Panasonic DVD-LA85 7 in. Portable DVD Player

I purchased this player so that I can watch movies while traveling alone. I was hoping for something that would make the long trips go by faster.

The first impression of the player right out of the box is how small and thin it is. It's about the size of a DVD case. But don't be fooled by the size, this is a well built, solid unit.

The 7" LCD is gorgeous. I found no dead/stuck pixels on the screen and the colors look vibrant and rich. There is some pixelation in dark areas of the picture (or night scenes) but I don't usually notice because I'm completely immersed in the movie.

But my main dissapointment with this player came shortly after opening the box. I got the battery out of the box and I saw how bulky it was. The battery adds another half inch to the height of the player. I was not expecting a battery that size, but then the battery does provide nearly to 5 hrs of playtime with the LCD on (about 7 hours with the LCD off, if you hook it up to your entertainment center.) This is by far the longest battery life I found while researching portable DVD players.

The GUI is not as intuitive as it could be, but it is not as bad as some people make it sound. There are some options that you will not be using often (if at all). And you can quickly access those options that you will be needing while watching movies. The manual is well written and it is easy to understand. I strongly suggest you read the section on changing the video size almost as soon as you connect your player, it is a useful "trick."

The remote control that comes with this player is thin and solid. Of course I don't have much use for it since I only use this player when I travel, and I use the "full size" player already connected to my TV when I am home.

The two built in speakers truly provide great sound for watching movies at home or in a hotel room. But you'll probably need some headphones while flying or in other noisy environments.

The player also allows you to hook it up to a TV or receiver via the included cables.

So as I the title of this review says, this is great player, but there is room for improvement. I strongly suggest this model if you are in the market for a portable DVD player, specially if you shop around. I bought it for $794 online.