Panasonic DVD-L50 Portable DVD Player

Rating:
Summary: comfort buddy--entertainment
Review: IF YOU LOVE GOOD QUALITY SOUND AND FRESH CRISP IMAGES THEN, THIS IS YOUR LITTLE BUDDY. THIS DVD PLAYER WILL GIVE YOU HOURS OF COMFORT...I HAVE USED IT WITH A FRIEND AND DISPITE ITS 5 INCH SCREEN .... WE BOTH COULD VIEW IT WELL....I GOT THE EXTRA BATTERY PACK AND USE THE ELECTRICAL PLUG AT TIMES.. ITS WELL MADE ...QUITE DURABLE TOO! THIS COMPACT DELIVERS THE PUNCH ..IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE IS A MONITOR, YOUR BUDDY HAS A CABLE THAT WILL TRANSMIT THE SOUND OR MOVIES ONTO THAT LARGER MEDIUM TOO! SO IT HAS MULTIPLE FLEXIBILITIES ! ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY,...I LOVE MY BUDDY!

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Summary: Surprisingly good sound & picture for it's size, but...
Review: A couple years back, I was considering whether or not to get one of these when a friend of mine got one and started showin' it off to everybody in sight. One day I became one of the fortunate few to experience his new portable entertainment gadget as he popped in a fave platter and we watched the show together. It had amazingly crisp & clear stereo sound for its size, as well as really good picture quality for such a small screen, though the detail was somewhat limited by the screen's small size. It even came with a little clicker, complete with most of the functions & buttons you'd expect on a DVD player remote. I discovered that it can play music CDs as well, with sound quality that surpassed most portable Walkman-type CD players I've ever used or tried out.

But there were a few drawbacks that put me off purchasing this. First and foremost is the price; although it's significantly less expensive now than it was when I first looked at it, the PalmTheater is still a bit too pricey for me to consider it a good entertainment investment. For what's being asked, I'd at least like to see this machine be able to pick up the local broadcast TV and/or radio stations, which would be a great thing to have when I'm out in the boonies and I need my Monday Night Football fix during the season. Also, I noticed that this little guy got a bit warm after about an hour of continuous play. Although I probably shouldn't've worried about this as much as I did, I do know that heat is one of the big killers of electronic devices, especially something as small and undoubtedly delicate as this. Finally, this particular model being at least two years old as of my writing this, it's no longer as up-to-date or top-of-the-line as subsequent Panasonic (or other brands of) personal DVD player/viewers. If I do buy one, I'll probably go for a more recent model.

'Late

Rating:
Summary: Best gift I've ever had!
Review: This was given to me more than a year ago and i just love it. It is very convenient when I travel. I can watch my favorite movies anywhere I go. Unfortunately, I have not been able to use it for over three months now because the middle part where the disc snaps to broke. I have been looking for the part and what it is called. Unfortunately also i don't have the manual anymore because of my moving. I just wish somebody who knows where I can get the part could tell me and help me with this. I really would appreciate it very much if I can use my DVD-L50 again. If someone could help me, my e-mail: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Worth the Money
Review: IF you can afford to buy this player, do. It is amazing. I have tried both the Sony and the Pioneer but I decided to buy this one. I found the others to be rather flimsy and more difficult to use despite their higher price. It it very easy to use and the input option is great so instaed of buying a handheld tv you can just buy a receiver for a fifth of the cost and hook it into the player to watch tv on the go. The speakers deliver great sound for their small size but do get sqeaky at higher volumes. The virtual surround sound works perfectly. The only problem is there is no way to change from widescreen to full screen when it is hooked up to a TV and it tends to get a little hot when it runs, otherwise, a great buy.

Rating:
Summary: Still an awesome product...
Review: My wife and I bought our L50 as a gift to ourselves around Christmas time. We had never owned a DVD player, but decided that it was time for a treat. Wow!

I agree with all the positive comments here. My experience, with the heat issue, is that while you don't want the player in contact with your lap, a pillow or tableteop will do nicely.

One complaint about the heat, though, is that as my unit heats up it starts skipping tracks and I can no longer follow a scene. Two things help remedy this: if you rent disks, always thoroughly clean your disks before inserting them. Get all the fingerprints and dust off. Occassionally you'll find scratches. I've found that using something like Pledge furniture polish helps a little (make sure you wipe the disk thoroughly, wiping straight out from the hole to the edge--don't go in circular motions). Be sure to look at the disks before you leave the rental store. You'll be surprised what scratches you'll find. Second, instead of putting your unit flat on the table, find some way to keep it raised off the table by an inch or two so that air can circulate under the it. This will keep it much cooler and you can continue with your weekend movie marathon!

