Panasonic DVD-LV70 7 in. Portable DVD Player

I?m no tech expert, but I purchased a Panasonic DVD-LV70 Palm Theater Portable DVD player recently and here?s my layman review. I?ve had the player for about three weeks now and am still impressed by it?s multitude of features (which is an impressive feat in itself since I?m normally "wow?d" by a new toy for the first 3-4 days then it goes on the shelf and is forgotten;). I did a bit of research before selecting this model so first I?ll start off with why I bought it, then go into a little detail with it?s features, and finally end up with a couple of important distinctions between this model and the more expensive DVD-LV75. I know I can be pretty long-winded sometimes so if you?re short on time be sure to at least read the last 3-4 paragraphs of the review.

As I mentioned I did some research (mostly read reviews from several websites) and shopping around on portable DVD players prior to purchasing this one. Basically I was looking for a light, slim, "cool-looking" (very important when buying a new toy!;), portable DVD player with a decently large screen and good battery life that was in the $400-$600 price range. This automatically removed most of the older 5.8" screen models since I had read several reviews that claimed that these screens were either too small or the units were heavier than they?d prefer. I was left with a handful of brands and models which included the Sharp DV-L70, Toshiba SD-P1500, and the Panasonic DVD-LV70 and DVD-LV75 (and DVD-LA85). The Sharp player looked great and had a lot of nice features, but I had read a number of varying complaints of problems with the battery life. Plus the price was outside of my purchasing range at the time, so this model was eliminated. The Toshiba DS-P1500 boasted an 8" widescreen (the largest screen available at the time). But I learned that it was actually a downgrade from Toshiba?s earlier model, the SD-P1000, which was progressive scan but a 5.8" screen. Since this was relatively new on the market and one of the only models with this screen size, this price was also outside of my spending range as well. This left me with the Panasonic models.

The DVD-LV70 (and DVD-LV75) fulfilled all of the a fore mentioned requirements and more. It?s extraordinarily light and compact. With the battery attached it?s approximately the size of two DVD cases stacked on top of each other (1" thick). The battery itself attaches to the bottom of the unit and is about the same width and length as the unit, but a little thinner. The unit without the battery is a tad over ?" thick. The silver, burnished metal appearance is aesthetically appealing (i.e.: it fulfilled my "it?s gotta look cool" requirement). The unit itself is pretty solid and sturdy looking with no loose parts or doors that might snap off. When I first opened the box I literally stood there for about a minute, first gaping in awe at the feel of the unit in my hands, then a foolish grin crept across my face as did a little capering dance of joy. It?s just THAT cool looking (*ahem*?sorry my layman-ness showing through?).

Feature-wise, the DVD-LV70 has all the features you?d typically find on a regular (non-portable) DVD player and more. As described in the prior reviews the "more" consists of such features as enhanced audio track, virtual surround sound, and the ability to use it as a stand alone DVD player (with the 7" widescreen) or to hook it up to a TV or home theater receiver (like any non-portable DVD player). I?d also like to mention that the DVD-LV70 has ability to function as a portable monitor as well. With the press of a button the A/V output jacks can be converted into input jacks. This is great for the kids since you can hook up a gaming console (e.g.: Playstation 2, Dreamcast, Gamecube, etc.) in the back seat of the car with a power inverter (see last full paragraph for details) and let them pummel each other on the video screen instead of real life. Or if you?re on vacation you can hook up a camcorder or digital camera to it (with the proper A/V wires) and preview the images you?ve just recorded without having to strain your eyes on the little viewfinder. Or you could even hook up a VCR and watch video rentals and home recordings on the DVD-LV70?s 7" widescreen.

I have to agree with the other reviewers in that I too was a bit apprehensive about the size of the screen. I was not positive that the 7" screen would be large enough to enjoy a movie on. But after receiving the unit and testing several DVD?s on it, I learned that the screen was just the perfect size. I can comfortably watch a movie at my desk, in bed, or even sitting a few feet away from the unit. The screen has a full 180 degree vertical tilt range (but does not swivel from side to side). So you can adjust it to view it from any height.

