Panasonic DVD-S1 DVD Player

Although I have been using a Philips DVP642 DVD player most of the time, it had some usability issues. The video quality is not quite top notch, the highest scan speed is only 8x, the component video out does not work, the menus and onscreen displays are very poor and the remote is just horrible. It does play AVI/MPEG and DivX and looks semi-nice. It plays PAL. But my Philips needed a companion to let me play standard DVDs without sacrificing image quality and my nerve cells.

I have always used Panasonic DVD players despite the fact that DVD players from Panasonic and other manufacturers get flimsier and flimsier. Although my previous Panasonic died from the drive motor failure (HO2 error) a while ago, I figured at these prices I can get another Panasonic and expect good image, sound, tracking/error correction and convenience/ease of use.

I got the Panasonic DVD-S1S $59, which is a cheap price to pay for good performance. Yes, I could have gotten a cheaper product. In fact I do have another DVD player (Craig), which is easier to use than Philips and has better menus/OSD. But the picture quality is not as good as what I was getting from my previous Panasonics, even other Craig's component video out.

What is Panasonic DVD-S1S?

The Panasonic DVD-S1S is a single-disc DVD player with progressive scan, variable zoom, CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, DVD+R/W, MP3. HDCD and JPEG playback. It does not play DVD-RAM however, but it even plays DVD+R Dual Layer.

The player features include Dialogue Enhancer, Advanced Virtual Surround Sound (for simulating surround sound using two speakers), Dynamic Range Compression (for night viewing), x64 high-speed scan, twin laser pickup for better CD playability, quick replay, progress indicator, CM skip.

The player works in any country (100-240 V 50/60 Hz) and features 10 W power consumption. The outs include progressive/interlaced component video out, S-Video, composite video out, 2-channel analog audio out and a coaxial digital audio out.

Connectivity Surprises

An inexpensive player like the S1S does not have an HDMI out, which is expected. I was not surprised to see that the, traditional for Panasonic DVD players, optical digital audio out was replaced by the coaxial digital out. It has been a tradition at Panasonic to reserve things like optical audio outs and DVD-RAM playback to their pricier models. A non-issue for many folks who have receivers with both types of inputs, but some people may actually like it (cables are a little cheaper and easier to route, or if you have a receiver that has no more optical inputs available).

At least, unlike some other cheaper Panasonic DVD players, an S-Video out is present. The player has a progressive/interlaced component video out in addition to its composite out as well. If your TV can process progressive-scan signal, that would be the only way to get it to work on many players (short of DVI/HDMI connection).

The player also has analog audio stereo out. The coaxial digital out supports PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS formats.

No Useless Shuttle Knobs

The front of the player is devoid of the useless shuttle knob, unlike the knob my S35 had. I have never used it on the S35 for the simple reason: it did not do what it was supposed to. In previous generations of Panasonic players it used to control the scan speed (and still was of the questionable value since nobody sits so close to the DVD player). In the S35, it controlled zoom.

The S1S has a rather spartan front panel, which does not have it and I do not miss it at all. The front panel is clean and has only major buttons. The look is clean and modern high-tech.

The disc tray is solid despite the low weight of the player (only 2 kg / 4.2 lbs). I must mention that the player is silver, hence the letter S at the end of the model number S1S. The player has slim profile and looks nice. It is compact and lightweight, as is the majority of modern DVD players.

Progressive Scan

You can use progressive scan only if your TV is a High-Definition (HDTV) or EDTV, if you connect the player to your TV using the component video out or use an up-converting receiver. The progressive scan mode is switched using onscreen menu/icons (change 480i to 480p).

Progressive scan produces more stable picture with less flicker. In any case, this player also provides excellent picture quality in standard (interlaced) mode - the mode some people will use it in for the lack of appropriate TV. If you have an HDTV (be it CRT, rear-projection, LCD or plasma), I highly recommend progressive scan.

Image Quality

I was not disappointed with the image quality, especially comparing to Philips and Craig DVD players. The picture is crisp and noise-free with vivid colors and well-defined object edges. The detail level is high, even in dark areas (using component video connection). There is no oversaturation or super-contrast, just good honest video of top-notch quality.

Ease of Use

Much better than Philips. Well-designed menus, onscreen icons and the remote. Fast response time and descriptive icons. Although the remote lacks buttons that were on the previous Panasonic remotes and relies on menus more, it still works pretty nicely.

Playback Speeds

You can use several slow and fast scan speeds, which work in virtually all formats player supports. The fast scan in DVD playback goes up to 64x, which is less than 200x I had in the S35, but much better than 16x of the Craig or 8x of Philips.

I find 64x fast scan quite sufficient.

Formats

Along with its ability to play DVD-Video and Audio CD, the player can also play MP3 compressed audio files (but no WMA) as well as display JPEG images (somewhat slow) on your TV, play burned CD-R, CD-RW and DVD-R/W as well as DVD+R/W and even DVD+R DL. There is no DVD-RAM playback, a sign of extreme cost-cutting (Panasonic added DVD-RAM playback to its other players to entice people to buy their DVD recorders, which use DVD-RAM in addition to DVD-R).

MP3

The MP3 playback is one of the player's best features. The MP3 playback interface is easy to use and shows file names and directory tree structure. The sound quality is excellent (or as good as the bit rate allows).

Remote

The remote is Spartan and lacks buttons I expected to see, but it works well. The button layout is good with larger Play, Pause, Stop, Skip, FF and Rew buttons. The buttons have good tactile response.

Features

The player features playback at multiple high and low speeds, variable zoom, angle select, soundtrack select and subtitle select, parental control, bookmarks and more.

Sound

The sound quality from the analog outs is good. I do not use them since I have a receiver and 5.1 speaker system. I use the coaxial digital audio out and therefore the sound quality depends solely on my receiver and speakers. Needless to say, I get excellent sound from my Athena AS-P400 subwoofer, Athena AS-F1 floorstanding mains, C.5 center, S.5 surrounds powered by Panasonic XR55 digital receiver.

CD Playback

Unlike my Craig DVD player, the S1S uses dual-laser pickup and does not skip during CD playback. I am glad to see that Panasonic spent money where it counts.

Bottom Line

The Panasonic S1S is a very good and inexpensive DVD player with progressive scan and lots of useful features. If you have no need for an optical digital out (you can use the coaxial digital out), this is a great value and excellent performer.