Sound quality

No cd-r playback

This player was Panasonics'' replacement of the disastrous A-310. Without being too verbose, I have to say this player is pretty good. I just don''t understand why a $30 walkman can ready cd-r''s but this one can''t. Always something!

Lots of features at a low price, plays every disc I throw at it

No zoom, no control over MP3 playback, no digital coax output

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE RV31U-K

I purchased this unit in early Dec 2001 as an "open box" for $119. I opted for the 4-year extended warranty plan which still made it cheaper than the brand-new price which only has 1yr parts 90day labor warranty.

I've played dozens and dozens of discs in the unit including scratch-and-dent discs from NetFlix. The unit has always performed well and is connected via the optical output to an Onkyo 595 (see my review) and PSB Alpha Mini 5.1 speaker system (see my review).

The only issues I've had with the unit were a slight glitch in The Matrix (pun intended) which was a brand new un-scratched disc. It resulted in a brief flash of reddish color across the bottom 1/2 of the screen, possibly a decoding error of some sort. I tried to reproduce the error but was unable to, so I'm unsure what the problem was.

The only other error I experienced was a "skip" while playing Along Came A Spider rented from a local store. Both my wife and I noticed what appeared to be a "bad scene transition" but I didn't get a chance to try to reproduce the error, and I forgot to inspect the disc for scratches. My guess is it was a scratched disc, but I'm unsure.

Otherwise I've played dozens and dozens of movies, CD audio discs, burned MP3, burned CD audio, as well as a couple burned VCDs that I've created myself. All formats play very well.

The remote seems well laid out and intuitive, though I use the universal remote that came with my Onkyo receiver instead. The sound is sent directly to the Onkyo for processing and is excellent sounding.

The only features I wish it had were zoom, which I'd rarely use but would probably use if the unit had it, and the ability to control playback of MP3s, which I'd use all of the time. Right now I opt not to playback MP3s at all since it has no ability to control the playlist. This is a significant feature that has been left out. As a work around you can rename your MP3's into alphabetical order prior to burning them onto the CD so they playback in the order you desire, but that's a terribly inconvenient workaround.

I also purchased this DVD player for my father for Christmas. He hasn't complained about it's performance yet, but I'm unsure how much he's using it, if at all.

My friend purchased a $300 SONY progressive scan DVD player and the only feature he's mentioned that the Panasonic does't (besides prog-scan) is a "instant replay" feature which skips the movie back 10 seconds.

This Panasonic isn't likely the end-all-be-all product, but is an excellent product for the price. I'd seriously recommend considering this unit if it falls within your price range.

Similar Products Used:

None

Everything, so far. Very impressive audio and video

Single disk

Mine is on with a 3-yr old Prologic receiver and a one year old flat screen 32" Panasonic TV/Monitor. I used high-end cables (Video S and RCA) If DD is better than the sound I am getting, I can not imagine it. My home theater system has a nice physical layout, and I have a big powered sub-woofer. Sound level with the DVD is equal to other components. Surround effect (set by the receiver, not the DVD) is excellent. Take the "base" sticker off and it's a fine looking machine.

Similar Products Used:

None

Slim-line dimensions let it slip into tiny spaces
First-rate picture and sound reproduction
Outstanding array of video and audio trick play features
Sensible remote control

No headphone jack and no coaxial output
Remote isn't backlit
Cinema enhancement mode produces minimal improvements

Excellent output. I used the DVD player with Kenwood Dolby Digital 5 + 1 system. Unbelievable photo realistic output, and incredible sound effects.

$ 129.99, so cheap.

How you will you get this price:
The original price at Amazon is $ 229.99, but you can use Amazon $ 50.00 coupon + Panasonic $50.00 rebate.

Hope it help someone.

-Aru

Similar Products Used:

None

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=40&threadid=279206

go here and have it for under a hundred smackers
good luck guys

Excellent Audio/Video Quality

Dosn't play CD-R's

I have thought of Panasonic in the past as releasing excellent prodcuts (Televisions and VCR's to name a few), and this DVD player certainly dosn't break that trend. The Video and Audio quailty are superb. It was easy and fast to set up; and you can't beat the price! (I bought it in Canadian Dollars ;)
I recommend this player to anyone entering the DVD market; you wont be dissapointed.

Compatibility with "problem" discs.
Price!

Direct chapter access from remote does not work.