But the main selling point for me was the battery life. All the reviews I read claimed a battery life of 4 hours or more. The manual states that when using the screen at the lowest brightness setting, the battery will last for 5 hours. And when hooking it up to a TV or receiver, 8 hours. When I read this, I knew I was going to buy a Panasonic portable DVD player. And when I saw it at eCost.com for $599, I was quick to snap it up. This was the lowest price I had seen in months and fit perfectly within my purchasing price range. Unfortunately, a friend pointed out a site that sold it for $579 a week later, but since I purchased the unit with my American Express Blue card, I am protected by their Best Value plan (basically if you use their Blue card to buy something and then find a lower price, either in print or on the net, within 2 months, American Express will refund you the difference?not a commercial since I don?t get kick backs from the company, just a buyer?s tip;). Another tip is to check PriceScan.com prior to buying this unit since that is how my friend found the lower price (and a week later I noticed that the price dropped to $569).

OK, I?ve gone through the selling points and some of the features. Now I feel I should mention the key differences between the Panasonic DVD-LV70 and DVD-LV75 which are not mentioned on the official Panasonic website. These differences fooled me so, while I probably should have gotten the DVD-LV75, I purchased the DVD-LV70 instead. But since I got a decent deal on it and since the DVD-LV70 has such impressive features, it?s a mistake that I can live with. According to the Panasonic website, the stats for the two models are identical but the DVD-LV75 is more retails at a higher price. When I was shopping for the unit I thought the DVD-LV75 was just a replacement model for the DVD-LV70. But I couldn?t figure out why it cost more until I received the unit and read through the manual (well, through most of it anyway). There are two key differences: the V.S.S. (virtual surround sound) feature and the battery life.

According to the website, both models have V.S.S. for enhancing the listening experience while using a set of 2 speakers as well as headphones. This is incorrect. According to the manual (and I verified it on my own) the LV-75 has V.S.S. for both speakers and headphones. But the LV-70 model only has V.S.S. for speakers. Both still have the enhanced dialogue tracks for enhancing the actors? speech if there?s a lot of background noise, but only one has surround sound when using headphones. When I read this I was crestfallen. I had planned to primarily use the portable player when I was travelling on airplanes or on the road (when I wasn?t actually behind the wheel of course;). Places where I would be using headphones so as to not disturb those around me. I already have a home theater setup in my house so I would rarely have the need to hook up a 2 speaker setup to it. So the V.S.S. feature for the DVD-LV70 is useless to me. I was tempted to return it but since I got a decent price and a great value, I decided to keep it. But if this is an important feature to you, you may wish to opt for the more expensive DVD-LV75.

The second difference is the battery life. As I mentioned before, the manual states that the DVD-LV70 lasts for 5 hours while the screen is in use at the lowest brightness setting. And 8 hours when hooked up to a home theater receiver or TV set. The DVD-LV75 lasts for 5 hours when the screen is in use under the same conditions and 7 hours when the screen is not in use. But this is not a major issue since if you plan to hook it up to a TV or receiver, chances are you will have an available outlet to plug it in.

And finally I?ll leave you with one more useful pointer. Since I plan to use this player during road trips that are longer than 4 hours, I will need to get a car adapter for it. The adapter for the DVD-LV70 is called the Xtend E750 AC Adapter. It comes with a handy attachment for use on airplanes (I don?t recall seeing a power jack anywhere near my seat on the last plane I flew on, but then I always fly coach so couldn?t really verify this?yeah I?m poor?.too much money spent on fancy-shmancy toys like this one :( ). The lowest price I?ve found so far for this adapter was at Etronics.com for $89.95. But I found out you can simply buy a 2 outlet power inverter for use with your car cigarette adapter. This way you can use the AC adapter that comes with the portable player and still have another outlet for a VCR, camcorder, game console, digital camera or whatever other video source you might want to hook up to your portable DVD player.