The LCD screen *does* present a pretty small picture, and enlarging the move usually results in obvious pixelization at the highest setting. I usually just have the player stretch the movie borders to the left and right edges of the screen. Sure, it makes everybody look fatter, but the enlargement aids viewing without resulting in obvious pixelization. The picture is small enough that after 2 or three hours, you'll be feeling eyestrain. But it's large enough that you can make out most small details easily. On most movies it still passes my "credits" test (if you can read the end credits, the clarity is good enough to enjoy).

You'll be impressed with the video output of this little guy--even if you don't have an s-video hookup on your TV. If your TV doesn't support S-Video, you might want to run out and get a better set!

I've found that the audio output is best enjoyed with headphones--but that's mainly because my entertainment system is 7 years old and doesn't support Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. This little player will pump that out--so if you're prepared for Dolby 5.1, you'll be very pleased. Otherwise, invest in a good set of headphones that will either block out external sounds (by fully covering the ears) or by using noise cancelling technology. You'll appreciate the investment. In fact, you might invest in two of those headphones and a splitter while you're at it because you and your significant other will still want to enjoy this together!

As for the audio splitter, get the splitter that is made of nothing but cables. The Y splitters that are all one-piece tend to cause the jacks in the unit to work loose after a while. (If you don't want to unwittingly trip over your audio cables in the dark, forget splitters and get a 900 MHz cordless headphones!)

You might also find a car stereo adapter useful for road trips. I'll admit, it can be distracting hearing a movie all around you without being able to watch (if you're the driver), but--oh glory--what a sound experience!

One upgrade I was actually thinking about was the Sharper Image LCD goggles... but I actually wasn't impressed with the quality. :: sigh ::

In the end, I wouldn't trade this puppy in at all, and I don't necessarily think Panasonic's latest DVD miniature is an improvement.

Regards,

Rich.

Rating:
Summary: Anywhere you want
Review: I recieved the Palmtheatre free through a contest. I never really thought about owning one, and I was not about to shell out the money to get one. However now that I have one and know how much that it is used, I would have no problem what so ever purchasing another one. I take it with us on trips, camping. When I go to a friends house that does not have a DVD player, I can take it along, take the patch cords, and my movies. Very nice and convenient product.

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Summary: Do you travel and have kids?
Review: Sitting in Tampa airport with a 2 1/2 year old and have 2 1/2 hours before the flight. No problem, plug the system into the outlet in the airport terminal and read the newspaper. Went on a cruise with the same child. Dinners are great, yet a 2 yr old has a problem sitting for a long period of time. Go as long as you can before she really gets to be a handfull and then put on the battery and put the DVD player in front of her and enjoy the food and new friends. Flying to Tampa from Los Angeles is a long way. Tell a 2 1/2 yr old to sit and color for 6 hours. Yea right. She would much rather color for 30 minutes and then play with the seat in front of her for 30 minutes, then the Airphone. You get the idea. How about color for 30 minutes, watch Barney, then have a well rested mother read some books to her, then take a nap, then watch Peter Pan, etc.

Granted it gets warm on the bottom. I worried about this before I purchased. It is a non issue as far as I am concerned. Bought a small travel bag for the DVD player. It is actually designed for a CD player. Works perfect for the DVD player. Almost as big as the player itself. Fits right in the diaper bag. Best money spent in a long time.

BTW -- Look for reputable sellers on Ebay. Save 2 to 4 hundred.

Rating:
Summary: Two months, still love it.
Review: If you love movies, or just hate being bored on airplanes then get this now. Also makes a great home player... price the home players with DTS, consider the portability factor and compare. It's well worth the money. If you get one, get a case and a set of good noise-canceling headphones. Noise-canceling headphones are REQUIRED for aircraft use. The bottom does get a little hot. Frankly, when I'm 35,000 feet in the air, sipping a drink while watching a movie, I don't care.

Rating:
Summary: A view from Indonesia
Review: I purchased the DVD-L50 a couple of months ago in Singapore on impulse and have not regretted this at all. I agree with the majority of reviews already given, especially with regard to quality and versatility. Comments about lack of car adaptor and the unit getting hot are also valid but far outweighed by the plus points.

Just to add a S.E. Asia perspective - it also plays VCDs (video compact disks) which are plentiful and cheap out here and it is great for our traffic jams. I also had the region for the player modified at no cost.

Rating:
Summary: Great Product!
Review: I bought this little thing because I was traveling and needed something to keep me busy during layovers and delays. But WOW. The screen resolution is fine, especially with the choice of three screen sizes. The sound is excellent and then I discovered that I can hook it to my hotel room tv and watch my movies for free. Beware of holding it on your lap...the bottom gets very hot after a while. My Daughter loves it as well....we use for those long car rides and those times when we go camping. Pricey but worth it...in my opinion!