After using a Panasonic A-120U for a year, I was starting to think of replacing it with a JVC model (preferably a multi-disc unit) to link with my JVC receiver. Anyway, I promised my old player to my dad and began evaluating the current JVC offerings. Well, the JVC 3 disc changers seem to have a problem with the trays...there goes that plan. Then I noticed that the RV30 was selling in the $200 range. Woo-Hoo!

The RV30 looks to be a remake of the A-120U, which I had no problems with, so I ordered one from Beach Camera. Total cost after shipping (no tax) was around $210.

Three things to note that are different from the older model:
Lower profile chassis - good.
No digital coax out - bad if you need it, but I use fiber optic.
Direct chapter access from remote no longer works, even though the nember button are on the remote!

With that last item, the problem is definitely in the firmware of the player, not the remote. I used the RV30 remote to control the A-120U just fine. Neither remote could
use the direct track feature on the RV30, however. Whatever happend to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

Overall, I think this player is an excellent value for the money, and offers a good disc compatibility percentage from the many DVDs I've given it. (I have a NetFlix membership)

p.s. For the guy that had a problem with the Toy Story 2 DVD, he probably had one of the discs that was recalled due to a "production error". I bought the 2-disc set, which wasn't affected by the recall, and it plays fine.

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic A-120U

Video quality, audio quality, features for this price, build quality compared with Pioneer 333

None that I have found. I am not going to be nitpicky and complain about the remote, though the Sony's is much better.

I read and read and read and read all I could find on here about the entry-level DVD players. First I bought the Sony from Wal-Mart, didn't even plug it up because that night I read about the soft picture on here. When I took it back to Wally World I compared it with Sanyo and Panasonic, and the Sony did seem softer although it had really good color and audio seemed good as well.

Then I went to Rex Electronics with the intent of buying a Toshiba, a Pioneer, or a Panasonic. I read about some problems with the Toshibas, although they seem to have an excellent picture. Sorry though, I don't care about 540 lines of resolution if I'm going to have problems playing my discs. So I bought the Pioneer 333 because that's what the salesman recommended. I took it home and didn't even plug it up because I spent a couple hours going back over the reviews on here. It's cool that it plays CD-R discs (though I probably wouldn't use that feature much) and I *LOVE* the fact that everyone says it plays ALL the usual trouble discs with no problems. Compatibility seems to be its strongpoint. But I read about problems with the audio dropping out on some movies, along with complaints of the tray mechanism, along with little quirks like the pause between layers being noticable. This stuff ate at me all night so the next day I exchanged it for the Panasonic.

This time I DID unplug the unit and hooked it up to my 27" Sharp TV and JVC/Cerwin Vega home theater system. I was immediately impressed by the audio. The video had great clarity compared to what I am used to with VHS tapes. But I have a slight problem, and I'm not sure if it's due to my TV, the DVD player, or my cables. In ALL movies I play, not just one or two, I notice a weird effect that is very hard to describe. When the picture is still it looks great, but when something is moving there is kind of a clipping effect on certain surfaces...I don't even know if "clipping" is the right word. It's certainly not bleeding...it looks like a weird grainy or texture-like overlay whenever something moves. It just seems distracting to me, but then again I am very picky (why do you think I exchanged all the DVD players!?).

I immediately discovered that it wasn't a fault in my DVD because it does this with nearly all of my movies. I think the problem lies in either my TV or my cables, because I am using composite (red/white/yellow) cables and I think this would greatly improve with S-Video or composite cables, although I cannot use either of those until I upgrade my television set. While viewing the display Panasonic at the store, I did not notice this effect, but that was on a different TV. I wish I could just know that it's not the player. But judging from all the rave reviews this Panasonic has gotten for its video quality, I'm assuming it's not a fault of the player. Don't let this quirk stop you from buying this DVD player, as it is not terribly noticable and may not happen at all on your setup (depending on your particular TV and cable selection).

The Dialogue Enhancer seems like a nice enough feature, although I haven't used it yet. Same with the Virtual Surround Sound, though I know it wouldn't come close to a true home theater system (then again, it's probably not made with the intent of doing that either). You can adjust the display dimmer if it seems too bright at night. I'm pleased to report that the player is very quiet. Load times are good, though maybe a bit slower than the Pioneer.

