Sharp DV-L70U Portable DVD Player

Rating:
Summary: Comparison of batteries: life, bloodloss, & Cost
Review: I do agree that the sharp is a superior unit to the Sony, Pioneer, & Panasonic, though not by as much as most, but be aware that the battery life is definately shorter than the panasonic and pioneer.

Even more annoying is how fast the Sharp's battery bleeds energy after about two hours, so it's almost pointless to carry more than one battery.

I bought extra batteries direct for my Pioneer and my Sharp, and with S&H the Pioneer's came to 152.00 and the Sharp came to 310.00. That's right, two hundred and seventy-five dollars for a new battery.

Lastly, the Sharp has a silly non-standard adapter plug, which makes third parties jobs very difficult; A serious ramifacation of this for frequent flyers is that xtend makes airplane power plugs for both the Panasonic and the Pioneer, but not the Sharp. Just something to think about.

Rating:
Summary: It does not play all VCD
Review: I found out that it does not play all VCD after the 30 days return period and 90 days labor warranty. A sharp authorized repairs shop in Portland,OR thought that it was a bad laser. They replaced it and try to charge me for the $130 labor without really fixing the prbolem. I took the unit back and did some investigating myself. I took a few VCD's (all authentic Disney products) , some play on my Sharp DVL70U Portable DVD player and some don't to an electronic store. The VCD all play on Sony and

Panasonic portable DVD players. But none play on the latest model of the Sharp 8" DVD portable player either. All the VCDs also play on a regular Pioneer DVD player. I am very disappointed with the Sharp portable DVD players. It is
not functioning as it ADVERTISED. I return a AIWA 5" portable DVD player that I had for a few days in order to purchase the Sharp 7" portable DVD player after I read about the Sharp online at sharp.com as well as on amazon.com. I am very disappointed and kind of mad too. I wish I found out the problem as soon as I had the unit, before the 30 days and the 90 days.
A Very Unhappy Customer

Rating:
Summary: It does not play all VCD
Review: I have been doing some research for some time for a portable dvd player. Like most people, I am not a business person traveling the world. I am just a big kid who likes to purchase high tech gadgets. I must say that I was very impressed with the quality thus far for the Sharp. The picture was very impressive...but I did get one that had a burnt pixel. No big deal, in fact the manual addresses this not so common problem. That small flaw has in no way detracted from my overall experience. But, I felt I should mention it because some people are very detail oriented. The other problem I seem to have is the daily storage of the player. I went out and purchased a case from CD Projects that is supposed to hold a Zip drive, it's perfect when the dvd player and accessories are all that I want to carry plus it's much smaller than the Case Logic Dvd case. Mon-Fri I travel back and forth to work and I carry "back pack". Needless to say I don't want to carry both bags. Someone should offer a stream line snug case for just the player. Last is the size of the remote...it's full size! It also controls some the features that are not offered on the player control panel. I made the mistake of displaying the battery life and counter on the screen using the remote and then forgetting the remote at home. I was stuck with that display until I got back home because there was no manual override on the panel...

Rating:
Summary: Not as bad as they say...
Review: I have been doing some research for some time for a portable dvd player. Like most people, I am not a business person traveling the world. I am just a big kid who likes to purchase high tech gadgets. I must say that I was very impressed with the quality thus far for the Sharp. The picture was very impressive...but I did get one that had a burnt pixel. No big deal, in fact the manual addresses this not so common problem. That small flaw has in no way detracted from my overall experience. But, I felt I should mention it because some people are very detail oriented. The other problem I seem to have is the daily storage of the player. I went out and purchased a case from CD Projects that is supposed to hold a Zip drive, it's perfect when the dvd player and accessories are all that I want to carry plus it's much smaller than the Case Logic Dvd case. Mon-Fri I travel back and forth to work and I carry "back pack". Needless to say I don't want to carry both bags. Someone should offer a stream line snug case for just the player. Last is the size of the remote...it's full size! It also controls some the features that are not offered on the player control panel. I made the mistake of displaying the battery life and counter on the screen using the remote and then forgetting the remote at home. I was stuck with that display until I got back home because there was no manual override on the panel...

Rating:
Summary: Better than the Panasonic
Review: I have both this player and the Panasonic. The exta 2 inches of display make all the difference (when my wife an I are flying together, we fight over who gets the one with the big screen... when I fly alone, the Panasonic stays at home) If I had to buy one right now, this would be it. However, if I could wait 6 months or so, I would do that, because though this is the best portable system there is, it feels like it was thrown together very quickly... I hate the way the battery connects via an external cable. Something better will show up in 6 months...

