Panasonic DVD-LV65 5 in. Portable DVD Player

I just received my LV65, and when I first took it out of the box, my jaw dropped. This thing was incredible!

The very first feature I noticed was the size. This device is no larger than your typical portable CD player! Yes, it has a 5" screen, which some people will complain about - but the portability and light weight makes this unit perfectly designed. The buttons and joystick are easy to use, feel solid, and the case appears solid.

Here are the positive features I noticed about this product:

1. It's small. It looks like it's about an inch thick. You could easy tuck this inside any bag. Even the AC power adapter is small (or at least smaller than most). The whole unit is slightly larger than a CD.

2. The screen is very bright, crystal clear, adjusts easily, and would be great for watching a full movie. No, you will probably not get more than 2 people to watch this screen at the same time, but then again, it was really only designed for a single person. You can also see this screen from all angles. It also tips to just about any angle, and even folds down flat so you can "close the lid upside down" so the screen faces outward. This is neat, but doesn't have a lot of practicality.

3. The remote is full featured. You will not find a volume control on the remote - it is a dial on the side of the player. Since this is meant to be used a close distances from the viewer, it's not a problem.

4. The battery is light, and snaps on the back. I don't think you can charge the battery and use the player on AC power at the same time - but the battery only takes 6 hours to charge. You can also buy replacement batteries.

5. There are several settings for the screen size, and several settings for video playback and audio quality. These are common across other DVD players, so this isn't really a huge selling point.

6. You can also do a slide show from an SD card, or play music or video from the SD card. I haven't tried this, but the slot is in the side of the screen.

7. Panasonic is offering a free carrying case and noise cancelling headphones if you purchase it soon. I haven't seen these yet, but it's a nice set of accessories.

Here are the negative aspects of this unit.

1. If you want to use this as a home DVD player, you might want to think again. Getting the DVD in and out means opening the lid every time, then opening the cover that hides the disc. While this isn't difficult, it tends to be a pain if you do this repeatedly.

2. There isn't any equalizer or "bass boost" for playing CD's. The sound quality is certainly acceptable, but I like to fine tune the settings for my preferences, and I can't do this with this player. First, it's a DVD player. Second, it's a CD player - but this certainly comes second in the design of the unit.

3. An extra battery appears to be expensive. The main battery should last 2.5 hours, but the extra battery will cost over $150 more. You also don't get a car adapter with this unit. That must be purchased separately. [UPDATE - batteries have been found for $59.99, so this is no longer a negative point! These are cheap and have an even longer life than the original battery 4-6 hours!]

4. The top of the unit is shiny black plastic. You'll have to wipe away fingerprints every few days - they tend to accumulate. A minor annoyance.

5. Because the screen is attached directly in the center back of the screen and it can pivot to almost every angle, this makes opening the case a little tricky. Sometimes the screen pivots and it doesn't open correctly. In other words, open the screen from the bottom edge, not the top edge of the screen. Another very minor annoyance.

Those are all of the negative features I can think of now. Overall, I REALLY like this DVD player. Yes it's expensive, and yes you don't really need one - but if you have the money, I would certainly recommend buying one.

This is an incredible piece of technology - and the small size makes is easy to take anywhere. Be cautious about buying a larger unit with a larger screen. Weight and screen size are very important considerations. This unit is small and light - and the screen is small too (but certainly adequate).

Overall, an 11 on a 1-10 scale!