I've only owned it a little over a week, but it has given me ZERO problems in that time. I've noticed no freezing, pausing or skipping during movies, even rented ones or movies with a layer change. I just hope it continues to play any movie that I might buy as flawlessly as it has done so far.

Overall, I recommend this player even though I am not terribly experienced with DVD players. I can recommend it based on the fact that it has given me no problems and seems like a quality unit. The build quality is better than the Pioneer's, but I'd say you'd be happy with either the Panasonic or the Pioneer (I know I agonized about the decision for days). Just make sure you get an extended warranty with the Pioneer just in case the audio drops out or the cheapy-feel of the unit turns out to be a representation of the overall mechanical quality...

BTW, in the store, both units had an EXCELLENT picture. While viewing Top Gun I preferred the Panasonic, but with an aquarium demo the Pioneer had a very nice, sharp picture. I'd say it's a personal decision. Whatever looks better to your eyes, get it.

Similar Products Used:

Sony S-350

picture quality, sound, color options (black or silver), quiet transport compared to others i've had and or tested

none at price range

I had submitted a review of a similar dvd player, the pioneer dv333 earlier but unfortunately was forced to return it due to the ridiculously loud noise while the disc was being played, most notably when the volume is low. I do not have the dvd player inside an audio cart and it is played through the television speakers and not an a/v system...hence the return. After MUCH research and patience i realized that the Panasonic was clearly the quietest i had come across. The picture quality is as good or better than the Pioneer and the audio and audio options are even better. I have no need for cd-r capabilities so this unit is perfect for my application. Also, just a personal preference here...the LED on the Panasonic is a much nicer color to look at vs. the lime green on the Pioneer. Nice job panasonic.

Similar Products Used:

pioneer 333, jvc, sony 360, others..

Picture, audio, very quiet while running, the features! Also, a verrrrrrry small foot-print!

I didn't find out about this thing sooner!!!!!

Let's see where do we start? How about how easy it was to set-up? I got a Radioshack high-end 3-conductor 24k gold a/v cable to go from the DVD to the reciever and a single conductor video cable to go from the receiver to the t.v. The picture and sound are awesome!!!! My reciever/stereo is the Sony LBT-W5000, 120w X 2. My t.v. is a 27" Emerson ms2700RDC... which is a few years old and I have to keep the room cool if it is hot or humid out since the picture on the t.v. will go weird... but this has nothing to do with the DVD this is just from the t.v. having something wrong with it. And by having the A/C on all the time keeps all the other components cool so they don't over-heat... especially since the DVD player is on the reciever. But before I found out how to do all the sweet options... like the vss (makes the voices of the characters louder so that you don't have to turn up the master volume all the time... whis is great especially if there are quiet actors and loud music at the same time). Before I figured these options out... I knew they were there I was just too anxious to watch my first DVD... so I saved figuring out how to enable these options til later. Boy what a difference when you have the sound set just right! When watching The Matrix I had the volume on the reciever at 18 (goes up to 30) and this was kind of annoying since the music would be blasting and the voices were hard to hear. But then when I figured out how to do the sound options the sound was to only 10! Which made it so that there was absolutely no distortion... not that there ever really was but now everything sounded better! Let me tell you, if you think there really won't be anything that great about DVD and you think you really don't need one, trust me you do! The first time you watch a DVD you will just be so amazed! And the features are what also makes DVD so sweeeet! Though this one is a little bit more than some, it is a lot less than some! And I think that buying something for a higher price would be crazy! Even between layers there was no freezing or pauses or anything like that!! It kept playing smoothly! Even on my older t.v. the picture is soooooo clear! I couldn't believe it! Also, make sure to buy good cables! They do make a difference! The remote isn't the best but it is good! It's very quick... some people said it wasn't too quick, but that might just be because their batteries were kind of dead. Every button needed is on the remote, but you have to go to display... if the feature isn't there then hit it again.. there are 3 different display things... the most important stuff are on the fist two. Besides The Matrix, I also bought Big Daddy. Both are great movies!!! And I feel that the wide-screen format is better than normal screen... especially if your t.v. is like some that aren't very good in the corners... the picture kind of gets weakened, well in wide-screen it's way better! And the picture almost feels like 3-D... but really only looks this way in wide-screen format, 4:3. Well I hope this review helped out those of you who are considering this product! And until there is a higher ranking than 5 I will just have to settle on that!

Similar Products Used:

Sony dvp-360... I saw it at my friend's house. (Ihave never owned the product though)