Panasonic DVD-LV70 7 in. Portable DVD Player

I think it was about a year ago that I was passing through the Minneapolis Airport and noticed a small storefront offering portable DVD players for rent. They had units on display and, being a DVD fan already (based on my Sony home unit), I was immediately sucked in. I had a 5 hour layover so I rented one and watched Urban Legend (ok, not the best choice I admit) in a chair nearby. At the time, I believe the models they were renting were the Panasonic "55" models - I forget the exact code. The screen seemed small and shimmery, and I got a bit of a sore neck staring down at it. But the seed had been planted.

Now, more than a year later, I am the owner of the new "70" model and loving it to death. The price was very high (1400.00 Canadian) but bonuses have been good at work, and having just married I expect that "toy" purchases like this are going to become less and less frequent, so I splurged one last time.

I have not tested the use of this unit on a home television although all documentation included with the unit indicates it can be used as such. However, I did note that the audio outputs on the back don't match what Im accustomed to. The optical output did not look familiar, and I used to think I was fairly in the know as far as electronics went.

This review, therefore, focuses on the unit as used for its portability. And for the most part, readers of this review are likely to want it for this purpose anyway, I'd imagine.

What you get in the box:

- the player
- audio/video hookup cable (a nice inclusion that I honestly wouldnt expect for a portable)
- battery pack
- power cord/recharger
- manual
- "credit card" remote

I found the whole package very pleasing and professional. My one gripe is I had trouble locating the "dialogue booster" function in the manual, but I found it eventually in the onscreen display. The packaging in the box includes a sort of "bubble envelope" which I used when transporting the unit in my carry-on bag. The unit AND the battery pack both fit into it nicely.

Portability

I bought this unit for use on airplanes - period. I do some travelling for business and we just returned from a 2 week trip to Mexico so with 6 hours of flying each way I got a lot of use out of the player. The unit is somewhat cumbersome to transport simply because to get maximum use out of it on a trip you need the player, at least 1 DVD (I used a CD wallet to carry 12 with me), the power cord so you can recharge for the return trip, the battery pack and some headphones. All of this adds up in your bag pretty fast. I went out and purchased a black carry-on back with lots of room in it that could double as a "briefcase" for business trips.

Once in use, however, the player is surprisingly compact. On my airplane fold out table the unit was small enough to accomodate a drink beside it or even a small snack. I only put it away when full meal service came around.

Performance

I just love this thing, I really do. The picture was great and did not have that "shimmery" look that the older player had. It was comfortable to watch and the tiltable screen made it easier to get a good viewing angle. The screen on this model is just large enough to not be distracting in the "jeez Im watching this on a small screen" way. I think any smaller than this and it would be an issue.

The picture was crisp, clear and colorful. Heavy amounts of on-screen motion did not create that "LCD blur" effect that the older unit seemed to have. Disney's Tarzan animated movie which I tested on the unit at home looked phenomenal.

My one gripe would be the sound. Don't get me wrong, the sound is great BUT if you are using it on an airplane and you have the wrong headphones, you will have the drone of the airplane engines interfering with your enjoyment of the movie and that will possibly make it hard to hear the dialogue.

Solution? Noise cancelling headphones. I bought a pair made (surprise!) by Panasonic at the Denver airport on the return leg of my vacation. These are NOT cheap (around 90 dollars US) but they improved my enjoyment of the unit dramatically. They require one battery and once they are powered up the engine noise faded and the movie became much easier to hear and enjoy and be immersed in. Honestly? If you are spending the money for this player and plan to use it on planes (and frankly, I would imagine in cars or RV's also) you really should invest in noise cancelling headphones to get the most out of your new toy.

Controls

I did not use the remote but I found the on-unit controls to be intuitive, responsive, sturdy and easy to use. The fast forward function and menu-browsing joystick both worked beautifully.

Battery Life

I believe the battery is meant to last 5 hours at lowest brightness and full charge. There was no need to watch it on any brightness setting higher than lowest in my opinion, and at no point did the battery die or run low while I was using the player. I always decided to take a break or a nap long before the battery gave up on me. And the recharge was very short - I believe only 2-3 hours in the hotel room.

Summary

If you have the money and don't own a home player or travel alot, this is a great purchase. Granted, this really is an extreme luxury item and most folks can do without. But for the DVD enthusiast who logs a lot of time on airplanes, this is a "satisfaction guaranteed" purchase. I can't stress how happy I am with this purchase.

Questions? Email me at jarrettl@powersurfr.com