Rating:
Summary: Good Portable Player
Review: I have had one for almost a year now and it has been awesome. This is great for when you are on a long drive with the kids.

Rating:
Summary: Happy business traveler
Review: I have just recently purchased the Sharp DV-L70U Portable DVD Player from Amazon.

My line of work requires me to travel frequently, and even though I am lucky to be able to fly business class, it sure is a hassle watching movies. Due to the frequency of travel, I pretty much have seen all what the airlines have to offer several times over. Besides, since airline movies run continuously, one better stays in its seat while watching. Any bathroom break might make you miss the important scene you have been waiting for. I also like to mention, that many of the on-board monitors are in such bad shape, that watching a movie becomes more a guessing game than an enjoyable event.

Thanks to my new portable DVD, this is now a thing of the past. The Sharp DV-L70U is compact and the 7 inch screen surprises with outstanding picture quality. It is easy to use and provides, combined with a good set of Noise Reduction Headphones, a place of escape and tranquility even in the most crowded and noisy places.

Thumps up to: Great picture, good sound through earphones and speakers, compact size, ability to play DVD and Music CD's, high quality product

Thumps down to: Relative short battery life (just over 3 hours), limited control panel on unit (many options are only accessible via remote control).

In summary, after comparing the sharp to all the other products currently available, I feel that the DV-L70U is the best player on the market today.

I also recommend the Boostaro head phone amplifier, that allows up to three head phones to be connected to the player, and boost 40% more power to the head phones. Combined with a membership at Netflix.com my airline flights are now movie hassle free, and even the dreaded delays are now more easily to deal with.

Rating:
Summary: Is the screen resulotion important?
Review: I have spent a while reading different reviews on different portable dvd players want to share my findings and why I believe the Sharp DVD-L70 is the best. A while ago I bought a Panasonic L10 which was good, but when the Panasonic L50 was released, I upgraded to this model because the screen image looked a lot better and films were more enjoyable. The problem I have found with the L50 was visible horizontal scan lines. The visible scan lines did get on my nerves after a few weeks of watch films (forget about watching in zoom mode unless you want an epileptic fit). Now I have upgraded again to the Sharp player. I find the 7" screen a lot better for watching films and the sound through Sharp's small speakers are, in my opinion very good. I do have a couple of gripes about the player though, 1. The pixels are larger on Sharp's TFT panel and even though it has 337,000 of them compared to Panasonic's (L50) 280,000, the Panasonic's TFT image is sharper and doesn't show jagged edges on objects or diagonal lines. 2. The Sharp player should have all of the features on the remote made available on the player. One thing that really bothers me was that there was no resume button on the player. On the Panasonic player when you pressed stop/start, it resumed. On the Sharp player, you can press the Resume button on the remote but not through the play button on the player. If this is not the case, can someone enlighten me? My conclusion is: If you want a player which offers the best (non-blocky) image and don't mind scan lines then buy the Panasonic L50 (be warned that this player gets very, very, hot). If you don't mind a slightly blocky image then buy the Sharp player. I have, and have no regrets. I believe this is currently the best player on the market and prices are coming down. You could always wait until manufactures bring out the new models after Christmas in early 2001, which have 8", screens as these may be better, but who knows?

Rating:
Summary: And after the battery dies???
Review: I just picked up my Sharp DVL70U and I'm really pleased with the quality of the product. I'm VERY dissappointed in the lack of accessories. The battery does run approx. 3 hours but if my travel is longer then that I'm hosed. I hope Sharp (or anyone else) will wake up and come up with an attachment that will allow us to play our (wonderful) product on EXTENDED trips via car or plane.

Rating:
Summary: Best Player To Date
Review: I must say that portable dvd players are expensive but they are worth every penny. I have used every portable dvd player model with the exception of the new sony, and the sharp is by far the best. Picture quality is incredible, several times better than any competing models.My units screen, it clear and has no dead spots. I love how the brightness and contrast etc can be adjusted easily (a feature exclusive to the sharp). Also if you have read reviews for any portable dvd player you have heard that the sound quality is poor, this is not true, I have used my sharp in every possible situation and never had a need for headphones. The sound is incredible. Also the external connection to the battery may seem like a hindrance but i find it easy, connecting charger/battery/unit, is simple. Although the remote is great i do (like many others) wish that is was slimmer like competing models. Also i find the claims to be met, battery lasts 3 hours. Overall this is the best bang for your buck. The sharp portable dvd-l70u is miles ahead of the competitors