now though.
Weakness:
The obvious eventual self destruction of the unit. I of course am having the same trouble as everyone else. When I got the unit in June of 98 it worked great for about two months, and then the no disk errors and pixilation started. It was gradual at first. Eventually the unit becamee useless. During this time I was getting the run around from Panasonic and the internet company I purchased it from. Finally I was able to get it sent of for repairs. It was gone for about a month and a half and when it finally came back it worked perfectly again for about 20 months. It then started to cause random pixilation and errors again. Slowly but surely it has gotten worse and now it is again a useless piece of crap. |
[Oct 17, 2000]
Anthony
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Clean design, ease of use
Weakness:
Pixalation, DVD tracking Excellent performance, modified to Digital decode to PCM or second choice, and since then pixalation started. Similar Products Used: none |
[Oct 21, 2000]
Terry Walker
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Good Looking, Great picture, good sound, good price paid
Weakness:
Sensitive to smudges on dvd. Freezes during playback unless modified (see below) I bought this as a refurbished model at circuit city for $250 in Feb. 2000. It started freezing during playback the first day I hooked it up. I being stupid (and being my first dvd player) thought it was kinda normal. Well it started getting worse freezing 3-4 times during a movie at completely random times. It was too late to exchange it by the time I took it in for repairs. Circuit City had it for a week and charged me $30.00 for repairs (replaced the optical pickup). I took it home happy. The first dvd I played the freezing happened again. I was pissed to say the least. I wanted to keep the player if it would work right so I did some investigating. I read 2 comments on here about the player getting too hot. I also noticed when my house was cooler (it's now fall) it played with no freeze ups. I finally installed a fan from radio shack and drilled a few holes in the side for air flow. It hasn't froze up in a month now with constant dvd playing sometimes 3 movies in a row! I placed the fan on the right side blowing on the 2 chips inside. maybe that's why the units are failing after a while because of crappy air flow and the chips are burning up. I know it sucks having to do this but it doesn't cost much and at least it saved my investment. I suggest everyone do this or at least place a fan next to the dvd player blowing on it to see if it will help before doing it. Let us know if it helped anyone. Similar Products Used: none |
[Apr 24, 2000]
Sean
Strength:
None
Weakness:
Everything from product to customer service Piece of junk. I was an avid fan of the quality and reliability of Panasonic till using this unit. I had problems with the picture after a few months. The Warranty on this thing covers labor for only 90 days while Pioneer covers for a year and their elite line, for 2 years. I have had a Pioneer LD for 10 years with no problems. I have had problems with pixelation, freezing, and picture dropouts. Recently it wouldnt even turn on so being that it was out of warranty I opened the thing up and found a diode had blown and and the fuse had blown too. And Panasonic service wants 90 dollars to just take a look at it and give me an estimate. What an insult. I'd much rather throw this thing in the garbage and just buy a Pioneer. Anyone considering Panasonic DVD...I have some advice.. DON'T!!! I hope Panasonic reads these reviews and learns a thing or two about taking care of their consumers/customers. When trying to explain the problems and how the unit was defective to customer support all they did was say..it's out of warranty there is nothing we can do, extremely unhelpful. I will NEVER buy Panasonic again. The most ridiculus thing about this piece of junk is that it retails for $700.00. Similar Products Used: Sony, JVC, Toshiba, Pioneer Elite |
[Jun 12, 2000]
Michael
Audiophile
Strength:
Features
Weakness:
Reliability I have had this player for almost a year now. I bought it from a friend last summer, and it worked great for about two months. While watching The Matrix one night, the picture skipped, pixellated and froze. Every DVD I tried after that would only work for 30 minutes at most before the player dropped everything and quit. Similar Products Used: Sony DVP-S300, Panasonic DVD-ROM, CD-ROM |