Panasonic DVD-F87K 5-Disc HD-Compatible DVD/CD Player (Black)

Rating:
Summary: Be ready to throw it away in 6 months to 1 year.
Review: I have got this player and I have started getting H07 errors too as mentioned by others in their reviews. I thought I needed to clean the lens or something. But researching this problem on google basically tells me that this player is no more than a paper weight for me now. Buy this only if you want to invest in a dvd player every year (which may not be such a bad idea given that the prices are droping at an alarming rate)

Rating:
Summary: Another H07 warning for this DVD player!
Review: I have owned numerous Panasonic electronics items over the past 30 years. This includes radios, phones, 3 VHS players, a VHS camcorder, boombox, TV, answering machine, and Mini-DV camcorder. I also own a 5-disc Panasonic DVD player, which is a inoperable piece of metal and plastic occupying my entertainment system shelf.
Soon after the warranty expires(if not before), your Panasonic DVD player is LIKELY to develop a malfunction which is displayed on the DVD as an "H07" error. This code is well known to owners of Panasonic DVD players. It is a signal that the spindle motor has failed, or is failing, not turning the DVDs enough to be "read" by the laser.
PLEASE research well on Google, Metacrawler, or your Internet engine of choice on the dreaded Panasonic "H07" code. I HIGHLY recommend against buying a Panasonic DVD player until the company acknowledges and corrects their manufacturing error in these machines. Even if your machine is still under warranty, you will need to ship it to Panasonic at your cost, and if it is past the first 90 days of ownership, you will pay $90.00 per hour for repairs.
This DVD player is NOT recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A pretty darn good space saving, high performance machine
Review: I picked up this little beauty to replace both an ancient and cranky 5-disc CD Player and a single disc DVD player. I now have breathing room in the old entertainment center, so even my antique turntable can take a creaky spin every now and again.

Seeing that I can't connect a toaster without help, I called on my trusty better half to unravel the mystery of setting it up. In non-technical language, a.k.a. plain English, this is what you need to know about this mighty machine:

1. The manual needs a lot of work. It's neither user-friendly nor idiot-proof. Ditto for the boxy silver remote.

2. It is easy to set up if you already know how to do that sort of thing. (We have component video connections to the TV and digital coaxial connections to the receiver.)

3. It gives excellent sound from both CDs and DVDs. With the benefit of 5.1 surround, movies like Master and Commander can literally move you, and CDs have never sounded better.

4. It is as convenient as a 5-disc CD changer as it is a 5-disc DVD player, except that when you're playing more than one CD you'll need to put it in "CD Mode" first.

5. It can easily play different types of media, such as audio Cds, MP3s, DVDs and those other mysterious formats - just put in the discs and play away.

6. The video quality is very good on a regular TV. You can set up different pre-defined picture quality modes, or customize to suit your own taste if you're a techie or a buff. If you have difficulty making up your mind, ignore this option.

7. The player is chock full of options, but you have to explore for yourself, which can be a bit confusing until you get the hang of it. Read the manual, you say? See Item 1 above.

8. There's on-screen information for MP3s and photo CDs, with different views available for the contents. (Groups/folders or entire playlists)

9. I can't comment on the progressive scan feature, since I don't have an HD or HD-ready TV - yet. (Still waiting for that lottery win)

10. It is supposed to play DVD-Audio discs, but you need 6.1 channel inputs on your receiver to play them. Unfortunately, our receiver is lacking these inputs, but then again, I am also lacking any DVD-Audio discs.

Electronics buffs will probably say that it needs a bit of "tweaking" to get it to look and sound just right, but it looks and sounds great to me. All in all a very good player, perhaps excellent when you factor in the price.

Amanda Richards, October 1, 2004


Rating:
Summary: Panasonic MP3 playback
Review: I purchased the Panasonic DVD-F87 player in part because the literature said it played MP3 files. Unfortunately, the player inserted an audible blip between many of the MP3 songs, so I returned it and got the Panasonic S47 model. It had the same problem. MP3 discs that played fine on several computer drives, a Sony DVD player and a Phillips portable CD player would hiccup between songs on the Panasonic. Panasonic denied they had a problem, and tried to blame it on Roxio's MP3-burning software, but one of Panasonic's authorized repair facilities told me that Panasonic's MP3 reader is buggy and that Panasonic has not provided a fix (as of September 2004). So, if MP3 playback is important to you, steer away from Panasonic players.


Rating:
Summary: Do They QA These Things?
Review: Like another reviewer, I had a Panasonic 5 disk DVD player but that one lasted 5 years. Based on that experience, I purchased this one. Unlike my previous model, this one's metal screw that holds/spins the turn table is raised above the height of the 5 DVD slots. If one of the DVDs pops out it will be ruined by that screw head...as what happened to a disk that is no longer sold. It is experiences like this that will prevent me from buying from a particular manufacturer like Panasonic again.

Rating:
Summary: good, multifeatured product
Review: Reviews trashing this item appear to be the work of a few diehards that got burned at some point. This is a good machine that has so many bells and whistles they can't be listed here. Poor manual given the "bells etc" but you can get there.

I got mine for CD play primarily. DVD is a freebie in my mind. I used the $30 discount for signing up for a Amazon credit card. A no-brainer at $80. total!

Panasonic is a good brand, other reviewers (Consumers Reports for one) give it good marks. And, yes, it does play DVD+R discs although not listed on the box.

Made in Singapore vs. China so, hopefully, it won't be a 6 month throwaway.

Rating:
Summary: Woa...
Review: This is one of the best deals on the DVD player market. First rate sound, video, and features with a bargain price. I own a Go Video D2730 networked DVD player also and I thoght it is a decent one. Bought this one just for some dialog enhancement. Never imagined this Panasonic one makes so much difference in sound and video quality. One of my best buys ever!